They were sitting there for a while, until the sounding of William's cell phone penetrated their ears.

"Yes?" he asked,grumpily. "Yes… of course… I'll be there in a matter of minutes… Yes… No, don't let them leave… Of course…. Tell Mr. Wickham he has to solve this, and soon… Thank you. Good day." He gave a deep sigh and said to the woman in his arms "Elizabeth, I need to go to a meeting. If you wish I could leave you at your Jane's?" he really didn't want to go, but he had to. The least he could do was offer her a day of comfort after her outburst.

"No, I am all right. Wouldn't be very professional if I spent my first day at work at home." She tried to smile. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until reluctantly he let go of her.

The car started moving.

Why does he make me feel so weak?! I haven't… I haven't told anyone about this, I have always kept my countenance in every situation, why now?

They arrived to the place of the meeting, and they went in. She managed to pull herself together by the time, and had a serious, professional, determined air around her. As she went in, her eyes fell on a handsome face with deep blue eyes, a penetrating gaze and an inviting expression. His cheeky smile jovious manner deaw Elizabeth towards him.

"Mr. Wikham. I had thought our weekly meetings would end a few months ago." William greeted the young man. "Let me present Miss. Elizabeth Bennet, my new legal adviser. So,tell me… how is the acquisition going?"

And thus they entered into a furious debate of numbers and legal barriers. Throughout the discussion, Wickham's glance fell more and more on Elizabeth; so much so that at the end he could not help but ask

"Miss Bennet? Would you honor me with your company tonight for a cup of tea?" Elizabeth, fully focused on her new admirer didn't notice the sharp turn of a head and killing look towards Wickham from the Prince.

"It would be a pleasure!" so they arranged a meeting point and time, and parted full of expectancies. Elizabeth was driven back to her office, a full half an hour journey during which William didn't utter a word. They sat apart, Elizabeth gazing out the window and William staring in front of him.

At the agreed time, Elizabeth arrived to her date with Wickham. He was sitting there, waiting for her already, even though she was very punctual.

"Miss Bennet! You must allow me to comment on how lovely you look this afternoon. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering you a cup of whine… I took you for a white whine person, though of course if I was mistaken it can be returned." He was charm and politeness itself.

"Oh Mr.Wickham, please call me Elizabeth. Whine would be perfect, thank you." She sat down in front of him and was handed her drink.

"So, Elizabeth. How does such a young and lovely person as you become a royal legal adviser?" They spent the afternoon talking about each other, Elizabeth giving a not-too detailed summary of her life as a professional; George was a good listener and knew how to make someone talk easily. By the end they arranged another date, a formal one this time, with dinner, dressing-up and all that which a young woman of 25 could hope for.

She didn't realize until she sat into the cab on her way home how exhausted she was; she was quite looking forward to a noise-free apartment and a long hot bubble bath. At home, she told Jane about her day and the enchanting George Wickham she met that day. Jane was pleased to see her sister back in her normal self, and felt free to leave her alone for the night.

"We are meeting Charles' sister, Caroline. She is the only 'eligible' left of the family; he has another sister, but she is already married and has other, more important, marital duties… Though, for the rumors that have been going around, I hear she might be taken soon as well, by none other than the Prince himself! They met through Charles, of course, though at first nothing really seemed to happen ,due to some disinclination from his side, as I hear… However, today he called her, I hear, and we are to go on a 'double date'… Isn't that funny? Oh, look at the time! I must get ready. Well, feel free to do anything, but if I were you I would avoid the living room, Charles has brought back a duck he has hunted today and it has an odious smell… Have fun today!" Jane left a horribly confused Lizzy in the kitchen.

How can he do this?? When we were making so much progress!!! She felt desolated. Don't be unfair, you have gone on a date too, why shouldn't he move on as well? How can you expect him to still care for someone he may have loved 8 years ago, a relationship which, may I remind you, lasted no longer than a few days. Besides, he said it himself; love cannot prevail through time and absence. He is just a man of his words, that's all.

But how can he go out with the sister of my sister's boyfriend/almost-fiancé??? He was bound to know I would find out, does he have no compassion at all?? Is he really this insensitive? Somehow, a night alone was not as attractive a thought as she previously considered it. She thought of going down and 'surprising' them with her presence… there were only two problems with that though; she didn't know where they were, and though she was sure Jane wouldn't mind her being there, the rest of the party could not be very happy about their date interrupted. So, she spent the night mulling over her own childishness and wondering about her inability to shut her feelings away from her notice as she has managed to do so well the previous 8 years.

Later that night, waking up from her slumber realizing she was freezing cold, she unthinkingly called Jane to ask where the temperature could be adjusted. However at the first ring she decided better to leave the two couples to have an enjoyable night.

She was reading comfortably about a case study resembling that of William's in a pajama under countless blankets and with a hot chocolate in her hand. She was in complete silence, and only the distant sound of the sporadic passing by of the cars (as it was really, really late at night), when she heard a soft knock on the door, and someone whispering her name outside. Too cold and lazy to stand up, she decided to let it by; Jane and Charles have their own keys, and she couldn't imagine anyone else coming to see her at this time, in a country she has never lived in. Another harsher knock followed, and as she was about to get up angrily, when her door was knocked down, and the shape of a man shaking his fist appeared in front of her. William!

"What are you doing here?! I thought you were on your double date with my sister." She really didn't have the patience to deal with him right now. He almost ran towards her, worried.

"Are you all right? Jane said you called but didn't answer and I thought maybe you were troubled about something, what was it; burglers, a psychopath mass murderer…are you all right?" he asked; he was honestly worried, but realizing his exaggeration of the situation, he got angry as Lizzy couldn't help bursting out in laughter.

"I am fine, thank you. I was a bit cold, but nothing I couldn't handle… Don't worry, the psychopath mass murderer skipped this place seeing the blood sign on the… doors" she laughed again at the state her entrance was in; they were quite exposed to any wonderers of the apartment building. Good thing Bingley has a pent house and a personal guarded entrance.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I should leave." He felt slightly uncomfortable. He didn't only ruin his best friend's apartment, he has only just realize that the woman in front of her was already in her pink panther pajamas, and the ludicrousy of the situation hit him. He was about to step out of the room, ceremonially stepping through the door that was now lying on the ground, when she received a call.

"Caroline?... All right… I suppose I have no choice?... Check with Daniel, if there is nothing urgent, tell him to cancel my appointments… Yes…. I'll tell her. Love you too." He sighed, turned to Elizabeth one more time and told her "You are cordially invited to spend the long weekend with your sister, Bingley, Caroline and me" he left out a small groan of displeasure "on a road trip to the coast. However, in the case you do not wish to accept, the invitation expires and turns into an obligation, or so I was told. Please don't shoot the messenger, I had very little to do with it. Sorry for the disturbance again. Good night." And with that he left Elizabeth, pink panther pajamas and chocolate in hand, staring at where his face was long after he has left the building. No. Freaking. Way! Roadtrip… roadtrip! To the cost! Roadtrip! With William…

…and his evident 'love', Caroline Bingley… my sister, and her fiancé… Two couples and me alone? What in the name of beep am I going to do?!