Beginning, Section II, Next Section

Part 3

It was several years later that Elizabeth found herself heading in the direction of Canada for a summer. As she would be passing through the state of New York, she decided to call Will Darcy and at least tell him she was passing through, thereby leaving him the option of seeing her or not.

She got the number from Colin and called Will's apartment. "You have reached Will Darcy's private line. I am not able to come to the phone right now, but leave a name and number after the beep and I will return your call as soon as I can."

"Hello, Will, it's Elizabeth Bennet. I'm not sure if you'll remember me. You lived with Cleo and I for a month and we're passing through New York State on our way to Canada. If you wanted to get together or anything, give me a call at (904) 386- 2494."

Elizabeth sighed a huge sigh of relief when she hung up. She had felt awkward at the thought of actually talking to him. Nothing had passed between them since he had flown back to New York. It wasn't like she was expecting him to write regularly or something. But still, it was kind of weird to live with someone in such close quarters for that long and still not have any contact after that. She didn't get to know him very well at all.

Later that evening Will returned her call. "Hello, Elizabeth?"

"Yes."

"This is Will Darcy. How have you been?"

"Fine, and you?"

"Just great. So... you're passing through here?"

"Yep. On my way to shoot some of the lovely Prince Edward Island as well as other parts of Canada while the weather is above 0 degrees."

"When will you be in New York?"

"I'll be there in two weeks."

"Could you give me a definite date?"

"Well, I can be flexible, you know. Did you want to get together?"

"No, I'm just asking for a specific date for my useless information file. Of course, I do."

Elizabeth was surprised at his sarcasm. But then, maybe he had changed a little in the time they'd been apart. "Um, you're the CEO with the busy New York schedule. You pick a date."

"How about Saturday, 10th of May?"

"Sure. That works."

"Could I take you to see a musical or a play?"

Elizabeth was not a little surprised. "Um, sure. You pick and I'll enjoy."

"Great. How will I meet you?"

"I really don't know the region very well. I definitely don't want to bring Cleo near the city."

"Understandable. How about if I meet you at the campsite off of I-** and pick you up?"

"I can do that. What time?"

"Noon would be best."

"Fine. It's set."

"See you then."

Elizabeth hung up. Wow! She laughed uneasily. She was now entering his territory. It almost seemed like a date. But that was silly. He probably hadn't thought about her one jot since he had left the airport in Miami. She sighed. This might be awkward.

Two weeks later, Elizabeth pulled Cleo into the campsite she and Will had agreed upon. She was a few hours early. These few hours allowed her to get really nervous. She didn't know what to wear or anything! Why did she submit herself to this torture? Once again, she doubted if he even had thought about her once since they had parted.

Elizabeth decided on a casual skirt with a blouse and jacket that could also work for a nice restaurant or the theatre. She put clips into her newly cut curls. She put earrings in her ears for the first time in a long while. Finally, donning a necklace of silver, she was finished. Looking around, she realized how messy Cleo was. This became how she occupied her time until Will arrived.

When he did, she was surprised, but laughed out loud. A long, black limousine pulled up beside Cleo. Will got out wearing a nice looking suit. Elizabeth exited Cleo and walked up to him, still grinning and looking at the limo, shaking her head.

"What?" asked Will.

"Did you finally lose your license permanently or something?"

Will pretended to be insulted and offended. "We meet after over a year and a half, and this is how you greet me? Implying I continued in my ways of folly."

"Am I right?" she asked him, a smug smile playing across her face.

"No. When I returned to New York from Miami I employed a full-time chauffeur."

"Because you didn't want to end up spending another month with Cleo and I?"

"Once again, you insult me. No, because I couldn't afford to spend another month with you, even if I wanted to. My company suffered during my absence, and I don't trust it to anyone else anymore."

"You never told me what you company did."

Will looked uncomfortable at the question, and replied, "It's a long story. I'll tell you some other time. Meanwhile, let's get in and return to New York."

Elizabeth got in and Will sat across from her. The limo started back to the city.

"I like that haircut for you. It suits."

"Thanks," Elizabeth replied. "It was a refreshing change."

"So tell me how you have been since I left you," said Will.

Elizabeth had been inwardly surprised that he talked as much as he did. Now, she realized it couldn't have lasted long. "Nothing new. I've continued traveling and developing my work. Still actively involved in environmental organizations. Expanding my clientele for my work. That was hard, because I had to learn more about the business world."

"Not a very nice place, is it?"

"Not for someone like me who prefers the peace and tranquillity of the countryside."

"Do you ever meet people on your travels, or do you avoid them?"

"Not always. Last summer was so glorious. I got to stay with a family in Minnesota for a few weeks. They are a young couple recently returned from serving in the Peace Corps in Africa. A lot of the recipes they served me were African. It took some getting used to, but I liked it. They had a three-year-old and a five-year-old. They own a farm, and live in a small wooden house they built themselves. It has no running water, no gas, and no electricity. Above their door, there's a plaque hanging with the words, We live simply, so that others may simply live. I loved that quote and wish I could paint it on Cleo somewhere. But I haven't found an ideal location for it. Anyway, they farm organically. No fertilizer, no pesticides, no chemicals. They farm by the stars and the moon, which means that they only harvest and plant when the seasons say it's right rather than when the farmer has to do it. They use animal feces to naturally fertilize the land; they rely on natural enemies to keep the pests down. They actually breed garden snakes, praying mantises, and ladybugs for this purpose. They rotate their crops so that different nutrients are replaced into the soil and so weeds don't get a good hold onto the land. It was so interesting how these people lived. They taught their children at home. Both were bilingual, speaking German and English. One day, the three-year-old told me how to tell a ripe raspberry from an unripe one. He knew just from his experience. I was very sad to leave that family. But I needed to return to my work. I took their ideas with me, though, and of course I took plenty of photographs."

While Elizabeth had told her eloquent tale, Will watched her with contentment on his face. It was an expression Elizabeth remembered seeing sometimes when they saw a particularly sublime view or when the weather proved unusually pleasant. Now, though, she didn't quite know what to make of it.

"The chemicals used on food production can be very dangerous. It's thought to cause a lot of cancer. That's why a lot of people eat organic food. Just eating organic food tastes a whole lot better."

Will nodded. "We don't get much opportunity to buy organically grown stuff in New York."

"I can imagine not. Where are we going?"

"I thought long and hard about where to take you. Finally, a friend of mine suggested I take you to a nice restaurant either in Chinatown or downtown, whichever you preferred. Then there's a soloist in Carnegie Hall I've heard is really excellent and worth seeing. How does that sound?"

"Wonderful. I don't remember the last time I got to hear quality live classical music."

"So which is it to be? Chinese or... I guess they serve French."

"Do you have a preference?"

"Nope."

"Then I like Chinese better."

They sat across from each in Indian style at the low table. Elizabeth smiled as the food came. Will continued his question, "So what other adventures have you been on?"

"Well. I could tell you about Walt, who is another organic farmer I got to know pretty well close to my home. I have started buying most of my food from him."

"I'm all ears."

"Walt loves to tell his life story and I love hearing it. He grew up in St. Louis and would mow lawns as much as he could to earn money to go to college. One of his regular customers owned this horse he really admired. The man knew Walt admired the horse and one day says to him, 'Walt, if you mow some land I have out in the country all summer for free, I'll give you that horse.' Walt was ecstatic, except for two things. One, was how to get out to the land in the country. Two, was how to ask his parents to keep this horse. So he ends up riding his bike several miles to the country to mow this land. Meanwhile, his mother has said that if he could find someone who would look after the horse in the country, he could keep it. But to find this benevolent person, Walt has to ride his bike and return before dark. This the fourteen-year-old Walt does, going house to house looking for someone who is willing to take care of the horse. Everyday, he has to go farther into the country and has a harder time getting home in time. One evening, he visits a house and the man says, 'Are you the boy who has been asking to keep a horse?' Walt replies the affirmative. 'You'd better leave quickly before my dad comes.' Walt asks why, and then the father comes and begins to drag him off the property. Walt shouts to the other man if there is anyone he knows who would care for the horse. The man shouts back another mile down the road is a Mr. Martin who might do it. Walt, standing back on the road, contemplates visiting this last house. It's time for him to return, but he thought, 'Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.' So he rides to this Martin's house.

"There he encounters this old, seventy-something-year-old man carrying to ten pound gallons of milk from the barn to the cool basement. He stops and asks Walt, 'You the boy who's asking about a place fer a horse?' 'Yes,' replies Walt. 'Mary!' cries the old man. 'Mary! Come out here! God's answered our prayers!' Mrs. Martin comes out, and Mr. Martin sits on the top step. He says to Walt, 'I'm gettin' old and can't bend down to do the gardenin' the way I used. If you come out an' garden for us, I'll keep yer horse. Not only that, I'll feed it, too. But there's one condition. You have to garden my way. That's without chemicals and by the stars and the moon. Are you willin'?' Walt nods eagerly, and that's how their relationship started.

"Walt would go to the Martins nearly everyday for four years. Garden and listen to the old man's wise advice. He had only received an education up to the third grade, yet Walt claims he got his most valuable advice from him. Mr. Martin really became a second father to Walt, whose real father continues to live with him on the farm to this day. This was how Walt learned how to farm organically. Finally, on the day he was to go to college, Mr. Martin called him to come over. Mr. Martin was sitting on the top porch step, and asks his wife to bring him the package from inside. He says to Walt, 'Son, you're never going to come back home again. Oh, you'll come to visit, but you'll never truly come home permanently again. Now, my mamma gave me some wise advice. Never leave home without a good pair of socks and shoes on yer feet. And I know yer parents can get you a good pair of shoes, but I thought you'd need these.' Mr. Martin hands Walt the package, and inside, are two pairs of nice, silk, men's stockings. Mr. Martin hugged him and Walt returned home for his last night. That was the last two-way conversation he ever had with Mr. Martin, for when he returned the first time to visit from college, Mr. Martin was in a coma. Walt still has those same stockings, never worn, in his top drawer. He says if anyone touches them, he'll slaughter them." Elizabeth laughed a little shakily. "For two years Mr. Martin lay in a coma, and every spare moment he had, Walt would spend by his bedside. Mr. Martin had once told him, the best feeling in the world was to have the big toe on his left foot rubbed. So the first time Walt saw Mr. Martin in the coma, he stuck his hand under the blanket and rubbed the left big toe. Sure enough, Mr. Martin's right index finger started moving. Mrs. Martin came and asked what Walt was doing. 'I'm rubbin' the big toe on his left foot.' Mrs. Martin's eyes fill and she says, 'I thought I was the only one who knew that. How did you know?' Walt replies, 'He told me one afternoon while we were on the hay truck.' Finally, Mr. Martin passed on. But Walt claims he still lives inside of him."

Will had remained silent during her story. He liked listening to her talk. He loved the soothing sound of her voice and the intriguing way she told the story. He was content to continue listening. So he said, "Are there any more stories he told you?"

Elizabeth laughed, and said, "You're trying to make me do all the talking are you?"

Will cracked a slight smile. "Maybe. I like hearing what you have to tell."

"Well, in that case. I love the story Walt tells about teasing his grandson. Oh, by the way, Walt went to college, got a business degree, I think he went to graduate school, then he ended up in the insurance business. When he had enough money to retire, he bought some land and settled down to organically farm it just for the pure enjoyment of it. Now it's turned into a small enterprise. He's a canny businessman. But I was going to tell you about his grandson. This little boy is about four years old. And his mother just became pregnant. So Walt takes the little one aside and asks, 'What did your parents do with the old refrigerator when they got a new one?' The little boy replies, 'They traded it in.' 'But what did they do with they're old car?' 'Traded it in.' 'And their old stereo?' 'Traded it in.' 'Yes, but what did they do with their old sofa?' The little boy is beginning to look really puzzled. 'They traded it in.' So then Walt asks, 'What do you think they'll do when they get a new baby boy?' That poor child!" Elizabeth cried. "Walt convinced his grandson that he was going to be replaced by the baby."

Will laughed heartily with Elizabeth. "So the little boy really thought he was going to be traded in?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"I did jokes like that on my little sister," said Will. "She always looked up to me and thought what I said was as good as out of God's own mouth. It was so easy to take advantage of that, and being the mischievous boy I was, I did take advantage."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't remember. I think I convinced her once that when her teeth fell out they would never grow back again. And then I guess the usual stuff like monsters in her closet. She believed in Santa Claus until she was eight or something ridiculous like that, and I was the one to break it to her that Santa isn't real."

"Well that's no more unusual than any brother would do. In fact, it sounds as if you went easy on her."

"She is more than 10 years my junior."

"So how old is she now?"

"Wouldn't that reveal my age?"

"Come on, you can't be old enough to have that urge to conceal it. You're, what, 27?"

"Close. I'm 26."

"See, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

Will shrugged. "Except that you think I'm older than I am."

"Well, you act mature for your age."

Will chuckled at her rescue and nodded sheepishly.

"So how did someone your age become CEO of a corporation?"

Will hesitated answering a question about his work. Finally he said, "My father passed on a few years ago, leaving the business and the position to me. For a couple of years, someone temporarily filled in for me while I completed my education."

"Where did you go to college?"

"I attended Harvard."

"Really?! What's it like?"

Will looked puzzled. "You mean the Cambridge area?"

"Sure."

"Um, it's pretty. Not all of Harvard is beautiful old buildings, but Baker Library at the Business School was always a favourite of mine. It has a very colonial look to it."

"What are the teachers like?"

"The professors? It depends. Some I didn't get along well with, some I fell asleep in their classes, and some were geniuses it was hard to sit in the same room with, and then a few became valuable mentors to me in my time of troubles."

"You fell asleep in class?"

"Sure, in a few, like English classes."

"You're kidding!"

"No. Trying to pull absolutely hidden meanings out Blake's "Book of Urizen" isn't my idea of interesting."

"I haven't heard of that book."

"It's a poem. I wouldn't advise you to read it. It would be a waste of your time."

"Oh. But still, spending that much on an education, you should take advantage of it."

Will shrugged. "I paid attention in the important classes."

Elizabeth didn't reply, but seemed to get strangely silent. Will noticed the time, and said, "We really should be moving along. The performance starts in twenty minutes."

They left Chinatown and traveled to Carnegie Hall in the limo.

"Am I dressed okay?"

"You look just fine in that," Will replied. Mentally he rebuked himself, thinking he should have come up with a better compliment than 'You look fine.'

They got out and walked through the elaborate foyer. They walked to their seats in the middle of the bottom level. Only the bottom and second levels were open for seating.

The tenor was one she had never heard of before, but then she hadn't been keeping up with any of the current classical trends. His name was Andrea Bocceli, and apparently he was blind.

Elizabeth leaned over to Will, and asked, "How does he read the music?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he learns everything by ear, or maybe they have music in Braille just for him."

In five minutes, the lights dimmed and Elizabeth settled back contentedly, fully intending to relish the moments. The tenor did have a marvelous, splendid voice. He sang some more contemporary pieces and then the usual arias from operas.

Two stood out to Elizabeth. The first was a love song from Turandot called 'Nessun dorma'. It literally made tears come to her eyes. But the second one made the tears flow down her cheeks. What helped was the background to the song. Will leaned over, and in a low voice, said, "This is a love song from Tosca. A tortured man is condemned to die when his love, a famous singer, Tosca, consents to giver herself to the captor. Right before the act, she kills the captor. Her lover is supposed to go through a fake execution, which turns out to be real. She watches her lover die. And then throws herself off a tower. This song is about the condemned man as he remembers his lover and their love."

Surreptitiously, Will slipped her his handkerchief. She smiled pathetically at him and took it, wiping her eyes and nose.

Once the concert was over, Elizabeth and Will left the hall. Elizabeth's eyes were a little red and she sniffled a little. She offered the handkerchief, but he declined, telling her to keep it.

"Thank you so much for taking me to this concert. I loved it."

"Really? I was worried it wouldn't be your cup of tea."

"Well, of course I'm going to be a little dispirited after that moving aria, but I did enjoy it immensely."

Will smiled at her and they got into the limo waiting outside for them. They drove all the way back to the campsite outside of New York in silence. Elizabeth leaned against the window staring out in pensive thought. Will either watched her or looked out the opposite window, also in brooding thought.

When they pulled up next to Cleo, Will asked, "When are you leaving?"

"I was expecting to leave tomorrow."

"Could you wait until after lunch? I wanted to see you a little more."

Elizabeth was bewildered and puzzled. She hesitated, but could think of no good reason why not, so she assented and said good night.

When she was in Cleo, she picked up her cell phone and called Jane.

"Hello, Jane?"

"Lizzy? Where are you?"

"Just outside of New York City. Do you remember Will Darcy?"

"The handsome man who lived with you for a month?"

"Yeah. He took me out to eat and to a concert this evening."

"Really? How did he know you were there?"

"I told him. He had said to tell him if he was ever in the area. So, I told him, and he asked me out. So we went to this really nice restaurant in Chinatown, and then we went to a concert sung by Andrea Bocceli. It was incredible, Jane."

"Wonderful."

"Anyway, he's taking me out to lunch tomorrow and then I'm back on track for Canada."

"You have your passport and everything."

"Yes."

"Tell me, what does Will do in New York."

"He is very wealthy. Had his own limo. He's CEO of Darcy Inc."

"Really!"

"Yes, why? What does the company do? He hasn't told me anything."

"I take it he knows about your environmentalist views?"

"Yes, so? No one living with me for a month could escape my strong opinions on every issue under the sun." Jane didn't say anything for a bit. "Jane?"

"Oh, well, I don't know if I'm right in telling you this. I occasionally flip through some of your environmental magazines."

"And?"

"And I read an article about chemical companies and toxic wastes."

"So?"

"Darcy Inc. is one of them."

"Will owns and runs a chemical company?!"

"I think so, yes."

Elizabeth couldn't respond for a few minutes. So that was why he would never talk to her about his company. She was furious and hurt at the same time. All of the bad thoughts she had dismissed as being unreasonable returned. She remembered his arrogance the first day she met him. Do you know who I am? She remembered how taciturn and darn rude he could be. Slowly, in her mind, she molded Will into an evil person, running a huge chemical company solely for profit, spewing toxic wastes into pristine rivers and dumping in the ocean on top of dolphins and in the middle of ancient forests.

"What do I do, Jane? I have to have lunch with this man tomorrow."

"You can certainly have lunch with him for Pete's sake. It's not like he's going to directly poison your food."

"But he does indirectly."

"Don't bring up the subject, and if it gets too long a meal, say you need to hurry up and go. You'll be fine. Just don't blow it out of proportion like I know you have tendency to do."

"Of course I won't," she said.

They soon hung up, but Elizabeth stayed up reviewing the evening and their entire acquaintance in a completely different light. Will played the role of a handsome baddy, out to poison the world in return for riches and wealth and prestige. He spent a month with her to spy on her and her ideas.

Meanwhile, Will called Colin on his cell phone. "Colin?"

"Yeah."

"Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

"Well, in that case... I took Elizabeth out this evening."

Colin, who had sighed in resignation of being the supportive cousin, sat up in bed. "Oh yeah, I remember now. How'd it go?"

"Really well. We talked a lot-"

"You mean she talked a lot and you listened a lot?"

"Um, yeah, anyway, she really liked the meal and the concert. You were right. She does like classical music."

"She is a close friend of mine, Will. Of course, I knew that kind of stuff. Did you talk about yourself at all?'

"Yeah. I talked a little about Georgiana-"

"That doesn't count. What about yourself?"

"Oh, well she had a lot questions about my Harvard education I answered. She seemed horrified to find out I slept through some English lectures."

"That's understandable considering she never even had the chance to go to college."

"What?"

"She never went to college. Just through high school."

"She doesn't have a single college degree?"

"No. Didn't you know that?"

"No, I assumed she would have gone to four years of college at least!"

"Not everyone has millions like you do, Will."

"But still, why not get into a state university or something?"

"I don't know. Ask her yourself. It's late, Will, and I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow."

"Oh, sorry. Thanks for talking."

"Yeah. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

Will hung up and sat back in his seat, watching the lights flit past his eyes. She didn't even have a college education! She was the equivalent of those poor white trash who settled for working at McDonald's and Wendy's all their lives. Will's admiration and respect for her sunk with just this one fact about Elizabeth. His snobbish, Harvard views came into boot, knocking out the common sense that usually prevailed in his mind. He had agreed to take her out to lunch. He couldn't honorably back out of the engagement. Well, maybe if he kept it really quiet, no one would know he had taken a trashy white lady out to dinner and a concert and then lunch.

Needless to say, when Will's limo pulled up, neither of them were in the best of moods. Both were cold to the other. Elizabeth just thought how it validated her assumptions. Don't worry. Only an hour and a half at the most.

"I need to be back by 1:00 at the latest."

"Fine."

They drove in silence to a small sandwich deli. They ordered their sandwiches and sat down at one of the tables by the window. In silence they waited for their food until Elizabeth could stand it no longer.

"Do you enjoy what you do?" she asked in a tone that suggested sharpness.

Will seemed surprised at such a relatively intelligent statement. "Yes, I suppose sometimes." There was a long pause. "How long have you been a photographer?"

"Since I was about 12. I only started selling my stuff when I was a junior in high school."

I'm surprised you got even that far.

When their food came, Elizabeth resolved that her stubborn and willful self just would not stay quiet. She had to tell him what she thought of him. How many activists did she know who would give their eyeteeth to have this opportunity of talking to the CEO of Darcy Inc.?

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I despise and hate you."

"Come again?" Will said, eyebrows raised in utter amazement and shock.

Elizabeth hadn't meant it to come out that harsh! But once begun, there was no turning back now.

"I found out only last night that Darcy Inc. is one of the chemical companies causing so many of the problems I and the organizations I support are trying to fight."

"How so?" said the indignant CEO. Was this mere high school graduate fanatic environmentalist accusing his company?

"You are one of the myriad of corporations who doesn't care about the people living around your filthy plants, and about the environment that we all live in!"

"I don't think I have to sit here and listen to this rubbish from a mere, uneducated photographer!"

"Uneducated? You think that just because I haven't had Harvard education consisting of sleeping through classes, I don't know a darn thing about the environment, which I happen to have lived in close proximity to since I was 16! I have seen the damage your company's kind has done. In some cases, it's irreparable! I doubt we'll ever recover from the destruction wrought by the chemicals."

"You know nothing about it. My company has always had a clean reputation! We pass government inspection every year. You cannot link my company with the others."

"Can't I? Why don't you take a closer look? Stop wearing blinders."

Will knew he would not be able to contain himself any longer if she stayed. Since the only way out was by his limo and he certainly didn't want to sit alone with her for half an hour, he said in a soft, low voice, "The limo is outside. Tell him to take you back to the campsite."

Elizabeth needed no second request. Quivering with suppressed anger and outrage, she got up and walked out of the restaurant to the limo, asked to be taken home, and left Will sitting alone in the deli, also fuming from her accusations.

When Elizabeth returned, she immediately left the campsite and headed north to Canada. She knew the sooner she was back into nature, the sooner she could calm down and forgot she ever knew a Will Darcy. Meanwhile, she had to vent to someone. Her closest friend besides Jane, was Colin. She hesitated about calling Will's cousin. But after she couldn't reach Jane, she dialed Colin's number.

"Hello, Colin?"

"Elizabeth?"

"Yeah. Do you have a minute?"

"Hold on." He covered the mouthpiece and she could hear him asking some people to leave his office. "All right. Talk to me. I thought you would have been at lunch with my cousin."

"I was. But it didn't work out."

"What do you mean it didn't work out? You weren't trying to form a relationship! You were going out to lunch. Are you okay? Are you ill?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just that I learned last night that Will is CEO of Darcy Inc. which is a chemical company. One of the very ones I fight against with Greenpeace and Sierra. After I came out honestly with my opinion of him, he accused me of being uneducated. Probably because I didn't waste my time learning rubbish I'd never use in life and couldn't afford anyway. I'm very sorry, Colin, but I hate your cousin."

Colin took deep breaths, squeezing the bridge of his nose between his eyes in frustration. His cousin was not the brightest man on Mars. And Elizabeth could possibly be right about her accusations. She usually didn't accuse needlessly or erroneously.

"Will really does think his company is clean and safe."

"Well he's wrong."

"Where did you get this information?"

"Greenpeace magazine."

"All right. I'll get a copy and check up on it. I'll show Will the article in which Darcy Inc. is mentioned."

"He called me uneducated, Colin!" she cried. Her eyes started to fill and her throat clenched. The insult now reached into her heart, stinging cruelly. Will's comment had hurt her greatly.

"I'm really sorry, Liz. I told him last night you never went to college. That must be where he suddenly got this prejudiced view. I thought he knew."

"I don't go around publicizing the fact that I was too poor to go to college!"

"I know, I know. I'm fearfully sorry, Liz. I'll talk to him a little. Set him straight."

"What will that do? He obviously thinks I'm the lowest of the low. White trash is probably reverberating around his tiny brain."

"Don't fret over it, Liz. Where are you headed?"

Elizabeth sniffed loudly, and in a pouting voice, said, "Prince Edward Island seems appealing right now."

"That's a good idea. Why don't you head up there? I've heard it's particularly beautiful this time of year. Cool off, and forget about today. I'll handle Will and I'm sorry this happened. It's partly my fault."

"If he gets in trouble again, tell him to go to live in one of his factory towns for a month and get a taste of what it's like."

"I'll talk to you later on. Have a successful shoot up in PEI."

"Will doesn't think I'm successful."

"He doesn't know any better. Forget Will. Concentrate on a nice calendar to be sold next year with your photos."

Elizabeth sniffed again and sighed a loud sigh. "Thank you, Colin."

"Anytime, dear."

"Bye."

Part 4

The first thing Colin did when he got off the phone was call his cousin. Darcy refused to answer, letting the cell phone ring in his pocket as he was riding back to New York in his limo. He was livid with anger. What right did she have to accuse his company of pollution? He had always prided himself on running a clean company. He had once admired Elizabeth, but was now thankful he had not done anything rash like caused her to think he liked her. He could imagine how her type would cling to him and think they were dating when they weren't. Caroline was the worst at this. Will shuddered and turned his thoughts more pleasantly back to Elizabeth. Woah! Where did that come from?

Colin, meanwhile, had decided to take initiative and see what the article was that riled Elizabeth so uncharacteristically. He called his secretary and asked her to find him the latest Greenpeace magazine. Puzzled by this request, she nonetheless hit the phones finding out where to get one.

By the time Colin was leaving the office, the secretary had brought him the said magazine. He stayed in the office long enough to read the article. As soon as he had reached the end of the article, he stuffed it in his overcoat pocket and walked out of the office building. Turning left, he trotted down the crowded sidewalk as best as he could, brushing shoulders and hitting his briefcase into others as the mass of people rushing homeward fought against him. Finally, he had reached the building housing Darcy Inc. He entered the revolving doors. His footsteps echoed in the lobby as he walked to the desk.

"Excuse me, but is Mr. Darcy still in his office?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Mr. Darcy left before lunch and has not returned. Did you have an appointment to meet him?"

"What?" Colin responded absently. "Oh, no, I just need to speak to him. Never mind. Thank you."

Colin walked back out onto the crowded street and headed for the nearest subway station. He impatiently waited in line for the next train to come. All the while, his mind was rapidly working on how to diffuse the situation. He knew and loved Elizabeth dearly, and apparently so did Darcy, if he had actually taken her out to dinner, a concert and lunch in two days. Colin couldn't blame his cousin there. But he could blame him for completely blowing it. Granted he wasn't blameless himself, considering he had told Darcy that Elizabeth hadn't gone to college. And Elizabeth didn't help matters with her incredibly environmentalistic temper. But this article certainly justified her anger. There must be something in error with this article. Surely Will would know if this sort of polluting were going on. That was what he was going to find out now.

At the stop to for Fifth Avenue, Colin got off and walked out of the subway up to the Avenue. He hurried down the wealthy street until he reached Will's place across from Central Park. He banged on the door. Eventually Will answered it. He looked very different from usual in boxers and no shirt. Will glared at him.

"What?"

"Can I come in?"

"Why? Are you going to berate me for her treatment of me?"

"A little, but I'm also going to show you something you'll really want to see. Come on, old boy. Let me in."

Will passively opened the door wider to let his cousin in. The contrast between them was so acute, Elizabeth would have given her pinky finger to photograph the two of them seated across from each other in expensive, leather arm chairs, Colin in his business attire, and Will in only boxers, his hair a mess and a five-o-clock shadow on his face.

Colin started by saying, "You were wrong about commenting on Elizabeth's lack of education. It wasn't by any choice of hers that she never went to college."

"How can you say that? Everyone can go to college in this country!"

"Not so. And not with the Bennet family at least. Jane, the eldest, was so beautiful, her mother pushed her into a career of modeling. She did really well and made some good money at it. Most of the money she sent home to her family. When she could, she got out of modeling and opened up her own little shop. Elizabeth was already showing promise as a photographer and had been selling her stuff at craft shows during high school. Mary was the academic one, lacking any other talents. The two younger daughters, Kathy and Lydia, were hopeless for anything. So when Elizabeth graduated, there was no money to send her to college to refine her talents. She knew this and didn't ask for the money. She, instead, took off on her own, supporting herself with a little help from Jane, and mostly making a decent success at being a photographer. In two years, she was making enough money to send some home to her family. When it came time for Mary to graduate, the efforts of both Jane and Elizabeth and a scholarship allowed Mary to attend a good school. In this way, Elizabeth sacrificed her chances to go to college. She's wanted to, still does. Probably explains why she asked you so much about your experience in Harvard and got upset when you didn't take advantage of the privilege to attend university. Elizabeth isn't stupid, she's very bright. You were completely wrong to condemn her and ridicule her like you did. She was very hurt by your comments."

"Are you done lecturing me?"

"Yes."

"Good, now get out."

"What?"

"I said get out. You haven't anything more to say to me."

"I'm not done. She was justified in calling your company one that pollutes."

"What!!?"

"Look at this! This is her source."

Will looked down at the magazine that Colin had stuffed in his face. He scowled, seeing it was Greenpeace. Colin's eyebrows raised, imploring to at least look at it.

Will took it from Colin's outstretched hands, and saw on the cover, a picture of a river with ugly, green/brown looking froth on the surface of the water near the banks. Floating in the forefront, trapped by a branch protruding from the river's depths, was a dead fish. Perched on the branch was a kingfisher that was missing its left leg. In the background, farther up the river was a big pipe spewing out foul-looking liquid into the water. The headline read, "Save Our Rivers: Companies that pollute our water systems".

Will glanced warily up at Colin, who said, "I think you might want to read the article."

Will didn't want to. He was afraid to. He knew that his company was mentioned. Maybe even more than that. Maybe his company was the feature company doing the worst damage. His employees had told him that they complied with every code and regulation. Apparently they didn't. Something had gone terribly wrong, and Will did not want to see the results in this highly public magazine.

Nevertheless, Will flipped to the featured article. There, he saw more pictures of what damage had been done by pollution, and then one picture of a chemical plant. Will read the caption and saw that it was one of his plants located in Washington.

"Companies that pollute our water systems.

Deep in the heart of Washington's pristine natural forests, flows the Soule River, once famed for its trout. Surrounding it were beautiful trees reaching up to the sunlight, providing a canopy of mottled shade. Birds sang and chirped noisily over the steady sound of rushing water. It used to be a beautiful sanctuary from the modern world. No more. In 1986, Darcy Inc., and big chemical company based in New York, built a plant in the town of Brighton, five miles from this picturesque spot of wilderness. By the year, 1990, the pristine wilderness down river from the chemical plant was diminishing, the birds were silent, the fish were dying or were born mutilated, and general wildlife populace surrounding the river, gradually died off. But more than this, the human populace that uses the water from this river have recorded unusually high rates of cancer and other related diseases. Farmers' livestock are being born deformed or not at all. Mr. Humphries, a resident of Brighton, says, "Everything were fine til the plant come. The chem'cal plant come and the birds go, the deer go, the fish go, the people get sick. That plant be bad, no doin' good to no one." The mayor of the town, Mr. Hastert, replies to the accusations, "This here town was small and flailing in economy once the loggers had to go somewhere else to find work. The Darcy plant helped boost the economy real good. We want to keep the plant, but we would also like to live without the constant fear of cancer." The company itself refuses to talk to Greenpeace about the said pollution. Only Mr. Wickham, manager of the Brighton plant made a comment: "This Darcy plant is clean, and has had a constant reputation of being clean. Every year we pass government inspections." This would indicate somebody else as the culprit until one knew that a secret pipe runs toxic waste underground to discharge in the Soule River. Citizens in Brighton are currently being mobilized to march against Darcy Inc. and its polluting chemical plant. If you want to help, send a petition to Darcy Inc. at ---- Building, 486 -th Avenue, New York, New York, 10009."

"Of course, not. You'll just have to investigate Wickham and fix the problem, put a couple of million into cleaning the mess up and move on, taking better care in picking your managers."

"It's not as simple as that," said Will, looking up. "You read that families are affected... high cancer rates... lawsuits galore... God knows what else!"

Colin didn't know how to respond for a minute. Then he (forced) cheerfully said, "Well, surely if you respond immediately and take care of the delicate situation with due care and caution, you can wiggle out of this one losing only a few million. As long as there is no paperwork or evidence linking the national headquarters to the pollution, lawsuits can only be filed against that particular plant."

"I know I haven't seen a word of this before, but what if some of my employees have?"

"I don't know Will. I would get on the phone with a real lawyer immediately and ask him. If you work this properly, Darcy, you'll be able to survive this ordeal and then go back to Elizabeth and be able to apologize."

Will looked sharply back to Colin. "I don't think Elizabeth and I are going to be in contact ever again."

"You mean your opinion hasn't changed even after all this?"

"No," lied Will.

"Well! You are heartless! I wash my hands of you."

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Fitzwilliam."

"Don't thank me! Thank Elizabeth! She's the one who told me where to find the article.". He had a scowl on his face (quite unusual for this cheerful character) and a horrible craving for macaroni and cheese.

Will ceased to acknowledge Colin's presence who realized it was time for him to be going. He walked out the door and went home, in a decidedly miffed huffy mood.

Elizabeth had put her favourite CD in the stereo and was promptly singing along to "Aquarius" by the Fifth Dimension. "When the moooooon, is in the seventh house, and Jupiteeeeer aligns with Mars. Then peeeeace will guide the planets. And loooove will steer the stars. This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius, age of Aquariuuuuus. Aquariuuuuus, aquariuuuuuuus. Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding...." She rolled down the window and stuck her head out into the wind. Opening her mouth she tasted the rushing breezes. They tasted like butter. She had thought that since she was a kid sticking her head out of the window. The wind tastes like butter. Suddenly, coming back to reality, she swerved back into her lane and pulled her head back in time to keep it from being swiped off. Settling down again, she sang more, "Let the sun shine! Let the sun shine in! The suuuuun shine in!...."

Two minutes later, "G-d, I feel like hell tonight. Tears of rage I cannot fight...." This was her favourite Sheryl Crow song. "Are you strong enough to be my man? Lie to me, I promise, I'll believe. Lie to me, but please don't lee-eeve!"

Elizabeth was trying hard not to think about earlier that day. She had angrily put several hundred miles between her and Will. Every now and then, she would get doubts. Maybe Jane had been wrong. Maybe it wasn't Will's company that was bad. He had seemed honestly shocked at her accusation. But then his words about her education came back and her throat involuntarily clenched. She fought back more tears.

Music was definitely the best medicine. "I'm blue, da ba dee da da bee dee da m da dee da dai n' dai dee da ba. I'm blue da ba dee dan dai dee dai. ... I have blue house... I have a girlfriend and she is so blue. Blue are the people here that walk around... Blue are the feelings that live inside me. I'm blue da ba dee da n' dai da bad dee dan dai...." ["Blue" by Eiffel 65] Elizabeth bopped her head and up and down with the beat of the music, successfully forgetting everything else (except driving). Her curls went wild, flying about her face, with the wind from the open windows to help. She ignored the weird looks she got from cars passing by. She didn't care. She was rid of Will, she was going to Prince Edward Island, and she didn't have a care in the world.

The song changed. The next one was a soft, saddish one. "Coming Up For Air" by Patty Larkin. The gentle guitar and soothing voices in harmony calmed our adrenaline-high heroine down to normal. Except this only made her think about other things. She did have cares in the world. She was a tree-hugger, an environmental freak, she would always have cares in the world as long as poachers killed elephants and black rhinos for their horns and tusks, as long as people slash and burned beautiful rainforests, as long as the threat of oil drilling in Alaska's wildlife reserve existed, as long as companies like Will's polluted the world. Depressed again, Elizabeth waited until the next song came on to sooth her again.

"Sittin' on the dock of the bay, watchin' the tide roll away. Sittin' on the dock of the bay, wasting time." ["Sittin' on the Dock on the Bay" by Ottis Redding] Elizabeth whistled along and told herself, I need to go back to San Francisco.

"You took your coat off, and stood in the rain. You were always crazy like that. And I watched from my window. Always felt I was outside looking in on you. You were always a mysterious one with dark eyes and careless hair. You were fashionably sensitive but too cooool to care. You stood in my doorway, with nothing to say, besides some comment on the weather..." Elizabeth sighed and decided to think about Will just to get him off her mind for good once she thought everything she could about him and wasted the subject. "Well excuse me! Cuz I mistaken you for somebody else. Somebody who gave a damn, somebody more like myself! Theeese foolish gaaames are tearing me! You're tearing me! You're tearing me apart. And yooour thoughtless woooords are breeaking my heaaaart! You're breaking myyy heart. You took your coat off and stood in the rain, you were always crazy like that." ["Foolish Games" by Jewel]

Elizabeth turned the radio off, too spooked by how much Will seemed like the guy in Jewel's song. Where did that thought come from? She hardly knew him. And Will didn't smoke. And she couldn't see Will standing in the rain like that. But still, she had felt like she was outside looking in on him.

Music was too uncanny like that sometimes. She concentrated on the road and tried not to think at all. Ha ha ha. Not! Anger was still a-boilin' in her breast! She wasn't going to forget today too soon.

But she did. In two days, once she was on Prince Edward Island, she didn't think of Will again. She had successfully pushed him out of her mind for good. She took plenty of beautiful pictures. The sunsets and sunrises were each sublimely beautiful. However, sitting alone waiting for conditions to be just perfect for the photograph, she wished she had someone to be with. In these moments, she used to relish the unbroken connection between her and nature. But this time she felt a lack of human companionship. She wished for someone to share this with. She wanted... she didn't know what- or who- she wanted. She just knew that loneliness was starting to gnaw at her contentment. And that wasn't a good sign.

Elizabeth stayed on Prince Edward Island for two months before traveling up to Nova Scotia for two weeks. Finally, she took a leisurely drive back to the United States. On the way, she made several stops for a couple of days in particularly interesting places. At each stop, she made sure to buy a leather bookmark for her collection and something for Jane. By September, she was back in the States. She took her time going home, visiting Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts while the seasons were turning the leaves into miraculous colours.

The first thing Darcy did was call Greenpeace to talk to someone about the article.

"Hello, this is Fitzwilliam Darcy, I would like to speak to someone about the article on Darcy Inc."

The secretary hesitated, not knowing how to deal with the head of the company calling the Greenpeace headquarters. "Hold on one moment, please."

Darcy impatiently waited for several minutes. Finally, someone picked up. "Hello, Mr. Darcy. Blair Hyll, Head of Human Relations."

Great. Just great. He called to reconcile differences and find a plan to work out and he was dumped with a human relations jerk. Will sighed unconsciously, calming a boiling temper.

"Mr. Hyll, I was hoping to speak to the author of the article, ... a Ms. Jennifer Greer."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Darcy, she is out on assignment and cannot be reached at the moment."

"Is there someone else I could speak to about the article?"

"What is it searching for, Mr. Darcy?"

Will sighed and asked himself the same question. He decided to just explain himself to the nitwit and hope he could put him through to a man with sense. "I am searching for a way to resolve this problem. As CEO of Darcy Inc. I had no idea any of this was happening. I have been constantly informed our company was clean. I would like to speak to someone who can explain the sources of the article, who they spoke to and other pieces of information that can help me get to the root of the problem and solve it."

Mr. Hyll had not expected this reply. He had expected an outraged CEO denying every piece of fact in the article. Maybe filing a lawsuit on them, but not a request for help in solving the problem!

There was a long pause. "Umm, alright, Mr. Darcy. That's very... noble of you. Would you mind holding on for minute?"

"No, not at all," Will sighed, exasperated.

While on hold, Will pulled on a sweatshirt, opened the glass doors, and stepped outside on to the balcony overlooking Central Park. He leaned on the railing, waiting. Inadvertently, his thoughts turned to Elizabeth. She had been right. She was justified to a certain extent. But her manner still made him angry. She was probably well on her way out of the country. Good.

"Mr. Darcy?"

"Yes."

"Hi, I'm Rachael O'Sullivan. I might be able to help you."

"Great. Could you tell me who Greenpeace spoke to in Brighton?"

"Yes, sir. George Wickham was our primary target. He refused to help much. We spoke to several employees."

"Could I have their names, please?"

"Of course, sir. Brad Numan, Hart White, Ryan Franks, and Gerard Collester."

"Who else?"

"We couldn't speak to anyone more in the company. Besides the national headquarters."

"Who did you speak to there?"

"A Mrs. Younge."

Will refrained from cursing loudly. "What did she say?"

"She denied all accusations saying that the plant passed all government inspections."

"Is it possible to find out the inspector?"

"We do not have that information, sir."

"Of course." Will paused for a minute.

"Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?"

Will remained silent still, thinking rapidly.

"Sir?"

"Oh, um, yes. I was wondering if I could speak to someone about what it takes to clean up this kind of damage."

"I will see what I can do, sir, if you would not mind holding some more."

"No, please, go ahead."

Will was put on hold once more. He scrubbed his face in stress and frustration. There was going to be some butt-whuppin' tomorrow. How could something like this have happened? And why did he have to learn about it in this way?

"Mr. Darcy. I have the number of a toxic waste clean-up expert who can give you better assessment and advice about what to do."

"That's marvelous. Could I have their name and number, please?"

"Dr. Cap Denny. His number is 342-867-3485."

"Wonderful. The last thing I wanted to know is how to lessen the negative publicity your organization has so kindly provided my company."

Ms. O'Sullivan sounded slightly uncomfortable when she said, "I think, Mr. Darcy, that if you allowed one of our reporters to follow you through your process of solving this problem, we could publish a second story on how your company handled the problem."

"Would this be another bashing of my company, or actually a good look at how it's dealt with?"

"I promise it will not be another bashing, Mr. Darcy. That is not our organization's purpose. True, we are anti-corporation, but we are not malicious. We just bring to the public's attention horrors and wrongs that must be redressed."

"Thank you for your help."

"You're quite welcome, sir. I am relieved at your reaction to this situation."

Will hung up and set the phone down on a table. He ran his hands through his curls and hung his head, trying to think, and not having much success. He needed to call his lawyer. He needed to know what damage could be done to the national company. He needed to know what action he could take against Wickham and Younge and possibly even the government inspector who had passed his company so many years without drawing attention to problems that should be solved. He needed to know if he should be getting his resume in order.

Will straightened resolutely and walked back inside, picking up the phone on the way. He dialed his lawyer's office and only received an answering machine. It was after office hours. He hung up and dialed his lawyer's cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Forster? This is Will Darcy."

"Mr. Darcy! How can I help you?"

"I hate to disturb you so late, but have you perchance seen the latest Greenpeace magazine?"

"No, why?"

"Darcy Inc. is featured on the front cover, and it's not for the wonderful chemicals we produce everyday."

"Are you serious?"

"Couldn't be more so. It's a plant in Brighton, Washington. George Wickham is the manager and might have been bribing government inspectors to pass the plant on inspection. Meanwhile, there might be another lady helping him out in headquarters, a Mrs. Younge. Not only are there ill families surrounding the plant who could sue me to bankruptcy, but there's also the cost of cleaning up all the damage."

"Calm down, Mr. Darcy. We don't have to accept blame for any of this."

"What do you mean? Who else are you gonna blame?!"

"The manager George Wickham seems the likely culprit. If he knows we're onto him, he will split and probably leave the country. The first plan of action is to have him arrested and detained until we can investigate the situation. Then we find out who knew about this. We need to keep your reputation milky white."

"Above all else, please don't let it ruin my future life!" Where did that come from?

"Of course, Mr. Darcy."

"But if Wickham is to blame, then does the entire financial burden fall on him?"

"Probably not. The costs will be so high that he will be bankrupt in months."

"Will my company survive such losses?"

"I do not know, sir."

"What's the best plan of action to take with the families affected by the chemicals?"

"I suggest, sir, paying for their medical expenses as long and as much as they are needed. This way, we might get away with no lawsuits against Darcy Inc."

"Of course."

"At the office, sir, I would suggest keeping your usual air of authority and command. Don't let anyone under any circumstances think you are under any stress or strain."

"I know."

"Is that all, Mr. Darcy?"

"For now. I will keep you posted."

"Very good, sir."

Will hung up and plopped into a chair. Disliking the sudden silence in the room, he went over to his sound system, glanced through his CDs and picked Brahms' Requiem. He put it into the player, turned the volume up and then plopped back into the easy chair. He let his hang back and ran his hands through his hair again.

Having a revelation, he picked the phone back up and called Colin.

"Hello?"

"Colin?"

"Will! Are you calling to beg forgiveness?"

"What? No! I was calling to tell you I'll be flying out to Brighton, Washington tomorrow morning."

"To see the damage?"

"And the families. And Wickham. If he's still there, I'm putting him in jail."

"Good idea. I wish you luck and good fortune."

"Thanks. Keep an eye on the news and my house for me until I get back, will you?"

"Sure."

"I'll talk to you when I return."

Will flew out on the earliest flight to Seattle and from there, drove a rented car to Brighton. Greenpeace had put him in touch with the community leader. Will decided to go straight to his house. It was small, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room. Will felt awkward when he knocked on the door.

A woman dressed in slippers and an apron over worn clothes answered the door, "Yes?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to Mr. Fenton."

"He's at work."

"Could you tell me where he works?"

"He works down at the lumberyard. It's over yonder about three blocks and down that road two miles on the left."

"Thank you ma'am."

Will drove to the lumberyard, pulled his BMW up next to a well-used pick-up truck and got out. He walked up to the first man he saw and asked where he might find Mr. Fenton. The man pointed him out working on a couple of tools under the shelter.

Will walked up to him. "Mr. Fenton?"

"Yeah?"

"Hello, my name is Will Darcy."

"Darcy?"

Will fidgeted a bit. "Yes. I was wondering if I could have a long talk with you?"

"Ah've said all Ah'm gonna say to t' publick."

"I understand that. But I was hoping you could show me the damage done by the plant. I need to get an idea of what I'm dealing with." Will took a step closer. "Mr. Fenton, I would like to assure you I had no idea any of this was happening until yesterday. I have come here as soon as I could to remedy the situation."

"Ya'll cain't fix it lahke that. It be a mighty big problem. You got people sick and the water tainted and all such stuff."

"That's what I was hoping you could show me."

Fenton eyed him suspiciously for another minute before nodding and said, "Lemme jus' go talk to me boss."

Will nodded and stood back waiting.

Fenton came back and Will followed him out of the lumberyard. They walked up to Will's car and got in. "Ah'm gonna take ya someplace real shocking."

Will prepared himself for a shock but was still affected by the sight of the river several miles downstream from the plant. Fenton showed him the water. "Tha's whut we drink. It be tainted by your plant."

"How many families have been affected?"

"Oh, lots. The Smiths and the Gregorys, the Freemans and the Blackmans, the Muenches and Harrises. There are coupla more famlies not 'fected so bad."

Will continued his interview with Fenton for another half an hour, finding out when the problems started to occur and what they had already done about it. And what Wickham's actions had been toward the community.

After their interview, Will took him back to the lumberyard and proceeded to visit each of the families Fenton had named. Will was penitent, humble, and very, very apologetic. He promised the families to pay for their medical bills until the problems were cured. He promised the families there would be new management at the plant and cleaner standards.

Will stayed at the only motel in the town. He called Dr. Denny and asked him when he could fly out to Washington. The expert said that under the circumstances, he could be there by the next afternoon. Will agreed to meet him at a certain spot and hung up.

After a fitful night in which Elizabeth was featured in his dreams, Will went to the local law authorities. He explained who he was and how he wished to keep Wickham available to pay up damages and possibly be put in jail. The Chief of Police was only too happy to come up with an excuse to incarcerate Wickham. Together, they went to the chemical plant and proceeded to arrest Wickham. Will ignored all threats and curses aimed at him, and proceeded to clean out Wickham's desk into a box to take back to New York with him. He made sure he didn't miss a thing. Even Wickham's hard drive was taken.

The Chief of Police, seeing Will doing this, stuttered, "Uh, sir, we don't have a warrant for that kind of thing."

"Oh, this isn't for you. I'm his employer and this is technically mine. Don't worry, I'll take good care of it."

The man didn't try and prevent Will again.

That afternoon, Will met Dr. Denny at the Dunkin Donuts of Brighton. Together, they drove out to the site Fenton had shown him the previous day. Dr. Denny 'hmm'ed and 'err'ed over the site for a while before Will became impatient. "Well?" he asked.

"It doesn't look good. How long has this been going on?"

"About eight years."

"Hmm, very bad. It'll take a lot of work. Do you have a list of chemicals that can be in this water?"

"Yes, but with them all mixed up, any combination of the chemicals could react infinite numbers of ways."

"True, but I need that list all the same."

"I will send it to you as soon as I have it. Can you clean this place up?"

"What? Oh! Yes, but it will take time and a lot of money."

"Would you be in charge of this clean-up operation?"

"Yes."

"Will you?"

"You want to go ahead with this?"

"Do I have another option?"

"No."

"Then please, get to work as soon as possible."

Will returned to New York a different man. Visiting the site and the families had affected him in ways he didn't even want to think about. Colin noticed it when he talked to him on the phone. "Are you all right, man?" Colin had asked.

"What?"

"I said, are you all right?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. I'm just fine. Doing great."

"Sure," Colin had replied, totally unconvinced. "Do you want to watch a movie together?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"How about U 571?"

"Naw, too heavy."

"The Great Escape?"

"Too old."

"Chicken Run?!"

"Yeah that's sounds okay."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Yes, of course I'm kidding! Anyway, I've already seen it with Georgiana. It's actually a really cute movie."

"You're sure you're okay, cuz?"

"Yes! I'm fine!"

"You pick the movie then."

"Me?"

"No, I'm talking to Leonardo diCaprio standing next to me! Of course you! You keep rejecting my ideas!"

"How about... Erin Brockovich?"

Silence. "You're still joking, right?"

"No."

"Do you know what that movie's about?"

"I heard it was really good. And it's got Julia Roberts in it."

"No, man. You do not want to see this movie! It's- it's- it's just not going to be very- it'll be awkward."

"Can you talk some sense?"

Colin sighed and quickly said, "I've already seen it and hated it."

"Oh, sorry. Well, how about a Hitchcock movie?"

"An oldie? I thought you said you didn't want to see an old movie!"

"I changed my mind."

"You know what, let's just go out to eat like we usually do."

"Sure."

"How's Chinese?"

Will stopped short. "Chinese?"

"Yeah."

"No, no, I couldn't. Not Chinese. How about French?"

"Okay, if you want French. What's wrong with Chinese, though? We haven't had Chinese in ages."

"I took Elizabeth to a Chinese restaurant."

"Oh! I see!"

"What? What? Don't- don't say that! You- you- just shut up! Leave me alone! I don't need you down my back all the time, okay?!"

"Will! Will! Calm down! I didn't say anything! For Pete's sake! You're taking this way too far. Look, we'll meet at 7:30 at Che' Pierre's."

"Fine."

"Cool off before then."

"Go jump off a cliff."

The meal was much more pleasant than the phone conversation. Will had cooled off. Colin avoided the subject of Elizabeth and just asked him everything about his Washington trip. Wickham was still being detained. Darcy Inc. was already paying for medical bills and the clean up job was underway. Will's stock had taken a hard hit, but his prompt and decisive actions had helped. He had given his lawyers the files and other information collected from Wickham's office. It had been confirmed that Mrs. Younge was helping Wickham. The government inspectors that had passed the plant on inspection were being found and brought before their supervisors and sometimes the court. In all, the crisis was settling down as much as possible.

Colin was proud of his cousin. He was beginning to redeem himself after the horrible way he had treated Elizabeth. Colin knew that Will thought about Elizabeth, but stayed off the topic at all costs, preferring to remain friends for the time being.

"Charlie's coming home."

"Really?" replied Colin. "I thought he'd never come back to the Big Apple!"

"Guess so. He got tired of tramping about Europe and decided to settle down here again."

"What's he going to do?"

"I think he's going to take up a position at Hawley & Dram's.

"How long do you think he'll last there?"

"Two, maybe three months."

"Is that a bet?" challenged Colin.

"No. He's just come back from two years of traveling the world. I'm not going to presume to know his character anymore. He'll have done some proper soul searching and he'll probably have morals and ethics and horrible stuff like that!"

"Maybe you should plan a trip around the world, then," muttered Colin, just loud enough for Will to hear.

Will ignored the comment, knowing full well to what he was referring to.

"When's Charlie arriving?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow."

"You going to meet him at the airport?"

"Probably, unless his sister's there, too."

"She wouldn't meet him out of kindness on her own, so as long as you don't make it known that you are going to meet him, you stand a pretty good chance of avoiding her."

"I've actually done remarkably well since Charlie's left. I hate it that such a valuable friendship to me has to come with such a horrible burr. ... Why don't you get the same treatment?"

"Because I haven't got nearly the same worth as you, my dear cousin, for which I am grateful only in those circumstances. Well, and recently, of course."

"Thanks," replied Darcy, dryly.

"Anytime."

Two weeks later, Darcy stood in the corner of the room at the JFK airport. He kept a close eye on the crowd milling around and on the passengers deplaning. Finally, he spotted a tall, well-built blonde man in khakis and a polo shirt holding only a John Grisham book. Elizabeth read John Grisham. Will walked forward confidently.

"Charlie! You old fleabag! How have you been?"

"Will?"

The two men embraced, laughing. Charlie's eyes held wonder. Will had changed since he had seen him last. But then so had he.

"I didn't know you were meeting me here."

"That's because I didn't tell you. In case the information leaked out to your sister."

"Oh yeah. Have you guys seen each other much while I was gone?"

"Nope, not at all. It was like I was on vacation. I'm sorry Charlie, but much as I love our friendship, I cannot abide your sister."

"It's not like you make it a big secret."

"Then why doesn't Caroline take a hint?"

"Denial. Come on, let's get out of here. I'm so exhausted! I never learned to sleep on planes."

"Sleeping pills are the best way to go."

"But then I'm afraid I'll snore horribly or drool over the beautiful chick sitting next to me!"

Will laughed at the mental picture, threw an arm around his best friend and guided him to the baggage claim.

"So how've you been?" asked Charlie.

"Oh, it's been a very tough year, but I'll tell you on the way home. What have you been up to recently? Last I talked to you, you were in Spain researching some weird kind of spider."

"Oh! They were fascinating! They would lure their prey by scent towards the hole where the spider was hiding and then pop! the spider would come out and bite the prey with paralyzing venom. Lethal stuff to humans, too."

"Wonderful. I heard about the spiders."

"So after Spain I went to Morocco. Amazing place! The people there were so odd. Friendly, yet wary."

They collected Charlie's bags while he chattered away like a magpie. Will did a very good impression of listening attentively. He got the gist of it all, but couldn't focus too well. He had grown too accustomed to zoning out on people outside of the office. It was the best thing to do when sacked with a woman trying to impress him. The only person he had met he didn't zone out on was Elizabeth. Elizabeth... I wonder where she is now.

"Hello! Earth to Will!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just recalled something I had forgotten. Continue, I was listening."

Charlie looked skeptical, but still continued his narrative.

When they were in the car, Charlie paused in his narrative to say, "I heard that you got a month's vacation a while ago."

Will schooled his face into the impenetrable façade he put on for business. Charlie noticed. "Yes. I did get away from New York for a month."

"Where did you go?'

"I roamed. Some of Kansas, some of Tennessee, some of North Carolina, some of Illinois, and some of Missouri."

"Who were you with?"

"A friend of Colin's."

"Do I know him?"

"No."

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

Will hesitated. "Yes."

"That's wonderful. But still, I wish you could have seen some of the places I've seen...."

Will zoned out again. He had been disturbed by the memories Charlie stirred up with his questions. Did I enjoy myself? Was it not a time of surreal contentment and happiness?

The two men went over to Colin's apartment and caught up on the things men need to know about themselves. I, being a woman, do not know what these things are, therefore I refrain from straining my imagination trying to think of some. So you imagine them to your own heart's content. I will continue with my story. Though I will say Charlie found out all about the Brighton/Wickham fiasco, just not how Will find out. That, he learned later on from Colin alone.

A year passed with clear progress showing in Brighton. The plant had been shut down until repairs could be made and facilities for dealing with the toxic waste built. Wickham was prosecuted and consequently sentenced to five years in jail as well as paying Darcy Inc. a certain amount of money never disclosed to the public. Mrs. Younge was fired and blacklisted with no mercy. Greenpeace followed the progress as promised and was to feature an article on the company once again when the clean up was complete.

Charlie did settle down to an accepted career and led a happy social life as well. Will rarely joined his friend at these social occasions. Colin tried his best to bring his cousin out of his shell, but failed time and again.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, had been growing in fame and success. The result of this was deals with companies wanting to merchandise her photographs. After at least a month of dithering over whether this was a step she really wanted to make, a hint of her father's retirement spurred her in the direction of financial security. This meant a trip to New York to meet the men who wanted to buy her pictures. And, of course, this meant a call to her dear friend, Colin:

"Colin? Hey, this is Elizabeth."

"Lizzy? How have you been? I haven't heard from you in ages! Where are you?"

"Actually, I'm at home."

"Wow. Are you developing?"

"Well, sure. I'm always developing when I'm home, but that wasn't the reason why I came home."

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No, Colin. Listen. I'm going to New York to make a deal with some company who wants to make merchandise out of my pictures."

"That's great! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I've convinced Jane to take a vacation and come with me. We're taking Cleo. But I wanted to see you while up there."

"Of course. I'd be hurt if you didn't. We could got out to dinner somewhere really fancy."

"The good part is that I'll be able to afford it with this new deal I'm making."

"Who said anything about letting you pay for the bill?" Colin laughed. "Don't fight me on this one. Do you mind if I bring I good friend of mine? I wouldn't want Jane to feel left out. It can be a blind date."

"I don't know, Colin..."

"He's a really terrific guy. He traveled all over Eurasia and some of Africa a couple of years ago."

"Okay."

"Wow, I finally get to meet the infamous Jane Bennet in person!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Don't get your hopes up. Besides, you've seen enough of her pictures to know what she looks like."

"Naw, modeling pictures don't count. They never look like they're human, and it's not their real character. This way I'll get to know her."

"We'll look forward to it. I will be in New York by the 15th."

"Do you want to do this before or after you meet with the bigwigs?"

"Before, I think. A stress reliever. How about 6:00 p.m. on the 14th?"

"Sounds great. I'll tell ole' Charlie boy to be there."

"Where shall we meet you?"

"If you're in Cleo, do you want me to come pick you up?"

"Please. We'll be in the campsite off of I-** to the south of the city."

"I'll pick you up at 5:00 then."

"Till then."

"Bye, Liz."

The drive to New York was a very relaxing and pleasant one for the two sisters. Elizabeth had with her an entire portfolio of her best work. Jane was just along for the ride, and was enjoying her time off with her favourite sister.

It took two days to reach New York. Elizabeth only stopped three times to snap some pictures. They arrived at the campsite at three in the afternoon. They rested and prepared themselves for the dinner. Promptly at five o' clock, Colin pulled up beside Cleo.

He jumped out as Elizabeth ran up to him and hugged him. Colin laughed at her reaction, holding her tightly and spinning her around.

"Da-n! it's good to see you!" he said.

Elizabeth replied, when back on firm ground, "Likewise, Mousier. Colin, I would like you to meet my sister, Jane."

Jane, who had been standing to the side, came forward with her hand outstretched. Colin, was more struck by her beauty in person than from the pictures of her modeling career. In real life, she was sweet, modest, gentle, and kind. On top of all this, she was beautiful. Colin took her hand, and bent to kiss it gallantly.

"To meet you, Jane, is an honor that will not be overshadowed for years to come."

Jane blushed prettily. Elizabeth chuckled, and said, "Shall we be off?"

"Of course, mademoiselle. After you."

Elizabeth climbed in the front seat while Jane sat contentedly in the backseat, silently listening to the two old friends talk. There weren't many subjects they missed. But Jane did notice a glaring absence of Will Darcy's name. Elizabeth had informed her of their last conversation together. And she knew that Colin knew about their... conflict. So it was likely that he would not mention his cousin around Elizabeth. Still, it was a shame. He had seemed a decent sort, and very handsome, if she could recall correctly.

About fifty minutes later, they arrived at the restaurant. Ten minutes later, Colin had found a parking space. Another ten minutes later, they walked up to the restaurant. It was a nice, Italian establishment. Classy, but not snobbish. Colin saw Charlie already waiting for them at their table. He walked over, leading Elizabeth and Jane.

"Charlie, I'd like you to meet a dear friend of mine, Elizabeth Bennet, and her sister, Jane Bennet."

Charlie stood up, and gently shook hands with both of them. His eyes, once on Jane, seemed to have trouble removing themselves. Elizabeth did not fail to notice this and couldn't resist a teasing smile at Jane, who blushed furiously.

They sat down, Colin across from Elizabeth, Jane sitting next to her sister and across from Charlie. Jane had difficulty with making eye contact with Charlie. He didn't seem to stop staring at her, and he made her a little nervous. Elizabeth's hand taking her own calmed her down a little. Elizabeth looked at her sister with affection and encouragement. Jane relaxed and smiled back. Colin, noticed this and was touched. He didn't have a sister, and Will's sister was so much younger than he was, he only looked at her with almost a fatherly look.

The dinner progressed well. The conversation was light, relaxed and fun. The only tension in the group was between Jane and Charlie, who seemed like they had trouble keeping their minds off of anything else but each other. Elizabeth smirked inside, but on the outside ignored them. Colin nudged poor Charlie a couple of times, but then gave up, with a roll of the eyes at Elizabeth.

Will played the message over for the fourth time. Will, this is Colin. Elizabeth is in town for some business deal. I'm taking her and her sister Jane out to the Arqua Restaurant if you want to join us. I think you should. Charlie's going to be there. 6:00 at the Arqua.

He wanted to go but he didn't. He wanted to be able to go but knew it was a stupid idea. Elizabeth still hated him. He wished he could be able to sit there and talk with her and her sister and his two favourite mates. But it was not to be. But... he could spy on them through the window. He longed just for a glimpse of Elizabeth again.

This was what he did. It began raining as he rode in his limo to Church Street. He only had his usual overcoat. He didn't care. He got out anyway and walked up to the restaurant. He was in luck. He could see their table from the window. He hunched his shoulders and pulled his coat around his body. Ignoring the weird looks from passersby, he stared unabashedly at the happy group. They were laughing heartily at some comment Colin had made. Elizabeth looked positively radiant in her cocktail dress and her curls pulled up off her neck. Her eyes were merry and the smile seemed to spread across her face. Will sighed unconsciously. He didn't notice Jane sitting next to Elizabeth, he didn't notice Charlie's weird behaviour to Jane, and he didn't notice Colin. He could only focus on Elizabeth. Indeed, she seemed to be the only one in focus in the whole scene. It all stopped when Elizabeth looked his way. Will quickly ducked out of sight, his breath heavy as he leaned against the brickwork, head tilted up to the rain, eyes clenched tight, trying to capture the scene in his memory forever.

"Is something wrong?" asked Colin, looking behind him at where Elizabeth was staring.

"I don't think so. I just thought I saw someone looking at us through the window. He seemed vaguely familiar, but it must be my imagination. It's raining so hard outside someone standing in it would have to be out of his mind."

That last phrase caught Colin's attention. He had a suspicion. "That reminds me, I need to check and make sure the meter hasn't run out of quarters. Do excuse me, won't you?"

Elizabeth, the only one paying attention, nodded, adding, "I'll visit the ladies room."

Together, Colin and Elizabeth left the table. Colin winked at her as they separated. It took several minutes before the couple left behind noticed that they were alone. The effect was deep blushes on both sides.

Colin walked out of the restaurant, borrowing an umbrella from the rack by the door. He saw a man leaning against the wall of the establishment further down the sidewalk.

Colin trotted up to him, and soon recognized his reprobate cousin. "Will!"

He looked up at Colin and stood erect, turning away.

"Will, wait, come back!" Colin trotted up to his cousin. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going home."

"Why don't you come inside and join us?"

"You know I can't."

"No I don't."

"Of course you do. Remember? Elizabeth hates me? Probably so does Jane by now."

"That's silly."

"Try asking her yourself. Have you even mentioned my name to her?"

Colin faltered.

"That's what I thought. I'm going home."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, have a good night."

Colin knew it was hopeless, but at least now he had a better gage of his cousin's feelings toward Elizabeth. Why else would he come all the way there to just stare at her through the window? If this was the case, then Colin meant to do something about it. He wasn't going to just sit back and let a perfectly good couple go to waste. And besides, there were many advantages to having Elizabeth as a cousin-in-law. Maybe Will could cure her of that wandering itch.

Colin walked back into the restaurant, replaced the borrowed umbrella, and seeing Jane and Charlie still alone and in deep conversation, he went over to wait by the ladies' room door.

In three minutes, Elizabeth emerged. Colin caught her arm, startling her for a second.

"Sorry."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I just didn't want to interrupt the lovebirds over there, you know?"

Elizabeth grinned and nodded knowingly. "Follow me, amateur."

"At your service, master."

Elizabeth led the way to the table. "Oh, Jane, Charlie! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to leave you two alone so rudely. Forgive me."

The couple had jumped apart guiltily at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. Colin hid a smile and pulled out Elizabeth's chair for her.

The dinner lasted only another half an hour. As they stood in the foyer, Colin asked Charlie, "Charlie-boy, did you want a ride home? It's horrible weather to be taking public transportation home."

Elizabeth eyed Colin suspiciously. The way he had asked Charlie that question made it seem like Charlie had begged Colin to ask him.

Charlie played innocent and replied, "Oh, why Colin, thanks. It'd be much appreciated, if the ladies didn't mind."

He was looking at Jane, who blushed and shook her head. Elizabeth said, "Why, Charlie! It's an hour back to Cleo at the campsite."

"Oh, that's all right. It'll give me more time to talk to you."

Ha! Yeah right. He's just dying to ask my opinion on deep sea fishing.

It was settled. All four of them would be driving back to Cleo. Driving was slow and difficult for Colin, who didn't use his car much while in the city. The rain was pouring down in torrents. A couple of times he was down to forty miles an hour on the interstate. For Charlie's good fortune, the drive lasted an extra half an hour.

By the time they were nearing the campsite, the rain had let up to a light drizzle. Colin pulled up next to Cleo and turned off the car. Jane and Charlie, oblivious to the outside world, were still quietly conversing. Elizabeth and Colin looked at each other.

"Do you want to come inside?" Elizabeth asked.

"Sure. I haven't seen Cleo in years."

They got out and Elizabeth unlocked the door. They walked in and closed the door, leaving the lovebirds to themselves.

"Did you set them up on purpose?" demanded Elizabeth almost immediately.

"Me?" he said in an innocent voice. "Actually, I wish I could claim credit for this one, but I can't. I had no idea playboy Charlie would settle down on one girl."

Elizabeth's warning system perked up. "Playboy?"

"Elizabeth, believe me, if he was just picking Jane up, I would be the brick wall between them. He's never acted this way to any girl I've ever seen before. Jane's really special. I would not be surprised at all if Charlie stopped going to social parties altogether."

Elizabeth wasn't totally convinced. But then, Charlie's nature had seemed impeccable this evening.

Recalling her duties of hostess, she asked, "Did you want something to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Are you sure? You have a long drive back with a lovesick Charlie."

"Hmm, you're right. Do you have a Coke?"

The two sat down on the sofa with Coke's in hand. Colin took a deep breath, and said, "Elizabeth, you know there's one topic we've avoided all night."

Elizabeth squirmed uncomfortably. "There's no rule that we have to talk about everything."

"He's changed."

"Good."

"For the better."

"Fine."

"He's sorry."

"Really! What a way to find out!"

"Did you want him to come crawling back on his knees?"

"It'd be a start."

"Be realistic, Liz."

"I am. He hurt me really badly. It took me months to forget what he said, but even now, when I'm at my worst and when I'm depressed, his words come back to haunt me."

"He didn't know enough about you, Liz."

"And he made so much effort to find out," she retorted, sarcastically. "Even after an entire month together."

Colin sighed. "I just wish you'd give him a second chance."

"Why? Did he tell you to tell me that? Or do you just wish to reconcile your beloved cousin and your friend? If it's the former, tell him that's something he needs to talk to me about in person. If it's the latter, until the pigheaded cousin asks for forgiveness, I'm not giving him anything except maybe a finger."

Colin knew that was that. Elizabeth would not be persuaded to change her verdict. Stubbornness was one of her less lovable qualities.

Colin stood and walked to the door. "I'd better interrupt whatever is going on out there before they make a mess in my car."

Together, Elizabeth and Colin walked outside. Jane and Charlie had actually gotten out of the car. Jane took a step away from him and said, "Good night."

Charlie smiled stupidly. "Good night."

Colin smiled at Elizabeth and gave her hug. He kissed her cheek and said, "Call and tell me what happens tomorrow. Don't sign anything without reading all the small print. And don't let them have even an inkling hinting that you don't know what you're doing."

"All right, all right. I know. I'll call you. Drive safely. And thanks for dinner. Charlie, it was wonderful meeting you. I hope to see you more."

Charlie smiled at Elizabeth (for once) and said, "That would lovely, Elizabeth. Thank you for a marvelous evening." The last comment was directed more at Jane.

The drizzling rain cut short their good byes. Colin and Charlie got in the car while Jane and Elizabeth went into Cleo.

"Well?" said Elizabeth.

"It was a beautiful evening. I really liked the lasagna I had. I meant to get the recipe."

"Jane," Elizabeth whined. "You know I want to hear more about you and Charlie. Colin and I could almost see the sparks flying between you two."

"Nonsense, Lizzy. He was just a charming dinner companion."

"Right. And our mother is a genius," she replied, sarcastically. "Come on, Jane. Then why did you agree to see him again?"

Jane looked surprised. "How did you know that?"

"I didn't. I guessed. Now I know. Jane, he was practically drooling over you!"

Jane blushed.

"Don't you like him?"

"Of course, I do!"

"What did you two talk about for so long?"

"Oh, this and that. We didn't have to talk about anything substantial. Just being in each other's company was enough."

Elizabeth sighed. "How romantic. I wish someone like that would come and swoop me off my feet."

"You don't count Colin?"

"No. He's just a dear friend. We've known each other for years. I don't think I can even remember how we met. He's one of those friends you've had so long you can't remember not having them. So! What have you and Charles got planned?"

"If you don't mind, he was going to come and pick me up as soon as he got off work. He wants to take me out to dinner and a show."

"Of course! Go right ahead. I'll probably be so tired from my meeting I'll come home and crash."

"Thanks."

"Are you excited?"

"Are you kidding? I'm not going to sleep a wink tonight!"

Elizabeth laughed at her poor sister. But inside, Elizabeth could not help but acknowledge a twinge of jealousy.

Continued In Next Section