Take 2! Many apologies for those who went to Chapter 67 only to find it a copy of 66. I was having difficulty uploading the new chapter but hopefully now, that I'm on my home computer it will work.

I would be completely remiss if I didn't thank all of my AWESOME reviewers for pushing me over the 1000 mark! You can't imagine how happy and excited that made me. Truly. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Now the last chapter got great reviews. I've decided I'm not a very good judge of my own chapters so here is the next one. I hope it doesn't disappoint!

He'd slept terribly all night and, seeing the early dawn beginning to brighten the night sky, determined to get this day started. Grabbing his phone and flipping on a t-shirt and gym shorts, William quietly exited their bedroom allowing a sleeping Elizabeth to gain some respite from his tossing and turning. The gym in the building was surprisingly full for a 5am start to the work week. Only two treadmills remained open and he was grateful he'd actually not waited much longer. He needed a run to clear his mind before a day full of meetings and expectations began. Flipping through his phone he selected a fairly hard core play list and attempted to focus on the music thrumming through his ears. The 40 minutes passed quickly and his mind did feel much more settled now that he'd expelled some of his nervous energy. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had a long way to go to prove his credibility as CEO of Pemberley Enterprises. The pressure had been building these past four years and he knew it would only increase in the months to come. Back at the condo, William jumped through a quick shower and donned a freshly pressed suit. He felt as ready as he could. He was just about to step out of the bedroom when he heard Lizzy's voice calling him.

"Hey sweetheart, what are you doing awake?"

"I was cold and wondered where my heater went. Are you leaving already? I'm sorry I slept so long," Lizzy mumbled.

"It's just only 6:00. Go back to sleep. I'll call you later."

"Good luck today. I'll be thinking of you and sending all of my positive energy."

"Thanks. I'm going to need it. Have fun with Georgie today." William sat down on the bed quickly to give her a gentle kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

William realized he needed to remove himself from the edge of the bed or he'd be inclined to climb back in. Tucking Lizzy under the covers, William watched her snuggle back down, eyes closed, before leaving the room and the apartment. The headquarters for PE was only four blocks from the condo. The crisp winter air would do him some good before he started a meeting filled day. Pulling the security badge from his shoulder bag, William scanned his card unlocking the doors. A security guard looked up from his chair and, realizing who was entering, jumped from his chair to hold open the door.

"Good morning sir. You're the first to arrive this morning," The young man offered nervously.

"No worries. I'll just see myself up to my office."

"Very good sir. And welcome back."

"Thank you." William was anxious to get up to his office and organize his desk and notes for the day. Turning away from the security guard, he punched the floor into the elevator and sank back against the wall as he rode up to the 31st floor.

He found his office just as he'd left it a few short weeks ago. In fact, very little had changed in the office since it had been his father's. He'd added some of his own books, and updated Georgie's school photo each year, but otherwise it was much the same. Scanning the desk he spotted one more change, a wedding picture on his desk. It made him happy to see Lizzy smiling up at him. Perhaps she would help him make a few more changes to his office.

Settled into his chair he powered up his laptop and began to review his notes for the day ahead. He'd been disturbed by some of the recent management reports coming from Asia. A plan to visit business partners in the region had already been mentioned and the latest reports only increased his anxiety to understand what was happening there. If the answers he received today were unsatisfactory a trip in the next week or two would be required.

"Good morning Mr. Darcy. I didn't expect you so early."

"Julia. It's good to see you."

"Likewise sir. Can I get you some coffee? Perhaps some breakfast too?"

"Coffee and breakfast would be excellent."

"Certainly sir. Yogurt and granola? Is that right?"

"Perfect. I have a few more things to review before my first meeting. I appreciate it."

"Of course sir. I'll be back in a ten minutes." Julia Walters had been executive assistant to the prior Mr. Darcy and had known the current Mr. Darcy since his gawky teenage years. She looked forward to when her boss was in his role full time. She'd heard the rumblings of some that he was too young and inexperienced to lead the company but felt the criticisms were foolish and uninformed. Shaking her head, Julia had watched William Darcy learn the business at his father's knee. Young William understood what PE represented better than any employee ever could, regardless of tenure. He'd always taken the family legacy with a degree of seriousness that belied his age and she'd do all she could to ensure his success.

It was shortly before 9 when Lizzy woke for the second time. William had left hours ago and she was already annoyed at herself for being such a layabout when he'd been working for hours. Padding her way to the kitchen, she was pleased to see he'd taken the snacks she'd packed for him last night. Tea and toast seemed exactly like what she needed this morning. She quickly prepared them before sitting at the breakfast table reading the paper that William had left for her. Lost in the newsprint, Lizzy wanted to pinch herself. In a few months she would actually be writing the words that appeared in this newspaper, while living in this spectacular place with an amazing man. It all felt a little too perfect. Rummaging through the kitchen drawers she managed to find an old No. 2 pencil and turned to the Monday crossword.

"Good morning Lizzy," Georgiana greeted her quietly.

"Morning. Come join me. I was just about to have another cup of tea and attempt a crossword puzzle. You're welcome to help if you like puzzles."

"Thanks. I don't think I'm so good at puzzles. My father and aunt always liked to do the Sunday crossword and I was never much help." Georgie answered as she filled a cereal bowl.

"Don't take that as a judge of your skill. The puzzles get progressively harder throughout the week. Monday is the easiest so I generally can complete it. There have been many Sundays where I've been stumped."

Georgiana sat down beside Lizzy, puzzle placed between them, and the two quietly worked through the puzzle. Few words were exchanged but a companionable hour passed as they made short work of the task. It was comforting to work together to complete something, even as mundane as a crossword puzzle. Looking at the clock, Lizzy realized it was approaching 10:30. "We should probably get ready for the day if we're to find a replacement pair of pink leather flats."

"We don't have to if you don't want to. I mean, if there's something you'd rather do that is," Georgiana stuttered.

"I'll be honest, I don't know my way around New York and could be happy doing just about anything here. I'm not a very experienced shopper so having a goal in mind works for me. If that goal is pink leather flats then let's do it. I'm trusting you with the next two days."

"I could probably teach you a lot about shopping in New York. It's always been one of my favorite pastimes and William's been generous in indulging me. He's a pretty good shopper too," Georgie smiled.

"I'll have to take your word for it. I can't quite imagine it. Alright, I'm off to a shower. Meet you in the living room in an hour?"

"Sounds good," Georgie's mind was whirling with ideas for lunch, shops, maybe even an afternoon pedicure and manicure. She liked being in charge of the day and was excited to actually spend time with Lizzy. 'Where had that come from,' she wondered. Thinking on it she realized Elizabeth was actually a very easy person to spend time with. She never felt judged and Lizzy seemed to have a way to put everyone around her at ease. 'Was it really that simple?' This idea would take more contemplation and right now she'd rather think about where they'd explore rather than these more serious topics.

"Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham is here for your 11:00. Are you ready to see him?" Julia asked. She was trying hard to keep the day on track. She'd already realized a very proactive stance was required to keep the staff moving along.

"Thanks Julia." Turning back to his finance team, "Let's regroup once you've had a chance to recut the data the way I've asked. Will tomorrow work?"

Looking at one another they nodded in agreement. "What time?" They all looked to Julia.

"Why don't you come by my desk and we'll figure out where I can squeeze you in." Leading the team out, Julia closed the door to give the two men privacy.

William turned to one of his father's oldest friends, embracing him in a hug. "Louis, it's wonderful to see you. Please, take a seat."

"It's good to see you too. I'll say you look a great deal better then a few weeks ago. I guess this means that your wife has recovered from her ordeal?" Louis asked, concern evident in his eyes.

An image of Lizzy rose unbidden in his mind's eye. The sheer joy across her face as they watched the finale of Wicked yesterday caused a smile to break across his own. "She's much improved. Thank you for asking. She'll still require surgery on her knee to repair the torn ACL but is actually getting around quite well. She and Georgie joined me on this trip and we had a fun weekend exploring the city."

"I can't wait to meet the woman who's put that smile on your face. I think we should have dinner tonight. I'll call Carol and she can arrange reservations and the like."

"I'm not sure what Elizabeth and Georgiana have planned. I should check with them first."

"Come now. It's not in your best interest to keep her hidden from the staff. There are enough rumors floating around about your marriage that the sooner folks get to know her the better," Louis Wickham advised.

"What do you mean rumors," William almost barked. Feeling his anger rise, he took a few breaths in order to calm himself.

"We read the newspapers here in New York too. I know that most of what was written was complete bunk but the only way to prove that is for folks to get to know her. I'm sure your Elizabeth is lovely. Give me and my wife the ability to join the chorus of approval your uncle and cousins started at the board meeting. Come now, you know I'm right," Louis cajoled.

"I'll call Elizabeth and see what she says. Would 8:00 work?" William hated the thought of having to parade Lizzy around but realized he likely needed to give in to the inevitable.

"Perfect. I'll speak with Carol and get back to you with the details later this afternoon once it's all arranged. Now, I promised your father I'd be here to help you transition into the company. Please let me know what you need," Louis offered.

"I'm glad you've asked. I'm more than a little concerned about the numbers I see coming out of Asia. I know we discussed a trip to the region to solidify my re-entrance to the company but I'm thinking the issues are more significant than that. I've asked the finance team to run some analysis that hopefully I can review tomorrow. If it proves my concerns I'll be leaving for Japan as early as next week and suspect I'll be there for two or more weeks," William shared.

"Will it be alright for you to miss so much class at the start of the semester?"

"It should be fine. I have one more course to take along with a project to complete. Last semester I worked out with my advisor that I'd be completing a project on corporate governance for my final semester. As long as I meet with him every few weeks and make progress on the project, I should be fine. I've chosen my final project to focus on Pemberley so I can get credit while I work. The class will be a bit more difficult but it only meets once a week and I can probably get someone to record it for me when I'm traveling."

"Well then, show me what's concerning you and perhaps I can add some perspective to the reports you're looking at," Louis offered.

The two men sat side by side as William showed him the areas that had caused some alarm. While top line sales were continuing to click along, accounts payable days were getting increasingly long. William was worried his Asia team was stuffing the channel and using easy credit to make the sales numbers actually look better than they were. It could be nothing, perhaps a seasonal issue or some competitor action that was having an effect, but William had spent enough time listening to dinner conversations with his father, and in his case reviews at HBS, to give him cause to worry that his people were doing something they shouldn't.

Looking over the same information William had, Louis could well understand the concern."Your father would be proud of you William. You're acting like an owner and I'm confident you'll get to the bottom of this. I'll be interested in what the finance folks turn up for you tomorrow. Let me know how I can help. I may only be in an advisory capacity to the business teams now but I promised I'd stick around to help you transition and I won't let you, or your father, down."

William was glad to have his concerns validated to some extent. He felt a lot of pressure to prove himself but recognized that he'd need to step lightly. Louis Wickham could help. He was well respected by all and would add support to his inquiries. "I appreciate the help and will certainly take up any help on offer. I should probably call Lizzy now about dinner so she's prepared and you should probably call your wife as well. I've learned about surprises a bit in my brief marriage and some are received better than others."

Laughing, Louis clapped William on the back, "Oh, I really can't wait to meet this Lizzy. She sounds like a good one."

William showed Louis Wickham out the door and returned to his desk. Julia hadn't been outside his office and he assumed she had stepped out to grab lunch. Snagging the granola bar Lizzy had packed for him he began to eagerly consume it while dialing her cell number.

"Lizzy is that your phone buzzing?"

"I think it is. Oh, it's William! Hello my love." Lizzy greeted him cheerfully.

William leaned back in his chair, a smile resting on his lips, "Don't you sound happy. What are my girls up to this afternoon?"

"Right now we've decided to be 'ladies who lunch.' We're at a ridiculously expensive restaurant sipping sparkling water with lime and eating salad."

"Sounds like an excellent way to pass the afternoon. I'm glad you are enjoying yourselves. What's next on the docket?"

"I believe Georgiana is going to take me to Saks where we will begin our search for the perfect pink flats. I'm not sure what's planned once that task is accomplished. I've left the day up to her."

"Do you think you might be able to find time to purchase an outfit to wear to dinner this evening?"

"Where are we going?" Lizzy asked slightly amused by William's playful returns.

"One of my father's best friends, and a close colleague, has requested that you and I join him and his wife for dinner tonight. I didn't think I could turn him down. Do you mind?" William asked a bit tentatively.

"Is Georgiana invited as well?" Lizzy asked.

"I think its best if its just the two of us. We'll likely be going to some stuffy 5-star restaurant and chatting about people and things she won't care about. It will be torture enough for you and I think she'll be happier at home with takeout."

"Oh, ok. I don't think I brought anything suitable but I'm sure we can add that to our shopping list. Do you want to say hi to Georgie?"

"Yes please. Can you pass the phone over?"

Georgiana took the phone from Lizzy's hand. She had an inkling as to their conversation, realizing she'd likely be on her own for the evening, and that Elizabeth would need to dress to impress. "William? Everything ok?"

"Of course. I need your help this afternoon. The Wickhams would like to take us out to dinner tonight. Can you please help Elizabeth find something suitable but that she'll also be comfortable in. She gets a bit freaked out by price tags but in this instance, she'll need to dress for the occasion."

"No worries brother. I've no issue with spending your money. We'll find something fabulous for Lizzy."

"Thanks. I owe you one." William sighed, relieved that Georgiana was helping rather than hindering in this instance.

"You'll just have to remember that when you get the credit card bills," Georgie teased.

"I see you don't understand how difficult it is to get Lizzy to spend money," William countered. "Do you want to join us for this dinner with my work colleagues or would you rather stay at home?"

"I think we both know that I'm neither wanted nor would I want to go. The benefit of being 15 is having no Pemberley responsibilities. I'll take it while it lasts."

"Alright then. I should probably find my own lunch. I think I have 15 minutes until my next meeting. Love you."

"Love ya too." Georgie clicked off the phone and handed it back to Lizzy. "We have a real shopping agenda now. Let's stop at Barney's first to find you a proper outfit for tonight. We can hit Saks afterwards if we have time and aren't too tired."

Lizzy sat there biting her lip. She'd given little thought to her role as the CEO's wife and tonight it was going to be thrust upon her. And here she was, entrusting herself to a 15-year old who only a few weeks ago hated the very sight of her. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'In for a penny, in for a pound.'

Georgiana was determined that Elizabeth Darcy would arrive at dinner dressed to impress. She quickly guided Lizzy through Barney's towards two saleswoman standing in a section of the store with more white space than merchandise, a sure sign that the price of the merchandise made up for the quantity available. "Good afternoon ladies, we have an urgent errand and are hoping you might be of some help."

The women quickly scanned their new customers and spying the rings on Lizzy's left hand, realized a healthy commission was likely to be made with their full attention. "It would be our pleasure. My name is Bridget and this is Monica. We would be pleased to help."

"Excellent. My sister-in-law has an important dinner tonight at Eleven Madison Park and didn't bring along a dress she's happy with for the evening. We're hoping you can find something appropriate."

The two women walked slowly around Elizabeth assessing her size and shape. "Are there any particular designers you prefer?"

Lizzy suppressed a laugh at the question, "I try to keep an open mind although tasteful should be our guide."

Monica led the two women to a dressing room to wait. Tea and coffee were offered while Bridget was surveying the store for appropriate dresses. "Oh I'm so excited to see what she brings in." Georgiana was giddy with excitement while Lizzy tried to figure out what she was supposed to do with herself while she waited. Shopping with money was such a passive activity and she couldn't quite figure out what to do with herself.

"Georgie, you mentioned the name of a restaurant. Did William mention where we are eating?"

"No. But I wanted to pick something that would put the right image in their minds. It'll be something like the restaurant I mentioned."

Lizzy unlocked her phone to google the restaurant. If the restaurant had an 'image' she wanted to know what it was herself before selecting a dress. She made the mistake of taking a sip of tea as she clicked through to the restaurant's website. She nearly choked when she clicked on the menu page, "$225 per person!" Lizzy tried to process the implications of it all. Dinner for four would be over $1000 after tip was considered. And that didn't include the wine. She wondered if she'd ever eaten a meal that totaled $225 for four people let alone for one. Yes, truly, sometimes it was better to live in oblivion. The two ladies returned to the dressing room, dresses hanging from each extended arm. Feathers, sequins, lace and ruffles dominated the collection. It was fairly easy for Elizabeth to eliminate several of the items. Fur and feathers were a non-starter as she was quite positive they looked better on their original owners then they ever would on her. Having reduced the pile to a more manageable group, she allowed the ladies to help her into the first of the dresses. It was pretty on the hanger, royal blue lace with a fitted sleeves and a fuller skirt which ended two inches above her knee. Turning over the price tag, Lizzy was forced to read it twice. She looked at the dress again. Could it really be worth $3800? "I don't think this is the right one," Lizzy attempted nonchalantly.

"Truly? I think its adorable. The color suits you and the fit is very flattering," Georgie encouraged.

Lizzy was looking for support from her attendants but none was coming. Turning to examine herself in a full length mirror, she struck on an idea, "Do you think the knee brace will make it look ridiculous? Should I have a longer dress to cover it up?"

Georgiana considered the question and turned to their attendants. "Do you have anything long that doesn't look too much like a formal evening gown? It seems like all of these are at the knee or right above it."

Monica suggested they continue to try on the dresses just in case they couldn't find a longer gown while Bridget went on an expanded hunt for the longer dress. They'd gone through four more of the shorter dresses when Bridget returned with one she hoped would work. The Nili Lotan dress was burgundy silk, with a halter top, blouson draping at the waist, and a long bias cut skirt. Examining the dress, Lizzy figured it might work. The dress was simple, with no lace or adornments, but elegant and could work for an evening out as long as she kept her hair and make up sedate. A simple grosgrain ribbon closed the dress around the neck. Slipping the dress over her head, Lizzy pulled her hair into a low bun while Georgiana tied the back. Turning around, Georgiana pulled a few wisps of hair in front and stepped back to give an apprising look at Lizzy. "Oh it's perfect Lizzy. Come and see in the mirror." Flipping over the price tag Lizzy let out a sigh of relief, $480. Certainly not a bargain but by comparison to the first dress it was a huge improvement. Snapping a picture of herself in the dress, Lizzy texted the photo to Jane and Charlotte.

J&C: What do you think? It's for dinner tonight at Eleven Madison Park.

While Lizzy was fussing with her phone, Georgiana was playing with the hem of the dress.

"Is there any chance it could be shortened this afternoon? I think if it fell above her ankle it would look more appropriate. She won't be able to wear high heels given her knee." Georgiana asked as she pulled up the dress to the spot where she thought it should fall.

"Let me call the seamstress to see what she can do this afternoon."

"Perfect. Georgiana and I wanted to check out the shoes ourselves. Is it ok if I keep the dress on while I look?"

"Certainly. We'll come find you once we've contacted alterations."

Wandering through the vast shoe display Lizzy heard her phone chirp.

C: Gorgeous. What's the occasion?

L: Work dinner for Will. Is it too fancy?

C: No. VRY Nice dinner spot. UR perfect. Have fun. I want details.

Getting the vote of confidence from Charlotte, combined with Georgie's enthusiasm, helped ease Lizzy's nerves about the dress. The girls turned their attention to shoes. Lizzy couldn't help but point out the ridiculous among the collection. Five and six inch heels, gladiator sandals and pearl encrusted shoes were interspersed with dainty silk flats. Georgiana played right along as the pranced through the displays trying to imagine the venues one might wear such shoes. As they were browsing Lizzy happened upon a beautiful pair of deep gold silk ballet flats. "Georgie? What do you think?"

Georgie turned around, 4 different shoes in her arms. "Ooh I like those. Let's get someone to help us. Catching the eye of one of the shoe salesmen, Georgiana handed over their various shoes along with size requests. While they were waiting, Georgie continued to roam through the department collecting various shoes as she wandered.

"Um Georgie, how many pairs do you need?"

"I don't know? Shoes are my weakness. I probably don't need any new shoes but I'd love to have them."

Lizzy quietly considered Georgie's response while watching the young girl tour the room one of the new pairs on her feet.

"So, what do you think?"

Lizzy looked up reorienting herself to the situation at hand. "Their cute. How do they feel?"

"They're fine but I've been thinking about what you asked. I don't need them. I have a pair of black flats that are fine. It's just that I think these would work better with jeans then the ones I have."

As Lizzy reflected she realized it was kind of how she thought about bottles of nail polish but in this case, instead of three or four dollars, the expense was multiplied by a hundred. She was trying not to pass judgment but at the same time thought about the pure extravagance of all the money they were spending on this one outing. It wasn't comfortable. She'd need to think about this more before speaking her mind. At this point the goal was to build a relationship with Georgie. Criticizing her would not help the situation but she needed to be honest.

"I'm not sure what to think. If you like the shoes, they're comfortable, and you have a use for them, then there is no reason not to get them. I've spent so much of my life economizing for what I need that spending $300 on a pair of shoes was not even in my realm of consideration. That said, before I met William I had very little money but certainly splurged on things for which I had little use. Your life operates on an order of magnitude I've never considered."

"What do you mean?"

"Your family is certainly generous both financially and with your time. You've served meals to the homeless and donated to a variety of causes. In my own way, I gave money to my church and to Salvation Army at Christmas. It's so confusing and I don't mean to make buying a pair of shoes so complicated, it just is for me."

Georgie was dumbfounded. The calculus of buying shoes had never required much thought for her. If she liked them, she bought them, end of story. It was confusing and she looked back down at the shoes and they suddenly looked a lot less appealing. When did spending money on shoes become a moral question?

"Seriously Georgie. I didn't mean to make this so heavy. If you like them you should get them."

"I do like them. A lot."

"Then by all means get them. I think they're adorable. What did you think of the others?"

Looking over the shoes she'd tried on, their appeal wasn't that great. Using the lens of whether they were needed or served a purpose in her wardrobe, she realized they were not really different from anything else she owned. "I think I'll just get the one pair. The others are ok but I've got others that are still fine."

"Ok. Well let's check on getting this dress altered. All this shopping has made me hungry and I could use a snack."

The girls added the shoes to their purchase and made their way back to the dressing room to check on alterations. They were happy to find the seamstress ready and waiting for their arrival. Twenty minutes later they were ready to depart the shop with a promise that the dress would be shortened, steamed and delivered to their address by 6:30 that evening.

Checking her phone again Lizzy realized she'd missed a call from William. "Do you think I should call him back?"

"If he's not available Julia will answer and tell you what you need to know. You should never hesitate to call."

Lizzy realized she was being silly and pressed the call back button. It took only two rings, "Mr. Darcy's office."

"Hi, this is Elizabeth Darcy. I was hoping to speak with William."

"Hello Mrs. Darcy. This is Julia, Mr. Darcy's assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you by phone. I hope to meet you in person soon."

"Likewise. I look forward to putting a name to the face."

"Let me see if Mr. Darcy can take your call. I know he was anxious to speak with you."

A few minutes passed and she heard his rich voice through the phone, "Lizzy?"

"Hey. How's your day going?"

"I'd say it's been productive. How about yours? Did you get a dress for tonight?"

"Yup, along with shoes and a bag. I'm all set. Your sister was invaluable so any appreciation of the ensemble goes to her."

"I'm sure you'll look beautiful. I just want to confirm that reservations are at 8 and I'll be home no later than 7 to get showered and pick you up."

"Great. So we're meeting the Mr. Wickham and his wife tonight?"

"About that. It seems that Louis invited a few others so it'll include a some members from the business management team here in New York and their spouses as well. Is that ok?"

"Ok. I'm sure it'll be fine. I'll see you around 7 then."

"Great, can I talk to Georgie?"

"Handing it over now."

"Hey big bro. I bought the most adorable shoes. I can't wait to show them to you."

"I'm glad you had fun. I was wondering if you could help me. I need to get some jewelry for Lizzy to go with her outfit for tonight. I know for certain she doesn't have anything with her. Can you text me details on her dress so I know what to get?"

"Sure thing. I've got some ideas on that front already so I'll send them along."

"Thanks. Did everything go ok today?"

"Everything's great. We had a lot of fun today and we're heading home. Don't worry about us, all is well."

Hanging up the phone, William smiled. Life felt good.

So this chapter was courtesy of a lot of rain and a trip to the west coast and back again - all in two days! I'm exhausted but hopefully you like it. I eagerly await your thoughts. Please place them below...