A/N - hi guys. So we deviate from PnP here. JA was very coy and kept the drama away from her readers. I doubt Modern Lizzie would just leave the men to sort this out!...

Chapter 29

Elizabeth felt her cheeks would hurt soon with the amount she was smiling. Darcy looked just as stupid as she did but she couldn't help it. She knew they needed to have a conversation but for now she was just happy that he still liked her after how she had treated him. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy. These things never last.

Dinner was interrupted by a sharp ring tone. Elizabeth frowned and got up to fetch her bag from the side in the hall. She looked at the dial. Lydia. What could she want? She shook her head, it could wait. She pressed cancel and put the phone back down. It was ringing again before she had taken two paces away.

"Hello? Lydia?"

There was a laugh at the end of the phone, definitely not Lydia. But she recognised it immediately she turned with wide eyes to look back at Darcy who was saying something to her aunt. When he looked at her and saw her expression he was up immediately and by her side steering her in to the study down the hall.

"Wickham, why do you have Lydia's phone?" She could see the look of anger come over Darcy. She held the phone out and put it on speaker

"Hadn't you heard? Lydia has a new boyfriend!"

Elizabeth was silent, staring at Darcy with wide eyes

"I can tell by your silence you are happy for us. She is quite the interesting girl. Not as difficult to chase as you were. No fun in winning here at all. Still she serves a purpose."

"What purpose? What could you possibly want with her?"

"Well I hear you are the guest of one William Darcy. Is that true?"

Elizabeth almost smacked herself, she looked at Darcy and mouthed "mum" and rolled her eyes. He looked at her and pointed his eyes at the phone.

"Yes we are staying for a couple of days"

"So he must be somewhere nearby then?"

He shook his head at her and she immediately answered

"No he's out at the moment. Why don't you just call him?"

He laughed again "well his number is much harder to get hold of than yours, and I need you to provide the incentive"

"What incentive?"

"Well I am sure by now Darcy has told you about my uh preferences. You sister and I are on a mini break. So far we are getting on well but that could change at any time. I am finding I need some" he paused "financial incentive to keep being the charming gent that I am currently being"

"You sick bastard!"

"Easy now Lizzie. This is really simple for you. I need to speak to William so that we can arrange a price and then your sister will go home after having a fab mini break with her new boyfriend. So, is Darcy around?"

"I..." She stopped Darcy was holding up two fingers "I can call him back, but it'll take him 20 minutes to get here" A small part of her marveled that they seemed to understand each other so easily.

"Fine, I will call back in twenty minutes. And Lizzie. Don't tell anyone else!" And then he was gone. Silence lasted for about five minutes before Darcy moved in to action. He fired up the computer while dialing a number.

"Paul, I'm gonna need the jet ready to fly as soon as... No don't let anyone at base know... England but I'll confirm airport. Just me." He stopped and looked up at Elizabeth who was furiously shaking her head and pointing at herself. He frowned and shook his head, she smacked the table and nodded "and one other." He relented "as soon as possible. Thanks"

"Lizzie, you should leave this between Wickham and I. I don't know what he wants but you can rest assured I will get your sister back home"

"No. This is my sister and my mess. I will not leave you to sort it out."

"It's not your mess. It's mine. I should have dealt with Wickham a long time ago."

She walked over to him and put her arms around his waist looking up at him "please don't make me leave, I need to see what happens!"

He relented, how could he not!

He was dialing again "detective Forster. It William Darcy. Wickham has taken a friend of mine and is blackmailing me. I'm in Spain but am about to get on a plane home. He's going to call me back in fourteen minutes, if I give you the number he is calling from can you trace it for me?" A pause "no I think the girl went willingly but he has threatened to hurt her if I don't pay" pause "16?" He looked at Elizabeth who shook her head "15" she nodded and held up her phone with Lydia's number "great the number is 07890345333. Yes. Thanks. I know."

He put the phone down and checked something on the computer.

"Ok. It's 9 here, 8 in the UK. Flight time 2 hours. We can be on the ground by 11pm hopefully we will have a location by that time. I've accessed my bank to let them know I'll be making a mobile transfer in the next few hours. Let's go."