by Katie Hinderer

Created on: November 19, 2008

Heathcliff helped Elizabeth step into the carriage before following close behind her. Uncharacteristic of her perfect manners in all situations, she did not even nod a thank you. He could ring her neck, Heathcliff thought taking the seat next to her and tapping on the roof of the carriage to signal the driver to begin.

"You needn't take that attitude with me," he commented, looking over her silhouetted form as she stared out the window completely ignoring his presence. "You family was worried sick about you. It took all your mother's and my pleading to not have Maxwell out here looking for you in his condition."

Elizabeth felt a pain deep in her heart at that comment. Maxwell's health had been the one thing that worried her when she had connived the plan to sneak away to her country cousins for more excitement. He'd been fairing poorly ever since plunging into the freezing river to save a drowning little girl. The girl had bounced back in no time, but Maxwell had been fighting off colds and pneumonia for months now, his immunity weakened. Still the way Heathcliff had barged into her cousin's home and dragged her to the waiting carriage was almost barbaric. And barbarians did not deserve respect, even if they did look decidedly handsome today after riding hard to find her.

"He was mounting a horse before I convinced him I would go instead. And thank God I've found you so soon. Two more days and he would have been on that horse clinging to the main for dear life looking for your ungrateful being."

"Thank you you've made your point," Elizabeth said without bothering to turn away from the window.

If truth be told, Heathcliff had found himself almost more concerned about her well-being than the brother. He had received a note from Maxwell while at his club a place where most people knew not to disturb him unless it was an emergency. Having read the note heavily annoyed, Heathcliff was bounding out of his chair, cigar flying to the floor, brandy glass toppling off the table and onto the carpeted floor, with just the first lines Elizabeth has gone missing

The ride to Maxwell's city flat had never been so long, as that afternoon. He'd had his horse unharnessed from the carriage that usually took him about, mounted it bareback and rushed to Maxwell with thoughts of the blonde beauty spurring him through the city like a maniac.

Thirty minutes later he had remounted, this time with a saddle, and setout in the search for Elizabeth . The country cousins had been his only guess

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