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wonderful for us—thanks in large part to the Character Relocation Bureau. Darcy has been very happy with his firm, we have a beautiful home, wonderful friends . . . but he still misses our former life.”
    “And what about you?” I prompted.
    Eliza dropped her eyes briefly, trying to hide the tears that I knew would be there. After a moment, she looked up to offer me a sad smile. “I miss Jane,” she admitted. “Some days I can hardly bear it.” She laughed a little through her sorrow and wiped at her cheek, brushing away one of the few tears that had managed to escape. “I even miss Lydia and all of her ridiculous antics. Can you imagine?”
    I reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “Yes, I can.”
    We’ve never been able to figure out why some characters come over and others don’t. At first, it was just us Fairytales who were affected by the magical duel. But then the Literary and Nursery Rhyme characters began to migrate over—sometimes individually or in pairs, other times en masse.
    Elizabeth and Darcy had the good fortune to come over together in the Lit Migration of 2000. They were lucky. Random migrations have shattered the romances of many loving fictional couples over the years. Unfortunately for Darcy and Elizabeth, none of the others from their story joined them—a loss Eliza still mourned and I suspected Darcy did as well.
    Eliza’s way to cope with the loss of all she had ever known was to embrace her new circumstances, to throw herself into the Here and Now with the same zest for life she had exhibited in the pages of her story. She was beautiful, witty, intelligent, and had the added benefit of her story’s enduring popularity among the Ordinaries, who never seemed to run out of ideas for sequels and adaptations for Eliza—a fact that made her the envy of all Tale society. Everyone wanted to know her, be near her, and claim her as a friend.
    Darcy, on the other hand, had retreated to his former reserve, unsure how to relate to the twenty-f irst century and unable to embrace their new life with the same eagerness as his wife. He had enjoyed a tremendous amount of success with his business ventures; having a quick mind and what seemed to be a sixth sense for the ups and downs of the Ordinaries’ stock markets had netted him a fortune within a very short time of their migration. But Darcy was a man of his times—cultured, mannered, proud—the very essence of British aristocracy, and as such had a difficult time accepting the ways of contemporary America.
    His disdain for modern culture notwithstanding, I had seen the way his eyes sparked with love and desire the moment his beloved walked into a room, and was a little envious of that kind of undying affection. In spite of all their losses, they could at least find comfort in the unshakable love they shared.
    “He’ll come around,” I assured her. “You might just have to nudge him in the right direction.”
    She gave me a glance that clearly conveyed her doubt. “I fear he does not approve of my more modern ways. I am no longer certain my influence would be eagerly accepted.”
    “Have you tried including him in some of your activities that are important to you?”
    Eliza nodded. “Yes, but he does not share my activist spirit.”
    “What about something with your kids?” I suggested. “I thought you told me William is going to be starting Little League in the spring. How about that?”
    Elizabeth chuckled. “I cannot see Darcy coaching baseball, I am afraid.”
    She had a point.
    “You’ll find your common ground,” I assured her confidently. “You two were meant to be together.”
    “I have always thought so,” Elizabeth said with a grin.
    I laughed, which was exactly what she had intended. “No, you haven’t!”
    Playful and teasing now that her fears had been allayed, she laughed with me. “Well, perhaps I had my doubts in the beginning, but I saw the error of my ways.” She cast me a searching glance, her eyes