Oh no, not again. William winced at the angry look in Elizabeth�s eyes.

�You really know how to spoil a moment, don�t you,� Lizzy spat out bitterly. �I suppose you want to gloat that my date couldn�t make it?�

With a short laugh, Will blurted out, �Stood you up, more like.� As soon as he said it, he wanted to kick himself.

�You arrogant ass!� she cried without thinking. �You think you know everything, don�t you?�

Will folded his arms, looking down at her, his regret quickly forgotten. �He doesn�t deserve your sympathy, Elizabeth. He�s a louse and a loser.�

She rolled her eyes. �You really have no consideration for the feelings of others do you? No thanks to you he has to work his way through college!� Will�s eyebrows shot up, and he wondered what kind of lies George was telling her. �I knew it was too good to be true�� Lizzy began. �You�re just � you�re just � � Searching for the right word � a name � anything bad enough to call him, she stamped her foot. Hateful man! What is he doing to me? Frustrated, and not a little bewildered by her unexpected burst of anger, Lizzy nonetheless felt a heady exhilaration battling with Will. The palms of her hands tingled and she couldn�t think straight when she was with him.

Will could not help but think how beautiful she looked when she was angry. Her eyes were sparkling, her face was vibrant. He knew she couldn�t remain angry with him for long. There was chemistry between them, surely she couldn�t deny that. But his curiosity was piqued by her words.

�What was too good to be true?� He wanted to hear this.

�That we could actually be civil to one another!� Lizzy laughed shortly. "Well, at least we managed to until your giant ego came into the picture!�

�So you think we�re good together?� he said, smiling. Now we�re getting somewhere!

Lizzy was infuriated with him and it didn�t help that the smirk on his face showed off his dimples in the most disconcerting manner.

�Stop it!� She looked away from him. This is getting too dangerous! She was losing ground. She felt he was forcing her to say things she didn�t want to say. Feeling desperate, she began to walk away, but he grabbed her hand, not ready to let her go. A sudden jolt of electricity shot through her arm. She pulled at it, and looked him in the eye.

�Let me go,� she said levelly, acutely aware of the pressure of his fingers on the palm of her hand.

He shook his head. �Not this time. I�m through with having you run away from me,� he said, not willing to let her run off again.

�Well, did you ever think that maybe it�s your own fault?� she said, trying to get loose from his grip. �Or is that impossible for the great William Darcy?� she added sarcastically.

�Elizabeth, where is this coming from?� he questioned her, giving her his most charming smile. �Don�t you think we should put an end to this cat and mouse game between us?�

�I�m having trouble making you out,� she answered. �One minute we�re dancing and having a great time, and the next, you say or do something like a jerk!� At her words, the smile left his face and he relaxed his grip.

Coldly, he said, �Pardon me. I would hate to ruin the rest of your evening.� He let go of her hand. With nary a glance, she hurried away, anxious to be as far from him as humanly possible. Angry and frustrated he felt like smashing his fist against the wall. Again, that creep has ruined things for me. Why did I have to mention Wickham�s name?

For Jane and Charles the Holly Hop was a bittersweet evening. The very next day Charles was leaving for Europe to visit his parents in Oslo for the Christmas holidays. He planned to remain abroad, having been accepted to the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. He would be away for five long months. On this their last night together they intended to dance every dance in each other�s arms.

As much as Jane wanted to be radiant with a brave face, inside she was devastated. She focused on the feel of Charles�s arms around her as they danced, and his warm smile as he looked into her face. She was never lovelier. The delicate gossamer of her silver blue gown had an ethereal effect, further increasing Charles� belief that Jane was an angel. He couldn�t take his eyes off her all evening. Her bare shoulders were tantalizing; it was all he could do to stop from kissing them as they glided across the dance floor.

�I�ll miss you so much, Janie.� His eyes said all that he left unspoken.

�Oh, Charles, please let�s not talk about it,� Jane replied softly. �We�re here to have a good time tonight. It won�t do either one of us any good to dwell on the inevitable,� she said, making a valiant effort to look cheerful.

�You�re right, my sweet Jane.� He held her close, burying his nose in her hair, breathing in the clean scent that he loved.

Click here to hear their song

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you

Jane couldn�t help herself; as soon as she heard the words to the song she couldn�t fight back the tears. So much for being brave, she thought. Burying her face in his chest, she wrapped her arms tightly around him. She didn�t want him to see her cry.

I'll pretend that I'm kissing
The lips I am missing
And hope that my dreams will come true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you

Charles knew what she was going through, he saw the pain in her eyes before she tried to hide them � how could he not? It was tearing him apart. He hated the thought of leaving her, but he had to. Studying abroad had been in the works for too long, his family was expecting it of him. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn�t change things now. Tilting her chin up, he sought out her eyes to see them fill with tears.

All my loving, I will send to you
All my loving, darling I'll be true

Jane�s resolve crumbled as she choked out, �Oh, Charles, I know I should be stronger, but I just can�t!� She broke down, giving in to the tears she had tried so hard to prevent. �I love you! I can�t let you go!� Aware she wouldn�t want to be seen crying, he quickly guided her off the dance floor and led her out of the ballroom. He looked for the nearest place � somewhere � anywhere where they could be alone. Behind them, they could still hear the heart-wrenching words of the song:

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away
I'll write home every day
And I'll send all my loving to you

Finding a nearby bench, Charles gently sat Jane down beside him, holding her and trying to comfort her, kissing the tears away as she sobbed in his arms. His lovely, dear Jane. It was killing him to see her so upset.

All my loving, I will send to you
All my loving, darling I'll be true
All my loving, All my loving
Woo, all my loving, I will send to you

�I love you, Janie,� he whispered in her ear, trying to reassure her. �I won�t be gone forever.� Kissing her hair, he murmured words of comfort. �I promise I�ll come back to you.� He longed to make her feel better. �I�ll write you everyday,� he said in between kisses. �Believe me.� Her tears began to subside as she sniffed and hiccupped, giving him a small smile.

�I know, it�s just me being silly, I guess.� She dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief he handed her. �When I heard the words of that song, I couldn�t stop myself.�

�I know what you mean,� he agreed, sighing deeply. �I feel the same way too.� He continued to hold her until her crying stopped completely.

Gazing down at her meaningfully, Charles simply said, �Let�s go.� Jane looked at him in complete agreement. She sniffed one last time, wiping at what she was sure were mascara stains under her eyes.

�Yes. Let�s go.�

After her most recent and trying altercation with Will, Lizzy made her way to the Ladies� Lounge. Muttering as she entered, �The nerve of that conceited �,� she stopped short when she realized who was there already. Caroline.

�Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,� Caroline scoffed, spotting Lizzy. �Isn�t it strange that we always seem to be meeting here?� She turned to Lizzy and looked her up and down. �Tsk tsk, poor girl. Hiding from your date?� Caroline asked, barely suppressing a laugh.

As the image of Bill Collins loomed in the front of her mind�s eye, Lizzy contained the mortification she felt at Caroline�s petty remark.

�No, Caroline, I�m not hiding from my date, in fact,� she said innocently, raising an eyebrow, �I was just dancing with yours.�

Dancing! He said he didn�t dance! Caroline�s face briefly showed her displeasure, but she recovered quickly. With a condescending air she parried. �He�s more than just my date, Eliza. He�s my fianc�

Lizzy thought it was high time that she and Caroline had it out. She�d been itching for a fight ever since she found out the truth about Caroline and Will, no matter what she happened to think of him at the moment.

�Yes, I�ve heard that one before, Caroline, remember?� Lizzy said, stepping closer to her. �But since then, I�ve learned a few things.�

Caroline didn�t like the way Lizzy was looking at her. This chit was too self-assured.

�Well whatever they are, I really couldn�t be bothered.� Caroline tried to brush her off with a bored tone. �I�m leaving.�

Lizzy called out. �Not so hasty, please. I think you might be interested in hearing what your fianc� thinks about you.� Caroline stopped and slowly turned to face Lizzy.

Lizzy was just warming up. �Yes, your fianc�. Will Darcy? Funny, I heard you two weren�t remotely close to being engaged. In fact,� Lizzy paused, pretending to think aloud. �What was it? �Darcy engaged to Caroline? Not in a million years. She�d like that, but it will never happen if Will has any say.�� She finished with a triumphant smile, remembering Charles�s words back at Netherfield.

�No doubt from my brother,� Caroline said mockingly and decided to change the subject before Lizzy could dispute her lies any further. �I wouldn�t believe everything he says, if I were you � or your sister, for that matter.� Lizzy looked up sharply at the reference to Jane. Any arguments about Darcy�s betrothed status were quickly forgotten.

�I hope you realize my brother is going to dump that �Tweety bird� sister of yours as soon as he gets to Europe,� she stated in a bored manner, leaning forward, primping in the mirror again.

If Caroline�s intent was to get Lizzy furious, she succeeded. When it came to Jane, Lizzy�s loyalty was as fierce and protective as a tigress with her cubs.

�And what makes you so knowledgeable?� Lizzy asked.

�I know my brother.� She stood back from the mirror, viewing herself. Shrugging, she turned to Lizzy with a superior look. �I�ve seen him do this �love �em and leave �em routine� countless times. Your sister is just one on a list of many.�

She turned dismissively, brushing against Lizzy�s shoulder roughly as she passed her, intent on ending their conversation. Lizzy was having none of it.

�Oh, no you don�t, missy,� Lizzy said menacingly, reaching for Caroline. �I should have done this long ago.�

Caroline let out a screech as Lizzy grabbed her and whirled her around. Lizzy had every intention of slapping the snooty look off Caroline's face, but Caroline evaded her swipe and Lizzy inadvertently caught the edge of Caroline's bodice instead, yanking it down and revealing all.

Caroline's face nearly turned purple as she looked down horrified. She quickly clutched at her gown, pulling it back up - but not soon enough. Lizzy had gotten a good look at Caroline's 'paltry assets' that had been cleverly enhanced behind the gathered silk of her bodice. Lizzy couldn't hide a triumphant smirk at the view. As soon as Caroline recovered from the shock, she managed to spit out a venomous, �You�ll regret this, Eliza Bennet.� Holding her head high, she readjusted her gown, took one quick look in the mirror and stormed out of the lounge as Lizzy remained behind laughing out of sheer giddiness and an adrenaline high. She was amazed she had the nerve to actually unmask the witch.

After a few moments to compose herself, Lizzy left the lounge in search of Jane, hoping she wouldn�t run into Will. Unfortunately, she ran into her date instead. At this point, Lizzy wasn�t sure which was worse.

�Lizzy, I�ve been looking for you. They�re playing our song!� Bill said, making a move to lead her to the dance floor.

�Bill, I�m sorry, I can�t right now. I have a headache,� she said tersely, feigning illness. �Would you mind asking someone else? Maybe my roommate Charlotte is free,� she offered. Bill looked put out at first, but then brightened at the idea of Charlotte and left to look for her.

Good, got rid of him. Lizzy thought, scanning the floor, looking for Jane and Charles. She was on a mission.

Will was not a happy man. Leaning against the increasingly familiar wall in which he had found so much solace in the last time he was at Longbourn, he nursed a stiff drink, necessitated by Lizzy running off � again. Indulging in a bout of self-pity, he ignored everyone around him. Here I am, stuck at this dance, Caroline as my date, and once again, Elizabeth is angry with me. To make matters worse, he realized it was his own fault. He rolled his eyes heavenward. Could life get any worse?

At that moment, Caroline sidled up to him.

It just did, he thought wearily, and downed his drink in one gulp.

Taking hold of his arm possessively with her spider-like fingers, she viewed the rest of the room dispassionately.

�I bet I can guess what you are thinking,� she whispered to him in what she thought was a sultry voice.

�I doubt it,� he said shortly, studying his empty glass.

�You are thinking how insipid and beneath you this dance is and how you wish to leave. Am I right?� she guessed, leaning towards him conspiratorially.

�Not exactly, Caroline,� he replied.

Unhappily aware that he did not find her now extra revealing d�colletage as fascinating as she hoped, she decided to broach a subject that would catch his attention.

�I just heard a very interesting conversation between Miss Eliza Bennet and that roommate of hers in the ladies� room,� she said, while absently running her hand over Will's shoulder. His eyes quickly lit up at the mention of Elizabeth�s name. He was suddenly interested. I�ll show you, Elizabeth Bennet! she thought triumphantly. �I overheard Eliza tell her friend what her sister really thinks about Charles, and it wasn�t very nice.�

Will faced her, interested in what Elizabeth had to say, but he knew it was rude of Caroline to have listened to their conversation.

�Caroline, you know it�s not polite to eavesdrop.�

�Well, if you don�t want to know�� she started moving away, confident of Will�s reaction.

Of course he wanted to know. �What did she say?�

�She was saying that Jane was planning to break up with Charles while he�s studying in London. She wanted to be free to date others while he was gone.� Shrugging, the lies tripped easily from her lips. �I�m not surprised, a gold-digger like that, probably looking for a bigger fish to land.�

Will found it hard to believe that Jane Bennet was the mercenary type Caroline was describing. He didn�t know Jane very well � or her family, apart from Elizabeth. Thinking it over he remembered Charles had described their mother a few times. A matchmaking mama if ever there was one. For all he knew what Caroline claimed to have heard could be true, and because of it he was concerned for Charles. He knew how much he cared for Jane.

�Are you sure about this?� Will asked.

�Oh yes, I heard Eliza say it myself.� Caroline said blithely. At the mention of Elizabeth�s name, Will thought about what she had said to him and anger pulsed through him. She called me a jerk. In his alcohol befuddled mind, he didn�t want Charles to go through the sort of punishment Lizzy had given him.

�Maybe we should encourage him to forget about her while he�s in London. He�ll probably meet someone else there, anyway,� he suggested thoughtfully, hoping to save Charles from certain misery. �In the long run, it would probably be better for him to forget her.�

�I agree. It would most definitely be better in the long run.� She nodded her head, certain her plan was working.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lizzy saw Caroline beside Will. She was hanging all over him, while he stared down into his glass, looking a little worse for wear. Curious what Caroline might be saying to him, she was a little worried she might be telling him about their altercation in the lounge. Drawing nearer, she heard them unobserved.

�Maybe we should encourage him to forget about her while he�s in London. He�ll probably meet someone else there, anyway.� In a menacing tone he added, �In the long run, it would probably be better for him to forget her�

�I agree. It would most definitely be better in the long run.� Caroline nodded her head furtively.

�You know how Charles is, he�s always meeting a new girl and falling in love wherever he goes.�

�Yes, I know. Would you talk to him before he leaves, anyway? You�re his best friend after all.�

�Yes, I think that�s a good idea.�

*All My Loving performed by the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney � 1963 Northern Songs. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.

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