Learn to Love What Bugs You

Chapter 1

"Hmmmm hmmmmmm hmmmmm."

Georgiana Darcy, co-owner of the Twin Oaks Inn in Meryton, Conn., was bent over the flower beds on the west side of the building, weeding and getting the soil ready to receive the pansies she had bought the day before at the Meryton Garden Center. She hummed along to a country song on her radio headset as she worked, even though it was barely 8 o'clock. Her cousin and business partner, Col. Richard Fitzwilliam, was in the kitchen, the new waitress was tending to guests in the dining room, and she was the one lucky enough to be outdoors this fine, late-April morning.

The sun was shining despite the early morning chill, thanks to Daylight Savings Time, and while she had to go indoors in awhile and start cleaning rooms, it was warm on legs and shoulders exposed by a pair of ragged denim shorts and a white tank top. Her long blond hair was pulled back and up off her neck in an unattractive, but cool, twist.

"Hmmm hmmm hmm hmmmmm hmmmmm, aaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!"

Tackled from behind by an unknown assailant, Georgie was thrown into the dirt head-first and came up sputtering and spitting out potting soil. Her headset lay forgotten in the mulch.

"What the - hey! Who are you and what do you think you are doing, jumping me like this? I ought to -"

Georgie flipped around as best she could, as she was being pinned to the ground at her knees, and found herself gazing at the most attractive head of hair she had ever seen in her life. It was crisp and dark, and it curled around a well-shaped head. She immediately wanted to run her soil-crusted hands through its wealth. She wondered what the rest of him was like.

But he wasn't looking at her. He was digging in the dirt under her knees until he caught something, and then he just sat there, one hand clenched around whatever treasure he had found.

"Find what you were looking for?" she asked playfully.

The man looked up then, gave her a startled glance and nodded. She made note of deep, chocolate brown eyes from behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, fair skin that looked as if he spent too much time indoors, and a determined chin. But he just sat there, staring at her. He really was a beautiful man...

"What is it?" she prompted.

"Oh! This? A bug."

"What kind of bug?"

"Are you sure you are interested?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't interested. What kind of bug?"

"Roach."

"Ugh!" But she didn't scream, she just screwed up her face in distaste. Georgie was not the type to scream at every little insect. "Georgiana Darcy, by the way," she added, holding out one hand. The other hand was still keeping her propped up off the ground. "Innkeeper."

The mystery man shook with his left hand, his right one still clenched around his roach. "Alex. Alex Bailey. Entomologist."

"Hey! You really are into bugs!"

"I'm impressed." His dark eyes held her attention. "Most people don't have a clue about entomology."

The fact that they were still sprawled together on the ground did not seem to enter their heads and they lay there and talked for a few moments. Then Georgie noticed he was having a hard time keeping the roach contained.

"Come on inside, Mr. Bailey. Let me find you a jar or something to keep that little guy in. And my foot has gone to sleep."

"Oh, I am sorry! I just forgot..." He stood up, displaying a long, lean frame in white Nikes, tight jeans and a blue Oxford shirt, and offered the free hand to his attack victim.

"No problem." Georgie nonchalantly dusted dirt off her legs and headed off around the back of the inn. "I'll just...ugh. I'm too dirty for the kitchen. Come on."

She led the way through a small garden to the old carriage house behind the inn, where she explained that she had a small apartment.

"The inn only has eight guest rooms, although sometimes I sleep on a little cot behind the front desk," she admitted. "Richard and I take turns sleeping in the big house, as we call it, to keep an eye on things." A thought occurred to her.

"Are you a guest at the inn?" She couldn't remember seeing him before, but sometimes the faces of her guests tended to blur into each other.

Mr. Bailey laughed. "No, I just moved into the old Hamilton house next door."

"I didn't know it was for sale!" George exclaimed. "I've been wanting to annex it for ages..."

"Sorry. I should say I inherited it. It was never even on the market."

"Oh! In that case, welcome to the neighborhood." She let him into the apartment, told him to have a seat while she washed her hands, and then she went into her minuscule kitchen to rummage for an old jar with a lid. She peeked back into her little living/dining room area and saw her guest perusing the photos of her and Richard, and William's family, on the coffee table. Then she remembered the task at hand and scooted back to the kitchen.

She was on her hands and knees with her backside to him, mumbling something about the way Richard had rearranged her dishes for the hundredth time, when he walked into the kitchen and startled her into banging her head on the cabinet.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry."

"No problem." Grinning, she popped out of the cupboard with a small glass jar and lid.

"Found one!" She allowed him to drop the roach in the jar before screwing on the lid. "Do you want me to poke holes in the top?"

"No, I really must be going. Thank you very much for your assistance. Sorry that I attacked you. Sorry I made you bump your head, too." He was backing out of her kitchen as he apologized, and Georgie found herself sorry to see him go.

"Well, I'll see you around sometime, then. Don't be a stranger!" she called as he almost ran from the apartment. Hmmmm... One minute he was warm and friendly, and then suddenly he was distant and proper. What had she done? What had she said? Knowing herself, it was something she had said.

***

"Must have been something you said," Richard remarked a couple of hours later, when Georgie told him of her morning encounter. The immediate chores having been accomplished, and the inn devoid of guests, for the moment, the two were chatting in the dining room over a pot of coffee.

"I've been over our conversation a hundred times, but it was all so general!" Georgie was truly bewildered.

"Well, we can't attract every man in a five-mile radius, now can we?" he teased. It was a running joke between the two that Georgie had 'em lined up around the block. The truth was, she and Richard both had very limited social lives and tended to spend their free time with their family. That family had grown since Christmas, and Georgie always smiled when she thought of her brother's new wife, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's two young siblings, Meredith and Kit, who had just turned nine. The twins even had toys and other familiar items stashed around the inn, where Georgie and Richard were favorite, and willing, baby-sitters.

"No," she glumly replied, her chin nestled in clasped hands. She hadn't taken the time to fix her hair, and it stuck up out of the back of her head like a peacock's feathery fan. "Nor do I want to. I just want this one."

"If wishes were horses, you could ride over there and be neighborly."

"That's it!" Georgie jumped up, sending her chair flying.

"What?"

"I'll be so neighborly, he will feel like part of the family before I'm done!" She ran into the kitchen and started rummaging in the pantry. Richard followed at a sedate pace.

"And that's really the ultimate goal, isn't it?"

"What? To make him a part of the family?" In the middle of tossing baking ingredients onto the countertop, Georgie stopped and grinned. "Yeah. Didn't take me long to figure that one out, did it?" She sighed. "I really liked what I saw."

Richard's answering smile was almost as silly as his cousin's. "OK, Einstein, what's the plan?"

"First, I have to make one of our world-famous Twin Oaks Inn apple cakes. Did you order apples from the produce guy?"

"Came in Saturday. What world-famous Twin Oaks Inn apple cakes? We have world-famous cakes?"

Georgie's expression was particularly cunning. "We do now."

***

Dr. Alex "Beetle" Bailey, entomologist and founder of Insectitech, sat at his home-office desk and stared at nothing. In fact, since his early morning visit to the Twin Oaks, he had done nothing. It was almost lunch time, and there he sat, staring into space, picturing a pair of long, lean legs the color of honey, a rounded shoulder in the same shade, a shock of blonde hair, a pair of big...blue eyes...

"Damn!" Why did the most appealing woman he'd ever met have to be already taken?

He wandered into the kitchen, determined, for once, to eat a mid-day meal. Usually he was so wrapped up in his research, or administrative duties at the office, he barely ate at all. He told himself he was too depressed about his new neighbor to fix anything elaborate, so he made do with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. He was surprised to find the milk was still fresh. He couldn't remember the last time he had gone shopping for food.

When he had finished eating, and cleaning up after himself, he dragged himself back to the office, determined to finish some of the never-ending paperwork that came with being one's own boss. Then the doorbell rang.

"Damn!" he uttered for the second time that day after peering around the living room curtains. It was the neighbor, looking as fresh as a daisy in a white eyelet sundress, a thin, pale blue sweater over her shoulders and her beautiful blonde tresses falling past her shoulders. And she was carrying something that looked suspiciously like a cake.

"Hello again!" she sang when he finally answered the door. Without an invitation she waltzed into the old-fashioned living room still decorated with his late aunt's Victorian furniture, and looked around.

"Nice place. I like the sofa." She nodded at a huge, hump-backed whale of a piece of furniture covered in brothel-red velvet. "I have one almost like it at the inn, but I had mine recovered in plum. Come have a sit on it sometime and we can talk about how hard and lumpy all that old stuff really is! Oh, and I brought you something. Richard said we should be neighborly, and I made one of our specialties. Twin Oaks Apple Cake!"

He was speechless. There wasn't much to say anyway, because she blew through his house like a tornado and chattered like a magpie. Besides, there wasn't much to say, not to a married woman, neighborly or not. Especially one you couldn't help but lust after.

She shoved the cake in his hands and began wandering around the living room, looking at the old family photos on a round end table, fingering the crocheted antimacassars covering the sofa and glancing at the portrait of his grandfather hanging over the fireplace.

"Well, back to work. Don't be a stranger! Breakfast is strictly for our guests, but we're open for lunch and dinner. Come meet Richard. He's my partner."

Well, well, maybe she wasn't married after all. But the way she said partner, and the little apartment she shared with the man gave him reason to believe her committed all the same. He had never been one to poach another's woman, and he wasn't going to start now, no matter how friendly.

He saw her to the door and politely agreed that lunch at the inn one day would be nice, and then slammed the door behind her in relief, ignoring her seductive smile and the way she had touched his arm when she mentioned coming over to the inn.

He had just moved in to the old house, but his condominium was looking better and better all the time!

Chapter 2

One afternoon a week later, Richard was walking through the inn's foyer when the phone rang at the front desk.

"Twin Oaks Inn," he said into the receiver.

"Richard!" It was Elizabeth Darcy, his cousin Will's wife.

"Lizzie!" They exchanged pleasantries for a moment and then she got down to business.

"Richard, is your downstairs room available? Dad's been home from rehab for a month, but now he's complaining that he needs some peace and quiet."

Lizzie's father had broken a few bones in a car accident late the year before, and was just now getting back on his feet.

"I don't know a place more peaceful than Pemberley Farms," Richard replied.

"Peaceful now that the twins live here?" she scoffed. "Dad is trying to get back into work, which includes writing a paper for some medical journal, and I can't get the kids to leave him alone. William, do you mind?" Richard heard her whisper off the line.

He grinned. His cousin, the great, unflappable and stoic Dr. William Darcy, was very much in love with his wife, and quite willing to show his affection in front of others these days. Richard supposed that included those on the other end of a phone conversation, because Lizzie tried several times to continue talking to her husband's cousin, only to be interrupted by a demonstrative husband.

"Dad thought maybe if he took your downstairs room for a couple of - William, do you have to do that? Not the toes! William!"

Richard started to laugh. "Why don't you and Dr. Bennet come for lunch tomorrow and let your dad check out the room first. Sounds like you're busy right now..."

"Hmpf!" Lizzie snorted. "It's not that I mind the affection, you know, but why does he always wait until I'm on the phone to... ahhhhhh!"

"I'll let you go now," Richard told her, beginning to blush, not an easy thing for a retired Army colonel to do. "And when you come over tomorrow, maybe you can talk some sense into your crazy sister-in-law."

"Georgie? What's going on?"

"What's the matter with Georgie?" Richard heard Will growl. "What's the matter?" Will repeated, having taken the phone from his wife.

"Hi, Will. Maybe you can help. A week ago, our little Georgie Girl met the new neighbor, fell for him like a ton of bricks, and now she's tracking him like a tiger. Or trying to. The man's a freak or something - he's the only man in town not interested in your little sister, and she refuses to give it up. She baked him a cake and all she got was a thank-you note. I even caught her with a pair of my binoculars the other day, trying to scope out his house."

"Maybe he doesn't like females," Will said delicately.

"Perhaps. I've never met him, but I know she has it bad. She's not getting any work done, and if she doesn't snap out of it, I'm going to have to put her in therapy. We don't need another Caroline Bingley on our hands." The sister of Will's physician partner Dr. Charles Bingley, Caroline had made a nuisance of herself over the past several years, stalking William before and after he married.

"You want me to talk to her?" Will offered.

"You?" Richard laughed. "Mr. I'll-tell-her-I-love-her-after-the-wedding?"

"Hmmm, perhaps you're right. Hold on a minute." Richard could hear buzzing as Will quickly consulted Lizzie on the matter. "Elizabeth says this sounds like a job for Jane. Make that a reservation for three for lunch tomorrow, and Elizabeth will call Jane. Now, if you will excuse us-"

Will didn't even wait for a goodbye, but Richard shrugged philosophically and hung up the phone.

"Richard?" Georgie called from another room. "Will you run to the market? A couple of guests asked if there would be any melon on the breakfast menu tomorrow, and I used up the last of the cantaloupe at lunch."

"Sure." He wanted to ask why she hadn't left the inn all week, but he already knew the answer. He wanted to tell her to move on and quit moping, that he wasn't going to show up, but he wasn't that insensitive. Georgie, at twenty-five, was just a kid in his book, and he'd done his share of moping over women in his lifetime, and over one in particular, so she was entitled to her share of agony.

Twenty minutes later he was strolling through the produce section of the Meryton Market, inhaling the aroma of ripe cantaloupe. Another man stood there, staring at the fruit as if he didn't know where he was, and Richard couldn't resist speaking.

"You know, if you want one of those, you have to pick it up and put it in your cart," he teased. "That one," and he pointed to the melon directly in front of the other man, "has lost its wings, so it won't be able to fly."

"What? Oh! Cantaloupe?"

"I believe so."

"But how do you tell if they're ripe? I beg your pardon," he suddenly apologized. "Maybe you don't know, either. I was just talking out loud."

"No problem," Richard told him. "Georgie says to thump them, and if they sound hollow, they're ready. I always sniff the stem end. The ripe ones smell heavenly." He waited for a reply, but he seemed to have lost the man's attention.

"Georgie? As in Twin Oaks Inn Georgie?"

"Well, yes. She's my cousin."

"Your... cousin?" The man fairly goggled at him. "Is your name Richard?"

"Richard Fitzwilliam, at your service." He found his hand being heartily shaken.

"Georgie's cousin. Her cousin," the man repeated. Richard was instantly wary of the man's beatific expression.

"Alex," the stranger told him. "Alex Bailey. I'm your new neighbor. We didn't meet the other day, but I've already made your, er, cousin Georgie's acquaintance. Your cousin," he repeated with wonder.

Richard laughed and shook his head. That introduction explained a lot, and he could see Bailey had the love bug as bad as Georgie. It almost made up for having to deal with Georgie's nuttiness all week. Almost.

"First cousin?" Bailey asked him.

"First cousin," Richard assured him.

"I really liked her apple cake."

I'll bet that's not all you liked.

"That's quite a specialty your inn has."

Oh, yeah, some specialty. World famous!

"Maybe I should stop in sometime soon for lunch. I'm working out of my house this week, trying to get settled in, and it's not too far a walk, not for cake like that. Is it always on the menu?"

It is now. I'd better stock up on apples while I'm here...

"You're welcome to stop by anytime, Alex. One of us is always there," he said aloud.

Especially this week.

"I'll stop by soon," Bailey promised, and wandered off.

Richard began to laugh, hard enough to garner a few stares from the other shoppers. Not only had Bailey not chosen any cantaloupe, but he had left without his cart full of groceries, too!

***

"Did you get the cantaloupe?" Georgie asked when he got back to the inn. She was in the kitchen making mint jelly.

Richard grinned, and she eyed him suspiciously. He looked like a cat in the cream pot.

"What have you been up to?"

"Me? Nothing." He spoke so airily, Georgie's curiosity was piqued. She watched him casually put away his groceries and noticed three bags of apples on the counter.

"What's with the apples?"

"What? These?" Richard's innocent expression was almost too much to bear. "I thought the world-famous Twin Oaks Apple Cake would be a good addition to the menu tomorrow, that's all. Those cakes keep for a couple of days, don't they? Just in case?"

"Just in case what?"

"In case we get a lot of requests for dessert?"

"OK, Richard Fitzwilliam!" Georgie stood in the middle of the kitchen, hands on her hips, and glared. "What's really going on here?"

"Didn't I tell you? Lizzie's bringing Dr. Bennet to lunch tomorrow. He might be staying in the downstairs room for a few weeks while he writes a paper."

"What's wrong with the farm? There's a nice, quiet guest house right there on the property."

"Yes, but there are a couple of twins on that property, excited to have their father around again, and Lizzie says he is having a hard time concentrating on his work."

As always, the thought of the Bennet twins made Georgie smile.

"How about if we took the twins for a couple of weeks..."

"I don't think we could convince Will and Lizzie to do that. Good idea, though. Hey - Easter's this weekend. It's late this year. Let's have all the kids over Saturday afternoon to dye eggs, and then we can hide them Sunday after dinner."

Georgie was successfully diverted. "Great! I'll call Jane and Lizzie tonight!"

"Jane's coming with Lizzie and Dr. Bennet for lunch tomorrow. Why not ask them all then? Besides, you've got some baking to do." He grabbed a bag of apples, tossed them at her and strolled from the room, his ponytail swinging in his wake.

Georgie sighed and set the apples down on the counter. She'd bake in the morning, while Richard dealt with breakfast. Right now, she had to check on the downstairs bedroom.

***

The Twin Oaks Inn was a rambling Victorian mansion that had been added to and renovated extensively over the years by the Fitzwilliam family, until Richard had returned from the army four years ago, just about the time Georgie had finished getting a college degree in business. She had been toying with the idea of a career in corporate America when Richard suggested they pool their considerable resources and convert the family relic into a bed and breakfast.

The end result was an airy dining room, professional kitchen, two parlors, a small office, and a bedroom with bath downstairs, five bedrooms with two communal bathrooms on the next floor, and two large suites in what used to be nurseries and servants' rooms on the top floor.

When the dining room had been expanded a year ago and opened to the public, a bar and public restrooms had been added. Richard and Georgie had been able to hire a waitress and some extra kitchen help, although Richard continued to do most of the cooking, and Georgie was still the chambermaid and laundress.

Georgie was surprised, then, when Richard insisted she take time off at lunch to visit with Lizzie and Jane.

"The laundry can wait a couple of hours," he told her when she said she was too busy to eat.

"I'll help with the dishes later, then," she promised, the sheets already forgotten in anticipation of a real lunch date. She only had three rooms to clean that morning, and after assuring herself that the downstairs bedroom was in perfect condition for Dr. Bennet, she ran to the apartment and changed clothes.

***

"You look like a tall, fluffy Easter chick," Lizzie told her when she met her guests in the foyer. Georgie only laughed and twirled around in her yellow print skirt with matching nubby sweater.

"Dressing up for anyone special?" Jane asked. Georgie, refusing to answer, tossed her loose mane of hair and ushered the ladies and Dr. Bennet to a corner table in the dining room.

"Our specials today are fruited turkey salad on croissants and homemade chicken soup. For dessert, I've made apple cake," she told them as they crossed to their table.

Everyone agreed to the soup, sandwiches and cake, and made themselves comfortable while she went to the kitchen to fetch lunch.

"So, Richard says you have a new neighbor," Jane said without preamble after Georgie returned.

"Poor Richard," Georgie said with a giggle. "I really have been obnoxious." She gave a heavy sigh. "But he was just so perfect for me, I could see it the moment we - oh, my goodness!" she yelped. Hiding partially behind Lizzie, who sat on her left, she tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.

"What is it, my dear?" Mr. Bennet asked in alarm.

"It's him!"

"Him, who?" Jane turned around to look behind her.

"Don't look!" Georgie snapped.

"But I want to see!"

"I'll tell you," offered Lizzie. "He's a tall man, even taller than our Georgie, with dark, curly hair..."

"Soft curly or crispy curly?" Jane wanted to know.

"Crispy curly," Georgie muttered.

"What was that, my dear?" Dr. Bennet asked innocently. "We didn't hear you." He winked at Lizzie, and she and Jane exchanged grins.

"It's crispy curly," she told the doctor, still hiding behind her sister-in-law.

"And he's wearing cute wire-rimmed glasses. Oh, how sweet. Do guys really wear pocket protectors full of pens anymore?" Lizzie continued.

"So he's kinda nerdy?"

"In a preppy sort of way," Lizzie assured her.

"He's not nerdy!" Georgie protested.

"Now, girls," the doctor admonished, "you're embarrassing Georgie."

"So? Tell me more," Jane demanded.

"I can't tell the color of his eyes from here," said Lizzie.

"They are brown," Georgie whimpered. "Will you shut up now?"

"No! Light brown?"

Georgie wanted to take Jane out and shoot her. Who had invited her anyway? "Oh, for goodness sake!" she finally admitted when she realized everyone at her table was waiting for her clarification. "Chocolate brown. Deep, liquid, Hershey syrup brown. Drown-in-their-depths brown. Happy now?"

"No. What's he wearing?"

"Khakis and a white Oxford," Lizzie reported. "Tan deck shoes; no socks. Brown leather belt. And as for his date..."

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Jane insisted. "He has a date?"

"He does?" Georgie squeaked. She sat up straighter and peeked over Lizzie's shoulder. "How dare he?" She started to rise.

"Whoa, hold on a minute," said Dr. Bennet, parroting Jane. He had a restraining hand on one of Georgie's arms. "I do believe I know your young man. That's Dr. Bailey."

"Doctor?" Three voices asked in unison.

"Dr. Alex Bailey, entomologist. I heard him lecture on insects and pesticides at some conference in New York last year. Does a lot of research with roaches."

"Yuck!"

"Georgie, dear, why don't I just stroll over and find out what he's doing here, and, more importantly, who he's with."

"You do, sir, and I'll pay for a week of your stay here."

"Eat up, ladies, I'll be back shortly." With a twinkle in his eye, Dr. Bennet left the table. Georgie forced herself to eat and make small talk with Lizzie and Jane, but it was no easy task, what with the other two sneaking peeks at Dr. Bailey and giggling like schoolgirls.

"She's his research assistant," Dr. Bennet reported upon his return.

"Really?"

"Do I still get that free week at the inn?" Dr. Bennet chuckled at the look on Georgie's face.

"I'll even throw in breakfast in bed!"

"It's a deal. You two gawkers can just sit here and eat dessert," he told Lizzie and Jane. "Miss Darcy and I are going to see this room, and we are going to stroll right by the Bailey table in the process. Shall we?" The doctor made a great show of offering Georgie his arm. "Never hurts the younger fellows to think they might have some competition," he told her. "Ah, Bailey. I believe you know Miss Darcy? Georgiana, my dear, this is Miss Larson, Dr. Bailey's research assistant. Miss Darcy owns this inn, Miss Larson."

The two ladies exchanged polite greetings, but Georgie could see that the petite Miss Larson would never be someone she particularly liked. Perhaps it was that she was much too pretty to be working in a lab. Or perhaps it was the way she placed one hand on Dr. Bailey's arm in such a proprietary manner.

But Dr. Bailey had stood up politely upon her arrival, and was complimenting her warmly on her excellent baking.

"So you said in your note," she said stiffly. Pleased as she was to see him again, she was confused by his hot and cold demeanor. "If you will excuse us, Dr. Bennet wishes to see some of the inn. Thank you for stopping by for lunch. Do come again sometime soon."

Preferably alone, Dr. "Starting to Bug Me" Bailey.

Georgie swept from the room with the grace of royalty, or so Lizzie told her later, and Dr. Bennet was hard-pressed to match her stride. Out of the corner of one eye she saw Lizzie and Jane making tracks for the kitchen, and Richard, but she was too irritated with Little Miss Lab Assistant to care.

Chapter 3

Georgie slammed pans around the kitchen that Saturday as she looked for something big enough to roast a leg of lamb. She also needed enough bowls for a Third World country, because the children would be arriving any time now to dye eggs. It had been four days since Alex had been to the inn, four days in which she had not seen hide nor hair of him - again - and she was peeved.

"Whose idea was this, anyway," she muttered.

"Problems, my dear?" The kind face of Dr. Bennet loomed over the cabinet door.

"Can you find me about twenty bowls, deep enough to hold eggs?"

Dr. Bennet did as he was bid, and the two worked in companionable silence, him measuring water, vinegar and dye into bowls, and she trying to fit her lamb into a large, shallow pan.

Then little Aaron Bingley, age two, exploded into the room.

"Georgie!" he cried. "We're here! We're here!"

"Aaron!" Georgie quickly washed her hands and rushed to give the little guy a hug.

"Me, too!" Madeline Bingley, who was four, called as she tore into the room, straight to Georgie's waiting arms. Richard and the Bennet twins, Kit and Meredith, were not far behind, and then the room was bursting with people. Jane, carrying five-month-old Grace, and Charles Bingley were there, and Georgie was soon hugging her brother and Lizzie, as well.

"You'd think we weren't about to all get together and do this all over again tomorrow, wouldn't you?" she said with a laugh.

Directing the kids to one of the long worktables covered in newspaper, Georgie soon had children and adults busy dyeing and decorating Easter eggs.

"What news do you have of the delectably dweeby Dr. Bailey?" Jane asked later, after the mess had been cleared and the children were in the dining room, drinking soda and wolfing down apple cake.

"None. He was in here the same day you were, with his assistant, and I haven't seen him since. For some reason, I feel like the ball is in my court, even though it should be in his."

"Richard told me about meeting the doctor at the market the other day, and how the poor man must have thought you and Richard were... cohabitating."

"I've thought it over, and at no time did I ever say Richard was my cousin. Then, when he was in the apartment, he must have seen all my photos..."

"I still don't know why he brought his assistant to lunch if he wanted to see Georgie." Lizzie wondered, carrying around Grace as if she wasn't going to share.

"Maybe she was working with him that day," Georgie decided, "and he had no choice but to bring her with him. I still don't know why Richard didn't tell me he saw him at the market. He can be such a tease."

"That was very badly done of him, wasn't it?" Lizzie cooed at Grace.

Georgie was getting tired of waiting for Lizzie to give up the baby, and just went ahead and took her from her sister-in-law's arms. The baby went willingly, used to being passed from one adoring adult to another.

"Perhaps he had no choice..." Georgie said, still thinking of the overly-attractive assistant. "He did tell Richard he was working from home. He still hasn't made another move though." Georgie couldn't help but pout.

"Well, I, for one, wouldn't give him the satisfaction of making mine!" Jane retorted.

"I'm not - Richard! What in the world are you doing?"

Richard, on his hands and knees, was crawling along the dining room baseboard in search of something.

"Bugs!" shouted Aaron.

Georgie raced over, Grace in her arms, and looked to where the little boy pointed at the floor. It was crawling with...

"Roaches!" Georgie cried.

"More over here," Richard reported.

Georgie saw red. It was bad enough that the bugs reminded her of Dr. Bailey. Now his little pests were crawling all over her nice, clean dining room. An hour and a half before the dinner crowd. If she was lucky!

"That does it!"

With Grace still clinging to her hip, Georgie marched out of the dining room, through the kitchen, out into the garden and across the yard to the house next door.

"Open up!" she shouted, pounding on his door. The baby, startled by Georgie's shout, started to cry. Fortunately, Jane was hot on her heels, and took Grace and started to soothe her.

"You might want to take the baby back to the inn, Jane. This might get ugly," she told her friend, even as she pounded once more.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world!"

"Open up, you bug freak!" Georgie yelled, "before I kick the darn door down!"

"Georgie!" Jane tried to cover the baby's ears with her hands, but couldn't.

"Yes?" The doctor stood in the doorway, a look of utter confusion on his face. Jane took one look at him, in a pair of jeans with ripped knees and a white T-shirt, acting as if Georgie were paying a mild-mannered social call, and burst out laughing. She ran back to the inn with the baby before Georgie could do anything to her.

"Georgie! How nice of you to call! Sorry I didn't hear you at first. I've set up a lab in the basement, and it's almost soundproof. Come see!" He widened the doorway, an open invitation.

"Um, sorry, I can't today. Some other time, perhaps," she hedged, completely nonplused. How could one rant and rave at somebody who suddenly struck her as completely clueless?

"Oh, well, perhaps..." The disappointment was plain on his face. "Is there something you particularly wanted, Miss Darcy?"

Besides you?

"Um, yes, actually, there is. You don't, by any chance, keep your roach collection here, do you?"

"Yes."

"And when you moved in, was there some sort of mishap, maybe, with some of your, um, 'research material'?"

"Now that you mention it, I recall Amy saying something about a broken container."

"Amy?"

"Miss Larson. She didn't think any had escaped, though. Why?"

"Because there are roaches all over the inn!"

Alex looked excited. "Really? Perhaps - if you don't mind, of course - I could come and have a look?" He could barely contain his enthusiasm.

"If you wouldn't mind?" Georgie's sarcasm was lost on the doctor as he cheerfully ran to gather a couple of covered containers.

"Aren't you going to spray them or something?"

"Oh, dear, I hope no one has sprayed them. It's most important that they not be subjected to pesticides of any kind," he explained as they hurried next door.

"Oh?"

"They're part of a project designed to develop a roach with no immune system."

"Really!" Georgie was impressed in spite of herself.

"Yes, we don't want them to build up immunities to our pesticides, but we still want them to be part of the food chain. My company is working on this right now. It's our top priority."

"Oh! Well, in that case..." Georgie opened the kitchen door and waved him inside. "Mi casa es su casa!"

Ignoring the enquiring looks from her family, Dr. Bennet all the way down to the kids, she waved Alex into the dining room and started working on fixing food for the evening's diners. No way was she going to help corral a bunch of bugs.

"What gives between you and Bug Boy?" Richard sidled up to her and whispered.

"He thinks these might be roaches from his lab. He's cleaning them up. End of story." She tried to concentrate on retrieving steaks from the walk-in cooler, but stopped and looked at her cousin. "Did you know he's trying to create a roach with no immune system?"

Richard seemed surprised. "That's pretty cool. I think I'll go help him round up his little test subjects."

"You do that."

***

She thought that would be the last time that evening she saw Dr. Bailey, or Richard, who had thrown himself wholeheartedly into the roach hunt, but she was wrong.

"I'm off to the apartment for a little shut eye," Richard said, coming into the kitchen about 10 o'clock. "A couple of guests are watching TV in the parlor, and there's one guy still in the dining room. Some people just don't know when to leave. Have you had supper?"

"No time. I'll make a sandwich before I retire to the front desk. After I politely suggest to the guest in the dining room that he might want to remove to a more private part of the house."

Richard's eyes twinkled merrily. "It's your call. Good night."

She waited until he went out the back door before attempting to approach the guest.

"Excuse me, sir, but..." Georgie walked into the dining room and gasped. One table in the middle of the room was set with a pristine white cloth, an arrangement of flowers and candles in its center, and two covered dishes sat across from each other. "What is all this?"

Alex, still in his ripped jeans and white T-shirt, came forward and took her hand. "Dinner. You haven't eaten, have you?"

"No...but..."

"But you have to eat sometime. Even I know that."

Georgie laughed. "You do?"

"I said sometime..."

"I'm not really dressed for this..." Her hand went self-consciously to her hair and the apron at her waist.

"Let me help."

Georgie shivered as his hands lingered around her, even after the apron was untied and thrown across a nearby chair.

"Better?"

"Hmmmmmmm." She let him lead her over to the table, and she smiled when he pulled her chair out and seated her. He poured them each a glass of red wine, and then sat down across from her and smiled.

"Our first dinner together." He raised his glass in salute.

"May we have many more," she replied, imitating his gesture. Taking the cover off her plate, she grinned. There were steaks and duchess potatoes, spears of broccoli and some marinated mushrooms. The same exact meal she had cooked for what had felt like a zillion people that evening. "What's for dessert?" she asked.

They looked up at each other and replied in unison. "Apple cake!"

"If I never see another one of those things," she declared, "I will die a happy woman." She saw Alex's puzzled expression. "Ask me about that again sometime. What are you doing for Easter tomorrow?"

"Nothing special. I'll call my parents, and my sister; they all live in the city. Then I'll work on my project all day and night, not eat a thing and get no sleep whatsoever. And yourself?"

"Would you like to have dinner here tomorrow? With my family? I think you met some of them this evening, but I really don't know which ones."

He grinned, a slow, lazy smile that had her heart beating faster. "Well, the big giant man was your brother, William. He said he would hunt me down like a roach if I so much as hurt you. The pretty woman with him was his wife, Elizabeth. She made sure I knew who she was. And the feisty lady is Jane, and her husband is Charles. Charles and William are physicians, like Dr. Bennet. Kit and Meredith are Dr. Bennet's twins, and the other three little Munchkins belong to the Bingleys."

"Very good. How can you remember all those people, and not think to tell me that you thought I was married - or otherwise attached - to Richard?"

"Oh, that. I am truly sorry, Georgie, if I hurt your feelings in any way. I was raised not to dally with married women, and I didn't want to tempt myself..."

Georgie gave him a sunny smile. "Apology accepted."

"Good. Will you go out with me next Saturday night? My company is having a cocktail reception at the Meryton Country Club. Formal dress, but no real food to speak of, so I thought maybe since we were already dressed up, we could go out to dinner somewhere afterwards? And go dancing?"

"I would love to!" Georgie's reply was sincere.

***

"So, what happened between you and the insect doctor?" Lizzie asked the next morning after church. She and Georgie had come back to the inn early, to get everything ready for the family party, and for those people who wanted to eat their Easter dinner at the inn.

"We had dinner together, he gave me a nice, chaste peck on the cheek and he went home with his roaches. I curled up on the cot behind the front desk, and went to sleep."

"Very romantic!"

"Scoff if you must, but he's joining us for lunch today - remind me to go get him, will you? He's extremely absentminded."

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

"Ha, ha! The person who didn't get any sleep last night is your dad. What a night owl! I woke briefly around 3 a.m. to the sounds of him running a poker game in the parlor. Later, he woke me up himself and asked if we had any buttermilk. Free room or not, I'm gonna have to charge him extra for irritating the night shift."

"Want me to talk to him?"

"Naw - he's really a sweet guy and we're happy he's here. Guess what? I have a date for Saturday night."

"You do? For the recital? William is taking us all out to dinner afterward, you know."

"Recital? What recital? Meredith's dance class? And dinner? Oh, no! I forgot!"

"Now who is forgetting things?" Alex wanted to know from the kitchen doorway. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He sauntered in dressed for lunch in a crisp pair of khakis and another one of his Oxford shirts, yellow this time.

"Alex, I'm so sorry. Meredith has a dance recital Saturday night, and I promised weeks ago I would be there, and go out to dinner."

"What time is it?" he asked Lizzie.

"Seven o'clock."

"Not a problem." He walked over to Georgie and kissed her cheek. "We can go to the cocktail party, then go to the recital, and have dinner with your family afterward."

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not! Why should I?"

"Oh, I don't know...I thought maybe you might...a dance recital? ...thank you." What a nice man! She was embarrassed by the feelings flooding through her, and she didn't want him to see, so she ducked her head and began giving orders. She would sort her emotions out later. For now, there was Easter dinner to contend with, and she had two willing assistants at hand.

***

Georgie loved her cousin Richard dearly, but she didn't think she could love him any more than she did that entire week following Easter.

He insisted she take most of that Tuesday off and go shopping for a dress for Saturday night. He called Lizzie and "suggested" she might want to tag along and take Georgie out for lunch, and he made hair and nail appointments for her for Saturday afternoon.

Then he scheduled all their extra help for Saturday night so that she could take the evening off as guilt-free as possible.

"I adore you, Richard, but why are you going to all this trouble just for me?" she asked at one point Saturday morning.

"I believe we need to make the most of our opportunities, Georgie Girl. And tonight is a perfect opportunity, if you catch my drift."

"An evening out with the family? You've got to be kidding!"

"I think you might be a little surprised by your 'absentminded professor,' my love. I bet he comes for you in a limo tonight," he teased.

"A limo? Get real!"

"And wearing a tux."

"Alex? No way."

"Twenty bucks says yes way."

"You're on!"

***

Georgie handed over the twenty with a wry little grin later that evening when she saw a shiny black limo pull into the parking lot.

"How did you know?" she whispered, watching through the front curtains as Alex come up the walk. If she thought his tall, lean frame was cute in khakis and Oxfords, she thought him downright sexy in his tux.

"Oh, I just did a little snooping..." Richard admitted.

"What? How dare you! When I get home..." Georgie was outraged. But she schooled her features into a bright welcome just as Alex opened the front door.

Lizzie had warned her that her dress might render her date speechless. She was more than pleased to discover her sister-in-law hadn't been joking.

"Georgie... you are..." He looked as if he was going to melt into a puddle at her feet.

"Beautiful. The word is beautiful, young man," Dr. Bennet, who had joined them in the hall, prompted.

Alex only stared. Richard and Dr. Bennet waited for him to speak, but he didn't say a word.

Georgie blushed from so much male scrutiny. It was only a little black dress, after all. It was sleeveless, had a draped neckline and a plunging back, but it wasn't anything special. Neither were the little strappy black sandals. She was pleased with the chignon her hairdresser had created, though, and the little diamond earrings and bracelet that had been her mother's.

"Shall we...go?" Alex finally managed to ask.

Georgie smiled, and he visibly melted once more. Satisfied that she had his attention, she allowed him to settle her embroidered shawl over her shoulders, and they stepped out onto the porch.

"See you at the recital," she told Dr. Bennet. Reaching over, she kissed his cheek. "And don't you call my cell phone every hour to check up on me," she warned Richard. He had done that once, when she had gone on a date with one of his old Army buddies.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Richard now assured her.

"Uh, huh."

"Well, not after the cocktail party anyway. You'll be Will's responsibility after that." Georgie wanted to wipe the smirk off her cousin's face with her little black purse.

"Ready?"

Alex was all that was solicitous as he escorted her out to, and into, the limousine. Georgie was surprised when he called the driver by name, but then, maybe his company had a fleet. Alex seemed the type that knew everyone by name, even if he couldn't remember where he was any given second of the day.

"Champagne?" he asked as they drove away from the inn.

"That would be nice."

The bottle was already open, and the ride was smooth enough not to jar his movements as he poured out two drinks.

"To a wonderful evening," he proposed. Georgie seconded the sentiment and sat back on the plush seat.

"So, what's the occasion for the party?" she asked.

"It's our annual meet-and-greet for employees and stockholders."

Georgie folded one long leg over the other, the hemline of her dress inched up, and Alex fell silent again. When she looked at him, he was staring at her legs.

"What's wrong? I don't have a roach crawling up my stocking, do I?" she joked.

"No," he croaked.

Georgie, never one to be overly shy, looked him in the eye.

"I don't scare you, do I? Perhaps I should have worn jeans and a T-shirt."

"I...um...no."

"No what? No, I don't scare you, or no, I shouldn't wear jeans?"

"I...um..."

"Alex?" She leaned toward him and licked her shiny coral lips. "Do you want to kiss me?"

"I...um..." He fingered his collar and blushed. Georgie thought he was adorable, and she decided right then and there she would do absolutely anything for this man. But she wasn't above teasing him, either, and leaned forward a little more. Her dressed dipped down and caught his attention. He sucked in his breath.

"What I'd like more than anything right now is for you to kiss me." Her voice was husky and low.

The limo chose that moment to come to a halt at the country club entrance, and Alex groaned. Georgie's face fell, but she recovered quickly. Kissing his cheek in consolation, she whispered, "I'll take a rain check on that kiss."

He nodded and tossed back the rest of his champagne in one gulp.

Chapter 4

Georgie and Alex walked into the ballroom at the Meryton Country Club, and every head turned in their direction.

"There you are! It's about time!" Amy Larson scolded, making a beeline for her boss. Then she saw Georgie, and she sidled up to him, put her arm through his and began whispering in his ear. Georgie, who had been holding Alex's other hand, dropped it when she realized they looked like some weird menage a trois.

Miss Larson shot her a triumphant glance and led Alex off somewhere into the crowd. Georgie didn't even have a chance to protest, and Alex never once looked back. She was left alone, looking like an idiot. An idiot without an acquaintance in the room.

Somewhere in the background, a jazz trio performed. A waiter walked by with glasses of champagne on a tray, and she snagged one for herself, wondering if intoxication would erase what promised to be a bad evening.

Wandering over to a corner palm, she drained her glass and lifted another off a waiter's tray. "Bottoms up!"

"Well, well, well," drawled a familiar voice. "Little Miss Georgiana Darcy, drinking all alone on a Saturday night."

Georgie didn't even bother to turn around. "I could say the same of you, Caroline Bingley."

"But do you know if it's true?" Caroline was slurring some of her words. "Now, let me see. I'm here because I'm a big, bad stockholder in Insex...Incest...Insectitech Inc. That's it." She gave out a delicate little belch. "But why would pre-ty lit-tle Missy Prissy Darcy be here?"

"I'm here with a date."

Georgie slowly turned to face the other woman, and almost reeled back in shock from the other woman's bright orange dress. Caroline had always been a strikingly handsome woman, with silky dark hair and smouldering eyes. Why had she chosen to ruin it with such a bad color? Even her lips were orange.

"How romantic," Caroline sneered. "Where is he?"

Georgie had been raised to be polite, no matter what, but having been denied a kiss in the limo, Alex off who-knew-where, and now this hideous orange dress hurting her eyes, her usually sunny nature short-circuited. She didn't notice that a man somewhere had a microphone, and was making introductions to the crowd.

"Oh, he's here somewhere," she said airily. "And after we leave, we're going to Meredith's recital with Elizabeth and William. Then we are all going out as a family to dinner!"

Caroline visibly recoiled, and Georgie felt guilty for mentioning Will. Caroline had had a crush on him forever, and Georgie had almost forgotten the way Miss Bingley had gone off the deep end at his wedding.

"So," Caroline taunted. "Who is your mystery date? Some little accountant eager to add up your assets?"

"And what would be wrong with that? I hear you've had your, um, assets accounted for any number of times." The man with the mic was still talking in the background.

"You probably wouldn't know what to do with your date if he bit your accounts receivable!"

"At least I have a column of numbers to bite! Why, I'll have you know, my date is none other than -"

"Dr. Alexander Bailey!" the man at the mic shouted. "Insectitech's own president and founder!"

"What?" Georgie cried, momentarily stunned. "It can't be!"

"Dr. Bailey," Caroline said sweetly, "owns fifty-three percent of the company. Founded it five years ago and it went public last year. My, er, accountant recommended the stock. I'll bet his dividends are to die for...I wonder if he's available."

"But...why didn't he? Excuse me. We'll continue this discussion some other time, perhaps?" Georgie beat a hasty retreat to the ladies' room, where she sat on a sofa in the lounge and wondered why Alex hadn't told her he owned the company. Now she knew what he meant when he had referred to it as "my company."

Did it matter that he was the boss? No, it mattered that despite their obvious attraction, they didn't know a thing about each other. She had thought, maybe, that the evening might end at his place, but now she was not so sure.

So what are you doing, she had to ask herself, sitting here on your butt in the ladies' room? You should be out there getting to know that man.

She washed her hands, applied a new coating of  lipstick and headed out to hunt for Alex. She was walking around the edge of the room, stopping near the trio, when someone called her name.

"Georgie? Georgiana Darcy?" The woman playing bass looked familiar. "It's me, Georgie. Maria Lucas!"

"Maria!" Georgie never would have recognized this slim woman in black with burgundy-colored hair as the girl she had gone to school, and many a music class, with. The Maria she had known was a plump blond. "I haven't seen you in what - three years? Look at you! I thought you played for the Meryton Symphony."

The trio finished its set, and Maria waved the others off.

"I still perform with the symphony, but we play jazz for small gatherings on the weekends. Do you still play? I can't believe you went to business school instead of Julliard. You could have been famous!"

"Yes, well, at the time, my parents thought there was less risk in a business degree. Who knew?" They shared a laugh as the other musicians came back with four glasses of champagne, and Maria made introductions.

"Hey! There's a piano we stashed over there in the corner. Wanna jam?"

Georgie nodded enthusiastically. "My date has deserted me. Why not?"

Maria's partners rolled the piano back into place, and struck up a tune. Maria joined in on bass, and soon Georgie had lost herself in improvising on the ivories. They played several more numbers, and she grinned at Maria when she saw they had drawn a crowd. She glimpsed a flash of orange at one point, and thought she saw Amy Larson scowling at her. Then she spied Alex, hovering at the edge of the crowd, and she smiled to herself. There were things he didn't know about her, either. They ended their last piece to a loud round of applause.

"Georgie, you should come and play with us more often!" Maria exclaimed. "Here's my card. Call me and we'll talk!"

Georgie thanked the other musicians and then looked up to see Alex staring at her.

"You're amazing!"

"Looks like you have an admirer," Maria whispered, and giggled.

"Alex Bailey," he introduced himself to the trio. "And I can honestly say we'll be using you all for more company functions in the future. All of you..." His gaze laughingly included Georgie.

"I can't speak for Georgie," Maria told him. "She only joined us because her date deserted her. But the rest of us are always available." She batted her eyes playfully at Alex, and Georgie felt like slapping her, despite Maria not knowing he was her deserter.

"Are you ready to go, doctor?" Amy Larson stepped in at that moment, and Georgie rather thought she was jealous, too. Alex furrowed his brow.

"And where would I be going, Miss Larson? Georgie and I -"

"You promised the board members you would take them out to dinner tonight. Don't you remember?" A small group of people clustered behind her, presumably the aforementioned board of directors.

"No, Miss Larson, I don't -"

Georgie just sat there, bewildered. Alex couldn't have double-booked himself, could he? He wasn't that forgetful, was he? Surely someone else must have committed him...

Amy Larson, hovering at her employer's elbow, looked much too smug and Georgie suddenly saw a subtle pattern emerging. Mustering all of her dignity, she rose from the piano bench and advanced on Alex. She knew what she must do.

"Alex," she called, putting a hand on his arm in a possessive gesture. "I have to be going to Meredith's recital. Perhaps you can drop me off at the dance school before you go out? Maria, we'll get together soon. I'll call you sometime this next week. Miss Larson? Always a pleasure. It's a shame you won't be joining the directors for dinner, either."

"But-"

"Oh, are you on the board, too, in addition to your many other duties?" Georgie asked, her voice as sweet as maple syrup.

"Well, no, but-"

"Then we'll say goodnight, won't we Alex?" Her head held high, she preceded them all from the room, not even looking back to see if anyone followed.

Alex caught up with her almost instantaneously, but was silent while they made their way to the limo, and after he had handed her in, he asked for her brother's cell phone number. She could hear him on his cell phone, but she couldn't understand the conversation.

Once they were on their way, he reached over and took her hand and raised it to his lips.

"I'm so sorry, Georgie."

"For not telling me you were president of the company?"

He seemed truly taken aback. "I didn't? I was sure I had... is it that important?"

Georgie looked at his handsome face, so honest and earnest.

"No, not really. I was surprised, that's all. I wasn't really prepared to have to share you all evening."

"About dinner-"

"It's OK, Alex. It really is," she assured him. She pulled his hand over to her lap and sat there tracing a design on top of his veins.

"I don't really deserve you," he admitted. They stared at each other, blue eyes mesmerized by dark brown ones.

"I believe I'll cash in that rain check now," she breathed.

"Yes..."

Their lips met, tasted and released, then met again and melded. Before she knew it, she was cradled in his lap, gasping for air.

"Wow."

She didn't know who spoke, nor did she care.

"I wish we were going to the recital together," he whispered, drawing her up under his chin and holding her tight. Georgie felt treasured and they stayed that way until the limo came to a stop. She vaguely heard the door being opened.

"I'll make this up to you," he promised, helping her out.

"I know you will." She kissed her fingertip and put it to his lips, mindful of the people staring at the limousine. Ignoring the curious crowd, Alex pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly.

In a daze, she stood there as he got back into the limo and rode off.

"Georgie? Georgie!"

She looked down to see Kit tugging on her hand. "Will and Dad took Lizzie inside to get good seats. He let me wait out here for you. Where's Alex?"

"Kit? Honey, what are you doing out here?" she asked mistily.

Kit rolled his eyes. "Will asked me to wait out here for you. They're saving us seats inside. Come on! It's time to start."

Georgie let him lead her like a child into the building, her head in the clouds and her heart in a limo headed for dinner with the board of directors.

Chapter 5

Alex paced up and down the length of the private dining room at Le Chenille, where he had booked a quick reservation, and tried to make small talk with his dinner guests.

His directors were getting antsy, wondering what the delay could be with dessert. He was getting impatient to be with Georgie again. Confused at the reception when Miss Larson had reminded him of an invitation he was sure he'd never issued, he could only admire the way Georgie had helped him save face in such an awkward situation.

He'd been hard-pressed not to laugh out loud at the way she'd routed Miss Larson, too, reminding her of her own status in the company in a not-too-subtle way. Yet, when had Georgie ever been anything but direct in her dealings with him, either?

She looked like an angel, kissed like a courtesan and played the piano like a virtuoso.

He sighed. There was a lot to Miss Darcy he wasn't aware of yet. He grinned as he wondered what other hidden talents she had...

"I don't understand, Will, why you booked a private room," he heard Mrs. Darcy say, intruding on his thoughts, and he rushed to meet them at the door.

"Alex?" Georgie, coming in behind her sister-in-law, just stood there, surprised to see his board members seated at a large table with several empty chairs among them. He signaled the waiter for dessert.

"How was the recital?" he asked pleasantly, as if they had not planned all along to meet later for dinner. He bent to kiss her cheek, and did the same for Lizzie and a prettily-dressed Meredith, who giggled.

"Sorry I missed your big night," he whispered to the little girl. "In honor of Miss Meredith's dancing debut," he announced to the room at large, "I decided life was too short and she must eat her dessert first."

On cue, two waiters brought in a large flaming dish, and everyone appropriately ooohed and aaahed as they waited to be served. The new additions were seated around the table. Several board members made much over the twins and Lizzie, and Will and Dr. Bennet were acquainted with some of the party, leaving Alex free to pull Georgie off to one side.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "How did you know?"

"I called your brother earlier and asked where he had reservations." Alex was rather proud of his quick thinking. "I didn't want to miss Darcy family night completely, and I didn't want to finish our date early, either. I know it seems I am forever apologizing to you, but I am sorry about tonight."

"Oh, I think you've made up for it fairly well." She honored him with a wide smile.

Alex was relieved. This entire relationship with Georgie - he had long ago admitted it was a relationship - had seemed doomed from the moment he had attacked her outside the inn, until she smiled now in a way he was beginning to think belonged only to him. It was a smile he did not want to be without the rest of his life. It was a smile that made everything all right.

"May I escort you home after dinner, Miss Darcy?"

Georgie smiled coyly. "Perhaps I should ask my brother for a lift. Or I could as easily get a ride back to the inn with Dr. Bennet..."

Alex scowled.

"But since you took me out in the first place, and because we'll be alone in the back of that limo, I think I'll let you take me home."

"Good answer. Are you ready for dinner? I'm starving."

Georgie faltered. "You mean you didn't eat when you fed these other people?"

"I've been waiting for my date. I believe she has the higher claim."

"Alex?"

"Georgiana?"

"Could you be any more wonderful?"

Oblivious to the curious stares of her family and his stockholders, he drew her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"I'd like to put that to the test sometime," he told her.

"Me, too." But she seemed worried about something.

"Unfortunately, my dear, it won't be right now. Would you like to be introduced to all those strangers over there staring at us? We were unfortunately separated at the cocktail party, and I didn't get a chance to show you off."

***

"I think that went fairly well," he said later, as the limo headed back toward the inn. They were sitting side by side, holding hands.

"Your board members were kind to visit with us while we ate. I would not have thought them rude had they left after dessert."

Georgie desperately wanted to say something about Amy Larson's deceit, but couldn't. She figured if she gave the woman a little more rope, she might hang herself, and so she bided her time. However, the other thought weighing on her mind had to be broached. Delicately. And quickly.

"Alex? When can I see you again?"

He smiled. "When do you want to see me again?"

"I, um, think you know what I mean. You are taking me back to the inn, aren't you?" She took her hand out of his and was twisting her two together.

"Georgie, I am taking you wherever you want to go," he told her gently, taking back one of her hands.

"I...I think I want to go to the inn. I...I think we need to get to know each other a little better... At first I thought it was OK, but now..."

"I agree. Georgie, I would never ask you do anything or go anywhere you don't feel ready for. Now, when do you want to see me again?"

"Tomorrow!" she said decisively. "If I can get Richard to give me some time off..."

"Come over when you get a moment, then. I'll be at home all day, working on my project. Oh! I rigged up a light that flashes in the basement when the doorbell rings. I wouldn't want to miss...you..."

***

"So, how was the rest of date?" Dr. Bennet was waiting at the front desk for her when she finally finished kissing Alex goodnight on the porch. The limo hummed as it wheeled back out onto the main road, and Georgie sighed blissfully.

"It was wonderful! Where's Richard," she suddenly demanded. "I have a bone to pick with him!"

"Oh, him. I sent him to my room to sleep. I'll cover the desk for you, too, if you want to head out to the apartment. What did Richard do this time?"

"Investigated Dr. Bailey, for one thing. I didn't even know the man was the head of his company until tonight!" She glared at Dr. Bennet. "You knew, too, didn't you! No one tells me anything!" she whined.

"What difference did it make, anyway?" the doctor said philosophically. "You had a great time, didn't you?"

"Well, yes..."

"Good. Off to bed. You can see Dr. Beetle Bailey tomorrow. But not too early - I'm not covering breakfast for you."

"Beetle Bailey?" Georgie smiled. "How cute. OK, I'm going to bed now. No all-night poker games, you hear? There's buttermilk in the fridge."

"You're a sweet girl, Georgiana Darcy."

"I know. Don't you forget it, either."

***

Georgie woke with the roosters, and headed over to the kitchen with a clear head. Richard was ahead of her, though, making coffee in the industrial-size pot, and humming to himself.

"You'll be pleased to know last night was a success," she said suddenly, making him jump.

"Georgie! You startled me!"

"Ha! Now, about Alex..." She advanced, an unholy look in her eye.

"Awww, come on, Georgie Girl! I was just trying to protect you..."

"I know." She stopped short. "You still deserve to be strangled."

"So strangle me! But just think how much more rewarding it is for you when you discover things about the good doctor on your own."

"I know. Speaking of Alex, can I have today off? I need some time to learn more about him..." she wheedled, "since no one else has seen fit to fill me in..."

"After breakfast and making beds. What do you plan to do?"

"I thought we'd go out to the farm."

***

"Come on in," Alex told Georgie several hours later, when she showed up on his doorstep in jeans, boots and a long-sleeved chambray shirt. "What's the occasion, cowgirl?"

"Do you ride?"

"Not for years!" He ushered her into the front parlor and set her down on the red velvet sofa.

"Want to?"

"Sure. Wait here while I change my clothes." He headed out of the room, stopped, came back and pulled her off the couch and into his arms. "I've missed you," he said before capturing her lips with his.

Georgie didn't protest, but she tried not to panic as she felt his hands run down her back and rest lightly on her bottom. Just as quickly as he had grabbed her, though, he let go, and sauntered off, whistling, as she held on to the arm of the sofa for support. Old feelings of anxiety swept over her and she lowered herself back down to the red velvet, hoping she had time to compose herself before Alex returned. Why was this type of attack rearing its ugly head again now, now that she had met Alex?

It took him a few moments, thankfully, to get ready, and Georgie used that time to slow her pulse before wandering around his house, poking through a pile of magazines on a coffee table here, slightly rearranging a couple of china figurines there, and generally making herself at home. She had always imagined this place as an extension of the inn, but now that she had a good look around at its old-fashioned furnishings and lived-in look, she wondered what it would be like to come home to this after a hard day at the inn. It would make the perfect sanctuary.

"Ready?"

Georgie turned around to find Alex dressed in almost the same outfit she wore, and she laughed.

"The twins are going to think we are twins."

"We're going to see the twins?"

"We're going to Pemberley Farms to ride, and I have no intention of taking the kids riding with us, not today. I'm sure we'll see them at some point, though, because I already called Lizzie and told her we were coming."

"Sure of me, were you?"

"No, just trying to cover all the bases."

***

Georgie directed Alex, who drove them in an old, refurbished Volkswagen, to the farm, and as they pulled in the long drive leading up to the old house, she felt a glow of pride at what her family had established and what she and Will worked hard to protect for future generations.

There were the long, low stables, the farm house itself, and the rolling pastures filled with horses.

"This is beautiful!" Alex said. Georgie beamed as she watched him taking in the stately oaks and the glistening thoroughbreds.

"Wait till you see my horse. Will bought her for me when I turned eighteen and I come out and ride her whenever I can."

They were met at the front of the house by Will, Lizzie and the twins, and everyone walked to the stables together. Lizzie linked an arm with Georgie, and as the twins ran ahead and the men talked, she pulled her sister-in-law back.

"Mrs. Reynolds packed a picnic in your saddlebags, and I tucked in a blanket to sit on. You should take him down by the creek..."

"Exactly where I thought to go," Georgie answered with a grin.

"What are you two plotting back there?" Will wanted to know.

"Nothing much," Lizzie called back. "Which horse did you plan for Dr. Bailey's mount?"

"I haven't ridden in years," Alex admitted.

"Maybe Sundance?" Georgie suggested. Her brother's old Palomino was a gentle steed, and he was crazy about her own mare, Honey, and would follow the other horse's lead with complacency. Will must have had the same idea, by his nod of approval.

"Perhaps you should show Dr. Bailey the creek," he suggested. Lizzie blushed and Georgie wondered what significance the creek held for her brother and sister-in-law. On second thought, she didn't want to know.

They were soon on their way to the aforementioned creek, and Georgie was pleased at her chosen destination when Alex spied the shady clearing by the bubbling stream and sighed with pleasure.

"What a beautiful spot!" He helped her dismount, tether the horses and unload the saddlebags.

"Hmmm, a blanket, and several bags of food. Wine?" He held up a bottle of Chardonnay.

"Lizzie's idea, I'm sure. Set that down in the creek, will ya?" Alex did as he was bid, and then settled on the blanket Georgie had spread in the clearing.

"When's lunch?"

"Not so fast, mister. It occurred to me last night that we know practically nothing about each other," she said as she stretched out full-length on her stomach and propped her chin in her hands.

"What do you want to know? I was born in New York, went to all the right schools, was a nerdy scientist since the time I was about six, and now I do research on roaches."

"And you own your own company, and you go to parties in limos and you live in a big old house by yourself, yet you have parents, because you said you would call them at Easter."

"Two parents, married to each other for thirty-six years, who still live in New York. Mom is a housewife and Dad is a lawyer. My sister is married, with two small children, and teaches school. Her husband is a pharmacist. We see each other occasionally, and sometimes I make the trip to the city when mom has a party. I inherited the house next to the inn recently when one of my maternal great-aunts died. My sister inherited everything several years ago when another aunt, in the city, died, so I guess that makes us even. Since my company is less than twenty miles from my new home, I decided to relocate for some peace and quiet. However," and he grabbed Georgie and rolled her over closer to him, "I have yet to achieve real inner peace, not when the most beautiful blonde lives next door!"

"Flatterer!" Georgie smiled.

"Your turn!"

"Hey! No fair! I wasn't finished! I don't know your favorite color, your favorite singer or your favorite dessert!"

"Blue, George Strait and pumpkin pie. Your turn!"

"Ok, OK. I was born and raised here in Meryton, here on the farm, and was raised by Will and my Aunt Catherine," here she pulled a face, "when my parents died when I was fifteen. Aunt Catherine wanted me to go to an exclusive boarding school with her daughter, Anne, but I refused, and I went to Meryton High and then on to the University of Connecticut, where I majored in business. I wanted to be a concert pianist, but my father had always insisted I get a 'real' degree in business. When I graduated, Richard had just retired from the Army, and he had that monstrosity of a house to deal with, and asked if I would help open a bed and breakfast. Now I'm a chambermaid and cook, and I spend half the week sleeping on a cot behind the front desk in case someone needs a glass of water in the middle of the night! Oh, and green, George Strait, too, and chocolate cake."

"Hmmm, we sound fairly compatible..."

"Do we now?" Georgie leaned in a little closer, until she felt his hand on her backside. Then she began to sweat and struggled to release herself from his arms.

"What is it? Are you OK? You look... wait..." Alex ran to the creek and grabbed the wine, and then came back to rummage in the picnic bags for a corkscrew. "Damn it!" he cried when he struggled with the cork. Georgie just sat there, her face white, staring into space. On one level she was cognizant of his every action, but she just couldn't make herself move or speak.

A glass of wine was shoved into her hand and she was forced to drink, but the wine went down too fast, and she started to cough, and Alex had to pat her on the back until she could breathe once more.

"Thank...you..." she managed.

"Are you OK?"

"No, but -"

A rustle in the bushes caught her attention, and she knew it was more than a breeze when she heard a few giggles.

"I think we're being watched," Alex said with some amusement. "I wonder..." Standing up, he walked calmly away from the clearing, but circled around to where the twins were hiding, flushing them out with a loud "gotcha!"

Meredith squealed and ran for Georgie, who caught her in her arms and tumbled her down onto the blanket, where the bags and the wine went flying.

"Here's one!" she called.

"I have the other," Alex said, hauling Kit into the clearing under one arm.

"Georgie! You and Dr. Bailey need to come see our kittens!" Merry told them. "Come now, please?"

"What do you think?" Alex asked his hostess.

"I think we had better take hostages. Help me get this mess cleaned up," she told the children, "and you can ride back with us."

The children readily agreed, and Will and Lizzie were waiting at the barn when they arrived, Kit behind Alex on Sundance, and Merry sitting in front of Georgie on her mare.

"I hope they weren't too intrusive," Lizzie apologized as the children were handed down and the adults dismounted. "I had forgotten about the kittens."

"No problem," Alex told her. "Now let's look at these kitties," he told Merry. They went hand-in-hand to the barn, and found a tortoise-shell cat surrounded by playful babies in one of the stalls.

"See?" Merry told him. "There are five kittens. Stormy is the gray one, the splotchy one is Patches, the big yellow one is Jeff and the little yellow one is Mutt, and we haven't named the tiny black one. He's the runt, and Will says we should name him Runt, but he doesn't seem to like that name. Every time I call him Runt, he spits at me."

"Seems to me his name should be Spit," Alex told her. Everyone laughed.

"You can have that one, then," Kit said. "Merry and I decided you need a kitty."

"But, Kit..." Georgie warned, but Alex held up a hand.

"I think Spit will be very nice. I'll take him."

The children cheered, and Will and Lizzie exchanged a glance not unnoticed by Georgie.

"But, Alex..."

"A cat will be better than a dog, don't you think? I won't be able to tend to a puppy, much as I would love to have one, so a kitten it is. Come on, Spit. We need to take Georgie back to the inn." He got up to go, but when he turned around, an elegant woman dressed all in black stood in his way. He couldn't see her face, but as soon as she spoke, he knew who she was.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Dr. Alex Bailey, so cozy with the Darcy family, are we? Hmmmm, looks like you are spending your play time with my little cousin Georgiana, if my sources and your attire are any indication. How nice..." purred Anne de Bourgh.

Chapter 6

This chapter is dedicated to Alicia, who so kindly requested more of E&D, and I quote: "...since we missed out on any lovey dovey stuff during E&D's courtship could we maybe get a little bit more of a glimpse of their happy marriage?? Pleease??"

"I can't believe it!" Richard was saying, over and over again, as Georgie recounted that afternoon's appearance by Cousin Anne. "Bailey and Anne, an item!"

"They are not!" Georgie hotly demanded. "At least not anymore. I asked him myself, on the way home. Said she was just someone he used to escort to parties from time to time. He was very uncomfortable in her presence. How do you suppose she even knew we were at the farm? She never goes there, she hates the country."

"I've no idea, Georgie Girl."

"I'm afraid that must be my fault," Dr. Bennet said apologetically, entering the kitchen. "A woman called here earlier, asking for you, my dear, and I said you had gone to the farm for the day. She just thanked me and ended the conversation."

"You couldn't know," Georgie told him kindly. "But she is going to have to pay for this one. She sat there, on William's front porch, sipping lemonade as if she drank it every day, and asking Alex if he remembered a hundred people I have never met. Lizzie, bless her heart, kept trying to change the subject, but that dratted Anne kept talking about people only she and Alex seem to know."

"Why did Anne even call in the first place?" Richard wondered. "Did she give a reason?" he asked Dr. Bennet.

"None that I recall."

"And she gave no indication that she wanted anything of me when I was at the farm," Georgie added. "Hmmm, I wonder why she chose now to call, and why she seemed so sure of finding Alex at the farm..."

"Perhaps someone saw the two of you together and..." Richard suggested.

"Caroline Bingley! That witch! She might have seen us last night at the cocktail party! Fast worker, isn't she?"

"Knowing Caroline," Richard said dryly, "she was burning up the airwaves early this morning. What do you plan to do about Anne?"

"I'll deal with Anne," Georgie told the two men, flexing her fingers in anticipation. "I've been itching to take her down a peg or two, ever since we were kids. She always tried to steal every guy I was even remotely interested in, and once, at a party... Never mind. But I need a little bit of information, and I know just the person to provide it."

***

"William, I'm worried about Georgie."

"Hmmm?"

With an exasperated sigh, Lizzie put the tray of coffee down on the nightstand and reached over and plucked the medical journal out of her husband's hands. She threw it over her shoulder and smiled. He always looked so distinguished in his wire-rimmed reading glasses.

"Your sister, dear. I'm worried about your sister. You saw how Anne was this afternoon, ignoring Georgie and monopolizing Dr. Bailey. I wonder where she knows him from? I hope Georgie remembers how aggravating your cousin can be, and not let Anne's actions cloud her own feelings for the doctor. It was obvious he was uncomfortable around Anne." Lizzie, having been on the receiving end of Anne's malice herself, knew just how he and Georgie must have felt.

"Georgie's a big girl, she can handle herself. She can definitely handle Dr. Bailey. She can even handle Anne, she just doesn't know it yet. Can I have my journal back, please?"

"Not so fast, doctor." Lizzie settled herself down next to Will and draped one arm familiarly over his large frame. "What do you mean, she can handle Anne, she just doesn't know it yet?"

"I mean, I know a few things about Anne, but it wouldn't look good coming from me, so I have to tell you, and then you tell Jane, or whomever, and they run and tell Georgie and then she has some ammunition."

"William! That's gossip! And why would she believe it? Why don't you just take her out to lunch and tell her yourself?"

"Goes against the gentleman's code, my dear. If you aren't going to give me back my journal, can I have some of that coffee?"

Lizzie nodded, and poured him half a cup. "It's decaf, because I know where the on-call schedule is, and you are not on call. Otherwise, I would have Mrs. Reynolds send up the high-test."

"You are a wonderful wife, you know that?"

"I know. I also know that you do not have any patients tomorrow morning, having given yourself a half-day off. Why is that?"

"I feel like sleeping in?"

Lizzie laughed and draped herself over his chest. In return, he folded her into his arms.

"You have a unique way of 'sleeping in,' don't you?" she said, remembering those rare days when he allowed time for the two of them. "It usually involves me getting up and seeing the kids off to school and you rewarding me privately afterward for something I do anyway." She tried to sound affronted, but her knowing smile ruined it.

"Why do you think I take off the entire morning?" William's answering grin was definitely wolfish, and he pulled her up further, kissing her in a leisurely fashion. "Something as important as making love to my wife should never be hurried."

"I love your bedside manner, doctor. But what about Georgie?"

"What about her? If we're going to sleep in tomorrow, we had better go to bed now, don't you think?"

"When you're this close, I don't think, now do I?"

***

"Meryton Family Health Center, how may I help you?"

"Dr. Darcy, please," Georgie requested on the phone the next morning.

"I'm sorry, but Dr. Darcy will not be in until 1 o'clock today," the woman's voice replied.

"Nuts! I'll try him at home. Thank you."

With an exasperated sigh, Georgie started to dial the farm, but then blushed and hung up. There was only one reason these days Will took a morning off from work, and she really didn't want to go there. She could always page him, she thought impishly, but no, Will would not appreciate the interruption. Neither would Lizzie, for that matter.

That only left Jane.

"Bingley residence."

"Jane? It's Georgie? Whatcha doing?"

"Moping the kitchen floor, feeding Grace and trying to wrestle Aaron out of a Superman cape and into some real clothes so I can drive Maddie to preschool. How are you?"

"You're doing all that at once?" Georgie was agog at the thought.

"It's called multi-tasking, dear, and yes, I'm doing it all at once. Aaron! I said take that cape off now! Maddie, wipe the baby's face for me, honey, and try not to track too much dirt onto my clean floor. You were saying, Georgie?"

"I, um, maybe now is not a good time. I was hesitant to call Elizabeth, because Will took the morning off, but I don't know... interrupting them seems like a good idea, now."

Jane laughed. "Don't you dare!"

"But I need some advice!" Georgie wailed into the phone.

"OK, not a problem. Charles' sister, Louisa, is coming to sit with the children this afternoon so that I can have some alone time. I'll come over about 2 o'clock and we can talk about what's bothering you. But you owe me baby-sitting duties sometime next week so I can go out to dinner with my husband. Deal?"

"Deal."

***

"So there you were, in the barn with the kittens, and Anne shows up out of the blue? How odd. Even if she wanted to talk to you, I don't think she is the type to get in her car and drive all the way up to the farm." Jane was seated in the inn's dining room a few hours later, a tall glass of iced tea at her elbow, rehashing the previous afternoon's events.

"Exactly! I think maybe Caroline called her yesterday morning, after seeing Alex and I together Saturday night."

"Hmmm, when did she see you Saturday night?"

"At the cocktail party for Alex's company. Did you know he owned his company?"

"No! Really?" Jane seemed truly surprised.

Georgie beamed. At last, someone else besides herself who didn't know that about the man. "Uh huh. Seems Caroline is one of his stockholders. She and I... well, Alex and I got separated, and I bumped into Caroline, and we, um, had words."

"Typical. What did she say?"

Georgie recounted their conversation, and Jane laughed.

"Knowing my sister-in-law the way I do, that doesn't surprise me."

"So I figured she must have called Anne, knowing that he used to escort my cousin to functions around town. Alex said Anne works for the same law firm as his father and is acquainted with his family."

"Curiouser and curiouser...Now, listen up. I got a call from Lizzie today. Seems Will knows a few things about Anne that he is not comfortable telling you outright."

"Why?"

"Who knows? Perhaps if he doesn't tell them to you directly, he can honestly say he never told you. Works for me, especially when you hear what Lizzie told me about Anne."

"I'm all ears." Georgie couldn't help but grin.

"I thought you would be. Now, here is what I know..."

***

Dr. Alex Bailey, renowned entomologist, sat in his home office that same afternoon and stared at his new kitten, Spit, who was trying to wrestle with a ball of paper.

"Just when I was making some headway with the lady, she starts to freeze on me, and then her dratted cousin shows up. What do you think?"

"Mrrowwww."

"Exactly. I need to find out why Georgie doesn't liked to be touched in certain areas, and I need to figure out a way to get rid of Anne."

"Mow."

"You think so? I wonder who can tell me more about Georgie?"

"Murrrrrow."

"You are absolutely right!" He picked up the phone and started flipping through the phone book.

"Meryton Family Health Center..."

"Dr. Darcy, please."

"Dr. Darcy is in with a patient right now. May I take a message?"

"Yes, please. Dr. Alex Bailey..." and he gave the receptionist his telephone number. "It's not urgent, I just need to speak with him at his convenience."

With a sigh, he hung up, and watched the kitten play some more with the paper. He was surprised, when, fifteen minutes later, the phone rang, and it was Dr. Darcy. The two spoke briefly, and made arrangements to meet around 7 o'clock for a drink.

"I'll call Elizabeth and explain," Dr. Darcy said when Alex apologized for cutting into his spare time. "Anything that concerns Georgie concerns me, regardless of what my wife thinks," he told Alex cryptically.

***

"I'd like to know a little more about your sister from another source," Dr. Bailey said without preamble a few hours later as the men sat down in the back of a local sports bar.

"Whoa, hold on there a minute." Will frowned. "Before we discuss my little sister, I need to know what your intentions are. I don't pass out information about my family on a whim." He hoped he was stern without being too standoffish, an attitude Elizabeth suggested when he had called her earlier.

"Just cop your 'head of the family' pose, dear," she had said, "and try not to be too much of a bulldozer."

"I understand that, sir. Thank you," Dr. Bailey now told the waitress who brought them each a beer. "My intentions are purely honorable."

Will gave a little snort of disbelief, but he grinned. "Uh huh. And my name is Caroline Bingley. Let's say they are fifty percent honorable. The other half of you would like to...well, you get my drift."

Dr. Bailey blushed, and Will started in surprise. Surely men these days did not blush? "OK, my intentions are half honorable," Bailey amended. "However, I would like to see this relationship with your sister become a permanent one."

"Really..." Will pondered that for a moment, the big brother in him enjoying watching the other man sweat. "In that case, what would you like to know?"

"Did Georgie date a lot in high school?"

"Well, I'll be honest. I was working and studying a lot and she spent most of her time with our Aunt Catherine."

"Anne's mother?"

"Yes. Aunt Catherine wanted Georgie to go to Anne's private school, but Georgie would have none of it. However, Anne's friends hung out there as much as possible, and Georgie was always included in the group activities. She rarely mentioned one boy above another, even after she went to college and began dating on a regular basis. She never seemed to keep a boyfriend for long. According to Georgie, they always threw her over for Anne."

"That might explain why Anne showed up yesterday. But when I get too close to Georgie, and touch, er, certain parts of her anatomy..."

Will glared at Dr. Bailey from across the table. "Yes?" he said silkily. "Continue."

"Um, er, you see, that is..." Dr. Bailey was definitely uncomfortable, and Will enjoyed seeing him squirm. "That is," he repeated, "I touch her backside and she tends to freeze up and pull away from me."

Will relaxed. He knew what the problem might be, and although he did not wholly approve of Bailey grabbing his sister's rear, permanent commitment or not, he could see where the man might develop such a compulsion. In fact, Elizabeth's own asset came to mind...

Dr. Bailey cleared his throat, bringing Will back to the matter at hand, so to speak. "I'm going to tell you something about Georgie, but if she finds out I told you, she would skin us both alive. Understand?"

Dr. Bailey nodded.

"When Georgie first began high school, she was, as I told you before, often with Anne's group of friends. I did not always approve of these kids, but Aunt Catherine was usually there to keep them reined in. If you knew my late aunt, you would know there was not much impropriety allowed in her presence. However, one weekend she got called away on an emergency, and Anne decided to organize a party. I was in med school, myself, or I would have been there to chaperone. Georgie, however, had already been invited to spend the weekend, and she was there for the party.

"I don't know what happened," Will continued with difficulty. "But she was found the next morning curled into a fetal position, her clothes ripped. She was taken to the emergency room, and they said she hadn't been...violated...she couldn't recall...but it took months of counseling before she would even look at the boys at school. Hard to believe now," he dryly added, looking pointedly at the man across the table.

"Wow," Dr. Bailey breathed, a stunned expression on his face. "That...I never would have...Excuse me, Dr. Darcy." He rose, fumbled in his wallet for a few dollars, which he threw on the table, and left.

Will could only hope Bailey's agitation was for Georgie, and not for himself.

***

"Bailey residence."

Alex had returned home, deep in thought, all of his attention on Georgie's past. What had really happened, and how did he go about making her completely comfortable in his arms? He was still pondering his dilemma when the phone rang.

"Alex! You're home!"

"Hi, Mom."

"You don't sound well. What's the matter, baby?"

Alex grinned. He would be seventy, and if his mom lived that long, she would still be calling him baby. She was also a good person to talk to, but he felt as if he had talked too much already for one day. He had to keep her attention focused on something else.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? I have a cat."

"A cat? I'd rather see you with a girlfriend, baby..."

"Yeah, well, I've got one of those, too." He regretted that information as soon as he said it.

"How wonderful! When do we get to meet her? I know! Your father is having a party this weekend for an old friend. I was calling to ask you to be there, but now you can bring..."

"Georgiana."

"Oh, what a lovely name. Tell me all about her!"

"She's tall, and she's a beautiful blonde, and she owns the Twin Oaks Inn next door with her cousin, Richard."

"Richard? Next door? Richard Fitzwilliam?" His mom was instantly alert.

"Yes..." he hedged, not knowing where this conversation was going.

"How wonderful! Then Georgiana is a Darcy, right? I went to school with her mother! Now you must bring her, Alex. Oh, I can't wait! She has a brother, too..."

"Dr. William Darcy."

"A doctor? Well, of course he is! His dad was one, too. Is he married?"

"Yes. Her name is Elizabeth. Are you getting all this down, Mom?"

"You know me too well, baby. Call me back tomorrow with their address.
I want to mail an invitation to the Darcys, but you will bring Miss Darcy as your date, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh!"

"Mom?"

"I just remembered - the Darcys are related to that awful Anne de Bourgh in your father's office, aren't they? Do you think I should invite her? I hadn't planned on it, but now I don't know. Be a dear and ask Miss Darcy if I should invite her cousin. I think I will send an invitation to Mr. Fitzwilliam, too."

"He's Colonel Fitzwilliam, and he probably has to stay at the inn if I take Georgie out for the night. But I'll have his address for you tomorrow," he added, knowing his mother would not be happy if she felt she was overlooking someone.

"You are a love. I'll be going now. I have to call your sister and tell her all about your girlfriend. You don't mind, do you, baby? You can tell me all about your cat when you call back tomorrow. Bye!"

Alex hung up the phone with a sigh. He was going to have to talk with Georgie before he took her out again, because it was damned near impossible to keep his hands off her, and he didn't want her zoning out again. Only, how was he going to get her to discuss their problem without telling her he knew about the attack?

Chapter 7

Alex was on his way over to the inn about nine o'clock the next evening, intent on asking Georgie to his parents' party, when she met him halfway.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "I was just coming over to check on Spit."

"Someone needs to," he mumbled. "Come see that little home-wrecker that other people call a kitten" he said, louder this time. "He's scratching everything in sight. I had to close off the parlor to preserve the red sofa." He offered her his arm, and they strolled back to his house.

Alex watched her as she knelt down once inside the front door and began making little psst! sounds. To his amazement, Spit came running toward her, and she lifted him up and nuzzled his little black head.

"Oh, you little darling! Now what is this I hear about you being Destructo-Kitty, hmmm?"

Alex found himself jealous of his own cat as he watched her fuss over the little hairball. The kitten purred loudly in her hands and he wished... His stomach growled and he frowned. Food wasn't exactly high on his list of hungers at the moment. Georgie turned to him and put Spit down.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"I had a tuna sandwich about 11:30."

"This morning? You idiot!" she said affectionately and headed for the kitchen. The kitten was hot on her heels.

"But, Georgie, I can..."

"You can what?" she demanded. Washing her hands, she began rummaging in the cupboard. "Hmmm, dried mushrooms? Who in the world uses...Ahhh..." She pulled out a box of macaroni and cheese, found a saucepan and put some water on to boil. A trip to the refrigerator yielded more cheese, a handful of pepperoni slices and a half-empty jar of spaghetti sauce. She opened the lid and sniffed, made a face and set the jar in the sink.

"Yuck! I think I saw another jar...here it is."

Alex sat at the kitchen table and watched Georgie cook. Her movements were graceful and economical. She took few, if any, unnecessary steps to accomplish her tasks. She looked adorable, too, with a barbecue apron over her jeans and T-shirt, "Fire 'Em Up!" emblazoned on her ample chest. It seemed like the perfect invitation, but Alex had been serious when he told her brother he had a permanent commitment in mind. To antagonize her now, before they could discuss her past, would be a disaster.

He pondered his next course of action until he found her standing over him with a hunk of hard white cheese and a grater.

"Here," she told him. You grate the cheese into a bowl while I finish the Mickey Rooney and cheese."

"The what?"

Georgie chuckled. "Sorry, that's what Richard calls it and I guess it sorta stuck."

"Cute." But not as cute as his Georgie, who had probably spent half the day in a kitchen, but hadn't given a thought to waltzing into his and starting all over again.

"I must really like you," she told him, as if reading his thoughts. "I thought I was done for the day." She smiled, and when the phone rang, she reached for it automatically, as if she lived there. It was a dazzling thought for someone who was already thinking along those lines.

"Bailey residence. Oh, hello! Why yes, this is she. Really? How nice. Yes, ma'am."

Alex made a quick trip to the caller i.d. box and groaned. His mother. And if he knew her, she wasn't going to let Georgie off the phone until most of her curiosity was satisfied. And like an idiot, he had forgotten to call her first - earlier.

"Oh, hold on a minute, Mrs. Bailey. I have to drain the macaroni. Dinner? That's right. Here, talk to Alex while I finish up. It's your mom," she whispered as she handed him the phone.

"Mom? No, this is not my first meal of the day. No, I did not beg Georgie to cook for me. I'm perfectly capable of...no, Mom, not yet. She's been working at the inn, Mom, and just dropped by. I know I said she owns it, but she works there, too. I don't know. Let me check." With a sigh, he covered the receiver. "Mom wants to know if she may speak with you again."

"Sure!" Georgie chirped, and he stifled a groan. He was thrilled the two of them had already chatted like long-lost sisters, but there was no telling what his mother might say.

"Hello again, Mrs. Bailey. Donna? Why, thank you. Please, call me Georgie." This time, Georgie continued working, with one shoulder propping up the phone.

She mixed up the macaroni and spread it into a shallow casserole dish. Then she poured on spaghetti sauce, placed pepperoni on top and covered everything with the grated cheese. She motioned for Alex to put the dish into the oven for her, and she turned it on and set the timer.

"I forgot to preheat, but it will be OK," she whispered. "No, ma'am, I haven't had a chance. I thought we'd chat while I make him eat. He doesn't? OK, I'll keep that in mind. It was very nice talking to you, too. I hope we get to meet soon. Good night!" She hung up the phone and grinned impishly. "She says she loves you and you are to call her back when you get a chance."

"Thanks," he said dryly.

"I like the way your mom sounds on the phone." Georgie's tone was wistful, and Alex remembered it had been a long time since she had had parents of her own. It was on the tip of his tongue to offer to share his, but he didn't think she was ready to hear that yet. So he cleared his throat of the lump that had formed there and asked if he could help with supper.

"Do you have any wine?"

"In the cellar." He started for the door.

"Get one without roaches on it," she called after him.

"Cute, very cute," he called over his shoulder. And he wasn't really talking about the wine.

***

Georgie hummed to herself as she began to set the table. She felt comfortable in Alex's house, as if she had always lived there.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live with Alex here in this house? That is probably a pie crust dream - easily made, easily broken...

"Georgie!" Alex yelled from the cellar, breaking into her thoughts. "Will you get this damned cat out from underneath my feet? I don't want to break my fall with these bottles!"

She went to the head of the stairs, looked down, and laughed. Alex and Spit were both glued to the spot, Alex at the bottom of the stairs, the kitten directly underneath, right between his feet.

"It's not funny," he insisted, even as he laughed along with her. "Every time I take a step, he takes one, too. I can't shake him!"

"Psst! Psst! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!" Georgie took pity on him and called the kitten, who came willingly.

"See?" she gloated. "You just have to know what to say."

The timer went off at that point, and feeling like half of an old married couple who knew exactly what their own chores were without being asked, Georgie went to collect her macaroni and cheese pizza while Alex put the wine on the counter. He looked at Georgie.

"I think that white will be OK," she volunteered, marveling at how she knew his question even before he asked. He rummaged around for a corkscrew and she put the food on the table.

"I had forgotten to call my mother tonight," Alex told her when they finally sat down to eat.

"How could you forget something so important?" Georgie was incredulous. She wished she had a mother to call, and she said so.

"I know," he agreed. "But I was so busy at work today...this pizza thing is really good!"

"Hmpf! You'd think boiled shoe leather was good, you eat so well. I'm going to have to do something about that. In the meantime..."

She rose from the table, where she had been picking at a portion of the casserole, more to keep him company than anything, and went around to the back of his chair.

"You shouldn't work so hard, you know," she whispered, and put her hands on his shoulders. She then proceeded to give him a massage, working her hands over his neck, head, shoulders and upper arms.

"Like that?" she asked at one point.

"Hmmmmmm...where did you learn how to do that?"

"I worked in Will's practice one summer, and the physical therapist next door taught me." She sighed, partially because she enjoyed touching Alex, and partially at the memory of the physical therapist. She'd had such a crush on him, but he had been engaged at the time. At least she knew now how infatuation felt. She was so glad she knew the difference. What she felt for Alex was so much... more.

Her hands slowed, and froze to his shoulders as she realized something important.

I'm in love with Alex.

"Georgie? Georgie..."

"Wha-? Oh! Look at the time! I hate to eat and run, Alex, but I've got a busy day tomorrow, and I'm sure you do, too, and your mom wants you to call her and Richard will be worried," she babbled as she ran out the kitchen door.

She ran blindly, across the yard, through the inn's garden and into its kitchen, as if the Hounds of Hell were on her heels.

"Whoa! Hold on there, Georgie Girl!"

Richard!

"Richard!" she squeaked, winded from her escape from Alex.

"Georgie!"

"Oh, Richard! It was horrible! It was wonderful! I'm so happy! And I'm babbling again..."

"Again? Slow down, honey, and catch your breath." Georgie felt herself being led to a chair and slowly settled onto its padded seat.

"Oh, Richard, I'm in love!"

He laughed. "Well, of course you are! I've seen it for days."

"You have?" Her hands flew to her flushed cheeks as he nodded. "But I'm scared. What if he doesn't love me?"

"If this is Dr. Bailey you are speaking of, I don't think you have too much to worry about. And whatever's going on tonight between you two, looks like he's here to continue the discussion..."

Georgie turned around in her chair and saw Alex standing just outside the back door, a look of concern on his handsome face.

"You don't think he heard all that?" she gasped.

Richard chuckled. "I don't think so, love. Why don't you invite the man in, though, and see what he wants?"

"Oh! Of course!" She jumped up and ran to the door.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I shouldn't have left like that - I don't know what happened. I'm still wearing your apron, and I'm babbling again." She took a deep breath and invited him inside.

"I can't come in. I was worried and went after you, but the phone rang, and when I went to answer it, I caught this little guy on a chair, trying to get on the kitchen table." He held Spit up for inspection and Georgie laughed.

"Then I'll come outside."

She led him into the garden and over to a wooden swing that hung from one of the oaks, took Spit from his arms and sat down.

"I'm sorry I ran off, Alex."

"That's OK. Care to tell me what's bothering you?"

"I want to, but not tonight, OK?"

"OK. That phone call was my mom, reminding me yet again that I need to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"My parents are having a party on Saturday night for an old friend of theirs. My sister and her husband are going to be there, and they all want to meet you. Will you be my date to the party? Can you get the time off from the inn?"

"Meet your parents?" was all Georgie found herself saying.

"Please. Mom says she used to go to school with your mother."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Unfortunately, there is one other thing... Mom wants to know if she should invite Anne de Bourgh."

"What do you think?"

"You already know what I think. My parents dislike her intensely, even though she works for Dad, but since she is your relative, Mom says they will be guided by you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." In the dark, she could see the gleam of his smile. "She would like to mail an invitation to your brother and sister-in-law, too."

Georgie giggled. "Is that why your mom keeps calling?"

"Patience was never her strong suit."

"I think I'm going to like your mom. Now I can't wait to meet her. I'll work something out with Richard, and I think your mother should invite Cousin Anne. I have a few things she might be interested in hearing, and I think you deserve to witness everything. You go call your mom right now - wait! I need to clean up your kitchen. We'll go home right now and you call your mom while I do the dishes."

"But-"

"OK, then, you do the dishes. I'll call your mom. Come on, Spit. Race you to the phone!"

The kitten had fallen asleep in her arms, but he woke readily enough, and she talked baby nonsense to him all the way back to Alex's house, not even looking back to see if Alex followed. Somehow, she knew he was there. That was good enough for her. Besides, she needed to cool her flushed cheeks. Had she really just told him they were both going "home"?

***

"Will you quit pacing, Georgie Girl! You are going to wear a hole in the floor," Richard drawled. It was Saturday night, Georgie was nervously ready to meet Alex's parents, and he was late picking her up.

"Where can he be?"

"It takes time to get here from the farm," Richard replied.

"Very nice of him to offer Will and Lizzie a lift to the party," Dr. Bennet said kindly. "And bring the children here when he comes to collect his date."

"Yeah, yeah, he thinks of everything, doesn't he?" Georgie couldn't quite keep the sarcasm from her voice. "I'm sorry, sir," she amended, seeing the hurt expression on Dr. Bennet's face. "I'm just nervous. These could be my future in-laws," she added under her breath.

"Looks like your limo is here, Cinderella," Richard said from his lookout point at the window.

"A limo? Not again!"

"I swear, Georgie, anyone else would be swooning. It will be nice for Bailey to leave the driving to someone else while you get a chance to visit with your brother. You haven't had much of a chance of that lately," Richard pointed out.

"If you want me to feel guilty, you've succeeded," she grumbled. "And how is this extravagance of Alex's going to look to his parents?"

"Like Alex cares enough to bring you to meet them in style," Dr. Bennet replied. "If they even see it. Besides, you have more important things to deal with tonight, don't you?"

"Hmmm, Anne." A thundering on the front porch announced the arrival of Meredith and Kit, who flew in the door and into their father's arms, overnight bags and all.

"Dad! Dad! We got to ride in Alex's limo!"

"It was way cool, Dad! Come see!"

"Some other time," he laughingly replied. "Georgie needs to get going and I believe Richard said something earlier about making pizza in the kitchen."

"Hurray!" Merry shouted. She launched herself at Richard, and insisted he take them into the kitchen immediately. Kit grabbed his father by the hand and pulled him after his sister and the colonel, who were already disappearing into the nether regions of the inn.

Which left Georgie alone with Alex, who had come in quietly after the children, in the foyer.

"You look gorgeous!" he told her softly, and gave her a gentle kiss, which threatened to turn her knees to jelly. But she smiled and managed to rotate, instead, so that he might get the full effect. She was glad, now, she had allowed Jane and Lizzie to take her shopping, if the gleam of admiration in Alex's chocolate brown eyes was the result. The ladies had been lucky to find the fuschia silk sheath with thin little straps in Georgie's size. She had insisted on not buying black, and while Jane wondered if hot pink wasn't a little too out there for what she called a 'meet-and-greet with the future in-laws,' Georgie had stood her ground.

"My dad is going to love you," Alex told her as he escorted her to the limo. "He hates women who wear nothing but black or navy blue, like all the women in his firm. He's going to like your hair, too. I like your hair, for that matter."

Georgie was glad she had left it down around her shoulders, then, instead of piling it on top of her head.

Lizzie, she noticed when she got in the limo, was stunning in cobalt blue crepe, a brilliant diamond tennis bracelet gleaming around one wrist.

"Oooooh! Pretty! Is that new?"

"William just gave it to me," Lizzie admitted with a tiny blush.

"And she was just thanking me for it when you interrupted," Will told his sister. "Thanks a lot!"

Everyone laughed, and Alex opened a bottle of champagne. Georgie recalled their other limo date, when he had kissed her, and added a few blushes of her own when she caught Alex sending her a silent toast.

Will caught her expression and cleared his throat, and the conversation became general. Lizzie wanted to hear about Alex's kitten, and he launched into a tale of Spit's antics.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Georgie said at one point, "if those yellow kittens were fathered by Aunt Catherine's cat, Collins." She explained to Alex how Will had found the poor cat several years before in the hospital alley, and had taken it to her aunt's house to live, "because we were incredibly over-run with cats at the farm at the time, and Aunt Catherine had no one. And when she had a stroke, the cat went with Lizzie, who was her companion at the time, and then to the farm when she married Will."

Will grinned. "I can safely say those yellow kittens were not fathered by Collins. Because Aunt Catherine was incredibly neglectful of such things as over-population in the feline world..."

"She had Anne, didn't she?" Lizzie muttered.

"...I had Collins neutered as soon as possible."

Chapter 8

Georgie had to admit to herself that Alex's parents did not look anything like she had imagined. Not his mother, anyway.

She met them herself at the door of the Bailey's Manhattan apartment, a short, plump woman in silvery gray chiffon, an exact match for her eyes. Georgie had envisioned a taller, less-rounded woman, not this cute little dumpling with graying brown hair. Her hands were beautifully manicured, to be sure, but her nails were short and she kept running her hands through her crop of short curls, as if she were the one who should be nervous.

There was nothing nervous about Mrs. Bailey, though, when she spied Georgie over Alex's shoulder as he bent to give his mother a kiss.

"Georgie!" she squealed. Pushing past her son, she gave her son's date a crushing hug. "I'd know you anywhere - you look just like your dear mother! This, of course, is William - you've got a lot of Annie in you, too! And welcome to our home, Elizabeth," she added, drawing Lizzie into the apartment as she spoke.

Georgie, no longer the older woman's focus, looked around her with interest. The Bailey apartment was spacious, and decorated in a less-sophisticated fashion than she had expected. There were large, roomy sofas and plush chairs set about, everything in green and gold, with deep accents of red. It was luxurious, certainly, and not inexpensive, but not modern by any means. It could only be described as comfortable.

Mrs. Bailey led them into another room, a den filled with a leather sectional, a huge recliner and a wall-to-wall entertainment center. In it were an older version of Alex, right down to the chocolate brown eyes, who welcomed them warmly; Alex's sister, Sarah, a pretty woman with eyes like her mother; and David Downing, her husband, a dark-haired man with bright blue eyes.

"Alex, dear, see that everyone gets a drink, please. Georgie, could I steal you for a moment?" Mrs. Bailey asked. Alex groaned. "We won't be but a moment, Alex," she admonished. Georgie stifled a laugh and followed her hostess into a bright, modern, chrome and black kitchen. It was then she noticed Mrs. Bailey was not wearing shoes.

She followed Georgie's interested stare and laughed.

"No shoes! I hate them! I had to wear them every day for the first eighteen years of my life, and I've managed to stay out of them as much as possible ever since! But look here, my dear. Here is one of my old school yearbooks. I found a picture or two of your mother I thought you might like to see. And I have to check on dinner, too."

Georgie was fascinated by the pictures of her mother, and by Mrs. Bailey and her activities. The woman lived in a plush apartment and not once had she seen a servant of any sort.

"I love to cook, and I only have a cleaning lady come twice a week," she was told, as if she had spoken out loud. "But it's not often I get to cook for a large crowd. There will be just us for dinner, of course. The rest of the guests, including Phil's old friend, are coming later."

"Is there anything I can do to help, Mrs. Bailey?"

"Oh, no, I have everything under control, my dear. And it's Donna, remember?" She gave Georgie a searching look. "You're serious?"

"Oh, yes! I enjoy being waited on, but being in the hospitality business, I am not used to it. What smells so good?"

"My husband, despite his current upscale lifestyle, is still a farm boy at heart, so I made pot roast with potatoes and carrots. I hope that will be OK with everyone?"

"It's fine with me!"

"Good. Would you mind helping me put everything on the table? The dining room is in there." She indicated a room off the other side of the kitchen.

Georgie carried platters and bowls to the large, round dining room table as directed, admiring the pretty blue-patterned English china, cheerful daisy centerpiece and sparkling silver. The Baileys had money, that much was obvious, but they didn't go overboard, and it showed in Alex's own simple tastes. He did not see anything wrong with serving pot roast when Mrs. Bailey ushered everyone in to eat.

"Smells wonderful, Mom!" he exclaimed, standing in the doorway and sniffing with delight.

"I hardly call that a compliment from someone who eats Frosted Flakes for supper," Georgie retorted, and everyone laughed, especially his mother.

"So, how are you getting along," he whispered anxiously as he seated her between his own chair and his father.

"Your mom is wonderful! She's so real!"

Alex smiled. "Most people think so."

"My Donna was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but with good strong morals and a heart as big as Texas," Mr. Bailey told her proudly.

"I think that is lovely," Georgie agreed. Mrs. Bailey blushed and told everyone to eat before the food got cold.

Georgie divided her attention between Alex and his father at first, until the conversation became general. She found Mr. Bailey to be as charming as his son, and she was also pleased to see Will and Alex's brother-in-law, as a doctor and pharmacist, have something in common.

After the topics of medicine and the law had been covered, the men settled back and let the ladies discuss the children. Sarah had two, a boy and girl, three and five, and she and Lizzie seemed to enjoy asking advice from Mrs. Bailey. Georgie interjected an occasional funny story about the twins and the Bingley brood, and did not feel excluded at all.

She was in an excellent mood by the time Mrs. Bailey served pecan pie topped with vanilla ice cream, until she had a lowering thought. The party was to start soon, and Anne had been invited. Finding herself needing to fill the time with activity, she began piling dirty dishes together and rose to take them into the kitchen.

"No, no, no," insisted Mrs. Bailey. "I don't mind you helping set the table, dear, but you aren't helping with the dishes. Not tonight. Tonight you are an honored guest. Next time, I'll let you wash anything you want - but not tonight!"

Frustrated and flattered at the same time, Georgie tried not to fidget. Alex seemed to have sensed her unease, however, and asked if she wanted to see the apartment.

"I'd love to," she replied, oblivious to the knowing grins from the married couples still content to sit around the table and finish their coffee.

"The city is so beautiful at night," she declared later as they looked out over the bright lights. She had barely been given time to see anything, the way Alex had whisked her on a whirlwind tour, only to end up in his arms on the balcony off his parents' bedroom. A stiff breeze blew little tendrils of hair about her as Alex murmured little nothings in her ear. On the thirty-fifth floor, it was difficult to determine the origin of the shivers playing havoc with her spine, but her money was on Alex.

Her chills increased tenfold when she finally began to listen to what he was actually whispering - at one point her ears definitely heard the word she desired above all: Love.

Well, no time like the present to declare her own feelings, she decided. And if he returned her feelings, it would bolster her for what she feared would be an ordeal later with Anne. And if he didn't, anything Anne said or did could not be any worse than a rejection from Alex.

"Alex?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I love you." She felt his entire body stiffen in response, and she feared he was about to administer that rejection.

"You mean that, Georgie? You really love me?" His voice was incredulous. "I mean, I had hoped, but not this soon..."

"Alex? Does this mean what I think it means?"

"You love me!" he repeated in an awestruck tone.

"I just said I did!"

I...oh..." He kissed her fiercely and she returned the gesture with ardor.

"Georgie?" he finally asked as he came up for air.

"Hmmmm..."

"I love you, too. I have from the first moment I threw you into the dirt!"

"Oh, Alex!"

The next ten minutes were spent in a breathless embrace, broken only by someone tapping discreetly on the glass doors. Georgie was glad the curtains were drawn, and she thanked everything she believed in that she had left her hair down. If it was mussed, she could always blame it on the wind.

"Our first guests are here," Mrs. Bailey called.

"We're on our way," Alex called back. "Go on in, my love," he told Georgie with a quick kiss. "I need a few minutes to compose myself."

Georgie couldn't help but giggle, but she took pity on him and quit the balcony. Floating back into the apartment, she was led by a grinning, but non-questioning, Mrs. Bailey into the front room, where she was introduced to Mr. Cunningham, an old friend of Mr. Bailey's. But to her surprise, standing behind him was an old friend of the Darcy family, George Wickham. And, with her arm linked in his, was her cousin, Anne de Bourgh.

"Georgie!" Anne cooed. "So nice to see you again. You remember George, don't you?"

"George." She acknowledged Anne's companion with a nod.

"It has been awhile, hasn't it?" Anne asked no one in particular. "Why, you haven't seen George since William's wedding, have you? Not that you saw much of him that day... it was quite the dust-up, wasn't it? How is William, by the way? Why, I haven't seen him since..."

"...since last Sunday, when you drove all the way up to the farm," Will finished for her, strolling into the room, Lizzie in tow. "Wickham."

"Darcy."

"Will!" Anne was visibly taken aback at the appearance of her elder cousin.

"My, my, how everyone seems to know everyone else already," Mrs. Bailey interjected quickly. The doorbell rang and she seemed glad for the distraction. Georgie saw Alex enter the room from the hallway leading to the bedrooms, but she was too busy keeping one eye on George Wickham. There was something about him that she had never quite trusted, not since she was a teenager. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what made her leery of him, and had avoided him as much as possible.

The room was soon filled with people, and, drink in hand, Georgie allowed Alex to lead her from one group to the next. She was happy to meet so many nice strangers, until they ended up near a group of people clustered around Anne.

"Ah, here is my little cousin Georgiana," Anne called, bringing her group's attention to dwell on Georgie. "Georgie is a working drudge playing Cinderella tonight. She cleans toilets and serves meals at an inn in Connecticut."

Georgie blushed, but one petite blonde put a kind hand on her arm.

"Georgie Darcy, right? Twin Oaks Inn? Michael, come say hi to Georgie!" she called to a man in the next group. "Remember that darling B&B we stayed at last year? This is Georgie! She owns the place!" she told the rest of the group. "You must stay at her inn sometime! Fabulous, just fabulous! We already have reservations with you for the fall, and I've recommended it to all my friends! Scrub toilets, indeed!" She gave Anne a freezing look and flounced off, taking half the group with her.

"Actually, I do scrub toilets," Georgie admitted to Alex, who had his arm around her waist. He gave her an encouraging squeeze.

"Just the kind of life one is prepared to endure when one attends a less than exclusive school," Anne told Alex. "Not like you and I, and George here, of course." She indicated Wickham, who was hovering at her elbow like a mosquito. "I did my best to introduce Georgie to the right sort of people when we were younger, but she never took my advice. I spent most of my time attracting unsuitable young men away from her, and see, now she is finally surrounding herself with the type of people her mother expected her to associate with. However..." Anne advanced on Alex and slipped an arm through his free one, drawing him away from her cousin. "...there are some of the correct sort who are still more suited to me than you... I would love to see the view from the balcony, Alex... George! Stay with Georgiana and see that she stays out of trouble!"

"Let me get you something else to drink," Wickham said smoothly, but instead of leading her to the bar, he steered her toward a quiet corner of the room. "Now that we've gotten rid of those two, let's become reacquainted, you and I."

"I'm sure there's no need for that," Georgie insisted, but Wickham just kept moving in closer and closer, his blue eyes boring into hers. "No!" she said urgently, her voice little higher than a whisper. There was something about the way he looked at her...

Then Wickham made the mistake of putting his arms around her and grabbing her rear. Quicker than a wink, Georgie snapped, suddenly remembering Anne's long-ago party, where this same man had made the same move, right before he had tried to force her into something she hadn't wanted to do then, and definitely didn't want to do now. A voice in her head said there was no way, legally, she could make him pay for that past injustice, but there was something she could do now to prevent him from approaching her ever again.

***

From the other side of the room, where Anne de Bourgh had him cornered, Alex watched in horror as George Wickham advanced on Georgie. He wanted to cry out, to warn her of the man's obvious intent, but it was too late. Wickham had done the unthinkable and had placed his hands on her backside.

Alex blinked in surprise, a second later, when he saw Georgie neatly flip the much larger man onto his back. She watched, patiently, while he picked himself up, and then she kneed him in the groin. By this time, the crowd had gone quiet, watching in disbelief as Georgie kicked him in the face, flattening him back out on the floor. She then brought her spiky heel back down into his groin area and he howled in pain.

Alex was so proud of her when she finally looked up at the group, flipped her hair nonchalantly and dusted her hands together.

"No, thank you, I would not like another drink," she told Wickham calmly before walking over his prostrate body to where Alex stood. "Could I go somewhere quiet for a moment?" she asked in a shaking voice.

***

Mrs. Bailey came to collect her as soon as she reached Alex, shooed her son away and led her off to a bedroom down the hall. Georgie had only been given a glimpse of this room earlier, by an impatient Alex, but now that she was in it proper, she realized it had been his room as a young man. Mrs. Bailey sat her down on the bed.

"Are you OK, my dear? What happened?"

"I'm so sorry!" Georgie wailed, tears starting to fall. "I just ruined your party!"

"Nonsense! A good brawl, especially when a known womanizer is finally hurt somewhere he'll remember, is always good for one's social reputation. I'll be the talk of the building by morning!" But Georgie was past listening, and she cried even harder.

Alarmed, Mrs. Bailey went out into the hall, where Alex, Will and Lizzie were impatiently waiting to see Georgie. "Elizabeth, you first, I think," was all she said. Lizzie rushed inside.

"Georgie?"

"Oh, Lizzie, I ruined the party!"

"Is that what this is all about? Not the fact that you just took out George Wickham and probably ruined his chance of ever fathering children again? About time, I say. You know what he did to my stepsister. Not that Lydia was complaining at the time... See, I made you smile, didn't I?"

Georgie hiccuped, but she gave Lizzie a teary little grin. "He said he loves me," she told her sister-in-law.

"Wickham?" Lizzie's jaw dropped to her chest.

"No, silly. Alex."

"Well, of course he does! We've all seen it for days! Now, do you want to talk about what just happened - or why?"

"Alex, I need to talk to Alex. Is Will out there?"

"Hovering in his best big-brother manner."

"Take him back to the party and get him a drink. Tell him I'm OK now. Tell him I'm more than OK."

Lizzie's puzzled expression made her laugh. "If you say so..."

"I say so. I need to talk to Alex."

Lizzie left, and Alex came in. Georgie held out her arms, and he rushed into them with an alacrity that made her head spin. They didn't say anything at first, only held each other tight. It felt so good to be in his arms, so right.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "Your mom says her party is not ruined, but I know it is."

"Are you kidding? My family thinks you are wonderful. I think you are wonderful. Where did you learn those moves?"

Georgie chuckled. "Richard taught me. Said I couldn't run an inn without knowing a few self-defense moves. I've never had to use them before tonight. He'll be pleased to know I remembered them. I'm not very proud of myself, though. Those kicks to sensitive areas were made in anger... When I was a teenager, Anne had a party once, when Aunt Catherine was away. Someone had spiked the punch, and the next thing I know, I woke up in the hospital, my clothes in shreds, my body covered in bruises. Will said I had been attacked, but not... not sexually violated. Whomever had attacked me must have been startled at the last minute. I didn't remember. Until tonight. George Wickham had attacked me at the party, and I remembered it. I'm sorry I froze up on you the other day at the farm...it was all his fault."

"And now you have taken care of it, haven't you, my love?"

"I suppose so." She gave a wicked little giggle. "There is only one way to find out..." She took one of Alex's hands and slowly lowered it to her backside. Then she removed her hand and looked up into his dark eyes, hers trying desperately to convey her trust, his showing love and desire.

"Oh, there you are," Anne purred, having entered the room while Georgie and Alex were otherwise occupied. "Since you're not busy," she added, blithely dismissing their physical activity, "I thought you could show me that balcony now..."

"I don't think so," Georgie replied. "Go get your own man, and quit trying to steal mine!"

"Ooooh! The little girl has a temper..." Anne taunted. "Going to take me out like you did poor old George? Really, Georgie, I had hoped back when we were teenagers you would have had the good sense to get yourself raped and knocked up that night, so you would be in disgrace, and I wouldn't have to deal with you again."

"How much of that night do you know about?"

"Everything! Who do you think orchestrated that entire thing? It should have worked, but George panicked at the last moment."

"Why do you hate me so much?" Georgie whispered.

"Why? Because you could do no wrong! Will was so damned protective, and he thought you were perfect, and even my own mother preferred your company. Nobody liked me, and everyone loved you! It wasn't fair!"

"Oh, grow up, Annie, and learn to live with what you've been dealt, huh?" Georgie came flying off the bed and put herself up in her cousin's face. "Who cares if you are not a senior partner in your firm, like you've been telling everyone within a hundred-mile radius for the last five years. Who cares if you live beyond your means and are almost bankrupt, and Will had to sign over the rest of your mother's estate just to keep your head above water? Who cares that you had an abortion when you were in college? Or that you had a child when you were seventeen and gave it up for adoption?"

Anne turned white as a sheet. "Who told you this? How do you know all this?" she hissed. "Why, I ought to..." She shrieked and dove for Georgie, but Alex, who had remained out of the conversation, threw himself between the two women, and Anne's long nails scratched his face instead of Georgie's.

"I think that is about enough," Mr. Bailey said quietly from the doorway. "Alex, take Miss Darcy into our room, please, and get her a stiff drink. Miss Darcy can tend to your wound in there. Miss de Bourgh, I believe I would like to see you Monday morning in your office, 9 a.m. sharp. Your behavior is not appropriate for someone employed at Bradley, Bailey and Shapiro. Bring plenty of boxes. You are going to need them to clean out your desk. In the meantime, here is your cousin," he indicated Will, standing behind him, "ready to escort you home. Good evening."

***

It had been an emotionally exhausting evening, but Alex was still surprised when Georgie fell asleep against his shoulder almost as soon as the limo began to leave Manhattan.

"She was always one to just drop off wherever she was when she was ready to go to sleep - nothing short of a nuclear explosion will rouse her, either," Will told him.

The ride home was quiet. No one seemed to care to comment on the night's events. Elizabeth, too, was sleepy, and by the time they arrived at Pemberley Farms, she was curled up on her seat with her head in her husband's lap. She roused briefly when Will told her they were home, and she bid Alex a sleepy good night.

"What are you going to do with Georgie?" her brother wanted to know.

"I'm going to put her in one of my spare rooms - no sense waking anyone at the inn." Alex was sure Will would have protested, but he only nodded and walked his sleepy wife indoors.

"Need help with the young lady?" Tom, the limo driver, asked when they reached Alex's home.

"If you would unlock the door for me, please..." Alex handed over the key and then tenderly scooted Georgie over to the end of the seat so that he could lift her in his arms and carry her inside. Once there, he gently laid her on the red sofa, where she didn't wake.

"Thanks, Tom, that will be all tonight. I appreciate you working so late. I'll send in a hefty tip," he told the driver.

Once the limo was gone, he locked the front door and went back to the parlor, standing there looking down at Georgie. Asleep. On his sofa. In his house. He wondered what she would say when she woke up. Probably something along the lines of having to sleep in that skimpy little thing she called a dress.

He would have to make her more comfortable. No hardship there. Whistling as he ran upstairs, he grabbed a pillow off a spare bed. He took that down and put it gently under her head.

But what if she got cold during the night? Back upstairs he ran, to pull the quilt off that same spare bed. Maybe it would be better to carry her upstairs?

No, he decided, because he would be more than tempted to put her in his bed, and he didn't know how she would feel waking up in a strange bed - his or a guest room.

So the parlor sofa won. At least if she woke up there, she was familiar enough not to be too concerned with her surroundings. And the red sofa was long enough to accommodate her length.

Humming to himself, he went back upstairs and rummaged in his dresser for a T-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts before running downstairs once more.

Bending over Georgie's slightly snoring body, he gingerly slipped the tiny straps off Georgie's golden-brown shoulders and unzipped the back of her dress.

And caught his breath - she wasn't wearing anything underneath the top of her gown. He pulled the dress up quickly. No need to give himself any ideas. Then he pulled the T-shirt over her head and chest, slipped his hands underneath without looking - if he looked, he would start with the ideas again - and pulled her dress down to the waist.

Whew! Halfway there... It was when he pulled her gown off the rest of the way, though, that his mouth went dry and his heart rate soared.

She wasn't wearing pantyhose, as he had surmised, but a tiny pair of white lace panties, a white-lace garter belt trimmed in fuschia pink rosebuds, and sheer stockings.

Now what?

The panties, obviously, would have to stay, more was the pity, but he thought maybe he could pull away the belt and stockings all at once. The temptation to detach the stockings and peel them off slowly was great, but he grabbed hold of the belt instead and gently slid everything down. To his great relief, it all came off at once, and he covered her with the quilt. After all that, he wasn't about to attempt putting those shorts on her.

Instead, he lay them across the arm of the sofa at her feet, so she could see them in the morning. He turned a lamp on, leaving a low light in case she awoke in the dark, wiped his sweaty palms on his tuxedo pants, and went upstairs to take a cold shower.

It's damn hard some days to be so chivalrous, he thought sleepily.

Spit, spying his favorite human curled up on his favorite scratching post - when he was allowed in the parlor - jumped up on Georgie's sleeping form and curled up on her hip for a little cat nap.

Chapter 9

Georgie woke the next morning to find herself on Alex's sofa, tucked into an old quilt, Spit curled up around her head. At least she hoped it was Spit. It was purring, at any rate.

She snuggled down further into the sofa, pulling her T-shirt down where it had ridden up on her...

T-shirt?

She patted her torso to see what else she might, or might not, be wearing. Her inspection revealed her to be wearing nothing else except for a scrap of lace she liked to call her panties. Only one person could have changed her clothes, and the thought of Alex when he came across that garter belt made her laugh out loud.

"Poor baby..."

"Mrow!"

"Oh, you're a poor baby, too," she crooned. Sitting upright, the first thing she saw were the jogging shorts on the arm of the sofa. Tears threatened.

He was so sweet.

She got up and found the downstairs bathroom, and then went to the kitchen, all as quietly as possible. She didn't want to wake Alex. Breakfast they could have at the inn, she decided, remembering the lack of real food in this house, but she needed some caffeine now.

While the coffee brewed, Georgie rummaged around the fridge for some milk, but all she found was an empty container.

"Hmpf! I'll bet he drinks right from the carton, too!"

"I'll bet he doesn't," Alex argued from the kitchen doorway.

"Alex, I - oh!" Georgie's mouth went dry and her heart rate soared. Alex stood there in a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms and nothing else. Well, she amended, maybe a smile.

"Good morning. Did you sleep comfortably?" he asked, indicating her T-shirt and shorts. Georgie nodded, at a loss for words. "By the way, the underwear was spectacular. Like its wearer."

He walked toward her slowly as he spoke, and she stared at his chest as it came closer and closer. She wanted to reach out and touch its soft brown hair, but was enfolded in a pair of strong arms and nuzzled on the neck before she could act.

"Hmmmm...what's for breakfast?" he asked. Georgie thought she had plans for that meal, but she was darned if she knew what they were. Somehow, with Alex's lips on her throat, she was finding it difficult to think, let alone breathe.

A soft ringing sound from the other room broke his concentration and Georgie ran into the parlor to answer her purse...er, cell phone.

"Hello!"

"Georgie, it's Lizzie. Guess what?"

"What?"

"Wait a minute. What?" she asked someone on her end of the line. "Oh! Gosh, I'm sorry, Georgie! I didn't know until just now that you spent the night with Alex. I'm sorry to interrupt. I'll call you back later." Lizzie sounded embarrassed and Georgie burst out laughing.

"Slug that brother of mine in the arm, will you? If he knows I'm here, he probably made sure all I did was sleep on the sofa - which I did, by the way, so tell him to stop teasing you and then tell me why you called."

"Are you sure?"

Georgie winked at Alex, who had followed her into the parlor and was sitting next to her on the sofa. He put an arm around her, and she leaned back into his solid strength. "I'm sure. What's going on?"

"You'll never guess!" Lizzie was excited about something.

"And I'm not going to try. Spill it!"

"Anne has been arrested!"

"What? When?"

"This morning. And a detective showed up at the farm, too."

"No!"

"Someone saw Will take her home last night - evidently they were staking out her apartment - and tailed us home."

"But what was she arrested for?" She looked up and mouthed "Anne" to Alex, who was suddenly more alert.

"Embezzlement of client funds," Lizzie replied. "And George Wickham was arrested as an accomplice!"

"How wonderful! I hope they both rot in jail! But what about Will?"

Lizzie laughed. "You know old poker-face. He told them, honestly, of course, that she had made a scene at a party and he was making sure she didn't harass anyone else by escorting her home. His being a fine, upstanding general practitioner didn't hurt." She giggled. "Will!"

"Oops! Sounds like my cue to say goodbye. Thanks for calling. Hey, Lizzie - tell Will that Alex undressed me last night, and then watch him go ballistic."

Lizzie's chuckle was evil, but Alex was waving his free arm in protest.

"Oh, no you don't! He's bigger than I am and if he thought for a moment that I...that we..." He broke off with a blush.

"Well, he did undress me," Georgie admitted to Lizzie, "unless that was the kitten...But I'm sure he did it in a discreet manner. And if not, I hope he liked what he saw!" She and Lizzie rang off and Georgie turned back to Alex.

"Come on over to the inn and I'll feed you some breakfast."

***

Breakfast was finished at the inn, the dishes washed and the kitchen sparkling, and Richard and Dr. Bennet had been filled in on what had transpired over the past two days. Richard had been dumbfounded at first, and then he and Dr. Bennet fell to making jokes about George Wickham's attack.

When Georgie felt enough time had been spent gloating over their downfall, though, she suggested Richard take some needed time off while she went through the paperwork. Dr. Bennet mumbled something about his papers, and Alex said he could either keep her company or go home and work on his research.

"Which would you rather do?" Georgie asked.

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Oh! Well, go on home to your dumb old roaches then," she teased. "I have found that better than you bringing your work over here!"

"How else are we going to get to spend some time together?" he complained.

Georgie, who had gone into her minuscule office, came back out again and wrapped herself around him. "I'm afraid it's only going to get more difficult from this point on," she said with a sigh. "You have all that research, and I just can't let Richard tackle all this on his own..."

"I know." He led her back into her office, set her down at the desk and kissed her soundly. "Stay. Work. I'll come back over later and maybe we can figure out some time for us. How about dinner and a movie one night?"

Georgie smiled. "I usually have Tuesday evenings free. Hurry back!"

***

But scheduling time alone for the two of them proved to be a nightmare. Monday was a long day for both, and when Alex was free Tuesday, Georgie ended up having to cover for Richard, who had put his back out. She was working day and night Wednesday and Thursday, as well, and Friday, when she finally got a night free, Alex had to work late.

"It looks like it won't be until Sunday night until I am free," he told her in a tired voice on the phone that night. "I haven't even had time for a decent meal."

"As if you would know one if it hit you in the face," Georgie teased, but she resolved to alleviate some of the problem, if she could. She asked if she could go and check on Spit for him the next day, and he immediately took her up on the offer. "Come over early, about eight o'clock, and I will give you a key," he said.

Giving her a key and quick kiss was all he had time for the next morning, but as it was a weekend, Georgie had little time of her own to feel put out. Besides, she had other plans in mind for Dr. Bailey. A home-cooked meal that evening, for starters.

Richard was back on his feet, despite the pain he must have been in, and Georgie made arrangements with Dr. Bennet to oversee the dining room guests that night before she went next door, let herself in and spent a good half hour playing with the attention-starved little kitten before unloading several grocery bags full of food. Then she set about making chicken Marsala, pasta and a salad. While she warmed a loaf of Italian bread in the oven and opened a bottle of wine, she rearranged one of his smaller kitchen cabinets to her satisfaction and then set the table. Even if she had to wait all night, she was going to see that he ate a decent meal when he got home. She washed dishes while she cooked, not wanting to waste time later.

But eight o'clock stretched into nine, and then ten, with Georgie playing with Spit and watching TV, and just when she decided to lie down on the sofa for a few minutes, her cell phone rang. It was Richard. His back was bothering him again, he was going to the carriage house to take some pain medication, and could she come over and watch the front desk?

With a sigh, she packed up some of her utensils, put the food in the refrigerator and headed back home, grumbling under her breath as she checked on Richard. He was resting, albeit uncomfortably, and doing some grumbling of his own, because he hated taking medication for anything.

"When I was in the Army..." he began.

"...You had a sergeant who was a whizz at putting your back into place. Well, he's not here now, so guess what? Pain pills. A good chiropractor might help, too."

"I'll call around first thing Monday morning. In the meantime..."

"Don't you worry, cuz. I'll send Dr. Bennet out with an ice pack."

"I'm sorry I ruined your evening with Alex."

"What evening? He's not even home yet!" On that, she stomped out of the apartment and headed for the inn.

***

The next day, Richard was still in bed, and Lizzie came over to help in the kitchen while the twins and Dr. Bennet spent the day changing sheets and cleaning bathrooms, which gave Georgie time to slip next door and check on Spit. He was happy to see her, and she gave him some extra kitten chow and checked to see if Alex had eaten. A plate, fork and cup sat in the dish drainer and there was a note on the table.

Supper was delicious! I hope to see you this evening. Will you cook for me again? Love, Alex

Georgie smiled as she pocketed the note. As far as love letters went, it left to be a lot to desired, but she was determined to keep it just the same.

"It really is true," she told the kitten. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"Mrow!" he agreed from over the top of his food dish.

"Yeah, you, too. Now, what shall I make for supper tonight?" There was a large can of black beans and a can of tomatoes in the pantry, and she had some onions and peppers left over from the night before, so she threw it all in the slow cooker. She would come over later with some rice, and spruce up the salad. Putting the clean dishes back in the cupboard, she went back to the inn, and back to work.

That work went on for hours, because it was Sunday, and time to update the paperwork, and when she looked at her watch, it was already 10 o'clock. Without even bothering to call Alex, she settled down for the night and went to sleep. At least there would have been a home-cooked meal for him...

***

On Monday, Dr. Bennet drove Richard to the chiropractor, and Jane came over to help in the kitchen.

"I left the kids with Louisa," was the reply when Georgie did not see Maddy, Aaron and Grace, as she had expected. "We can get more accomplished without them underfoot." Georgie agreed, but she was sorely disappointed.

When it was time for a break, she excused herself, then, to check on Spit. If she couldn't cuddle a baby, at least there was the kitten.

But Spit did not come when she called, and she spent fifteen minutes searching every room in the house for the little hairball before finding him curled up on Alex's bed.

Alex's bed...

It was a old-fashioned double bed, set in an old iron frame and covered with a hand-made quilt. The quilt had just been thrown over the mattress in a hurried fashion, and Georgie spent a few moments making it properly.

An old walnut dresser and nightstand were the only other furniture in the room, and the walls were bare. Spartan accommodations that could use a few touches, she decided. Scouting out the spare bedrooms, of which there were three, and an old nursery up on the third floor, she came back with a nice landscape in oils that matched the colors on the quilt, an old embroidered runner for the top of the dresser, and a couple of chenille pillows for the bed.

"There!" she told Spit, who had been following her about the house after being dislodged during the bed-making. "Looks a little more like a real room." A rag rug on the polished wooden floor finished her decorating for the moment and she went back downstairs, pausing for a moment in the kitchen doorway.

What in the world?

The dish drainer, which had been empty when she left the day before, now held more dishes. Two sets of dishes. Who had been here having dinner with Alex?

Chapter 10

"What the...?"

Georgie blinked, rubbed her eyes with her fists, and blinked again. Nope, still two sets of dishes in the drainer.

"OK, there must be an explanation." She went over them in her mind.

1. Alex fed the cat part of his dinner. Did Spit use a fork?

2. He was incredibly clumsy and dropped a plate on the floor, having to get another plate. Then he dropped his fork, and had to get another one of those, too, thereby having to wash two sets of dishes.

3. He was one of those people who don't like their food to touch, and used two different plates and forks.

4. The first set of dishes were from supper, and the second set were from breakfast.

5. He had set the table for two, and since she hadn't shown up, he put her clean dishes in the drainer instead of putting them back in the cupboard.

6. Someone - and she could just imagine who - was here last night and stayed for supper.

OK, so some of those were a little farfetched. But the last one wasn't. Or was it? Frustrated, but undaunted, she decided to try making dinner just one more time. She knew she had to be at the inn tonight, but if there were two sets of dishes in the drainer again...

Resolutely, she put away the clean dishes and began making a tuna casserole (a one-plate dish if ever there was one), only to find, the next day, two sets of dishes once again!

***

The Bingleys and the Darcys were having a night out, and had brought their broods to the inn for supper. Georgie's delight at seeing her family was overshadowed, however, by the fact that she was still fuming about her earlier discovery.

"Ooooh, he makes me so mad!" Georgie muttered under her breath as she showed the two families to their table.

"Let me guess," Will said with a chuckle. "Want me to go next door and beat him to a pulp?"

"No, but thanks anyway, 'daddy,'" she teased, and was surprised when Will turned bright red.

"What? What did I say?" She turned to Lizzie for an explanation.

"The magic word," Lizzie whispered, and then giggled. "We're pregnant!"

Georgie squealed with delight and gave her sister-in-law a hug, drawing stares from the other guests. "I wondered why you were all here tonight! How wonderful! And just when were you planning on telling me!" she demanded of them both. "And Richard! And your dad!"

Will coughed and glared at Lizzie. "Lizzie's dad knows, but we haven't even told the Bingleys yet. I was hoping to pull you aside and see if you could round up some champagne before making an announcement."

"Champagne, coming up! Hey, Jane! Make sure this expectant mom doesn't drink any of the champagne I'm on my way to fetch!" She pointed to Lizzie as she called across the table, where Jane was settling her children. Jane, too, squealed with excitement, thrust Grace into Charles' arms and ran to hug the Darcys.

Georgie danced into the kitchen, Alex all but forgotten. "Richard! Where is Dr. Bennet? I'm going down for some champagne...I want Lizzie's dad to give the first toast to Will's unborn child!" She laughed at the shocked expression on Richard's face and went down to the cellar for a couple of bottles of the good stuff. Richard was beaming by the time she came back upstairs, a bottle under each arm. He had a tray of glasses ready.

"It's not chilled, but if we put it on ice, we can all have some with their dessert," she decided.

"Are you going to call Alex to join us?" he asked.

"No, why should I?" Georgie was rather proud of the indifferent face she put to her cousin before going back into the dining room to take orders for dinner. Now if she could just feel indifferent...

To her credit, she did try, several times, to call Alex and share her good news. If he was home in time, he could have a glass a champagne. But his cell phone was busy and the home phone rang and rang. She was going to have to get that man an answering machine.

In the meantime, there were toasts to be made, champagne to be consumed and good wishes to be shared. When the family left, everyone was in a happy mood, except for Georgie, who kept thinking about Alex, even as she gave her brother a last kiss, thanking him for making her an aunt.

"I know I don't have to tell you to take care of Lizzie," she told him, "but don't treat her like a piece of glass, either, will ya? That would drive her absolutely nuts," she advised. Will gravely agreed, kissed his sister in return, and didn't even mention Alex, to her relief.

She tried his phones one last time, to no avail, before declaring outright war on the man. As soon as she had everything settled for the night, she was going to go next door, waiting up for him if she had to. And Miss Larson was going to see just who had the upper hand when it came to Alex's affection!

***

Only it didn't turn out exactly as she planned.

It was going on 10 o'clock before she ended up next door, only moments before she heard the Volkswagen and another vehicle pull up to the side of the house. She ran to the front door in time to greet a surprised Alex, but he only registered mild shock before a delighted smile brightened his face.

"Georgie!"

He dropped his briefcase to the floor and there, in the doorway of his own home, took her into his arms and kissed her soundly. When he finally loosened his lips and his grip, he wouldn't let her run off, only put one arm around her waist and propelled her into the front room. If she had a coherent thought at that moment, it was a smug feeling that Miss Larson had gotten an eyeful of Alex's greeting.

"Georgie, I'd like you to meet my new assistant, Dennis James."

"Dennis? Assistant? I thought Miss Larson was your assistant." She had just been given a huge public display of affection in front of his new assistant? Oh, no! Not Miss Larson. Could Miss Larson really be gone? Hallelujah!

Then she felt like she had just been doused with a bucket full of ice.

"No, sweetheart - Amy is my research assistant. Denny is my administrative assistant."

"Oh! Mr. James." She nodded in his direction, but she was sorely disappointed that Miss Larson was still working for Alex.

"And Denny, this is the love of my life, Georgiana Darcy."

"I've heard so much about you, Miss Darcy. It is a pleasure. May I say that you are an excellent cook?"

"Thank you - but how do you know?"

"I'm sorry you couldn't be here the last couple of nights, Georgie." Alex went back to retrieve his briefcase and shut the front door before Spit escaped. "Else I could have introduced Denny before now. I've been so busy in the lab, he's been dropping by here to finish up the paperwork, and I've been feeding him."

"Oh! How kind of you, Alex." What else could she say? She felt like the worst sort of heel, thinking Alex had been entertaining Miss Larson, when he had been sharing his meal with his other assistant. His male assistant. And where the heck were her manners?

"I have supper ready for the both of you, then," she said. "Can I join you, or will I be in the way of your work?"

Alex laughed sheepishly. "Actually, we are finished. Denny came over for the food."

The three went into the kitchen and worked in companionable silence, Denny setting the table, Alex opening a bottle of red wine, and Georgie dishing up plates of spaghetti and meat sauce. Spit supervised, and when Georgie put down a small dish of spaghetti, he voiced his thanks.

"Denny and I owe you, Georgie, for such wonderful meals," Alex said once he had eaten two plates of pasta. Georgie beamed. His mom would be so proud of the way she was feeding her son.

"Maybe you two would like to go out dancing one night, with me and my fiancee?" Denny asked.

"You are engaged?" Alex seemed surprised.

"Maria and I are going to be married in the fall. It would have been sooner, but for a few setbacks." Denny turned to Georgie. "I used to be an assistant in an accounting firm, but when my company downsized, I lost my job. But now Alex has hired me to keep his office in line. So far, so good, but I want to be a little bit more established before Maria and I tie the knot. She has a symphony tour this summer, so we might as well wait."

"Maria? Maria Lucas?"

"Why, yes. Do you know Maria?" Denny smiled broadly.

"We went to school together! You remember Maria, Alex - she has that jazz trio that played at your cocktail party!"

The three happily continued their conversation, agreeing that the four of them should go out together soon. While Georgie made a pot of decaf, Alex urged Denny to share a couple of humorous stories from when he was in the Army. That was when she learned he also knew Richard, by reputation, although not personally.

"We lowly sergeants were a chummy lot, though," he told her. "Fitzwilliam's sergeant, his personal aide, was the best. Cutest little thing, not bigger than a minute, but tough as nails. She taught me everything I know about organization."

"She? Wait a minute. I've been hearing stories about Sgt. Forrester for years, and I never knew he was a she! I wonder why Richard never..."

"I don't know. Diana Forrester was his right hand, though. She had a fierce crush on him, too, but knew her place."

Georgie's expression was thoughtful. "There's something going on here I need to check in to. But not tonight. I'm exhausted. Too much champagne... ALEX!" she shouted, startling everyone, including Spit, who ran for cover. How could she forget! "I'm going to be an aunt! Lizzie's pregnant! Everyone was at the inn for the celebration tonight, and I tried to call and give you the news..."

"That's wonderful!" Alex rose from the table and gave Georgie a hug.

Denny took that as his cue to leave. "Delicious, as usual, Miss Darcy. Call me at the office soon and let me know what night you want to go out. Maria is usually free during the week, but I have this new boss who thinks I'm available day and night," he joked.

"Your new boss is paying dearly for your overtime hours," Alex grumbled good-naturedly. "But let Georgie tell you what night she is free and you can schedule us both off."

Denny left, and after seeing him to the front door, Alex called to Georgie to forget the dishes. "Come in here," he beckoned from the front parlor. "We've more important things to do."

Georgie didn't need to be asked twice.

***

"Twin Oaks Inn." Georgie was working in the office the next morning when the phone rang. It was Jane.

"I'm so thrilled for Lizzie and Will!" was the first thing out of Jane's mouth, and she and Georgie spent a few minutes sharing their continued excitement. "Let's give her a few months, make sure everything is going OK, and then we can plan a baby shower. Can we have it at the inn?"

"Of course. Or next door. Alex has plenty of room."

"Oh, so you are over your little snit, are you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Georgie said a little too innocently.

"Oh, come off it, Georgie. The entire world knows your every emotion, honey, and last night, when everyone else was so happy the walls were dripping sugar, it could only be Alex giving you problems. Want to tell Auntie Jane all about it?"

"No - my little 'snit,' as you call it, has been resolved. What I want to know is, will it always be like this?"

"Like what?"

"Me getting upset, him not having a clue as to why I'm upset, and just when I get mad enough to do or say something about it, he says or does something and diffuses the situation, one he wasn't even aware of in the first place. How does he do that?"

Jane howled. "Get used to it, sweetie. It's a guy thing. They don't even know they do it. However, I called because I wanted to remind you that you owe me a day of baby-sitting."

"I thought it was a night of baby-sitting?"

"Whatever. What afternoon do you have free?"

"I have time Thursday and Sunday."

"How about Sunday? I'll drop the kids off right after church and you can feed them. I'll come get them about six o'clock."

"Fine with me. Alex doesn't know it, of course, but he owes me big time, for two sets of dishes in the drainer. He can help watch the kids."

"Huh?"

"Long story. I'll tell you sometime."

"OK. See you Sunday, if not sooner, and ask Alex if we can use his house for Lizzie's baby shower."

"Will do."

"Yeah, I guess he did," Jane snickered. "And look what happened!"

"Jane?" Georgie was trying not to laugh. Jane really needed no encouragement.

"Yes?"

"You are very naughty!"

***

Sunday afternoon was a beautiful summer day, so after Alex and Georgie fed Maddie, Aaron and Grace, they put the baby in her stroller and walked the kids to the park. The elder two children were let loose almost as soon as they entered the park, with Alex on their heels to make sure they stayed safe. Georgie took Grace out of the stroller and walked over to a bench.

There was another woman seated there, a pretty thing who looked like she had seen better days, and who was very pregnant. Georgie thought of Lizzie and sighed. She loved the Bingley children dearly, but the thought of being a real, live aunt was almost as exciting as knowing that Alex loved her. Almost.

She watched a long time as Alex played with Aaron and Maddy, and thought how much like a real family the five of them appeared. Apparently the lady on the bench thought so, too.

"What a lovely family you and your husband have."

"Oh, we're not married." Georgie realized how that sounded, and she laughed out loud. "I mean, he and I aren't married, and we're baby-sitting for friends."

"Too bad. You look like you belong together, especially you and that baby."

"Oh, Grace and I are old friends, aren't we, sweetheart," she cooed at the baby, who gurgled and smiled. "And I am going to be an aunt soon, myself. I can't wait. I love babies."

"You should have some of your own, too."

Georgie eyed Alex, chasing Aaron around the swings. "Oh, I plan on it. And sooner rather than later, I think, although I don't know how well a family will work with my current job. I run the Twin Oaks Inn down the street."

"That would make it difficult to raise kids, I imagine."

"Exactly! But I'm a fairly optimistic person. I'm sure, with some help, we can work things out."

"You're lucky to have someone to work with. I'm afraid it's just this little one and myself for now," the woman told her, rubbing her extended stomach in a distracted manner. "My mother has been no help at all, and the baby's father, well...I don't even want to think about it."

Grace had fallen asleep, so Georgie put her tenderly back in the stroller, where she didn't, unbelievably, wake. She looked up to see Alex waving her toward the park entrance, a worn-out Aaron on his shoulder, Maddy trudging along manfully behind.

"I'm Georgie, by the way. I have to go, but I hope things work out. Take care." Georgie slowly wheeled the sleeping baby away.

"I'm Lydia," the other woman said sadly to herself. "And I'll try."

Chapter 11 

Georgie had found a new friend in Denny James.

The perfect administrative assistant, and very aware of Alex and Georgie's relationship, he structured his supervisor's days and work load so that Alex could be home at a decent hour and spend more time with Georgie.

Georgie was not slow in showing her appreciation, and homemade goodies began showing up at Insectitech on a regular basis.

Maria Lucas, thrilled that her fiancé was working for Alex, and that Alex and Georgie were together, took it upon herself to organize several evenings for the four of them. One night they went dancing, they all enjoyed bowling at the Meryton Lanes, and when Georgie invited everyone out to the farm, Maria even planned lunch. Georgie joked that she and Alex had their own social secretaries.

There was one fly in the ointment, however, and Denny spotted it in the first few weeks of his employment: Amy Larson.

He found it annoying the way she tried to boss him around, and how she always found some way to put her hands on Alex. Wondering if Georgie even knew of Amy's existence, he talked to Maria, who promptly showed up at the inn for a chat with her friend.

"She's next door cooking supper and feeding Alex's cat," Richard told her when she dropped by. Maria found Georgie in the kitchen next door, singing along with a local country music station and making pies.

"Whatcha doing?" she called from the back door.

"Baking pies. Peach and berry. I've made some lemonade, too. Wait out there. It's too hot in here and we can sit out under the trees."

"Mrow," the kitten demanded.

"Yeah, you can come, too. But if you even look like you are wandering off, back in the house you go."

"Mrow!" Spit agreed, so she let him out the door and asked Maria to keep an eye on him while she fixed a tray.

Soon Georgie joined her friend outside, bringing two tall glasses of lemonade and big slices of chocolate cake.

"I'm going to gain ten pounds before the end of the year if I keep baking like this," Georgie admitted.

"Well, they say you do that when you get married or move in together."

"I wouldn't presume to think that far ahead."

Maria didn't believe her for a second, and told her so.

"I'll admit the thought of marriage to Alex has crossed my mind a time or two," Georgie laughingly replied.

"Only a time or two? Speaking of Alex, Denny really likes working for him. Says he's a nice man and a good boss."

"He is a nice guy."

"In fact, Denny says that except for Miss Larson, it's the best job he's ever had.

"Miss Larson," Georgie groaned. She rolled her eyes and Maria chuckled.

"It infuriates Denny to see her put her hands all over Alex, always touching him and stuff. I'm glad it's not Denny she wants, or I'd have to go down there and smack her around. In fact, you should be down there smacking her around."

"I don't know," Georgie prevaricated. "I don't really go around taking people out, you know." Her expression was as innocent as a newborn baby's. "I wonder what Alex thinks of all this attention?" She had always wanted to know that, but had been afraid to ask Alex.

"Can you say 'clueless'?"

Georgie cracked up. "I should have known."

***

She should have known, too, that sooner or later, Amy would realize Alex and Georgie were a serious couple, and take action.

It started innocently enough, when, one Sunday afternoon, after Georgie had invited him to the farm, he asked if they could stop by the office first.

"Sure. I've yet to be given a tour of that place..." Georgie hinted.

"I think I can find someone knowledgeable to show you around," he teased.

So they went to Insectitech, and Georgie ooohed and aaahed appropriately over the offices and laboratories, until they ran into Miss Larson.

"I've just been catching up on my work," that woman explained when Alex wondered what she was doing at the office on a weekend. But the look she gave Georgie was full of venom.

"Carry on, Miss Larson. I'm just showing Georgie around."

"How nice," Miss Larson said sweetly, and got up from her desk to follow them around. She watched Georgie, who had her hands behind her back, nosing around several tables with interest, and sidled over to her while Alex wasn't looking.

"Careful, Miss Darcy. Musn't touch!"

Alex looked up from a metal holder of test tubes in surprise. "Please don't touch anything, Georgie. This work is extremely sensitive and valuable."

"But-"

Miss Larson smiled slyly at Georgie, and she quelled a sudden desire to punch the research assistant right between her eyes. But Miss Larson wasn't finished. Ever so slightly, she slid a glass dish over to the edge of the counter, where it wobbled for a moment before shattering at Georgie's feet.

"Oops!" Miss Larson said insincerely. "I do believe Miss Darcy is a trifle on the clumsy side, sir. Perhaps she could be persuaded to tour elsewhere in the building."

"But-"

"Not a bad idea, Miss Larson. But we really must be going anyway. Come, Georgie."

Georgie followed Alex meekly enough, but she was fuming - as she passed Miss Larson, that woman stuck her tongue out at her. Georgie resisted making an obscene gesture toward the assistant (what if Alex caught her, which seemed to be her luck...), but she did recognize Miss Larson's antics for what they were - a declaration of war.

If she didn't think it was war that day, though, she would have guessed at least sometime the next week. Every evening Denny made sure Alex was home in time to have dinner or some free time with Georgie, and every evening, Miss Larson called Alex's house with a question or other. As they all seemed valid questions, at least on Georgie's end of the line, she could not complain. Oh, she could complain, but then she would have looked like a jealous witch, and she wanted to avoid that all cost.

But whenever they went out with Denny and Maria, and Miss Larson inevitably appeared, it started to get more than annoying.

"How in the world does she know when Alex is home, and how does she know where we are when we go out together?" she asked Denny one night when they had gone bowling. Alex had gone to get a pizza and a pitcher of beer for them all, and Miss Larson had trotted off after him.

"And does she realize how ridiculous she looks in those bowling shoes and her business suit?" Maria added.

"She's a sly one," Denny agreed. "I keep Alex's schedule on my desk, even his off-time, in case he is needed, and I suppose she is going over my calendar."

"Oh. That explains how she ended up on the other side of the creek at Pemberley Farms the other day, when we had taken the twins for a swim. That's as far as Will's land extends, or else I could have had the fun of ordering her off the property."

"What about property?" Alex wanted to know, balancing a pizza and a pitcher.

"Nothing dear," Georgie told him and helped him set everything on the table. She noted with much satisfaction, however, that Miss Larson had not been invited to join the group.

"Did you notice how Miss Larson shows up everywhere we go?" she asked innocently. "She looks so lonely. Perhaps Maria and I can fix her up with a man, so she can have some fun of her own."

"I don't know, Georgie. She's such a workaholic. Every time I go into the office after hours, she's always there. She might not appreciate it."

"Oh, I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it," Georgie agreed sweetly. Maria snickered and even Denny hid a smile. "Her type never does. But I feel so sorry for her..."

***

But the blind date idea was a bust. Georgie had at first considered pressing Richard into action, or even Dr. Bennet, but decided against it. What if they hit it off? Then she would be forced to see Miss Larson forever. It was Maria who came up with the solution: Guy Rogers, the saxophone player in her jazz trio.

"I don't care if they hit it off or not, because she's not stalking my man," she told Georgie, who had to agree. However, even after Denny and Maria went to a lot of trouble for Guy to meet Miss Larson innocently enough at Insectitech, and he asked her out, she refused. He called her again, and again she refused. Georgie and Maria had to admit they had failed, but they weren't about to give up the war, just because they had lost a skirmish.

Alex, too, had begun to wonder what all the secrecy between Denny, Maria and herself was about.

"We're just trying to fix Miss Larson up with a man," he was told, and he let it go.

"You know," Denny said one evening, when they had all gone dancing and Miss Larson had shown up once again, "if you and Alex were married, that would go a long way in showing her she hasn't a chance with him." The trio watched as Alex, being polite, was dancing with his research assistant.

Georgie blushed. "There is nothing I would like better than to be married to Alex, but he is the type to take forever to propose."

"What is wrong with proposing to him? I'll bet he accepts in a heartbeat!" Denny wasn't blind; he knew how much Georgie meant to his boss.

"Hmmm, do you think so?" Georgie, once she had an idea in her head, was as much of a bulldozer as her brother. Propose to Alex...

***

"You propose to Alex? I think that is a wonderful idea!" his mother enthused the next afternoon. "Let's face it, my dear, the boy is incredibly slow. I sometimes wonder if he is even my child."

"Oh, I think he is, because he is so sweet," Georgie couldn't help but reply.

"Well, I'll admit there is some resemblance."

"I only have one problem. His research assistant, Miss Larson." Georgie went on to explain how Alex was being stalked by his employee.

"Of all the nerve! But I have an idea. Let me think about it for awhile, and I will call you this evening at the inn. In the meantime, what are you feeding my son? He stopped by the apartment the other day when he was in the city for a meeting, and I swear, we are going to have to buy that man some new clothes. He has put on ten pounds, at least! About time, too!"

"Unfortunately, I've gained almost the same amount!"

"Oh, I think you could use it, too, my dear. It's not good for women of child-bearing years to be too thin, you know..."

"Ur, um, yes ma'am," Georgie meekly replied. But she was grinning from ear to ear as she asked Mrs. Bailey if Alex had told her the news about Lizzie.

"No! But you know Alex, dear, he is so absentminded. That's wonderful! Gives me a good excuse to go shopping, too."

"We are going to have a baby shower here very soon. May I send you an invitation?"

"I will never forgive you, dear, if you don't!"

***

"Insectitech, Dr. Bailey's office."

"Denny!" Georgie didn't know why she whispered, but it seemed appropriate.

"Georgie! Why are you whispering?" he whispered back.

"I don't know." She laughed and tickled Spit with her foot while she whipped up a cheesecake. "I'm here at Alex's, baking cheesecake, with just Spit for company."

"Can you send that cheesecake into the office?" he asked plaintively.

"Sure! In exchange for some help..."

"Spill it! And make it quick! Miss You-Know-Who is coming down the hall right now."

"OK! Look, I'm going to propose to Alex over a picnic in his office. I want you to schedule me an appointment for lunch for next Tuesday."

"So late? Why not this Friday?"

"You know how busy it gets at the inn on the weekends. If I do this next Tuesday, I will have time to prepare."

"Gotcha. I'm penciling you in for lunch next Tuesday."

"Thanks, Denny, you are the best!"

"Don't forget to send the cheesecake."

"If you don't think Alex will get jealous," she said with a laugh.

***

After a telephone conversation that continued over several days with Mrs. Bailey and Denny, Georgie showed up at Insectitech promptly at noon Tuesday in a sexy summer dress and strappy little sandals, a basket full of his favorite foods, and a ring, only to find a crotchety old lady at Denny's desk, and no appointment on the calendar for Georgie.

"What?" she cried when the old lady nastily told her she was not allowed to wait in Dr. Bailey's office.

"No appointment, no appointment," she told Georgie.

"When is Denny coming back?" Georgie wanted to know.

"He called in sick today, not that it's any of your business."

"Oh, no!" What else could she do but haul her lunch home with her, and start all over? And why did she have the sneaky suspicion that Miss Larson was behind this latest snafu?

Chapter 12

Contrary to what everyone else thought, Alex was getting dog tired of being pursued by Miss Larson, and he was totally aware of how frustrated Georgie was by the entire ordeal.

When Miss Larson had caused several accidents that day in the lab, he almost called her on it, but having dealt with Amy before, he was in no mood to listen to her saccharine-sweet apologies and witness her crocodile tears. At the time, it was easier to have Georgie bear the brunt of the situation, even as it pained him to have her do so.

And his Georgie did not complain when Amy began showing up everywhere they did. He had nothing but admiration for the patient young woman he was hoping to soon call his wife.

He had the proposal all planned out, too. With some help from his mom, whom he was sure would welcome the idea with open arms, he would fix supper for Georgie, who always cooked for him, and then take her out on the front porch, where he was planning to have a swing installed. There he would ask her, in the summer moonlight, to share the rest of her life with him. He already had the ring, so it would be just a matter of timing...

***

"That man has awful timing!" Georgie grumbled that same afternoon. She had gone to Insectitech for another lunch date, only to be told, sheepishly, by Denny, that someone had changed his calendar once again, and Alex had taken the opportunity for a quick trip into the city to see his mother.

"Now how am I going to be able to propose?" she wailed. "I've got to fix that woman's wagon before she... Why good afternoon, Miss Larson," she called sweetly as the research assistant approached Denny's desk. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"I work here," Miss Larson said haughtily, implying, of course, that Georgie did not. The picnic basket got a pointed look, and then a smirk that Georgie wanted to wipe the floor with. "Mr. James, if you will be so kind as to submit these purchase orders? I need these as soon as possible. As in yesterday!" she barked, dropped a huge pile of papers on Denny's desk, and walked away.

"Blasted witch!" Denny growled. "Spends all week hoarding these things and then expects me to deal with them at the last minute... On the other hand, what if she never gave them to me at all?" He grinned wickedly at Georgie, picked up the pile of forms and then proceeded to shred every last one of them.

"You are a bad man," Georgie admitted.

"I do my best. Now, as to your appointment, what can we do to keep her from erasing you off the calendar?"

"Give me a different name?" she suggested.

"Perfect! And I know just the name to use, too. There is one person Amy Larson would never dare erase from Alex's schedule - his mom!"

"Yeah! Let's schedule Mrs. Bailey for...next Tuesday again, shall we? And let's send a memo to Miss Larson asking her to drop by at that time, so she can be introduced. There is no way she is going to want to miss that!"

"Looks like I'm not the only bad one around here," Denny murmured, but he readily complied. "I'll draw up the memo tomorrow, because by then, she will know that he went to see his mom today. She can come in while the two of you are having a cozy picnic, and after you have asked him to marry you. And I'll ask her to bring a jar of ants, too. Can't have a picnic without ants."

"Ants?"

"Yes, and I want you to find a way to break the jar and get her in trouble. Ants are not cheap, no matter what you might think, and Alex will not think too kindly of her damaging valuable research material."

"I may have to forget Alex and fight Maria for your hand," Georgie told him as the two laughed over their plan.

***

"Well, Mom, what do you think?" Alex showed his mother Georgie's engagement ring, and she started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing dear," she tried to tell him, but the thought of Alex and Georgie in a race to propose to each other was nothing short of hysterical.

"Mom..."

"Sorry, dear." She wiped her eyes with a tissue and took the ring out of his hand. "Platinum? It's beautiful. The sapphires will match her eyes, and the diamond is exquisite. Where did you get this? Tiffany's?"

"I had it custom-made by a jeweler in Meryton. He said he was doing a lot of custom work lately. Did you know there is some woman in town who plans on proposing to her boyfriend? The guy was telling me all about it, and that's just crazy. Mom? Mom! What is so funny?"

"Never mind. Georgie is going to love this, and that is all that matters."

"If I could only get rid of Miss Larson..."

"The woman is stalking you, Alex. Give her a period of time in which to quit, or you will fire her, and if that doesn't work, your father can write up some sort of restraining order, or whatever it is they use for those kinds of weirdoes."

"How do you know about Miss Larson?"

"I talk to Georgie about twice a week, dear. Don't you think all of this is unfair to her, too?"

"Yes, it is. She's been a trooper, though, never complaining, always trying to be as nice as possible to Amy. I really admire her for the way she is handling all this. Any other woman would be plotting a thousand evil ways to get rid of her, or at least throwing things and screaming at me to handle it all. My Georgie is above that."

"Yes, dear," his mom agreed, trying extremely hard not to burst into laughter again. "Georgie is very patient. Have you seen her lately?"

"Only in the evenings. She keeps talking about coming by the office so we can go to lunch, but I haven't seen her name on my appointment book yet. She must be too busy at the inn. Sometimes she can't even get free until late afternoon."

"I imagine that would be difficult," said Mrs. Bailey with a straight face. "Why don't you check with your efficient Mr. James and see what can be arranged? Maybe you could even go home for lunch one day?"

"Good idea! Denny is a whiz at organizing. I'll call him right now." He whipped out his cell phone and dialed his office.

"Dr. Bailey's office, Miss Larson speaking."

"Amy? Alex. Where's Denny?"

"He's taking a coffee break. What can I do for you, doctor?"

Alex cringed. Amy tried to make her voice sound sultry, but it only grated on his nerves.

"I need you to leave a note for Denny, please, asking him to call Georgie and schedule a time I can go home for lunch with her. OK?"

"Yes, sir!"

"This is very important, Miss Larson. I'll be checking my schedule."

"Yes, sir!"

"There, done!" he told his mother after he hung up. "Denny will take care of everything."

"If he gets the message," Mrs. Bailey said under her breath.

***

"Hello?"

"Hello, Georgie dear!"

"Donna, how lovely of you to call! I was just thinking about you!"

"Yes?"

"That Larson woman did it again - I went to have lunch with Alex today, and he was gone. Did you have a nice time with your son?"

"It was very entertaining," Mrs. Bailey said with a laugh, but didn't explain herself. "And I have some interesting news. Alex is planning on coming home one day soon to have lunch with you." She didn't tell Georgie every detail of that lunch, of course. She wouldn't spoil this for either of them for the world.

"Oh, really. I wonder if Denny knows about this yet."

"Not yet. Alex called to arrange everything with him, and Miss Larson was at his desk. That's why I'm calling. Would you be a dear and call Denny and tell him Miss Larson was supposed to leave a message on his desk to call Alex? If you call now, Denny can phone Alex while he is on his way back to Meryton. Otherwise..."

"...He will never get the message."

"Exactly!"

***

Sometimes, the best-laid plans often go awry. That Tuesday morning, Alex looked at his schedule and saw his mother was down for lunch. That wouldn't do. He called her to cancel, and when she admitted to having no such appointment, he figured Miss Larson was up to her antics and decided to go home and surprise Georgie. Without telling Denny where he was going, he slipped the ring box into his pocket, waited until there was no one in the outer office, and headed toward the inn.

However, when he got there, Richard admitted Georgie had gone to Insectitech.

"Uh, oh..."

Racing back across town, he snuck back into his office, made a couple of phone calls, and waited for Georgie, only to have a surprised Denny tell him that Georgie had arrived, found him missing, and left again, very unhappy. There was one person waiting, unfortunately, and that was Miss Larson. Wearing a new suit and carrying a jar full of black ants.

"I can't wait to meet your mother," she simpered, waltzing into his office to discover Alex there alone. "Where is she?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Alex said with something akin to a sigh.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" If Alex had been looking at his research assistant, instead of staring out of the window, he would have seen genuine puzzlement on her face. Instead, he watched as Georgie's little convertible came racing back into the parking lot.

"Come off it, Miss Larson!" Thinking he might need a witness, he quietly turned on the intercom and prayed Denny was at his desk. He didn't realize, however, that he had switched on "broadcast," and his conversation was being sent to the entire building.

"You have been stalking me for weeks, Miss Larson, you caused the accidents in the lab that you blamed on Miss Darcy, and you have been erasing my appointments and filling them in with your own! I called my mother and she was never scheduled to visit me today. How do you explain, then, why she was down on my calendar?"

"But I...I...I only erased Georgie's appointments, Alex. I never wrote in any other ones, I swear!"

"So you do admit to erasing Georgie off my schedule?"

"Yes! And I've been following you around and calling you on purpose, too! And yes, I did cause those lab accidents! I love you and I hate Miss Darcy! Oh, why couldn't you choose me? Are you happy now?" she shrieked. In a rage, she took the jar of ants and threw it to the floor, where it landed on the carpet with a thud. "Look at this stupid jar! It won't...even..." Amy kicked the jar with her shoe and it flew across the room where it hit the desk and shattered, scattering bewildered little ants in all directions. "And you can't fire me - I quit!" She stormed out of the office. Scatterings of applause were heard down the hall.

"Good!" Alex called to her retreating figure. "I won't have to shell out any severance pay! I won't have to use that restraining order, either!"

"Alex!" Georgie cried, flying into his office as quickly as she could.

"Watch out for the glass..."

"Oh!" She stopped, the picnic basket thudding to a halt on the back of her legs.

"Good riddance, huh? Denny, can you get someone in here to clean up? I'll admit the ants are a realistic touch to Miss Darcy's picnic lunch, but I can think of a better spot for a meal. Shall we?" Holding out an arm to Georgie, he escorted her from the office, leaving a grinning Denny in their wake.

"Where are we going?" Georgie wanted to know.

"You'll see." He wouldn't say anything more, but drove out of Meryton and took the north road. Georgie started to grin as she watched the landmarks leading to the farm passing her by. But when they drove past the entrance to Pemberley Farms, she frowned.

"Where are you taking me?"

"For a drive." They headed north and west for almost an hour before skirting back around the western part of town, and, finally, Georgie saw that they were headed home.

"Home?" she asked.

He pulled up into the driveway, and Georgie saw something odd on the front porch. When had Alex gotten a swing? Spit was lounging in it, sunning himself, and the front door was open.

"Welcome home, darling," Alex told her softly as he walked her into the house.

It was just as he had planned, with a little help from his mother and Richard. His mom had called a florist and a handyman, and Richard had whipped up a nice dinner. The swing was hung, the front parlor and the dining room filled with flowers, and dinner was on the stove.

"Alex, it's beautiful! What's the occasion?"

"Us. Go wash up, my love, it's time to eat."

***

Georgie went to wash her hands, and her brain was working fast and furious. If Alex was going to celebrate their being together, now was a perfect time to ask him to marry her. She patted her skirt pocket, where the ring she had had designed just for Alex sat, and hurried back to Alex's side.

"What about Spit?"

"He can have the swing to himself. For now. Have a seat, so I can serve you."

Georgie pouted after he left the room. She should have offered to serve, and then she could have put the ring in his food.

He was back soon, though, too soon for her to talk him into letting her take over, because he was carrying a plate of hors d'oeuvres.

"No, no, no, you just sit there, and enjoy."

"But Alex, I can help..."

"Nope. Eat. Tonight," he said in a silky voice, "the kitchen is mine."

"Ummm, OK."

Alex was extremely attentive during the meal, coaxing her to eat lobster thermidor and new peas, and a handsome chocolate gateau for dessert. If she hadn't been so confused about the entire day's proceedings, and intent on getting in her proposal, she might have been more aware of Alex's intentions. As it was, she was completely clueless when he finally finished his cup of coffee and gently steered her out to the porch swing.

A protesting Spit was ushered inside, where, unknown to his human friends, he proceeded to shred the dining room flowers.

Georgie was settled on the swing, and Alex sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. She thought he was going to kiss her, but he began to laugh instead.

"What is so funny?"

"Here I had planned a romantic evening, candlelight and roses, and plenty of moonlight, and the darned porch isn't even facing the moon!"

Georgie chuckled and tried to rise from the swing. "We could stroll around to the back of the house..." And when they got there, she could propose.

"Nope." Alex's arm kept her seated. "I'm going to follow my plan as closely as I can."

"Plan?" she asked dimly.

"Plan. Georgie, do you love me?"

"Alex, I love you with all my heart. In fact..."

"Georgie," he continued, as if she hadn't tried to interrupt, "I love you more than life itself."

"Alex, will -"

"I want nothing more than to be able to spend the rest of my life with you. Georgie, will you marry me?"

"Oh, Alex, no fair!" she wailed. "I wanted to ask you! Look!" She pulled his ring out of her pocket. "I even had a ring custom-made!" She knew that wasn't exactly the answer he was looking for, if the surprise on his face was any evidence, but it was too bad of him, really, not to let her have her way.

"I had a ring made just for you, too," he said gently, and produced it.

"Oh, Alex!" she cried, her disappointment in the proposal all but forgotten at the sight of her ring. "It's beautiful!"

"So you'll say yes?"

"I'll say yes if you say yes."

"Yes, Georgie, I'll marry you. Will you marry me, too?"

"Of course, darling."

Alex sealed their mutual agreement with a kiss. And several more. And then the two of them sat there and talked for several hours before going inside and phoning his mother, who cried. And laughed, especially when she could tell them she knew about both proposals.

Richard and Dr. Bennet laughed, too, when they strolled over to the inn to give them the good news, and then Will and Lizzie had to be called, and Lizzie cried buckets, blaming her tears on hormones.

"And you will be the matron of honor?" Georgie wanted to know, which set Lizzie off again, only this time because she insisted she would be as big as a barn by that time.

"Not really. I don't plan on having a long engagement," Georgie told her, winking at a surprised Alex. "We're getting married in two months' time, which should be just about right."

"Does this have anything to do with Alex undressing you?" Will wanted to know on the phone extension.

"Why yes, Will, it does," said the irrepressible Georgie. "I don't want to wait too much longer for him to be able to do it again!"

Epilogue

True to her word, Georgie threw herself into planning her wedding, and she pulled it off with only a few minor hitches by the end of August.

In the large, grassy area between the two houses, under a billowing tent, she had arranged for seating for two hundred people, a live band and a large dance floor. There were two open bars, a three-tiered cake she had made herself and a white limo decked out in pale blue ribbons.

Everyone agreed that the groom was handsome in a black tux, but the bride was stunning, her blond hair twirled up into a tiara attached to a long, narrow veil, and wearing a sleeveless, scoop-necked, princess-cut gown of white silk that swirled around her feet. A string of pearls around her neck complemented the pearly glow of her skin, and the summer sun caught the flash of the blue sapphires and diamonds in her rings.

Lizzie was the matron of honor, in an ice blue gown with an Empire waist, which helped to minimize her growing abdomen, and Jane supervised the twins, who were the flower girl and ring bearer. Alex's dad was the best man, and Spit, sporting a blue bow, sat in the front row on the groom's side with Mrs. Bailey.

Richard was in charge of catering, and had pulled out all the stops with the best barbecue dinner Will said he had ever had. The band played country music, as per Georgie's request, and she danced with as many men as she could before it was time to cut the cake. Then it was back to the dance floor, and just when she thought she could not stand up any longer, Richard took her in his arms for a few last turns.

"So, Mrs. Bailey, what do you think?"

"I think, Colonel Fitzwilliam, that we did a darned good job."

"Happy?"

"Hmmmm, deliriously so. I wish you would close the inn this next week, though. Make up something - say the plumbing is broken, and reschedule the guests. I don't like the idea of you trying to run this place by yourself. It's not fair, after all the times I've ditched you lately for Alex. It wouldn't be so bad, if Will hadn't already planned to take Lizzie on a cruise, and now Jane and Charles are going, too. And Dr. Bennet will be at the farm with the kids..."

"Don't you even give it a thought, Georgie Girl. I can manage, even without Dr. Bennet. You'll only be gone a week. What can happen in a week?"

© 2002 Copyright held by the author.

Prequel: Paging Dr. Darcy

Sequel: Welcome to the Twin Oaks Inn

Care to comment?

Back to Cindy's stories