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William snapped out of his reverie. Anne moved away from him. He thought he would have enough time to prepare himself for this inevitable meeting. William followed Anne, his eyes searching for the woman on his mind.
"Charles! Jane! Over here!"
Charles looked around and when he saw Anne and William, his face lit up. "Anne!" Charles waved and they made their way towards them.
They all exchanged greetings and hugs. "How was your flight?"
"It was fine. Longer than I remember, but I suppose it's because I haven't flown in a while." Charles snuck a glance at Jane who blushed.
Anne looked around. "Where's Elizabeth?"
"She's here. She just went into the gift shop for some gum." Jane shot a furtive glance at William and was pleased to see a look of relief on his face.
"Oh. Well, the car is just outside. Do you have all your luggage?" Anne, Charles, and Jane went on like this for some time. William tried to concentrate on what they were saying, but he all he could do was watch the gift shop for her.
Breathe. Just breathe. Gum. Where's the gum? Elizabeth scanned the gift shop for gum. She spotted it near the cash register and walked toward it. She grabbed the first thing that caught her attention and got in line for the cashier.
"Nervous?"
Elizabeth looked up to see an elderly lady in front of her, looking at her.
She smiled. "Uh. . . well . . . maybe a little."
"I used to be too, but I think they've got this flying thing down pretty well." She winked.
Elizabeth's shoulders relaxed. "Actually, I've just arrived. I'm supposed to be meeting . . . a friend."
The elderly lady studied Elizabeth. Elizabeth's eyes searched the airport and she pulled at a strand of her hair.
"Ah. I see." She turned back around.
Elizabeth's brow wrinkled. "What?"
"Meetings at airports are always awkward."
Elizabeth sighed. "Yeah."
"I'm sure he'll be glad to see you." Then the lady turned back around to pay for her magazine. When she received her change, she leaned in towards Elizabeth, "Just remember to smile." The lady winked at her again and soon she was gone.
Elizabeth paid for her gum and made her way to the door. Smile. Just smile. Elizabeth took a deep breath and scanned the airport for him.
"Yes, airplane food is awful . . ."
He could hear them talking, but as soon as Elizabeth emerged from the gift shop, there was nothing else. There was no sound, no movement. Just her.
He watched her as she looked around the airport. He knew he should wave to her, call out to her, so she knew they were there. But, he could not. He savored this moment. It was a moment unaffected by his blunder. G-d, she's beautiful. He knew it would not be long until the moment would pass. When Elizabeth's eyes settled on him and then to the rest of their group, it was gone.
Will she say hello to me? Will she even acknowledge my presence. I don't think I could stand it if she didn't. Damn. What am I going to say? He watched her approach them. There was a certainty in her walk and an easy expression on her face. He was not even thinking when he rubbed his thumb and index finger as Elizabeth's chestnut colored curls bounced on her shoulders.
She stood on the outskirts of the little group consisting of Anne, Charles, and Jane. She felt William's eyes on her and knew that she could not avoid them forever. Elizabeth looked at William who was also standing away from the small group.
If they followed their instincts, there could be no mistake in the messages their eyes conveyed to each other. But, of course, they did not.
"There you are!" Anne reached for Elizabeth and embraced her. "I was beginning to worry we'd lost you."
"No. Just needed some gum." She held up the package.
"Well, I suppose we're ready to go then. The car is waiting out front." Anne walked towards the exit, but not before shooting a pointed look at William.
Anne continued her conversation with Charles and Jane on the way out which left Elizabeth and William standing together.
"Hello." His voice was more serious than he had meant it to be.
"Hi." She shifted in her spot, fidgeting with the handles of her carry-on.
"Oh, let me get those for you." William took her bags.
"Thank you."
They stood there for a moment, looking at everything in the airport except at the person in front of them.
"I suppose we should get going."
Elizabeth nodded and they followed the group ahead of them.
Anne snuck a look at Elizabeth and William. Good. He took her bags. Is she smiling? No. Why aren't they talking?
Jane heard Anne sigh. "Are they talking?"
"Huh? Oh. No. It doesn't look like it."
Jane sighed too. "This is going to be a long weekend."
After everyone's luggage was secure, they all moved to get into the large black Suburban.
"Charles, maybe you should take the front seat since you want to go home first before coming over." Anne moved towards the second door.
"Oh, well, I wanted to sit . . ." Charles looked at Jane.
Anne smiled. "Of course." She took shot gun.
"I'll just take the very back seat, so it's easier for you to get out, Charles." Elizabeth stepped into the car and sat down. She and Anne were the only ones in the car so far. However, Anne was talking to the remaining people outside and soon the doors on both sides opened.
Elizabeth watched as Charles got into the car from the right and sat in front of her. Then from the left, the seat was pushed forward and William took the seat next to her. Jane was the last to come in after William and took the seat next to Charles. The driver took his seat after the luggage was secured and they were on the street in no time.
"I didn't know getting into a car could be such an ordeal." Anne looked back with a wry smile.
Charles and Jane laughed, but nothing came from the couple behind them. Anne turned in her seat on the pretense to ask Jane something, but was actually checking on the silent couple in the back.
Elizabeth and William were staring out of their own windows. From time to time, William would turn his head away from the scenery, but he never looked in Elizabeth's direction. This is not looking good.
"So, what do you two think of Philadelphia so far?" Anne looked at Jane, then at Elizabeth who turned away from her window.
Jane spoke first. "Oh, it's very nice. It's so different from LA."
"We've actually been here a few times to visit our relatives. But, we haven't been here recently." Elizabeth resumed her watch at the window.
"So, you've been here before?" Anne wanted to keep Elizabeth in the conversation. "Where do your relatives live?"
Elizabeth looked at Jane who spoke up. "They live a few miles south of the airport."
"We've never really been in this area before." They had left the commercial parts of the city and Elizabeth watched as they passed private residents with manicured lawns and stately homes.
An awkward silence entered the car. Everyone was thinking about how to respond to Elizabeth's remark.
"I hope we get to meet your relatives this weekend."
Everyone's eyes focused on William.
"I-It would be too much trouble-"
"It wouldn't be any trouble at all. You probably don't get to see them often." William hesitated. "I'd be very happy to meet them."
Elizabeth was familiar with William's sincere look. She looked around the car and was surprised to see everyone was now looking at her for a response.
"Maybe, if there's time this weekend."
Anne was quick to volunteer. "We usually have tea with family on Sundays, you could invite them."
"Oh, I don't know if-it sounds like a private affair."
"No, not at all. We also invite friends of the family. Charles usually comes."
Jane smiled at the news.
"When we get to my house, you can call your relatives and ask."
Elizabeth looked at William. Elizabeth could find no other reason to say no. William's genuine interest in meeting her relatives touched her.
"Thank you." She turned away to face the window again, hoping no one saw how affected she was.
"What are the names of your relatives?" Anne wanted to keep the conversation with Elizabeth and William going.
When Elizabeth made no attempt to answer, Jane said, "Edward and Madeline Gardiner. They have three children."
"I hope they can all come on Sunday. We haven't had any children at tea for a long time."
"Well, I'm not sure if that's a good idea. They have twin boys, James and Harry."
"Oh, that doesn't sound so bad."
"They're four." They all laughed.
"There's also Laura." Elizabeth said. "She's quite the lady."
William recognized the playful look in her eyes. "How old is she?"
"She's seven." Elizabeth cleared her throat. "I mean, seven years, eight months, and twelve days old."
William smiled. "She sounds lovely."
"Well, you say that now, but wait until you have her approval."
"Her approval?"
"It's not easy to receive. I had to color in four pictures of The Little Mermaid before she gave me her approval, and even then it was given on the condition that she could change her mind any time." William's laughter caused something in Elizabeth to stir.
"Excuse me. Mr. Bingley, should I just pull up to the front of the house?"
"We're here already? Oh, yes. Please pull up to the front." Charles looked at Jane. "I hope you like it."
"I'm sure it's wonderful." Jane squeezed his hand.
The scene made Elizabeth shift in her seat. But, her attention was soon captured by the large iron gates that opened to allow them to drive through. The paved driveway curved and lead to the front of a magnificent well kept colonial house.
"Oh, Charles! It's beautiful."
"You like it?"
"Yes, of course." Jane's eyes took in the surroundings of the estate.
"Is there time to look inside just for a moment?" He looked at Anne then at his friend.
"Of course." William watched Elizabeth. She had not taken her eyes off Charles' house since they pulled up in front of it. He hoped that she would show as much interest in his home.
The driver unloaded Charles' bags. Caroline's tall, thin figure drifted out to meet them.
"Charles! It's so good to see you. I was beginning to think-" She stopped when she saw Jane follow him out of the car. "You've brought Jane with you."
When she saw William come out from the other side of the car, Caroline put on her best smile. "And it was so good of William to pick you up at the airport." She continued drifting down the bricked steps.
Then she stopped mid stride when Anne came out too. "Oh, Anne is with you too." She blinked several times when she saw Elizabeth step out.
"Caroline, it's good to see you again." Charles hugged and kissed his sister.
"Oh, yes." Caroline recovered herself. "I didn't know that you were bringing guests." She looked at Jane then shot a look at Elizabeth.
"They're just coming in to see the house." Caroline's shoulders relaxed. Charles continued. "They're actually staying at Will's."
Caroline's mouth dropped.
"Uh . . . shall we go inside?" Charles lead the way up the steps into the house.
Anne walked passed Caroline and said, to no one in particular, "That reminds me. I need to buy more fish food."
Caroline shook her head and followed the group inside. She kept her eyes on William and Elizabeth while Charles led them on a tour of the house. She watched William walk next to Elizabeth, looking at her while she examined a small sculpture Charles had pointed out. What the hell is going on?
Anne smirked at how Caroline scrutinized William and Elizabeth. You wish he looked at you that way. She stepped a few feet closer to Caroline.
"I'm so happy that Jane and Elizabeth decided to attend Georgie's ball."
"They're going to the ball?" Caroline's voice was louder than she had intended. In a more restrained voice, she asked, "They were invited?"
"Yes. They're guests of the family."
Caroline raised her chin. "The Darcys invited them?"
Anne pretended to look at a painting. "Actually, Jane is Charles' guest, but Georgie insisted she stay with them."
A knowing smirk appeared on Caroline's lips. "So, Elizabeth was invited because Jane was coming."
"No, she was invited by Georgie." Anne returned the smirk.
"Georgie invited her?"
"Georgiana." Anne corrected.
"She's Georgiana's guest?" Caroline shot a look at Elizabeth who was talking to William about something while they stood in the library.
"Yes." Anne watched the color rise in Caroline's face. "It's actually a funny story. We were all having dinner together-"
"She had dinner with William and Georgiana?"
"Yes, William made it."
Caroline's mouth opened and closed, but Anne continued, "Anyway, we were all talking about Georgie's ball when we found out William had not asked Elizabeth, yet."
"William didn't ask Elizabeth to the ball?"
Anne did not like the triumphant tone in Caroline's voice. "No, but he regrets it now."
"Does he?" Caroline said, not believing Anne.
"Yes. In fact," Anne leaned closer to Caroline. "He plans to do anything he can to show just how regretful he is for his mistake." Anne walked away and joined the group in the garden.
Caroline looked on. Jane and Charles were standing away from the rest, looking at the fountain that occupied the middle of the garden. William had walked away from them and headed towards Elizabeth. She was admiring some peonies planted as a border for the trimmed hedges. She had never seen William be so attentive to a woman before. He wasn't even like this with Isabella. She observed that Elizabeth received William's attention in a polite manner, but she could not tell how much Elizabeth enjoyed receiving them. Well, maybe there's still hope. She shook off the idea of William and Elizabeth as a couple and made her way towards them. I'm not going to give up that easily.
Anne knew she should not have misled Caroline in such a way, but she could not help it. A part of her believed she had something to do with William finding Isabella that night with George, but she could never prove it. It was good that William found them, but Anne was determined that Caroline would not have another chance to meddle in William's life.
The silence in the car brought Anne out of her thoughts. She turned back in her seat to see Jane smiling and staring out the window at nothing in particular. But, Elizabeth and William had returned to their occupations of looking out their windows. Anne sighed. I thought things were getting better.
William was hoping for the same thing as well. He was pleased when Elizabeth talked to him while they were at Charles' home. He began to think that perhaps they could pick up where they left off. But, when they got in the car, Elizabeth's quiet behavior returned. When he tried to speak to her, she only responded with short answers.
Elizabeth was not sure what to say or how to act. She enjoyed the moments with William in Charles' house, but she could not forget what William had said before he left. If you met someone else while I was away, I'll understand. She tried to focus her attention on the green hills and lush trees that lined the street. A part of her wanted to believe that William still cared for her. But, if he cared about me, he wouldn't have said that.
Anne could not stand the silence anymore. "So, what did you all think about Netherfield?"
Jane snapped out of her daze. "Charles told me about his house before, but it's obvious he was being modest."
"Do you approve then?" Anne asked with a teasing smile.
Jane laughed. "Absolutely."
"Elizabeth, what has William told you about Pemberley Manor?"
They shifted in their seats. "William hasn't told me anything about it." She looked down at her hands on her lap. "I only know what Charles has told me."
William looked at Elizabeth, trying to figure out what to say.
Anne hated to see her cousin distressed.
"Really? William doesn't usually talk about his house. He's funny about things like that." She tried to be playful.
"Oh." Elizabeth smiled, but it was not one of her usual bright ones.
"Anne, what can you tell us about it?" Jane looked at Anne, hoping she would help ease the tension.
"Well, it's a manor because it's not as large as the original." Anne shot a look at William.
William studied Anne's look for a moment before he said, "Uh, yes."
"The original?" Jane asked. Although Elizabeth continued looking out the window, her eyes were no longer fixed on the scenery.
"The manor is about one third the size of the original."
Jane watched as Elizabeth looked at William for a moment, on the verge of saying something, but she turned away, looking out the window again. Jane sighed to herself.
"Where's the original?" Jane asked, reading Elizabeth's thoughts.
"It's in Derbyshire, England."
"Your family is from England?"
"Yes." William looked at Elizabeth, hoping she would show some interest in the conversation, but she continued her vigilance out the window.
"How is it different than Netherfield?" Jane wished that Elizabeth would look at William and see how much he craved her attention.
"Well, Netherfield is considered to be one of the more recent estates."
Elizabeth turned her attention to the conversation. "Recent?"
"Yes. Netherfield was acquired by Charles' grandfather."
"That doesn't sound very recent." Everyone looked at Elizabeth. She shifted in her seat, "What I meant was . . . how is it considered recent?"
"It's according to the standards of. . . the neighborhood we live in."
"Would your estate be considered recent?"
William did not like where the conversation was going. "No."
Before Elizabeth could respond, Anne joined in. "It's because William's estate wasn't acquired. It was established by. . ." Anne counted on her fingers. "By his great, great, great, great, great grandfather."
Elizabeth did not hide the look of astonishment on her face. "Oh." She then saw they had turned off the main street and passed through an impervious gate that had to be opened by a security guard.
Elizabeth hesitated before she asked, "What street are we on now?"
William looked down. "We're not on the public street anymore."
Elizabeth took in the endless rolling hills and clumps of green bushes and trees spread out through the land.
"Then where. . ." Her attention was captured by a part of the road lined with trees dotted with purple flowers.
"This is the driveway."
Jane and Elizabeth looked at William with astonishment. After a few moments, Jane spoke up.
"It's very nice." Jane looked at Elizabeth.
"Oh, yes." Her attention was again diverted by something moving in the distance. "Is that someone running?" She pointed at the figure.
Anne looked. "Oh, that's just Georgie out on her afternoon ride." She rolled down the window and waved to catch Georgiana's attention. Georgiana waved back.
"Is she riding a. . . horse?"
"Yes. That's her horse Butterscotch. It looks like she's heading back to the stables." Anne rolled her window back up.
"Stables?"
"It's where they keep horses." Jane smiled at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth blinked. "Of course they do."
"Do you enjoy horse back riding?"
Elizabeth looked at William. "I . . . I've never been horse back riding." She looked away, sinking lower in her seat.
"Maybe if there's time this weekend. . . we could . . . well . . . I would be happy to show you how."
Elizabeth was going to say how much she did not want him to go out of his way for her, but when she saw the familiar gentle look in his eyes, all she could say was, "That would be nice."
It was the second time William showed some kind of interest in her. She turned away, focusing on the purple blooms that covered the drive. Don't read too much into it.
"Oh, my-"
"Stop the car."
Elizabeth looked at Anne. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"No, Elizabeth." Jane slid down the backseat, moving closer to her. "Over there." She pointed towards the horizon.
Elizabeth searched the horizon. When her eyes found the item in question, she moved from her seat towards the window.
It was not what she expected, but everything she imagined. To call it a house was a gross understatement. Even from the distance, in the car, a person could not deny the greatness and beauty the house exuded. It did not dominate the lush landscape. Instead it complemented it. Off to one side, the sunlight shimmered on a pond.
"Do you like the house, Elizabeth?"
The soft voice caused her to look at the source. Elizabeth did not realize that when she moved from her seat to get a better look at the house, she also moved right next to William.
"I . . ." She looked back at the house. "I've never seen anything so. . . beautiful." She moved back to her place. "I'm sure you hear that from everyone."
"But, it's not everyone's opinion I value."
She smiled then looked away from William. Don't read too much into it. She steadied herself by grabbing onto her seat.
They drove over a rise in the road which was actually a bridge that went over an inconspicuous stream that could not be seen from a distance. Once over the rise, gravel now covered the driveway and crunched as the Suburban made its way towards the house.
Elizabeth breathed in when the car stopped in front of it. She was the last to climb out of the car. At such a close proximity, the house was even more captivating. She walked towards it, but stopped and stared at the multitude of stairs before her.
Jane had reached the middle of the stairway, but turned around when she did not see her sister. When she saw her at the bottom of the staircase, she called out to her.
"Elizabeth, are you alright?"
She snapped out of her daze. "Uh, yeah." She looked back at the truck. "What about our bags?"
"Anne said they would be brought up to our rooms."
"Oh." Of course. She shrugged and hesitated before she went up the steps.
William saw Elizabeth's hesitation. "Do you want a piggy-back ride?"
Elizabeth turned to William who was walking next to her. Her brow was wrinkled. "A piggy-back ride?"
"Yes." He hid his amusement. "There are a lot of stairs. When Georgie was a child, my father would give her piggy-back rides up the stairs."
Elizabeth could not help herself and laughed. "I think I can manage."
They walked in silence until they reached the entrance to the house. Elizabeth stood there, looking at the door in awe.
"It's alright if you want to touch the details carved in the door."
Elizabeth looked at William then back at the door, not breathing a word.
"Really, it's alright. It's my door."
"Of course it's your door." One of the corners of Elizabeth's mouth turned up.
"No, it really is my door." He placed the tip of his fingers on Elizabeth's elbow and guided her closer to the door. "When I was about four years old, I had learned to write my name."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrow, then touched a sprig of intricately carved grapes on the door.
"Actually, I learned to write Will. I was so pleased with myself." He was then careful to place his hand on the small of her back and ushered her inside to see the other side of the door.
"And since I wasn't allowed to go outside by myself-which would've been much better-I had to write my name from in here."
"You wrote your name on this door?" Elizabeth searched for his name.
"Yes." William smiled at Elizabeth's interest.
"I don't see it."
"Well, when my mother discovered what I did, she asked my father what should be done about it and he said, 'It's obviously Will's door. He should clean it up.' "
Elizabeth laughed at William's impression of his father. "That's all the punishment you received?"
William nodded. "Never mind that this door had been carved by a Spanish carpenter and it's been in my family for five generations."
Elizabeth smiled. "Where did you write your name?"
"I wasn't very tall for four years old." Elizabeth laughed while William kneeled down. "Here."
Elizabeth looked at some purple marks above a carved panel of a hillside. "Are those crayon marks?"
"I'm afraid so." William warmed at the sound of Elizabeth's genuine laughter. "I thought brown would be better with the coloring of the door, but I think the dog ate it-or was it Richard . . ." He loved the way her eyes lit up whenever she smiled.
"Will?" The authority in the elder gentleman's voice made William and Elizabeth straighten up. "What's going on? You're not keeping Elizabeth to yourself, are you?"
William rolled his eyes, but a smile threatened to escape from his lips. "I was just showing Elizabeth my door." They walked towards the small group gathered in the vestibule.
"Ah." The elder man had a distinguished air about him, but the warm smile he greeted Elizabeth with put her at ease. "Now you know the extent of William's inheritance."
"Dad."
"Oh, right. There's also your writing desk in your mother's sitting room."
William's ears turned red. "Dad."
"Where are your manners, boy? Aren't you going to introduce us?"
William shot a look at his father and cleared his throat. "Dad, this is Elizabeth Bennet."
Elizabeth grinned. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Darcy."
"Oh, please call me George." He took her hand into both of his. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
He looked at her with such warmth and sincerity, Elizabeth was not quite sure how to react. She managed to say, "It's a pleasure meeting you as well."
She turned to her sister. "Have you met Jane yet?"
Mr. Darcy smiled at Jane. "Yes. Anne introduced us."
"You're all here!" Georgiana rushed over to her guests, still wearing her riding clothes.
She hugged Elizabeth with enthusiasm. "I hope your flight was alright."
"Yes it was." She pulled Georgiana over to her sister. "This is my sister Jane. Thank you so much for inviting her to stay here."
Georgiana hugged Jane with the same enthusiasm. "Think nothing of it. We have plenty of room."
"Tea is served." A man with gray hair announced.
"Oh, I need to change out of these clothes." Georgiana looked at Elizabeth and Jane. "I'm sure you'll want to freshen up after your long flight. Why don't you follow me up stairs." Georgiana lead the way. "Anne, you show Jane her room and I'll show Elizabeth hers."
Mr. Darcy and William watched as the ladies ascended the staircase. William's heart rate jumped when Elizabeth looked back and smiled before she returned her attention to Georgiana's descriptions of the room she would be staying in.
"Did you see how Georgiana took charge of them?"
"It's very nice to see that she feels comfortable around people outside of our family." They walked towards the sitting room.
After William served his father a cup of tea, he sat down with his own, his eyes looking from time to time at the doorway.
"She's lovely, Will."
William smiled. "Georgie's always been lovely."
"William."
William erased the smile on his face at the sound of his full name. "Yes. She most certainly is."
"I hope you like your room." Georgiana stopped in front of a large oak door then pushed it open.
Elizabeth followed her in and gasped.
"What's the matter? You don't like it?"
Elizabeth looked at her in disbelief. "Are you sure I'm supposed to stay in this room?"
Georgiana smiled in relief. "Yes, of course." She watched Elizabeth walk towards the bed. "William thought you'd like it."
She reached out and touched one of the posts on the bed. "What do you mean?"
"He didn't really explain why, but I think it has something to do with the view." Georgiana walked over to the windows.
Elizabeth hesitated before she followed Georgiana. She was surprised when Georgiana parted the sheer curtains to reveal French doors. Georgiana turned one of the handles and stepped outside.
Elizabeth stepped onto a small balcony. "Oh my. . ."
"Do you like it?" Georgiana examined Elizabeth's face.
"I . . ." She stepped closer to the stone rail and watched a duck skim the pond with it's feet. "This is . . . it's wonderful."
Georgiana smiled from ear to ear. "I'm glad you like it." She walked back into the room.
Elizabeth had to tear her eyes away from the woods beyond the pond and followed Georgiana back inside.
"I'm going to go change. You can look around to see if everything is alright. When you're done, just come back down the way we came and straight through the doorway where tea was announced."
Elizabeth stood next to the nightstand, admiring a humble arrangement of daisies. She looked back at Georgiana.
"He said you liked daisies."
She caressed one of the petals. "I do."
Georgiana smiled to herself and left the room so she would not disturb Elizabeth's private reverie.
When the door shut, Anne turned to Jane, "So, what's going on with Elizabeth and William?"
Jane laughed. "I wish I had an idea."
"Did . . . did she tell you what happened before William left?"
Jane looked down. "Yes." She stepped closer to Anne. "I know William's not the type to-"
"He's not."
"Then. . ."
Anne walked over to the bed and sat down. "He thought he was doing the right thing."
Jane took a seat next to her. "The right thing?"
Anne sighed. "It's a long story." She cleared her throat. "Let's just say it involved a woman we're all trying to forget."
"Oh." Jane thought for a moment. "If they would only talk to each other."
She nodded in agreement. "But, judging from how it went in the car. . . it'll take some effort."
"I'm sure they'll have opportunities." Jane gave Anne a knowing smile.
"Yes, perhaps." Anne returned the smile.
A soft knock on the door caused them to erase their smiles.
Jane called out, "Come in."
Georgiana entered.
Anne stood up and walked to her. "Did she like it?"
Georgiana shut the door. "Yes." Her features were bright.
"Good."
"Who liked what?"
Georgiana's smile became subdued. "Elizabeth's room. I think she liked it."
"Why wouldn't she?"
Anne and Georgiana shifted in their spots.
Jane raised her eyebrow. "What's going on?"
Georgiana bit her lip. "I might have. . . told her a few things about the room. . ."
"Which are all true, but. . ." Anne looked at Georgiana.
"You see, William is not very forthcoming about things like this."
"What did you say to Elizabeth?"
"Well, we just. . ." Georgiana looked at Anne.
"We just suggested a few things to William . . ."
"To see if Elizabeth would like it. . ."
"And when he approved. . ."
"We made sure. . ."
"I see." Jane smiled at them.
Georgiana stepped forward. "Will you help us?"
Jane looked at them for a moment. "Elizabeth doesn't like it when people interfere with her life."
Anne stood next to Georgiana. "We wouldn't be interfering. Maybe just helping things along."
Jane looked at Georgiana than at Anne. "I can't promise anything, but I'll," she cleared her throat, "help when I can."
Both girls threw their arms around Jane. Georgiana whispered, "Thank you."
Elizabeth was the last to make it down to tea. She knew she could not put it off and stay in her bedroom, so when she entered the sitting room, she was relieved that no one noticed her coming in late and joined Anne and Jane.
"Elizabeth, would you like some tea?" Anne asked.
"Uh, no, thank you. I'm alright." Elizabeth made a furtive glance around the room. She saw William and his father talking to a man she did not recognize.
"That's Richard."
Elizabeth looked at Anne in surprise. "Oh." Was it that obvious I was looking for him?
Elizabeth turned to Jane, hoping to mask her embarrassment. "Have you met Richard already?"
"Yes. He seems like a nice man."
Anne snorted.
They looked at Anne. A playful smile spread on Elizabeth's lips. "I remember William telling me that you two always argue."
Anne blinked. "I . . .We have our disagreements."
Elizabeth looked at Richard. "They don't look related at all."
"He's related by marriage."
Elizabeth turned to Anne with a raised eyebrow. "So, he's not an actual blood relative."
"No." Anne did not like where the conversation was going.
"Hmm. . . that's good."
"For who?"
Jane and Elizabeth looked at Anne again.
Anne cleared her throat. "I mean. . . the fact that he's not a blood relative has made me thankful-"
"Really?" Elizabeth suppressed her smile.
Anne's mouth opened and closed several times. "That's not-I didn't mean-"
"What did you mean?"
Anne looked at Jane who only shrugged. "What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing." Elizabeth smiled. "Where's Georgiana?"
Anne looked at Elizabeth with a suspicious eye. "She's with the housekeeper talking about dinner plans."
"Oh." Jane was happy to change the subject. "What's for dinner?"
"Well, they're still deciding whether or not to eat here or go out."
Their conversation was stopped short when the gentlemen approached them.
"Elizabeth, this is my cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam."
Their greeting was friendly.
"How do you like Pemberley so far?"
"I had no idea how lovely it was."
"You mean, William didn't tell you about the splendors of Pemberley?"
Elizabeth glanced at William. "No." When she saw William look away, she added, "Well, I can understand. It's hard to describe this place with just words."
Hmm. . . nice comeback. "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here."
Jane and Richard carried on the rest of the conversation. After a moment, however, Mr. Darcy pulled Elizabeth aside.
"Elizabeth, would you mind if I showed you something?"
"Of course not, Mr. Darcy."
Mr. Darcy excused themselves from the conversation. William looked at his father with a raised eyebrow, but Mr. Darcy just winked at him and directed Elizabeth out of the sitting room.
When they were gone, Jane asked, "Where are they going?"
Anne shrugged. "I have no idea."
They all looked at William. He thought a moment before he said, "They're walking towards the library."
"I know Georgiana or William will take you and your sister on a tour of the house sometime this weekend, but I like showing this particular room myself to our guests."
They stopped in front of two great oak doors. Mr. Darcy turned to Elizabeth and said, "I think this is something you'll appreciate." Then he pushed open one of the doors and Elizabeth followed him in.
She thought she had seen it all, but it was obvious that Pemberley had many delightful surprises. The first thing that captured her attention was the dome shaped ceiling. In the center was a skylight that revealed the darkening sky. Her eyes drifted down to the spacious room. There was dark wood everywhere, but when she looked again, the dark wood were actually shelves.
She turned to Mr. Darcy. "This is . . .this is a library."
A warm smile spread on his lips. "I thought you'd like it. William told me you're a teacher."
Elizabeth nodded. "This room is four times bigger than the one at my school." She walked towards one of the shelves, but dared not to touch any of the gold lettering on the bindings.
Mr. Darcy watched with pleasure the way Elizabeth marveled at all the books. Then he remembered his purpose in bringing her there.
"Elizabeth, there's actually something I wanted to show you."
She walked towards him. "What is it?"
"Well, I suppose you could say it's my special collection." He walked towards a shelf that had a glass door and opened it.
Expecting to see rare books, Elizabeth stared in wonder. "These are pictures."
"You may look at them."
Careful not to get her fingers on the photograph, Elizabeth picked one up. She smiled at the candid picture of a young woman rocking a baby in her arms.
"Is this . . ."
He pointed at each figure. "That's Georgie and there's their mother, Annie."
"Oh. I don't know how I missed the resemblance before." She put the picture back and picked up another. This one made her laugh.
Mr. Darcy bent down to see which one she picked up. "Ah. Yes. This was taken on Easter when William was ten."
Elizabeth remembered Anne and Georgiana talking about how Richard tried to take Georgiana's candy and William was the one to protect her. But, the picture showed them posing, standing next to each other.
Anne's hair was in pigtails, but she pouted and had her arms crossed. Richard had some chocolate on his face and was grinning, but his eyes were closed. Georgiana was next to him, but stood a few inches away, clinging next to William. William was indeed wearing the purple Easter suit Anne had mentioned. His arm was around Georgiana in a protective half embrace and he was pointing at the person taking the picture and smiling.
"This certainly is a special picture." She looked again at the little boy smiling and pointing.
Mr. Darcy chuckled. "Yes."
Elizabeth took one last look before she put it back. She saw another picture that grabbed her attention. "Is that William?" She pointed.
Mr. Darcy took out the picture in question. "Yes. This was taken at one of the games he played in high school. Did he tell you he used to play football?"
Elizabeth took the picture Mr. Darcy offered. "Yes. He did tell me." William held the ball, poised to make a pass. His uniform was dirty and the determination in his expression could not be missed.
"Dad. You promised."
They both looked at William standing at the end of the book case by the door.
Mr. Darcy scratched his head. "Did I?"
William rolled his eyes and walked towards them.
"I was just showing Elizabeth my special collection." Mr. Darcy reached in and grabbed something else. "I thought you'd also appreciate this." He handed her a baseball.
Elizabeth took it, but when she looked at it again, there was writing on it. She looked at Mr. Darcy, then at the ball again. Her eyes widen with recognition when she realized what she was holding.
"This is-it's-"
Mr. Darcy grinned. "My father was able to get it autographed before they left Brooklyn for LA."
Elizabeth's mouth opened and closed several times, looking at Mr. Darcy then at William.
Mr. Darcy continued, "I hope to pass it on to him," he tipped his head in William's direction. "But, he has this fascination with football."
Elizabeth laughed. "You don't want to leave this with someone who doesn't fully appreciate its value."
"Oh, so you're fully aware of his failing."
William sighed.
"Yes. In fact, we went out to play catch once," Elizabeth leaned closer to Mr. Darcy. "He didn't even have his own mit."
"Is this true, William?"
William hid his smile. "Yes."
"He had to borrow one from Charles."
"You're lucky Elizabeth was generous enough to overlook that." He looked at Elizabeth. "You're too good for him."
Elizabeth blushed and William shifted in his spot. They were both saved from a response when Georgiana walked in.
"Dad, I've been looking all over for you." She smiled when she saw the baseball in Elizabeth's hand. "Mrs. Reynolds and I were talking about dinner. I know you wanted to go to Victor's tonight, but Mrs. Reynolds said that they couldn't get us a table on such short notice."
Mr. Darcy puffed up. "Did she tell them who wanted the table?"
William and Georgiana looked at each other before she said, "No."
Mr. Darcy opened his mouth to say something, but the look his children gave him caused him to close it and he looked at Elizabeth.
"Victor and I are old friends, I'm sure he could arrange something. Elizabeth, please excuse me." He walked out with Georgiana, but called out, "William, make sure to close up my special collection when you two are done."
Elizabeth put the ball back with care and William closed it.
"I'm sorry you had to see that."
"See what?"
William cleared his throat. "My father tends to get a bit excited when . . . the Darcy name isn't properly recognized."
Elizabeth laughed. "My father was the same way at the university when he wasn't recognized either." She walked to another shelf with a glass door.
"At the university?" William followed her.
"He was a professor in History. It annoyed him whenever he dealt with other colleges and they didn't recognize who he was." She giggled.
"Ah."
Elizabeth bent down to take a closer look at what was inside the shelf.
"You know, I can't remember a time when my father has shown his special collection to anyone outside our family."
Elizabeth looked up at William. "Really?"
"Yes." They looked at each other for a moment.
Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at William. "It seems your father knows a lot about me."
William stepped closer to Elizabeth. "Does that bother you?"
"No." She looked down. "I'm just surprised that's all."
"Surprised?"
Elizabeth raised her head. "Why would he know so much about me?"
The confusion in her eyes made William want to do everything he could to drive it away.
"Elizabeth. . ." He reached out for her.
Caroline stormed into the library. "Oh there you are!"
Elizabeth backed away from William.
Caroline stood in between them. "You're father was able to get a table at Victor's and we're leaving in an hour."
"I didn't know you were coming." William said, but looked at Elizabeth who was looking at both him and Caroline.
"Well, I came with Charles and we were invited to join you all for dinner."
"Of course." William said under his breath.
"I'm going to get ready for dinner then." Elizabeth looked at them both again, before she turned and left the room.
William moved to follow her, but was stopped by Caroline.
"Victor's is so romantic with those opera singers . . ." She looked up at William with a wide-eyed innocence that looked ridiculous on her.
He gave her a curt, "Yes," and walked out. He walked to the sitting room, but the only people left were Charles and Richard.
William looked around. "Where's everyone?"
"They're all getting ready." Richard stood up and walked over to William. In a hushed voice, he said, "Elizabeth was in quite a rush to go upstairs. Is everything alright?"
William let out a deep sigh. "We were just talking and then Caroline . . ."
"Willl-iiaam!"
He rolled his eyes.
"Oh." Richard nodded. "Why don't you run up stairs and get ready for dinner. I'll try to," Richard cleared his throat, "provide some distraction."
William chuckled. "Thank you." He left the room, pretending not to hear Caroline calling out to him and took the stairs three at a time.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he walked to his room near the end of the hall. On his way, he stopped near Elizabeth's room. He stared at the closed door for a moment. The image of the confused look in Elizabeth's eyes went through his mind. She shouldn't have any doubts. . . He shook his head and continued his way to his room. He was not sure how he would do it, but he knew it was up to him to erase any doubts Elizabeth had about him.
Author's Note: Some of the scenes and dialogue in this chapter have been modified from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and the TV-movie adaptation of the same name.
Posted on Tuesday, 5 March 2002
William rubbed the stitching on the football, poised to throw a pass. Richard ran to receive the pass while Charles played defense. While waiting to throw the pass, memories of the previous evening flooded William's mind.
Caroline looked around the vestibule. "Why don't we all head out to the cars." She was pleased that Elizabeth had not made it down stairs yet.
Caroline was not the only one who noticed Elizabeth was missing. Everyone walked towards the door except William. He stood a few feet away from the doorway and watched everyone walk down the cascading steps. He smiled to himself when he saw Richard join Caroline in Charles' car with Jane. Then he chuckled when he saw them drive away, Caroline looking back with a frown from the rear window.
"Something funny?"
William turned at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. She sauntered down the staircase towards him. He could not take his eyes off her. She had a playful smile on her lips and her eyes were bright. Although he appreciated these features, William was appreciating her legs at the moment.
Elizabeth stood in front of William. "Where's everyone?"
William shook his head. "Oh. . .they're outside."
"I hope you haven't been waiting too long."
"Not at all." He followed Elizabeth out the door.
"Where's Jane and Charles?" She walked down the steps and saw a small group consisting of Anne, Georgiana, and Mr. Darcy waiting next to the Suburban.
"They drove on ahead. Richard and Caroline went with them."
"I'm sure Caroline was hoping for a different passenger." She teased.
William's eyes settled on her bare collarbone. "Perhaps." Then his eyes traced their way down the neckline of her dress.
They continued in silence until they reached the car. Georgiana and Anne smiled when they saw William and Elizabeth walking together.
"Elizabeth, you look lovely."
"I like that dress."
"Thank you."
Mr. Darcy cleared his throat. "Ladies, we should get going."
Mr. Darcy went to the passenger's seat next to the driver.
"Would you two mind if Anne and I sat together? I wanted to talk to her about the party."
Elizabeth and William snuck looks at each other and shifted in their spots.
"Uh. . . no."
"Of course not."
"Great." Georgiana grinned.
"Maybe we should take the back seat closer to your father. In case we have to ask him something." Anne suggested.
"Right." Georgiana smile at Anne and turned to William and Elizabeth. "I hope the back-back seat will be alright."
Elizabeth nodded.
William looked at his sister and Anne with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure it'll be fine." Then he walked around the other side of the car.
Elizabeth got in and took her familiar seat she had during the ride from the airport. She was joined by William momentarily and then Anne and Georgiana got into the car. Once everyone was in, the driver started the car and they were off.
Anne and Georgiana launched into quiet conversation, occasionally including Mr. Darcy from time to time.
William leaned over to Elizabeth and said, "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I think we're being ignored."
Elizabeth laughed.
William watched her, taking in her smiling face. For two weeks, he was deprived of this. Soon, Elizabeth was caught up in William's gaze.
He wanted to some how let Elizabeth know that he missed her, that he hoped she felt the same way too. But, before he could, the car went over a bump, causing them to break their steady gaze.
"Sorry about that. The road is harder to see at night." The driver said, more for Elizabeth's benefit.
William returned his attention to Elizabeth, however, she was looking out the window at the scenery.
He was going to say something about the condition of the dirt road, when his attention was captured by Elizabeth's bare legs again. She sat with them crossed at the knee, but her skirt had fallen back due to the car's sudden movement.
Elizabeth seemed unaware of this, and part of her thigh had been revealed. He knew he should say something, but then it would be obvious he had been looking when he should not have. However, if he did not say anything, he could continue admiring her. What are you doing? You have to say something.
Feeling the intensity of his gaze, Elizabeth turned to William.
"What's the matter?"
"Oh . . . uh . . . well . . . I've never seen you in a dress before."
Elizabeth looked down at herself and adjusted her skirt. Her cheeks turned red. "You're right."
"You should wear them more often." Letting his eyes wander over her figure.
Elizabeth looked up at him. After a few moments, she said, "Maybe I will." She gave him a playful smile before she turned away, looking out the window.
William wanted to continue talking to her, but when the car went over another bump, and Elizabeth's skirt had fallen back again, he was struck silent. Elizabeth continued her watch of the scenery, but did not move to adjust her skirt.
They rode the rest of the way in companionable silence. Elizabeth taking in the scenery and how it looked different at night. William taking in Elizabeth, intrigued by the fact that she had not adjusted her skirt.
"Will!" Charles tilted his head towards Richard. "Does he seem a little distracted?"
"A little?" Richard looked back at his cousin. William stood in the distance with the football in his hand, but he was looking at the pond. "I think it might have something to do with an attractive young lady who's asleep in his house while he's out here throwing a football around with us."
"Ah." Charles smiled. "I didn't know when we set up that blind date that things would turn out this way."
Richard turned to Charles. "What way?"
Charles shifted his foot over a patch of grass. "I've never seen William . . . so interested in a woman before."
Richard nodded in agreement. Then after a moment he looked at Charles with a raised eyebrow.
"It seems the Bennet women have this affect on men."
Charles opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and rubbed his neck.
"I heard from William that this is supposed to be a special weekend for you and Jane."
Charles shifted his foot over the same patch of grass again. "I hope she says yes."
Richard clapped his shoulder. "Of course she will."
"Thanks." It was Charles' turn to raise an eyebrow at Richard. "And you?"
Richard rested his hands on his hips and sighed. "Someday."
"You mean there's no one."
Richard looked at Charles for a moment. "I didn't say that." And gave him a small smile. Then he looked back at William. "Will!"
This time William eyes shot over to Charles and Richard.
Richard leaned over to Charles. "Maybe I should play quarterback. At least you and I can get some throws in."
Charles laughed while Richard jogged over to relieve a dazed William.
Elizabeth stretched out in her bed, letting her skin enjoy the softness of the flannel sheets. The morning light that escaped through the drapes cast a warm glow into the room. She heard the gentle sway of the trees outside and birds chirping. She wondered what it would be like to wake up like this every morning.
She turned to her side and let her hand smooth out the empty spot beside her. A corner of her mouth turned up. I know what would make this all perfect. As soon as the thought of who would make the morning perfect crossed her mind, she shook her head and flopped on her back. Stop it! She let out a heavy sigh. Even though she tried to block out thoughts of him, memories of the previous evening took over her mind.
"Good night, everyone!" Georgiana hugged and kissed her father and brother. "Tomorrow's a big day."
Everyone said good night to her and walked towards the sitting room. Elizabeth stayed behind with Georgiana. Georgiana waited until everyone else was gone to say anything.
"Did you have a good time tonight?"
Elizabeth nodded. "It was fantastic. I've never been to a place like Victor's before."
Georgiana squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it." She stepped closer to her. "I think William had a good time too."
Elizabeth looked down. "Really? I couldn't tell from where I was sitting."
"He did." Georgiana looked at her with earnest. "Even though he couldn't be near you, I think he enjoyed watching you get along with my father so well."
Elizabeth did not know what to say. "Oh."
"Well, I better go. I need all the beauty sleep I can get." Georgiana kissed Elizabeth on the cheek and climbed the stairs.
Elizabeth said, "Good night."
She hesitated before she walked towards the sitting room. Elizabeth was not sure how to take Georgiana's words. She remembered catching William staring, but she assumed he was looking at his father. At the time, she did not think much of it, but now that she thought about the intense look in his dark eyes . . .
"There you are!" Mr. Darcy walked over to Elizabeth. "I was beginning to worry that I had lost my dinner companion."
Elizabeth smiled. "I was just saying good night to Georgiana."
Mr. Darcy lowered his tone. "Did she mention anything about some Joshua boy?"
"Uncle George!" Anne reproached him.
Elizabeth stifled her amusement. "No. I'm afraid not."
"Hm . . . Will and I are at our wits end about this boy. Anne won't tell us anything."
Anne walked over to them. "With good reason. You and Will would scare him off."
"We just want to have a little talk with the boy."
Anne snorted.
Elizabeth giggled. "I'm afraid my loyalties are with Georgiana in this case."
A triumphant smile spread on Anne's face.
Mr. Darcy let out a playful huff. "I suppose women must have their secrets." Then he looked up and searched the room. "Will! You must help me out on this."
William had been watching the three converse and when his father had called him over, he was glad to excuse himself from Caroline's company. However, it meant leaving Richard behind.
"What is it?" He snuck a glance at Elizabeth.
"It seems that Elizabeth has joined Anne in her loyalty to Georgiana."
William suppressed his urge to smile. "Well, I don't see any harm in that."
"You don't see what's happening?" He leaned closer to his son. "With Elizabeth on her side, there's nothing Georgiana will be denied."
Elizabeth felt her cheeks grow warmer.
William looked at Elizabeth for a moment. "Indeed. I think we've met our match."
"Both of you stop it." Anne reproached with a grin. "You don't think Elizabeth can be easily affected by your charms?"
Mr. Darcy looked at Anne. "I thought we were doing a pretty damn good job."
William had one of his handsome smiles on his lips. "Dad, you forget," he looked at Elizabeth again, "She's quite an extraordinary woman."
"Ah, yes of course."
Anne cut in. "Elizabeth, would you like some tea?"
Elizabeth gave Anne a grateful smile. "No, thank you, but I'm a little tired. I think the time change is catching up to me." She bid everyone good night and was glad to be gone because she saw Caroline approach them as she was leaving.
When she reached the base of the stairs, she took in a deep breath. Elizabeth bent down and took off her high-heeled shoes and then climbed the stairs, two at a time. She had this urgent need to be by herself.
When she got to the top of the stairs, she stood there for a moment, catching her breath. She laughed at herself for her silliness. It wasn't like they were publicly humiliating me. She thought.
After she had regained her composure she walked towards her room. She walked with a hop, her shoes swinging back and forth in one hand, while she hummed Danke Shcoen by Wayne Newton through various corridors, admiring the various paintings of parts of the estate and what looked like previous Darcy family members. Elizabeth stopped to admire a portrait of William with his sister and parents. She continued walking, admiring a scene of the pond, but after a few moments she realized that she had not been paying attention to where she was going and she was lost.
"Danke Shcoen, Darling, Danke Shcoen
Thank you for all the joy and pain."
Elizabeth continued humming to herself, thinking maybe for some reason that would help her find her way back to her room. She walked for a few moments like this until another portrait caught her attention. It was another of William, but this time he was alone.
And this is how William found her.
He recognized the tune and followed the source. William watched her for a moment. She twirled a curl with one hand while the other swung her shoes back and fourth. Although he liked looking at Elizabeth, the fact that she seemed quite taken by his portrait intrigued him even more.
Elizabeth thought she recognized the expression on his face, but she could not place it. The intense characteristic look was captured in his eyes, but his lips, she thought, were smiling. It looked like one of his playful smiles, but she did not see that smile very often, so she could not be sure.
"Do you like it?"
Elizabeth spun around. "Oh, I didn't know. . ." She looked at the portrait and then back at the actual person. "It's-It's very . . . nice."
He walked towards her. "I was twenty-one when it was painted." He looked at Elizabeth and then at the shoes in her hands.
Elizabeth looked in William's direction. "There were too many steps-I mean, I. . . my feet hurt." She bit her lower lip.
William smiled. "Well, are you going to be able to make it back to your room?"
"Of course." Elizabeth hesitated before she walked towards the corridor on the right.
"Uh . . . Elizabeth?"
"Yes?"
"Were you going to look at other paintings?"
"No."
William walked towards her again. "I was just wondering because. . . well. . . the only thing down this way besides more paintings is . . ." He looked at Elizabeth for a moment, a corner of his mouth up turned. "My bedroom."
Elizabeth felt the back of her neck burn. Her mouth opened and closed several times before something came out.
"I-I. . . you see, I was walking to my room and I-I saw the paintings. I didn't notice them earlier, so I thought I'd take a look." She cleared her throat. "But, then I couldn't remember which was my room . . ."
William looked at her lips. "Uh-huh."
"Then you found me. I . . . I guess I'm lost."
It took a moment for William to realize that Elizabeth was looking at him, waiting for his response. "Lost? Oh. Well, let me walk you back to your room." He hesitated before he put his hand on the small of her back, then guided her down the opposite way down the corridor.
"This is so embarrassing."
"No. Don't worry about it. Richard still gets lost sometimes."
Elizabeth laughed. "How do you remember which room is which?"
"Well, my room has my portrait near it. My father's has our family portrait near his. Uh. . . Georgiana's room has a painting of the house near her's."
"Oh! There it is!" Elizabeth pointed at a painting of the house set off in the landscape.
William nodded.
"What kind of painting is near my room?"
"It has a painting of one of the hillsides on the estates."
Elizabeth looked around the walls. "Are we far from it?"
William nodded again.
Elizabeth chuckled. "I bet you were surprised to see me where you found me."
"Among other things."
Elizabeth felt his eyes on her and tried to focus her attention on something else. "What's that?"
William tore his eyes away from the mole behind Elizabeth's ear and looked at the painting she was pointing to.
"That's a picture of the original Pemberley."
"In Derbyshire?"
William smiled, pleased that she remembered. "Yes. As you can see, it's much larger than the manor."
Elizabeth examined the painting for a moment. "I suppose it is." When she looked up from the painting, she saw that William was not looking at the painting.
And this is how Mr. Darcy found them.
"You both said you were going to retire for the evening and here I find you looking at pictures."
William and Elizabeth shifted in their spots.
"I was just taking Elizabeth back to her room."
Mr. Darcy raised an eyebrow. He saw that Elizabeth was carrying her shoes. "Were you?"
Elizabeth blushed and William tried to explain.
"She got lost."
"Uh-huh."
"And I found her while walking to my room."
"Right."
"Dad."
"Well, whatever it is you two are up to, you better hurry up and decide because it won't be too long before everyone starts coming up stairs." He winked at Elizabeth and walked down the corridor passed them. "Don't mind me." He called out over his shoulder.
William felt the top of his ears burn. It took him some time before he could look at Elizabeth, hoping she was not offended by his father's comments. When he did turn to look at her, he saw that she was looking down, but her shoulders were shaking.
"Are you alright?"
When she looked up at him, she had a grin on her face. "Yes."
Relieved that she was not upset, he took in his breath. "I'm sorry about that."
"There's no need to apologize. My mother. . . how should I put it? Well, at least your father is more subtle."
William's shoulders relaxed. "If you say so."
She put her hand in the crook of his arm. "C'mon. Before we stir up any more gossip."
They walked, not saying anything. Elizabeth concentrated on where they were going, paying close attention to the paintings on the wall. William's eyes always wandered back to Elizabeth. He liked her hand on his arm, and when he covered her hand with his, he was pleased that she did not remover hers.
"Are we close?"
"Hm?"
"Are we close to my room?"
"Oh." William looked around. "Yes. It's right here." They walked towards a door on the right.
Elizabeth looked at the painting near her room. "Is this the hillside you were talking about?"
William's jaw tightened. "Yes."
She studied his expression and how his eyes had this emotion that she did not recognize while he looked at the painting.
Then they heard voices downstairs.
"Well, I should be going."
"Right."
They stood for a moment looking at each other. Then William looked down at his hand on hers.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's alright." William squeezed her hand.
Elizabeth hesitated. "Thank you for helping me find my room."
"It was my pleasure."
Elizabeth knew if she did not tear her eyes away from his that she would be lost. The only thing that saved her was that the voices from downstairs were approaching.
"Good night." Elizabeth found it difficult to release his hand.
"See you in the morning." William had to stop himself from following her into her room.
She stood with her back to her door, her hand on the doorknob. Elizabeth looked at the stairway, no one had emerged, yet. She looked at William, still standing in the same spot. She knew that look. She knew she should go into her room right at that moment, but she could not.
Elizabeth walked towards William. When she stood in front of him, she placed her hand on his chest. She looked at William again and the anticipation in his eyes caused her heart to pound in her chest. She tilted her head up, but when she leaned in, the voices from downstairs sounded as if they were going to come up the stairs at any minute. She had not realized how close she was to giving into her desires. Elizabeth took a step back. Disappointment now apparent in William's eyes.
Without thinking, Elizabeth kissed William on the cheek.
Before William could act, Elizabeth was already at her door and gave him a long look before she shut it. Then Richard, Anne, and Jane came up the stairs.
Elizabeth leaned against the door and heard the muffled voices in the hallway.
"What are you doing still up?" It sounded like Richard.
It was quiet for a moment before Anne spoke up. "William? Are you alright?"
"Uh, yeah." He cleared his throat. "I was going to go downstairs. I was having trouble falling asleep."
"Do you want some company?" There was concern in Richard's voice.
"No. I'll be alright." He paused for a moment. "Actually, I think I'll go back to my room."
"Will you be able to fall asleep?" This time it was Anne's voice that sounded concerned.
"Probably not, but I'll have some pleasant thoughts to keep me company."
William bid them good night and she heard his footsteps down the hall. Eventually, everyone else parted, a bit confused at William's comment.