Beginning, Section II

Chapter 1: "The Walk"

Author's Note: This is a Darcy and Elizabeth story that will be a series. It's meant for the Fantasia Gallery. I was inspired by the idea what if Darcy and Elizabeth were set up on a blind date? (Absoutely NOT like the TV show.) I hope you enjoy it (this is just the beginning).

"Jane, why must you be so. . . active?" Elizabeth was slumped on the couch. She was wearing a dark gray skirt and a black sweater. Although she was dressed professionally, she had one leg on the couch and the other dangling from the side. She had loosened the barrette in her hair and started shaking it out. She lay on a large throw pillow and stretched out.

She had just gotten home from work, teaching. It was Friday, and Friday for a teacher meant, bedtime at six PM. Although Elizabeth was teasing her sister, she was partly serious because she was ready to pass out on the couch from exhaustion. Ever since she had walked through the door, her sister kept insisting that she should change so that they could go on a nice brisk walk. A brisk walk was the last thing on her mind. She was ready for a hot shower and then to slip in to a t-shirt and flannel pants. She wanted to catch up on her email and reading. All week she had been focused on her lessons and students. She needed some time for herself.

Jane was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. She was dressed for their "walk". Although it was supposed to be a jog, given Elizabeth's condition on Fridays, she had to lure her by describing it as a "brisk walk". Jane understood the demands teaching could take on a person. Even though people thought of it as a "job" that you get weekends, holidays, and summers off, Jane knew the real demands of teaching, especially if the teacher was dedicated and self-conscious like Elizabeth. There were many evenings when Elizabeth would come home and have dinner then work some more whether it was planning or grading. Jane encouraged her sister to be more social and take time for herself. But since Elizabeth took the responsibility of teaching very seriously, her social life was practically at a stand still. She hoped to remedy that soon.

Jane was looking in the mirror in the front hall. She was putting her hair up in a loose bun. She looked at Elizabeth through the mirror, smiled and said, "Elizabeth, you know that every Friday we are supposed to go for our walk. You even admitted to me the other day that you were in need of some form of exercise." She was pulling at the bun on her head. There were some strays, and she tried to tuck them in. A groan, which she assumed was Elizabeth's, came from the couch.

"I do admit that I did say that," her head peered over the couch, "but I didn't mean it." Jane could only see her eyes, but there was an arch expression in them.

Jane turned around and approached the couch. She noticed that Elizabeth had taken her hair down, which was a sign that she was settling in to staying at home. She did not let that discourage her.

"Elizabeth, have you forgotten about tonight?" It was Jane's turn to be arch, but it always came off as sweet and innocent.

Elizabeth had slid back down on the couch, and said, "Tonight? What's tonight?" She had forgotten. Jane knew that she was going to have to tread carefully.

"Well, remember I told you about my boss, Charles Bingley?" She looked at Elizabeth to see if she showed any expression of remembrance. Instead, a grin came across her face.

"Why, yes. I do remember a Charles Bingley," she emphasized his name with a small smile.

Jane recognized Elizabeth's teasing manner, and calmly replied, "Good, then you'll remember that you have a blind date, with his friend tonight." Inside she braced herself for Elizabeth's reaction, but outwardly she appeared calm.

At the words 'blind date', Elizabeth jolted up from the couch and on to her feet. She turned to Jane, and said, "Blind date? What are you talking about?"

Jane calmly began to remind her that last weekend, they both talked about the possibility of going out with a friend of Charles'. Jane had brought up the subject when Elizabeth was grading papers and planning for the week. Jane knew that it was not fair to ask Elizabeth when she was so focused on her work, but she knew if she waited otherwise, Elizabeth would never agree to a blind date.

As she was reminding Elizabeth, who at the time of their conversation on Sunday was very distracted with stacks of papers around her and lessons scattered all over the dinner table, Jane said, "It was Sunday evening, and I asked you if you would like to go out for some coffee with Charles' friend on Friday." Jane looked at her with such sweetness in her blue eyes, it was hard for Elizabeth to be angry with her, but she still did not remember any such agreement.

"Jane, you never said anything about a blind date. In fact, you gave me the impression that it would be kind of like a group thing." She had her hands on her hips and was looking directly at Jane. Jane was sure this was one of the ways in which she interrogated her students when their behavior was in question.

Jane looked at her with such innocence, and said, "If I ever gave that impression, I am sorry, but I thought you understood it would be just you and William." Jane had her hands folded in front of her and looked down. Elizabeth was not so easy to give in to such coyness.

"William?"

"Yes, he's Charles' friend." She peeked a look at Elizabeth. Her arms were crossed in front of her. Jane could tell she was not angry anymore, but perhaps still a little upset. She tried to smooth things over.

"I thought if we went for our walk, it would relieve any nervousness and help you feel . . . refreshed for tonight." Jane looked at Elizabeth for an answer. She hoped that she would come around to the idea of a date.

Elizabeth sat on the couch. She had forgotten about their agreement. She had been so preoccupied with work that she did not feel any nervousness. Elizabeth actually was quite exhausted, but did not want to disappoint her sister. She noticed that she talked about Charles Bingley more than usual. Didn't they go out a few times? She kicked herself for being so involved in her work that she did not even know how Jane was doing. She decided to go on the walk, so that they could spend some time together and she reluctantly admitted to herself that she needed some kind of pick up to get her ready for this blind date.

She turned to Jane who had a worried look on her face. Elizabeth eased her worry by giving her an assuring look and said, "Let me change, so that we can go on our walk." She walked to her room, and Jane went to go put on her shoes. Jane had thought it would take more convincing, but was relieved that she did not put up to much resistance.

She and Charles had actually gone out on several dates. She did not talk to Elizabeth about all of them because she seemed to be so concentrated on work that she felt intrusive. Jane was happy that she would be getting to spend some time with her sister. Indeed, it felt like it had been a long time since they had a talk. Jane soon met Elizabeth at the door.

Elizabeth was dressed in a t-shirt and the kind of warm up pants that basketball players wear except she had on a pair for women. If a stranger saw them together, they would think that Jane was very attractive, had a slender figure, and was very feminine. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were always the first thing that everyone noticed about Jane's appearance. She had a white t-shirt on with a large sunflower on front and pale green shorts.

Elizabeth was a sharp contrast. Although she was not attractive in the same way like her sister, she had dark hair and eyes that were quite striking on closer examination. Elizabeth's figure was different from Jane's, but it was still pleasing. Elizabeth was a few inches shorter than Jane. Elizabeth was slender, but she did not appear to be as slender as Jane because of her height. She also appeared to be more curvaceous. Her hair was up like Jane's, but the bun was messy and some curls hung down from it. She was wearing a gray t-shirt and the pants she had on were a dark blue with gray and white stripes down the sides. The material of her pants were light and airy, so that if she were involved in some activity that required a lot of movement, it would provide some ventilation. One could see who was the more athletic of the two.

As they walked out of their apartment, Elizabeth began doing some stretches. She had not walked in a while and did not want to be sore for the blind date. She groaned to herself when she thought about the future event.

When they got to the street, they decided to walk toward the park which was three blocks away from their apartment. They would circle the park twice and walk to the main drag that was near their apartment which also served as a promenade on the weekends because of all the shops and restaurants located there. It was also a favorite area because it was near the beach. Elizabeth convinced Jane that they should get one of those power fruit smoothies. Jane eagerly agreed and they set off.

They were quiet at first, concentrating on their walking pace and breathing. After half a block, Elizabeth spoke first, "So, how long have you and Mr. Bingley been on a first name basis?" She looked at Jane, and gave her one of her arch looks.

Jane did not speak right away. She looked at the ground first and smiled. Then she said, "I'm not exactly sure how long we have been on a first name basis. It just seemed to happen naturally." She looked at her sister, and Elizabeth saw a brightness in her eyes and smile that she did not normally have when she talked about guys who were interested in her. Elizabeth thought it must be pretty serious.

"Do you think he likes you?" Elizabeth knew the answer, and could not help feeling like one of her teenage students when she asked.

Jane blushed, although it could be attributed to their walking. She then said, "It seems that he is interested in me. He is attentive when we go out. I don't know if he likes me though." Jane was smiling. It felt nice talking to her sister about it. She thought a lot about her feelings for Charles, but to hear the words come out of her own mouth gave what was happening between them a sense of realness.

"Of course he likes you, Jane. How could he not?" Elizabeth smiled at Jane as they entered the park. Jane looked down at the ground again.

"Elizabeth, I don't want to assume anything. We do have a lot in common and we get along pretty well. We haven't talked about our...," her voice trailed off before she continued, "feelings for each other yet. I feel comfortable where we are right now, and I don't want to seem..." Again her voice trailed off and Elizabeth looked at her. Jane was looking at some young children playing on some swings. She then finished, "desperate."

Elizabeth knew her sister well enough that she was anything but desperate. She was being cautious and she could not blame her sister. When they had moved away from home, and started living together, they were both relieved that they did not have to put up with their mother's constant reminders that they were not married yet and that at their age, she was married and had them both already. Although they were sad to leave their father, they had to move out for the sake of their sanity.

"Jane, I'm sure Charles does not see any signs of desperation. It would be alright to show some inclination of your feelings for him." Jane gave her a look that was reminiscent of how she looked at their mom when she encouraged her to be more forward with a man, so that she was sure to "secure him".

Elizabeth quickly replied, "I'm not saying that you should do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Just maybe give a little encouragement." Elizabeth gave her one of her playful smiles.

"How do you suppose I do that with out seeming too desperate?" Jane tried to say this with a light voice, but it was obvious she was very interested in what Elizabeth had to say.

"Well, when you're out on a date, when he talks, you should look very interested in what he has to say." They were making their second lap around the park.

"I am interested in what he has to say." Jane looked at Elizabeth seriously. She thought, of course you are!

"Well, you could also try talking and asking him about what he likes, what his interests are, or about his family." Elizabeth knew that these were some pretty outgoing suggestions for her. She knew her sister was not one to actively engage in a conversation with a man. In fact, she would hardly say anything because they would do most of the talking.

Jane thought about what her sister said before replying. They were halfway around the park. "Well, I suppose that would not seem too desperate." Elizabeth smiled at her sister's seriousness. "And, I would like to know him better." Elizabeth could tell that her sister was coming around to some of the ideas they talked about.

They finished their lap and began walking to the main drag to get a smoothie. As they left the park, Elizabeth began to think about her blind date.

"So, Jane. What am I to expect from this William tonight?" She had a small smile and an arch look in her eyes. This immediately brought Jane back to reality.

"Oh, well, his name is William Darcy. He just recently moved in to town like Charles." They were two blocks away from the main street. Elizabeth waited for her sister to continue, but she did not. Elizabeth thought she should try to appear disinterested. She was curious, but she did not want to make a big deal about it.

"Does he work with Charles?" She was looking at the houses on the street as they walked.

"No, he has his own company and so does Charles." Elizabeth waited again, but Jane did not continue. She wondered why Jane was not so forthcoming.

Jane, however, did not want to give too much away. She had met William a few weeks ago. At first, he did not seem very pleased to meet her, but when Charles and Jane went out, he would join them sometimes, and she found that each time he would be more comfortable and would even join in their conversations. Now, she felt pleased that she knew him better. In fact, as she got to know him better, she realized that Elizabeth might like him too, if she had the chance to get to know him.

It was Charles who first brought it up. To Jane, it seemed he was concerned for his friend's welfare. He even said, "He doesn't get out much which worries me because he can be quite solemn at times." However, the real reason was so that he could spend more time with Jane alone. He wanted to get to know her better and could not if William was around most of the time, but he did not want his friend to be left out. Especially since he had convinced him to move out here with him. He was trying to expand his father's business and California seemed like a great place to try. The weather in California was exceptional and so far he was enjoying the people (Jane particularly). He also told his friend that California would provide a lot of business opportunities. (Although William came from an affluent family and did not really have to worry about that aspect of his future, he still liked to explore new opportunities, business or otherwise.)

So, Jane and Charles decided that they would set up Elizabeth and William on a date. Jane for the purpose of breathing some life in to her sister's social life. Charles for the same purpose for William, but more so to be with Jane.

"What does William do?" Jane snapped back to their conversation.

"Oh, I believe he does a variety of things. Once I heard him talk about some properties he was thinking of investing in, but another time he talked about some authors his publishing company was considering to sign." They had reached the juice place and walked in.

Elizabeth was impressed, but did not want to show that she was. She tried to proceed in an indifferent manner. They walked over to the counter, and she said, "What does he look like?"

Jane knew now her sister was curious. Elizabeth never cared for these details, but if she showed any curiosity, it meant she was intrigued. "He's tall."

Elizabeth waited for more. Tall was good, but what else? She was becoming annoyed with Jane. She was not making it easy. They ordered their smoothies and waited for their order.

"Tall, huh?"

"Yes."

A pause.

"How will I know who he is?" Elizabeth thought that this would appeal to Jane's reason. Surely she could see that she had to at least know what he looked like since she had not met him yet.

Jane thought for a moment. Then she replied, "Oh, well, let's see..." she trailed off and went to go pick up her order. Elizabeth followed suit, but was impatient for her to continue.

Jane took a sip of her drink before she answered which annoyed Elizabeth even more. Then she said, "He has dark wavy hair and dark eyes." Elizabeth's eyes were looking at Jane for more, but nothing.

Elizabeth could not stand it any longer. When they walked out of the shop, she said, "That's all you have to tell me? That sounds like half the guys in this town." Elizabeth walked with a little more vigor than Jane. Jane realized her sister was perhaps more nervous than she was letting on.

"Well, there is one thing..." Elizabeth slowed down and looked at her sister expectantly. "He may seem unsociable at first." Jane looked down at her drink and took a sip.

"Unsociable? What do you mean?" Elizabeth thought about the kids in her classes that were considered unsociable. The other students considered them to be, as her students would say, stuck up. In most cases, it was because the kids were not ready to be social until they felt more comfortable in class. She always tried to bridge that gap to help the other students see that the stuck up person was not really that way at all.

"Well, when I first met him I thought he did not like me." Elizabeth gave her a look of disbelief. How could anyone not like Jane? "But, then when Charles and I went out more, he would join us and from what I could tell, he seemed more relaxed and he became very personable." Jane gave her a reassuring look.

To Elizabeth, it sounded like he was cautious. She hoped he would not be so cautious that it would put a strain on the evening. She thought about when it seemed like a student was troubled and how hard it was to pull the information from them. Usually it was nothing too serious, but all the work that went into extracting the information was quite draining. She did not want to spend her evening that way, but she was quite intrigued about what Jane said about him so far. She decided that she would give it a chance.

As they walked home, they noticed a cute brown terrier in front of the coffee shop. To their surprise, the man holding the leash was quite agreeable to one of the ladies present. He was holding the leash and scanning the street at the same time. When he saw the two ladies, a look of recognition appeared in his eyes and he greeted them.

"How very fortunate! Hello, Jane." Charles Bingley walked up to them as he greeted them. The little terrier walked double time to keep up with him.

"Charles, I didn't know you came to this part of town." Jane was flushed. Then she became aware of her appearance. Charles looked at her with the same admiration he always did. Elizabeth was kneeling down and petting the terrier.

"Oh, we heard about how this was a pleasant street to stroll and take in the shops, so we decided to come see for ourselves." He had not taken his eyes off her. He knew that she lived in the neighborhood and was hoping that he might see her. He had not expected that he would, but he was pleased all the same.

"You are a sweet creature!"

Jane and Charles were startled out of their quiet admiration for each other, when they heard Elizabeth's comment. It was indeed what they were both thinking.

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is my sister, Elizabeth." Elizabeth stood up and shook his hand.

"You look different without the dinner table in front of you with paper strewn about." Charles had a smile on his face when he said this.

Elizabeth laughed and said, "I'm sorry I could not be dragged away from all that work to be introduced to you sooner." They both laughed, and Elizabeth asked, "Is this your lovely dog?"

"Oh, no. It is my sister's dog. His name is Fitzy. She has just come into town with my other sister and her husband. They are visiting and I offered to watch the dog today while they went sight seeing with some friends." Charles felt bad for the dog because it had not been let out of it's carry on from the plane for some time and it did not appear that Caroline was going to take the dog out. So, when they left, he decided to take it for a walk. The dog was very appreciative.

"Oh, is that who you have come here with?" Elizabeth started to pet the dog again. Jane was just as curious as well, but did not have the courage to ask such questions, yet.

"No, I came here with-"Charles suddenly stopped and a look of alarm came across his face. He looked at Elizabeth, then at the coffee shop, and then at Jane again. Jane looked in the coffee shop and saw William at the counter ordering some coffee. She also became alarmed and realized that they had to leave before William came out. If they met now, it would spoil the blind date. It was very difficult to convince both of them to even agree to go on the date. If they saw each other before hand, who knows what might happen?

"Elizabeth, look at the time. You need to start getting ready." Jane appeared calm, but was anxious to get Elizabeth moving.

Elizabeth stood up, and turned to Charles. "Oh, that's right. I'm supposed to go out with your friend William this evening. Can you tell me what I should expect?" She had a playful smile on her lips.

Charles was becoming agitated. He observed that William had seen her and Jane outside with him. "I would not want to spoil the evening. Now if you hurry home, you will soon find out for yourself." He knew he was babbling, but he was trying to get her out of there. He noticed that William was standing at the window mixing his coffee at the condiment counter. William was looking in their direction and his attention began to focus on Elizabeth. Charles looked to Jane for help. Jane had also observed William.

She came over to Elizabeth, and gently took her arm and began to lead her away. "It was nice seeing you Charles, but we really must be on our way." She smiled at him as she walked away. Elizabeth was confused at the suddenness of Jane's actions.

"May I call you this evening?" Charles yelled, as they walked away.

Jane blushed, and said, "That would be nice!" Elizabeth giggled, and Jane pulled her with a little more strength. As Elizabeth giggled, she looked back to see Bingley's reaction. Jane could not look, but Elizabeth did and she saw a wide grin on Charles' face.

As they got to the top of the block, she noticed that a tall man had joined Charles. She did not get a good look at him because Jane was pulling her with unusual force. She turned to Jane. She noticed Jane was already deep in thought, already thinking of what to say to Charles on the phone. Elizabeth leaned on her sister and smiled. Jane smiled back and they continued to walk in companionable silence. Each were thinking of what the evening would bring.

"Who's that with Jane?" William asked as soon as he got outside.

"It's getting late. We should start heading back. Caroline will begin to worry about Fitzy." He looked down at the terrier, who let out a sad whimper. They both felt sorry for the dog, knowing how Caroline could be careless at times.

He looked one more time at the retreating figures. He saw that the brunette was looking back. She was smiling. Before he could say anything else, Fitzy barked and started jumping on Charles' leg.

"I swear it seems like he's begging me not to take him back." Charles picked him up, and William smiled. He understood why Fitzy would not want to return. Ever since Caroline and Louisa had come to visit, they were constantly demanding William's attention. He was glad that he would have an excuse to not have dinner with Charles and his sisters tonight. Then the thought of why he was not going to be there hit him.

William was no longer drinking his coffee, but swirling the cup in circles as he looked down. As they walked, Charles was talking about how his sister should take better care of Fitzy and how unfortunate that he had been left in the carry on since they left the airport. He went on like this, but William was not paying much attention to him. He was usually more attentive when Charles spoke, but he was distracted about the upcoming date this evening.

When Charles stopped speaking, William took the opportunity to redirect the conversation. "What can you tell me about the person I am supposed to see tonight?"

Charles became flustered, but proceeded cautiously, "Oh . . . well, she is an acquaintance of Jane's."

William already knew that. In fact, that was the only reason why he agreed to go on this date. Under normal circumstances, he would never allow himself to be fixed up with anyone. Back home, he had had enough of that. But Jane seemed different than the matronly women who had a daughter, niece, or friend of the family whom he might be interested in. He decided that if he was going to be interested in someone, it would be on his terms. He was cautious when he first met Jane. But as he got to know her, it was obvious she was intelligent and was very kind. She did not seem to be interested in Charles' wealth or status.

When Charles first began to show interest in Jane, Charles told him that it was difficult to try to get Jane to go out on a date at first because she expressed concern that it was not appropriate since he was her boss. William was impressed that she showed great principle, when most ladies would snatch up the opportunity to go out with Charles. William told Charles that Jane was right to believe that and if he had serious intentions towards her, he should show Jane by respecting her beliefs and letting her have the decision to pursue a relationship outside of work.

So, with his friend's advice (and much practice with William as Jane), Charles told Jane that he understood and respected her beliefs. He also told her that it was obvious that maintaining a professional relationship was important to her, but that he was also interested in getting to know her outside of work (William pointed out that this would sound more sincere than I really want to get to know you better.) Then Charles told Jane (William had to keep reminding Charles to say this part when they practiced.) that it was her decision if she would like to see him outside of work and that if she decided that it was not a good idea, then he would support her decision and never bring it up again.

After a few days of practice, (Charles was extremely nervous) and even more time for Jane to think about what Charles had said (indeed Jane was quite taken aback with his honesty and sincerity), Jane had decided to give Charles a chance (to his great relief). They have been dating for a month since then.

William respected Jane, but when Charles told him of the possibility that Jane "has a friend you might be interested in", he inwardly groaned. After great deliberation between Charles and William, William agreed to meet this friend. Although Charles expressed concern over William's growing solemnity to him, (I don't like the idea of you being at home alone in a stupid manner!), William believed that Charles also wanted to spend some time alone with Jane to get better acquainted with her. He also figured that Jane's friend could not be so bad, since Jane showed great character.

William looked at his friend who was now carrying the terrier. It was having trouble keeping up with both of them because of its lack of exercise. Then William said, "Yes, I know she is an acquaintance of Jane's or I would've never agreed to this." He looked expectantly at his friend for more information.

Charles was not very good at concealing information, but he did not want to spoil anything. "Oh, Elizabeth is a teacher."

Teacher, that's not too bad, he thought. It showed, at least, that she was intelligent and dedicated. William was waiting for more information, but when he looked at Charles, he was scratching Fitzy behind the ear and saying inaudible things to it.

"How will I know who she is?" William was becoming impatient.

Charles, again was cautious. "She . . .well, she's Jane's sister." He looked at his friend. He was still holding his coffee cup and swirling it around. They had reached Bingley's house. William lived several houses down closer to the beach.

"Oh," was all William said. Although Jane was attractive, he felt that she was not his type. Jane was blonde, blue eyed, and was tall with a pleasing figure. William was always attracted to ladies with dark features especially long, dark hair. Jane's figure was feminine and slender. He appreciated a feminine form, but was always drawn to a shapely figure. He was a bit disappointed because there could be no doubt that Jane's sister would share some of Jane's physical attributes, but decided that he would try for the sake of his friend.

As they parted, Charles wished him good luck. William began to walk home. He was nervous. In fact, William did not go out on dates much, and since this was a blind date, it did not help matters much.

He looked up at the sky. Clear. The weather always amazed him. It was the earlier part of the year and there was no sign of snow or rain and it was warm enough to be outdoors without a jacket. He had been to California a few times with his parents when he was a child. All he could remember was the warm weather and the beach. It was a pleasant memory. Since his mother passed away and it was just his father, him, and his sister, he treasured those memories even more. He missed feeling like a part of something warm and special. As he got older, the possibility of recapturing those feelings seemed impossible.

Since he had become an adult, his father treated him like a close friend, but never let him forget who had the authority. Ever since his mother died, the fatherly relationship disappeared because his mother was no longer there to facilitate it. She would take every care to make sure his father would support him in ways, (from playing catch to the talk about the birds and bees), that a father should. The distance that his mother filled between him and his father was keenly felt when she died. His mother was the one who held the family together.

He loved his sister dearly, but sometimes that wasn't enough. At times it felt as if he and his father were raising Georgiana. She was seven when their mother died and she had a difficult time recovering from the loss. Their mother doted on her, but did not spoil her. He supported and loved her as much as an older brother could and she appreciated it and always tried to please him and their father. She was seventeen now. William was very proud of the young lady she was turning out to be, but noticed at times how much she missed having her mother around.

William loved his family very much. In return, the affection that his father and sister had for him was obvious, but he could not help feeling like it was not enough. At first he thought it was due to the loss of his mother. It took him a very long time to get over it (indeed he was still grieving), but when he reflected on the current situation of his life, he came to an understanding. Although William was satisfied with his family's love and affection, he realized that he was not satisfied with how his own life was turning out.

William only had a few relationships and those experiences were not fulfilling. He wanted someone who he could confide in and to share his interests with. He also wanted someone who was intelligent and who had her own opinions. He wanted someone who he could laugh with and who could also be there during the difficult times.

He was intrigued by the interest and agreeableness that women showed him, but as he became familiar with some, he was disappointed by their lack of personality or individuality. He also found in some instances, many of the interests that these women had were only for pleasing him. Most times, these women would show a superficial understanding of things. The instances where he did enter a relationship with a woman, he soon learned that nothing meaningful would come from it because of the previous reasons.

Even though William's experience with relationships was limited, William did have experience in the physical matters. William proved to be a passionate and attentive lover, but again was sorely disappointed by the women's motives. After the newness of being with a person had worn off and the true qualities began to emerge, he learned that most of the women only cared about status and wealth. He believed that these women did not care whom they were with just as long as that man was wealthy.

He was resigned to the fact that it would be impossible to find the one. He believed that his parents were a true match. When his mother was alive, he observed how his father treated his mother as an equal. He also observed how each depended on the other for certain aspects of their relationship. His father depended on the support that his mother provided to maintain the relationships within the family. His mother depended on his father for stability and security. But above everything else, it was obvious that they both loved each other.

To find your other half, he sighed and shook his head.

When he reached his house, the porch lights were on, but it was dark throughout the rest of the house. He went in and turned on the lights to the living room. Although his house was not directly on the beach, it was less than a block away. He could hear the waves washing up on the shore. The sun was retreating, but there was still some light. He climbed the stairs up to his room to get ready for the date. He was supposed to meet Elizabeth at the coffee shop at seven. He decided that he would drive there. Even though he lived nearby, he had not realized that he was pressed for time. It was already 6 o'clock. He still had to shower and change, and he was not sure what to wear. His nervousness began to subside as he began to concentrate on the task at hand. If anything, he did not want to be late.

Chapter 2: "The Blind Date"

Part 1: "The Coffee Shop"

"Elizabeth, are you almost ready?" Jane was looking at the clock. It was 6:30. The date was at seven. Although she had plenty of time to get there, Jane wanted to make sure that Elizabeth made it there on time. Elizabeth had the tendency to lounge around after their walks to talk more, but when they got home, Jane made sure that Elizabeth got in the shower right away. When Jane did not seem inclined to talk when they got home and immediately suggested to get in the shower, Elizabeth took the hint and did not resist. It seemed important to Jane that Elizabeth went on this date. When Elizabeth got out of the shower and went to her room, she noticed that Jane had been in her room and had laid out some possible outfits on Elizabeth's bed for her to wear that evening. She smiled at herself because it seemed that Jane was more eager for this date than she was.

"Yes, I'm almost finished." Elizabeth was inspecting herself in front of a full size mirror in her room. She did not usually spend too much time worrying about such things. When she went out (mostly with Jane lately) she made sure her hair and her clothes were neat. She did not usually check herself in the mirror more than once, but since it was a blind date, and she realized that she had not been on any date for a long time, she took extra care in preparing herself for it. She had put some effort in to fixing her hair (Jane thought she would never finish drying it) and put on some make-up (which pleased Jane because Elizabeth only wore make-up for special occasions). Jane also noticed that Elizabeth was wearing perfume which she seldom did.

Elizabeth's nervousness soon turned in to anticipation. She looked forward to the possibility of sharing a conversation with another adult that did not center on topics dealing with behavioral problems or reasons for not turning in homework. Suddenly Elizabeth realized that she needed to get out more. She laughed and checked herself one more time in the mirror.

Elizabeth had her hair down. Although it was some weeks since her last haircut, (she made a note to make an appointment), it was layered so that the waves and curls in her hair would not be so unruly. She already had her jacket on and was wearing dark, almost black, jeans and boots. It was her favorite pair of jeans because she felt they showed her figure to its best advantage. She grabbed her purse, but not before she made sure she had a book in it.

As she walked out of her room, she noticed that Jane was also dressed very nicely. She was surprised because Jane allowed her to shower before her. They only had one bathroom. Jane had received a call from Charles while Elizabeth was in the shower. After Jane and Charles decided to go out, Jane proceeded to choose her outfit while Elizabeth showered (She thought she would help Elizabeth by laying out some clothes out for her too). When Elizabeth got out of the shower, Jane got in while Elizabeth got dressed. When Jane got out of the shower, Elizabeth went back in the bathroom and dried her hair and put on her make up. Jane did not want to impede her sister's progress (she wanted her to be on time and Charles would wait anyway), so she finished getting ready in her own room while Elizabeth finished up in the bathroom.

When they met in the hall, Jane looked at her sister and said, "Oh, Elizabeth, you do look very pretty."

Elizabeth looked at her sister and said, "You look very nice too, Jane. I didn't know you had plans." She smiled at her sister.

"When you were in the shower, Charles called me and asked me out to dinner." She smiled and looked down. Before Elizabeth could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

Jane's eyes became very bright, and Elizabeth squeezed her hand before she went to open the door. When she did, Charles stood at the entrance with a grin from ear to ear when he saw Jane. He handed her a bouquet of assorted wild flowers and Jane took them.

When he entered, he greeted Elizabeth. Jane went to the kitchen to put the flowers in water. Then Charles realized that Elizabeth was still there. He became concerned and asked, "Are you still going to meet my friend?"

Elizabeth smiled at him and said, "Yes, of course. I was actually on my way out when you arrived. I planned to walk over since it's not too far."

Charles looked at his watch. It was 6:40. He became alarmed because William was always on time and sometimes even early.

"Oh, let us drop you off on our way to dinner. It's not out of the way and I'm sure your sister would not mind." He looked at Jane who had joined them by this time and she nodded in agreement. He started for the door and said, "William is always on time." Elizabeth and Jane smiled at Charles' eagerness.

She accepted their offer and was amused by how eager Charles was to get her there. Elizabeth laughed to herself as she observed Charles walk out to the car with a quickness that surprised her. She could not help thinking that part of the reason had something to do with being alone with Jane. She smiled to herself when she thought about this.

Jane had an embarrassed look on her face due to Charles' abruptness. She went to get her coat and purse, and then they followed Charles to his car. Charles' car was a Volkswagen Passat. It was black and shiny in the coming darkness of the evening. Jane took the front seat and Elizabeth the back.

As Charles' car pulled away, Elizabeth initiated conversation, "Where do you plan to have dinner?"

They stole a glance at each other before Jane replied, "We're not sure yet. We were deciding between Italian or Chinese."

Elizabeth smiled at her response. Knowing Jane, she would go with whatever decision Charles made. Judging from what she knew of Charles, so far, he only wanted to do what pleased Jane. It would not be a surprise if they still had not made a decision when they dropped her off.

Then Elizabeth realized that she had one last chance to gleam any information about this mysterious Mr. Darcy, and so asked, "Aside from the fact that William is tall, has dark wavy hair, and dark eyes, is there any thing else that you could tell me that would help me recognize him?" She noticed that they both squirmed in their seats uncomfortably.

Charles cleared his throat before he said, "That is a pretty good description of my friend. I can't think of any other way to describe him." Charles looked in his rear view mirror and noticed that Elizabeth was smiling, but her eyebrows were lifted in a way that reminded him of when his mother expected him to be more forthcoming when she asked a question.

Fortunately for Charles and Jane, they arrived at the coffee shop. Elizabeth got out of the car and thanked Charles. Jane wished her to have a good evening, and she shut the door. They pulled away and she turned to the coffee shop.

When she walked through the door, she scanned the room for a single man who fit William's description. Indeed there were a lot of men who fit his description, but she did not feel up to going to each of them and asking if they were William Darcy. She checked her watch. It was 6:50. She was early and decided to sit down and read while she waited.

She went pass the coffee bar and sat at a table further into the establishment. It was a Friday night and there were more people in there than during the weeknights. Elizabeth would sometimes come here to take a break from the work she brought home. When papers or lessons just seemed to no longer make sense when she read them, she knew she needed a break. The coffee shop was intimate and cozy. Sometimes she felt guilty for 'getting away' from her work, but she had to for her sanity.

She spotted a table that would provide an advantage point in the shop. Her table was not directly in front of the window, but she still had the advantage of having a view of the street and the front door.

As she sat, she took out her book from her purse. She was happy that she would get in some reading, although it would not be as much as she wanted. Her book was an anthology of poems by Emily Dickinson. She turned to her favorite poem,
#1540, As imperceptibly as Grief-. She became so involved in the poem that she did not notice that a tall man with dark, wavy hair, and dark eyes had entered the coffee shop and was scanning the room.

William checked his watch as he entered the coffee shop. It was 6:55. He walked passed the bar and surveyed the room for Jane's sister. There were quite a few people there tonight. He spotted a blonde lady with glasses wearing a business suit. She was reading the Wall Street Journal. She looked up at him and smiled. He nodded and continued to scan the room. Charles had said that Elizabeth was a teacher. He didn't think the lady reading the Wall Street Journal was Jane's sister. William saw another woman reading, but her features were the opposite of Jane's. He decided that Elizabeth had not arrived yet and took a seat near the window.

Elizabeth stopped to check her watch. It was now 7 o'clock. She looked around the room. She did not notice anyone come in. Before she returned to her book, she noticed a man sitting by the window looking out. He did fit the description, but...no, she thought. That would be indeed too good. She smiled at her thought and continued reading.

William looked away from the window and checked the room again. He sighed and began to feel foolish. Most of the blondes there were with someone except the one reading the Wall Street Journal. He saw that she got up to leave, but not before she gave him another smile. He returned it with a small smile of his own and then looked away. It was not unusual for women to pay William this type of attention, but he had never gotten used to it. He looked around the room again, and the only single lady left was the dark haired one reading. There was something familiar about her, but he was sure he had not met her before. He began to observe her more closely. Her head was bent down to her book and her hair rested on her shoulders like a mountain of curls. He noticed that she had a small smile on her lips which was very pleasant. Her eyes were darting actively back and forth as she read. Her smile soon spread across her face and affected her eyes and he heard a soft sigh. He thought of the possibility that she could be Jane's sister, but quickly decided that it could not be. She did not seem anything at all like Jane, and it would be too good to be true. No one was that lucky, he thought.

Elizabeth felt like she was being observed. She did not look up right away because she thought it might be the man at the window. Then she quickly dismissed the notion because surely he was quite taken already, she thought. When she did look up, she saw that he was in fact observing her and quite intently. She looked down at her book, but she did not continue reading.

William was unaware that he was openly staring at her. He was intrigued. He wanted to find out who she was, but felt that it would be wrong if Jane's sister were to show up and see him with someone else. He looked at his watch, it was five minutes passed seven. Perhaps she would not show up.

Elizabeth looked up again only to find that he was still staring at her. She was flattered, but unsure how to proceed. She hoped that he would talk to her, but realized that it would be awkward if Charles' friend were to see her with someone else. She looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter. It was five minutes passed seven. Charles said that William was always on time. She looked at the man sitting in front of the window again. He was still staring at her. Elizabeth felt her heart skip a beat. She could not just sit there and be observed like this the whole evening. She was not used to such scrutiny and decided to do something about it. She smiled at him.

William noticed that she was checking the time. He thought, could she be the person Charles was talking about? Before he could debate this issue any longer, she smiled at him. It completely took him by surprise and he tried to hide it.

The smile did not have the desired effect that Elizabeth had hoped. Instead of returning a smile, the man's eyes opened widely and he blinked several times. She laughed inwardly because she had caught him staring, but he did not look away. He could not. William was trying to think of something to say, but could not think of anything and began berating himself for his incompetence. Elizabeth noticed that he was agitated, so decided to help him out a bit.

She looked at him and said, "Is something the matter?"

It took him a moment to realize that she was talking to him. When the realization set in, he collected himself and replied, "No, I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

She smiled and said, "Oh, no, you did not." She wanted to say more, but did not know what to say.

He gave a small smile, but did not say anything.

There was a pause for a few moments. They looked at each other. William wanted to engage her in some conversation, but did not know in what. Elizabeth observed that he hesitated a few times as if he was going to say something, but he did not. Then it seemed that he was not going to say anything else, so she decided to return to her book.

Before she could, he said, "May I ask what you're reading?" It seemed like it took a lot of effort for him to ask the question. She was pleased that he did.

"Of course. I'm reading a collection of poems by Emily Dickinson." She noticed after she told him, he turned to face her and he leaned towards her direction.

He was pleased to find out that she was reading poetry. He knew enough of Emily Dickinson's poetry to know that although most of the poems dealt with prosaic themes, they were written in quite a meaningful style. He was impressed that she was reading it.

Elizabeth noticed that he was interested, but he did not say anything. She was beginning to wonder if he was the person Jane told her about. The cautiousness was certainly there. She decided that she would try to draw him out in conversation.

"Are you familiar with her work?" By this time the shop was beginning to fill up with more people, and it was beginning to become difficult to carry on their conversation with the distance between them.

"I have read some of her work, but I must admit, I do not know it so well." This was hard to hear because people began filling in empty tables between them.

They were both disappointed that it was becoming difficult to carry on their conversation. Elizabeth decided that something had to be done. William felt the same way too, but Elizabeth was quicker to respond.

"Would you like to join me?" She smiled at him in a welcoming manner. He was relieved that she had asked and agreed to join her.

As he walked over, she noticed that he was tall and very handsome. He was holding a dark jacket. Elizabeth looked at his features. From the distance it had appeared that his features were dark, but as he came closer, she saw that his hair and brows were a deep brown. His hair was neatly arranged and she also noticed that he was clean-shaven. He was wearing a white collared shirt with a black sweater over it. He also had on khaki pants. He was dressed casually, but he carried himself with confidence and a bit of formality that was apparent with the way he held his shoulders back. He did not notice her observing him and when he reached the table he asked, "I hope I'm not intruding."

She noticed that his eyes were sincere. She said, "No, but I do have to admit that I am waiting for someone, but I don't think he's coming." She looked at the entrance.

William was struck by her comment. "Is it possible?" he wondered. Then he asked, "Are you a friend of Jane's?"

When he asked that question, Elizabeth's heart began to race, and she felt pressure rise in her throat. She smiled at him and said, "I'm also known as her sister."

A genuine smile spread across his face, and it pleased her.

"Are you a friend of Charles Bingley?" She wanted to make sure. She did not want to get her hopes up.

"Yes, I'm William Darcy." One of her captivating smiles spread across her face which William enjoyed very much.

"I'm Elizabeth Bennet." She invited him to sit down and he gladly accepted.

When he was seated, they did not say anything right away. Both were pleased with how the evening was turning out so far. They looked at each other, then their eyes looked away. To an observer, it was obvious that they were nervous. When they finally collected themselves, they both started talking at the same time.

"Please, continue," William said. He wanted to rethink what he was going to say because he was sure that if he had to continue, he would make a fool out of himself.

"Oh, I was just going to say how pleased I am to have finally met you. Jane and Charles were not very forthcoming in telling me anything about you, so I had no idea what to expect or even look for." She was nervous. Elizabeth was afraid that she had said too much, but it was all true.

William was surprised that she felt the same way he did and said, "Charles was the same way. In fact, he mentioned that you were Jane's sister, but didn't give me any further description. So, when I came here, I looked for a person who looked similar to Jane."

Elizabeth gave a small laugh and said, "It seems that we both were ill informed." She smiled and hesitated before she continued, "What would've happened if I hadn't said anything?" Her eyes had a mild archness.

William was not used to such directness and proceeded cautiously, "I would like to believe that I would've introduced myself, but my respect for your sister would probably have prevented me from making such a move. If she found out that I had slighted her sister, it would've been very unfortunate, especially since your sister went through the trouble of arranging this date."

It was Elizabeth's turned to be surprised. He was thoughtful. She began to relax a bit. She also noticed that he was very careful with what he said.

"The same thought occurred to me about Charles as well, but since there was also the possibility that you could've been his friend, I had to find out. All this waiting begins to wear on you." She smiled at him and noticed that he was looking at her intently. He did not show any feelings of disapproval or otherwise. She was beginning to think that the evening would not go as well as she thought it might. Then he spoke.

"I'm glad that you did say something. I said I like to believe that I would've introduced myself, but honestly, I am not very good at starting conversations with people I haven't met before." He gave her a small smile and half regretted what he said. He was not usually so open with strangers, but something told him that Elizabeth was not the usual stranger.

Elizabeth thought a moment before she responded. Then she said, "That is true for anyone, but the only way to overcome such difficulties is to try." When she said this, she noticed a slight change in his expression, but it went away before she could tell what it conveyed.

He hesitated before he spoke. Then he said, "Yes, you're right. Fortunately for both of us, you seem to have more experience in this area."

She smiled and looked down. She was not sure how to take this comment. Was he trying to be polite? Was he glad to meet her? Did this mean he thought that she did this all the time? Before she could dwell anymore, William began to talk.

He felt that his comment might have inadvertently offended her. He realized that she might not like the implications of you seem to have more experience, and tried to change the topic.

"Would you like some coffee?" He kicked himself for such an inane question. I should have apologized, he thought.

Elizabeth looked up and noticed that he seemed uncomfortable. Before she thought about what to say, she said, "No, I don't like coffee."

"Oh," he said. He wanted to ask why, but thought he should not. He thought, she might be upset.

She noticed that he sat back in his chair and looked down at his hands that were folded on his lap. Elizabeth realized that she was probably giving him the impression that she did not like him.

"What I meant to say was that I don't care for coffee. It doesn't seem to agree with me. It tends to make me jittery." She smiled and tried to assure him that she appreciated his gesture.

"Then why did you agree to meet here?" He asked without thinking and then kicked himself for being thoughtless. This was not going the way he hoped.

She thought it was a fair question. She noticed that William winced after he had said it. Elizabeth proceeded cautiously and said, "I enjoy coming to this place to read because of the intimate atmosphere. They also have very good tea here."

He was slightly relieved that she did not seem upset about his question and tried not to be so careless again. "May I get you some tea then?"

She smiled inwardly. It was obvious he was trying very hard to please her, but he seemed uneasy, so she tried to be accommodating and said yes.

He got up and left his jacket on his chair. As he stood in line, he looked at her. Elizabeth had been watching William get up and go to the line. He walked with the same confidence, but his shoulders were a bit relaxed. He stood in front of the counter with his hands in his pocket, reading the menu board displayed behind the counter. She did not realize that she was staring until he looked back at her. She blushed which he noticed and she smiled back at him. He was pleased and smiled back at her before he turned to order their drinks.

Elizabeth took her book and opened it. She was not really reading. She was just using it as an excuse to look occupied. She was thinking about how things were going so far. It was obvious that they were both uncomfortable. He seemed to be more uncomfortable than her. Elizabeth could also tell that he was trying very hard to have a pleasant conversation. She smiled to herself and thought how silly it all was to be so critical and that if they both were interested in each other, they should try to get past all this nonsense. She decided that she would try to relax more and act normally. She smiled at herself again because there was nothing normal in the way they had met.

William was waiting for their drinks. He glanced over a few times at Elizabeth and noticed that she had a smile on her face. She was reading her book and made a note to himself that he should try to talk to her about it. He was genuinely interested in what she thought. He decided he would first, however, apologize for his "more experience" comment.

As he walked back to their table, he was repeating like a mantra to himself, "Don't say anything stupid." Elizabeth noticed that he was returning, so she closed her book and set it aside.

William set the drinks down and said, "I wasn't sure what you took in your tea. I would be more than happy to go back and get some cream or milk if you like." He tried to look sincere.

Elizabeth was pleased by his attentiveness. She thought that maybe there was a chance that things would get better.

"Thank you, but I only take two sugars in my tea." She reached for two packets in the caddy on their table. William was pleased that things seemed to be going well so far. Then he remembered what he had to do first.

As Elizabeth stirred the sugar in to her tea, William said, "Elizabeth, I'd like to apologize for a comment I said earlier." When she looked at him, she saw that he was holding his cup on the table and turning it in circles.

"I'm not sure what you mean." She was being honest. It was true that there were some feelings of tension, but she just attributed it to nervousness.

William was a little surprised, but was also glad that his "more experience" comment did not affect her. The evening is still young, he thought and decided to proceed.

"I made a comment about you having more experience in situations like this." William was pulling on the cuff on his shirtsleeve. He saw a look of recognition on her face and she looked back down at her tea.

"I did not mean to offend you, if I did." He looked at her for a reaction. She was still looking down at her cup. Elizabeth was surprised that he had been thinking about how his words were taken. That comment had slightly offended her initially, but she attributed the comment to nervous small talk.

"I said it because Charles mentioned that you were a teacher and so, I thought that you probably had more experience in initiating conversations with strangers." He looked at her again. This time she was looking up and there was a trace of a smile on her face. He was greatly relieved.

"You're right. Sometimes my work requires me to initiate communication with parents or ask a student if something seems to be bothering them." She looked at him and noticed that his shoulders relaxed a bit. Then a slight feeling of mischief came over her, "Jane told me that you own your own company. Surely that requires you to initiate conversations if you want to further your progress in business."

His shoulders tensed up again. She was sorry that she made him uneasy, but she could not resist making the comment.

William was surprised that she was quick to respond in such a way. At first he thought she had made the comment to upset him, but he noticed that she also had that arched look again and she had a smile lingering on her lips. He decided that he would try to go along with her humor.

"That is true." He hesitated a moment before he continued, "But I do have people who work for me who take care of details like that."

Elizabeth quickly responded, "That would be nice if I could tell someone, 'Will you contact Mr. Jones for me? If his son continues to not turn in his homework, his grade will go down. Let me know how it goes before school gets out.' " She smiled and William could not help laughing. She was glad that he did not take her comment too seriously.

Elizabeth took her cup. She held it up to her lips and moved her head side to side. She seemed to be taking in the aroma of the tea. Her eyes fluttered and her lips slightly parted. William was not sure how to interpret this. She did not have the cup in front of her lips for very long and set it down. It was a quick, fluid movement, but the picture of her lips above the cup was still in his mind. He did not have much experience in this area. Was she flirting? He thought. She did not seem to be the type to be so overt.

Elizabeth noticed that he was looking at her and had a look on his face that she could not read.

"Is something the matter?" She had a feeling of deja-vu.

"Oh...I'm...sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I just was..." He went on like this for a little while longer, when Elizabeth realized that he might interpret her behavior as strange.

"Are you wondering what I was doing with my tea?" He stopped talking and gave her an inquiring look.

"Well, I was just testing the heat. When I had my first cup of tea when I was nine, I was so eager to try it that I drank it without testing it first. Of course, I burned myself and since then I've always been extremely careful." She noticed that he had a smile on his face.

So she continued, "Since then I've also noticed that my lips and mouth are more sensitive to heat, so I try testing things first with my lips by sensing how hot something may be. If it's too hot when I hold it before my lips, then- " She was stirring her tea, but realized what she said might be taken the wrong way. She looked at him to see what his reaction was, but again his expression was unreadable.

If she had been able to read his thoughts, she would have been surprised. He thought the story about her when she was nine was quite charming. He tried to imagine what she was like when she was a child.

Then when she started talking about her lips, the image switched to the present image of her and his thoughts began to digress towards more provocative images. His breathing was becoming unsteady. When he realized where his thoughts were taking him, William quickly shook off the images. It was too soon to have ideas like that. But, still he could not help thinking her to be attractive. He noticed that Elizabeth was becoming uneasy and flustered.

"I understand," was all he said, but it put Elizabeth at ease.

Elizabeth was unsure how to proceed and did not say anything. She thought that he must think that she was a fool, if not strange. William noticed that although she did not seem uneasy, she was quiet. He decided to try to change the topic.

"How do you like the book you're reading?" He noticed that when Elizabeth looked up, some brightness showed in her eyes.

"I like it very much. While I was waiting, I was reading my favorite poem by Emily Dickinson." She opened her book and showed the poem to William.

He took it. He liked that she was being open with him. He read the first line, "As imperceptibly as Grief..." his voice trailed off as he read the next line.

"The summer lapsed away-" He looked up to see that Elizabeth was looking at him intently. Her attention was immediately drawn in by the smoothness and calmness of his voice. He was a bit embarrassed because he did not think he could do justice to the poem.

Elizabeth noticed his hesitance, and encouraged him to continue. He hesitated at first before he proceeded.

"Too imperceptible at last

To seem like Perfidy."

The first stanza was finished and when William looked up, he was struck with the intensity that Elizabeth had in her eyes. Elizabeth enjoyed the deepness that his voice gave to the words. She also felt her heart rate quicken. She had read the poem many times to herself, but she had never heard it read to her before.

William continued,

"A Quietness distilled
As Twilight long begun,
Or Nature spending with herself
Sequestered Afternoon-"

He was lost in the images that poem had created. If he had looked up again, he would have observed that Elizabeth was quite taken in by his reading. Her breathing was unsteady and she could not take her eyes off of him. His voice flowed naturally and there was no awkwardness from earlier. She allowed herself to be enveloped by the rhythmic tone of is voice.

"The Dusk drew earlier in-
The morning foreign shone-
A courteous, yet harrowing Grace,
As Guest, that would be gone-"

William was impressed by Elizabeth's taste in choosing this poem. Although he thought it would be a poem about sentimental love, it was not. The mood it created was light, but there was also a sense of seriousness in what the author was trying to convey through her feelings. It reminded him of Elizabeth for some reason. He was beginning to believe that she was more complex than any woman he had ever met before.

"And thus, without a Wing
Or service of a Keel
Our Summer made her light escape
Into the Beautiful.*"

They did not speak for a moment, but they were looking at each other. Elizabeth was thinking about how she was mesmerized by his reading. She wondered if he was experienced with such things. She thought about how suitors in history would recite poetry to women that they were trying to woo. It was an attempt at flattery and an appeal to a woman's vanity rather than an attempt at imparting a meaningful action. She was searching his face to discern if that was William's intent. She became more guarded with her feelings since she could not read his expression.

William was feeling quite exposed. It had been a very long time since he read poetry aloud. The feelings that were associated with such an action were of loss and pain. He tried not to betray the feelings that were evoked after reading the poem to Elizabeth.

Then they realized that people around them were watching. Elizabeth drew her breath and William cleared his throat. The people around them went back to their own conversations.

Elizabeth was the first to speak up, "That was truly...remarkable." She smiled with such warmth that William was quite taken aback.

It was a few moments before he spoke. Then he said, "Thank you, but I think that you are too generous." Elizabeth noticed that his ears were turning red as he looked back down at the page. She smiled and could not believe that he was embarrassed.

"No, really, I've never had that poem read to me and I enjoyed it very much." She could see he was not used to such openness. She checked herself at such unguardedness and tried to lighten the situation. "If you won't believe me, just ask anyone here." She smiled at him, and when he looked at her he noticed that her arched look had returned. He was beginning to catch on that she could be quite playful at times.

Elizabeth took a sip of her tea. (She thought it was cool enough by this time.) While she took a sip, William checked his watch out of habit. An hour had passed. He could not believe so much time had already gone by. Elizabeth noticed that he was checking his watch.

"Is it time for you to leave?" She tried not to betray her feelings, but a slight look of disappointment had appeared. She was having a good time. Indeed she could not remember the last time she had such a pleasant time on a date.

"No, I was just surprised that an hour had passed already." He smiled and tried to be reassuring.

"Really?" She checked her watch also. "That is a surprise. I had not realized how quickly the time went." He noticed a brightness in her features that pleased him. He was glad that it seemed that she was enjoying herself. He felt it was too soon to end the evening and wanted it to continue.

"Have you had dinner yet?" He was hoping that she would be interested. It seemed like a natural progression, even though they just met. To have coffee was one thing, but dinner was a completely different matter. Yet, it did not bother him what the implications could mean.

Elizabeth was surprised. She also believed the same thing about the progression of dating steps, but she wanted to continue their date and it was still too early in the evening to go home.

"No, I haven't." He waited for her to continue, but sensing that she would not, he took the opportunity to ask her to dinner.

"I haven't either. I was wondering if," his voice trailed off and he turned his coffee cup in circles again, "that is if you didn't have any plans already," he stopped again, and cleared his throat, swallowed, and stole a quick look at Elizabeth, "if you would like to join me for dinner?"

He did not look at Elizabeth when he said this, but she noticed that the last part seemed to take a lot of effort for him to say. Elizabeth observed his hesitance as he got closer to asking the question. She did not think that it was reluctance, but rather more nervousness than of anything else. She could not believe that he could be nervous to such a degree.

"Yes, I would like that very much." Her smile warmed him and he was immediately at ease again.

They got ready to leave and after they worked out the details of where they would go, (He suggested French and she was eager to try since she had never really had French food before.), and how they would get there, (He would drive since she did not have her car.), they set off.

*Poem #1540 by Emily Dickinson.

Chapter 2, Part 2

Fleur De Lis and Miss Anne De Bourgh

As they walked to his car, they did not speak. She was nervous about going to this French restaurant. She watched enough of the Food Network to know that French cuisine was indeed sophisticated and was usually enjoyed by affluent people. Elizabeth started to become a little self-conscious. She was well educated, but her life did not allow for such opportunities. She could not help feeling eager for the new experience, but deep down she was afraid that she would appear completely out of her element. She absently pulled at some strands of hair. William noticed that she was quiet and thought that she would feel more comfortable continuing their conversation in the car.

When they reached his car, she was slightly taken aback. It was black like Charles', but she noticed the BMW symbol on the trunk. The class number near the emblem was seven. The only reason why she noticed this was because the principal at her school was the only one who drove a BMW (and probably the one who was paid the most), but the principal's BMW was from the five class. She had never been in a BMW before. Outwardly she appeared calm, but inside she felt a pang of doubt. She tried to comfort herself. How different could this car be compared to any other car? She chuckled to herself. Elizabeth knew she was being ridiculous, but she could not help it. Then Elizabeth remembered that Jane had said he owned his own company, but the implications of his wealth did not strike her until now.

When she got in the car, he shut the passenger door, and went around the back to get in the other side. As she sat and waited for him to get in, she looked around the dashboard. There were a lot of controls in addition to the basic features. She saw a switch that looked like it controlled the temperature for the seats. She rubbed her hand on the seat and was surprised to feel how soft the leather was that covered it. There was a small screen in the middle of the dashboard. Everything had buttons, no dials.

She looked over the driver's side door and was about to unlock it, but noticed it already was unlocked. Then she remembered that William must have unlocked the doors when he turned off the alarm with the remote that was attached to his keys.

When William got in the car, he noticed that she had a look that he could not quite make out. He observed that she was biting her lower lip and pulling on strands of her hair. She was looking around in the car with her brow furrowed, but did not say anything.

"You are safe in here," he said with a smile.

Elizabeth looked at him and began to relax a little. She realized that she probably was betraying her insecurity. She smiled back timidly and said, "I am sure you're right. Judging from all the controls and features, one could probably live in a car like this."

William gave a quiet laugh. He looked at Elizabeth, and noticed that her brow was no longer furrowed.

"I've never," she hesitated before she continued, "been in one of these before." She tried to sound casual, but there was an uneasiness in her voice. In her mind, Elizabeth was hitting her forehead with her palm. "He must think I don't get out much," she thought to herself.

William detected the uneasiness in her voice and tried to lighten her mood, "It is hard getting used to such things, but it was not my choice." They were on the street and on their way to the restaurant.

Elizabeth looked at him with disbelief. "Not your choice? How can anyone not have any choice in matters such as choosing a car?"

William realized that his remark probably sounded ridiculous and tried to explain, "Well, when I was planning to come out here with Charles, we were told that we would need a car to get around the city. Public transportation here is not as good as it is back East." He looked at Elizabeth. She was waiting for him to continue.

He hesitated before he said, "I have an assistant who takes care of details like this," he noticed that Elizabeth had a smile on her face now, "so, I asked her to make sure that I had reliable transportation when I arrived and this is what she came up with."

Elizabeth was still smiling. She could not imagine what it would be like to have people ready to carry out orders in such a way. Then she remembered his comment in the coffee shop about having "people who take care of details like that". At the time, Elizabeth did not think much about it. Now she was not sure what to think. She nodded to herself, trying to dismiss her self-doubt, but it did not go away. She looked around the car again.

"I must say, your assistant has impeccable taste." She could not help smiling.

"I'll be sure to tell her of your compliment." He sounded more serious than he really meant to.

"What is it that you do?" Elizabeth was curious. She had brought up earlier the detail about owning his own company, but they had not really talked about it. Just as William was about to reply, there was a ringing noise. She had a cell phone in case of emergencies, but she did not usually receive any calls. As she listened, she realized the sound was coming from the steering wheel. She looked at William and he said, "Sorry, I'll take care of this."

He was still driving. She was expecting him to take out a cell phone. She did not like it when people talked and drove at the same time, but she was surprised when William just started talking.

"Yes?"

She could hear a lady's voice come from the steering wheel.

"Mr. Darcy, I am sorry to interrupt you, but you said that you wanted to be notified if anything had developed with Jones' manuscript."

"Well, what is it, Anne?" Elizabeth noticed some anxiousness in his voice. She had never seen anything like this before except in the James Bond movies. She had to admit to herself that she was impressed. Elizabeth began to think about all the people of her acquaintance. No one of her acquaintance was like William. Then Elizabeth began thinking that perhaps it was a mistake to go out to dinner with William.

"She said that she was finalizing it and would try to have it ready by the end of the week."

"Thank you." He was about to end the call, but he continued, "Anne, will you please call ahead to Fleur de Lis and tell them to reserve a table for two in my name?"

"For two?" The sound of surprise in the speaker's voice was obvious. Elizabeth smiled inwardly. She could not help feeling a bit flattered.

William cleared his throat before he answered her back, "Yes, two."

"Oh, will Mr. Bingley be joining you?" Elizabeth's smile appeared on her face and she tried to contain her laughter.

William was becoming annoyed with Anne, but did not want to show it. He said, in a strained voice, "No, Miss De Bourgh, Mr. Bingley will not be joining me. He is out with Miss Jane Bennet this evening." Anne knew that when he called her by her last name, he was annoyed.

"Oh, is it Miss Caroline Bingley then?" Anne could not resist. William did not usually mind her teasing, but he did not want to give Elizabeth the wrong impression.

"Anne-" There was a definite sound of annoyance in his voice.

"Really, what good is it to be cousins when we can not enjoy a little familial bond from time to time?" Elizabeth giggled and William looked at her. She was smiling and he became more at ease.

"Is there someone there with you?" The voice from the steering wheel asked.

"Yes," but William had no intention of saying more.

Anne who figured that William was in no mood to humor her took the liberty of introducing herself, "I'm sorry. Since Mr. Darcy will not take the trouble, I would like to introduce myself. I am Mr. Darcy's assistant, Miss Anne De Bourgh."

Elizabeth was pleased that she introduced her self. "It is nice to meet you, Miss De Bourgh. My name is Elizabeth Bennet."

"Oh, you're Jane's sister!"

"Yes," she hesitated before she continued, "I was not aware that you and William were cousins."

"William was kind enough to give me this job. I was looking for an opportunity to make my way in to the world and William was there to help me out."

William did not like where the conversation was going and interrupted, "Anne, if you would be so kind and call ahead. We will arrive there shortly."

"Oh, I am so sorry. Of course! It was nice meeting you, Miss Bennet."

"It was nice meeting you also, Miss De Bourgh." After they said good bye, there was a beep signaling that the phone had been turned off.

Elizabeth was now more at ease than when she had first entered the car. She felt that she understood William a little better. He was generous and Anne seemed very grateful. The conversation between Anne and William regarding the dinner reservations made her wonder if William really did not go out on dates that often. She could not believe that given his status and well, he was very handsome, that he had trouble getting dates.

William noticed that Elizabeth seemed to be more comfortable. He was glad, and he hoped he would be able to continue making her feel at ease.

"So, is Anne the one with impeccable taste?" There was a sense of playfulness in her voice.

"Yes. She will be pleased to hear of your compliment." Elizabeth laughed.

"She sounded so professional at first, but when she began to tease you," Elizabeth looked at William to see if he was bothered by her comment. He had a smile at the corner of his mouth, so she continued, "I admit I was surprised at first, but then when I realized that she was also your cousin, it was very. . . charming." She almost said amusing, but was afraid that she may go to far.

As William pulled in to the parking lot of the restaurant, he looked at Elizabeth and said, "Please do not misunderstand me, I do care for my cousin a great deal, but she is anything, but charming."

Elizabeth was shocked that he could be so harsh, but she noticed that he was smiling and so countered, "In defense of your cousin, I think she handled herself quite well."

William liked her playfulness. "You would not be saying that if you knew her the way I do. When we played together as children, she always tried to get the upper hand."

Elizabeth laughed at the image of William as a young boy trying to be fair to his female cousin.

"Well, even though she may not say it, I'm sure she appreciates your kindness and patience." She was smiling, but when she realized what she said, she blushed and looked away.

The compliment was not lost on William. He felt like a schoolboy and the prettiest girl in the school just paid him some attention. It was not like he never got any attention from women before, but when it came from her it pleased him. All the attention he got from other women were usually about his house, his work, or his wealth. There was something different about Elizabeth though. And yet, he could not explain why Elizabeth affected him this way.

They pulled in to a parking space. William got out and went around to open the passenger side door. He had not said anything after her comment and she was not sure how he took it. When he opened the door, she noticed that there was a softness in his eyes as she got out. He smiled at her and it made her feel shy. Elizabeth could not remember the last time someone had made her feel that way. She looked down as William shut the door.

"The restaurant is just around the corner." He began walking in the direction of the restaurant and she walked next to him. They walked in companionable silence.

The feelings that Elizabeth had when she first got into William's car began to work their way back into her thoughts. Various images of what the restaurant would look like went through her mind. She imagined that the restaurant would have vaulted ceilings decorated with ornate chandeliers. Elizabeth also imagined that there would be waiters in crisp white jackets waiting on men in dinner jackets and ladies wearing fur coats. The tables would have elaborate floral centerpieces and numerous spoons and forks that had specific purposes for parts of the meal, but she would have no idea what all the purposes were.

Elizabeth began pulling on strands of her hair and adjusting her coat. She was nervous that she was going to appear ignorant and out of place. She felt that way in the car. She realized it was too late to change her mind about dinner. Elizabeth glanced at William who also seemed to be thinking.

William had noticed when Elizabeth had adjusted her hair and coat. He remembered when she did the same thing when she had first got into his car. The women that he had gone out with before never seemed nervous about their appearance. In fact, there always seemed to be a particular manner in the way they talked and walked. There was also a confidence in their attitude that came off as cold and calculated. He always got the impression that any thing said to him or a look given to him had some ulterior motive. William looked at Elizabeth again and noticed that she was absently biting her lip and playing with the strands of her hair. A small smile escaped his lips as he thought how refreshing it was to see that she actually might be nervous about having dinner with him.

They reached the entrance and he opened the door for her. As they walked in, Elizabeth was surprised to see the intimate setting of the restaurant. It was not a very large restaurant, but there was a view of the beach. It was dark outside, but one could hear the waves pounding on the beach. Candles on the tables provided most of the lighting in the restaurant. There were some electric lights in the corners of the restaurant, but they were shaded by voluminous sheer white material. Most of the tables appeared to accommodate two people at the most, although there were a few that could hold four. When she observed the people in the restaurant, she noticed that they were dressed nicely, but without the pretensions she had imagined. The waiters were wearing black pants, a collared white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a white apron.

When she looked at William, he was staring intently at her again. She wondered how long he had been staring at her and became self-conscious. She looked down to hide the burning she felt in her cheeks.

William noticed her agitation and asked, "Do you like it?"

"Yes, of course. But, I feel that," she looked around before she finished, "I am not dressed right for this place."

He looked at her and could not believe that she was self conscious about her looks.

"You have no reason to feel that way." He did not take his eyes off of her, and she smiled.

They were interrupted by the host. "Mr. Darcy, your table is ready." The host began to lead them to their table.

"Thank you, Philippe. I hope it was not too much trouble on such short notice," he said as they followed the host to a section of the restaurant that was not so crowded.

"It was no trouble at all. We always have a place for you and your family who have been kind enough to return here when ever possible."

Elizabeth was surprised to hear that there was something more than just a regular customer relationship between the host and William. It was true that his family had been going to that restaurant ever since he could remember, but William thought it was odd that the host was more friendly than usual. He then remembered that Anne had called ahead and probably told them about Elizabeth. He was not sure if he should be mad or thankful towards Anne for her interference.

The host went to pull out the chair for Elizabeth, but William got it first. As she slid her coat off before she sat down, he noticed her figure for the first time. He realized that she had had on her coat for most of the evening and so he had never really observed her until now. As she took her seat, his eyes were trained on her waist and then they focused on her shoulders. She did have a pleasing figure, he thought.

When she sat down, she looked up at him. He was still staring at her. When William realized that Elizabeth was looking at him, he tried to recover himself. Elizabeth looked down at the menu and smiled. William moved to take his seat. The host noticed the exchange and made a mental note to try to keep this area secluded. Miss De Bourgh had told the host that this was an important evening for Mr. Darcy and every care would be taken so that the evening went well.

Continued in Next Section