Beginning, Previous Section, Section XV, Next Section
Kathleen Fitzwilliam greeted the new arrivals at the door with her usual grace and charm. She gave Charles a warm hug and told Jane that she was happy to see her again under more pleasant circumstances. It took Jane a moment to recall that she had first met Mrs. Fitzwilliam while her son lay in a hospital bed. Kathleen showed her guests into the family room, where Bess, Lizzy, and Olivia were huddled in conversation around the fire. William and Richard were at the far end of the room sprawled on the sofas chatting about some technical computer matter. They rose to greet Jane and Charles.
"Cold cheeks," Richard said after he kissed Jane. He shook hands with Charles as William gave Jane a hug. The enlarged group made small talk for a few moments. Hugh joined the group and suggested that they all go into the dining room for lunch. The formal dining room, bedecked with Christmas decorations as were the other public rooms of the great house, had been prepared for luncheon, but Lizzy, Olivia, and Jane were immediately distracted by the Christmas tree. One of four in the house, the dining room tree was draped with white and gold ribbons, white doves, and a dusting of snow. The family room tree, by contrast, was outfitted in more traditional ornamentation. The men took seats at the table while all the women, save Bess, fell into conversation by the tree. After a couple of minutes, Hugh coughed to gain their attention.
"If you ladies would care to join us..." Kathleen, Jane, Lizzy, and Olivia took their places at the table. A servant brought in a steaming tureen on a serving cart. The hearty soup, brimming with chunks of vegetables and sausage, was the perfect antidote to the chilly weather outside. Slices of French bread, grilled with Gruyere cheese on top, accompanied the soup along with an array of olives and pickled vegetables. The conversation was lively and comfortable. Hugh raised his glass of wine and toasted the holidays. Everyone joined him in the toast, and both Hugh and Kathleen gave a special look to Olivia as they raised their glasses in a second toast to family and friends.
After the meal ended, with freshly baked gingerbread men and vanilla ice cream, Hugh led the group--save for Bess and Kathleen who opted out--to the train room in the basement. He opened the door with a dramatic flare and earned the exclamations of "ooh" and "aah" that he had expected from the uninitiated. The three couples poured into the large room where an eight by ten foot layout sat in the middle of the room. Around the perimeter of the room was another layout, approximately seven feet off the ground. Below it, all along the walls were shelves holding model trains, books, and train-related paraphernalia of all kinds. A worktable sat in one corner. But all eyes fell on the layout at the room's core.
It resembled a tiny city. There were at least four sets of tracks running around and through the layout. Olivia was fascinated by the detail. She wasn't sure if it was a replica of a real town, or a just a product of the Fitzwilliam imagination, but she thought it was fabulous. Lizzy walked all around the display, reading street signs, laughing at the ads on miniature billboards. William, Richard, and Charles--who had all previously spent a good deal of time in the train room--promptly reached for the controls. Charles and the three Fitzes started up the trains and began to play. Jane stood beside Charles and watched as his line made its way through the layout. Olivia and Lizzy fell into a conversation about urban renewal projects for the seedier "wrong side of the tracks." After about a half hour, the women began to lose interest in the male bonding exercise, and retreated to the family room.
"That took longer than we thought," Kathleen laughed as the three entered the room. "I can't stand to be in there for more than ten minutes at a time." The younger women joined their elders and accepted Kathleen's offer of a glass of wine. "We 'old' gals prefer sherry, but I think wine's the thing for you. She rose and tugged on a bell pull near the fireplace.
"That actually works?" Jane exclaimed aloud as the servant, Pierce--not Mrs. Pierce, or Miss Pierce, just Pierce--appeared and was sent in search of a bottle of chardonnay and a few glasses. She returned shortly, and the women fell into conversation about Christmas shopping.
"William is impossible to shop for!" Lizzy cried. "I must have gone to two hundred stores, looked at every website on the planet and I still couldn't manage to find anything he didn't already have!" Kathleen smiled knowingly.
"What did you end up with?"
"A pen. An antique pen with an etched Sterling silver filigreed casing. I know he collects pens, but I don't know if he has one like it."
"He'll love it no matter what" Kathleen assured her. "If he's a collector, he'll want more. That's the answer for the man who has everything. Toys. Men love toys; the more the better."
"You're not kidding!" Jane exclaimed. "Charles and Richard collect those little robots. I tried to find one that he didn't have already. Do you have any idea what those things can go for? I found him a new book on robot collecting, and I bought him a watch. And guess what: Charles comes by a few days ago and shows me his Christmas present for Richard. A robot!"
"What are you giving Richard?" Bess asked Olivia, who blushed slightly.
"I didn't buy him anything. When I began to think about Christmas, I really didn't know him as well as I do now." Bess winked at her as she continued. "So I made something for him. I knit him a scarf and a pair of mittens. I made William mittens, too."
"How lovely," Kathleen commented. "I used to do a lot of knitting when Hugh and I were first married. I grew out of my urge to knit when the girls were little. I had to make two of everything. I knit Richard one or two things, but fortunately his paternal grandmother took over and made each of the children a sweater every year until she died."
"I made Charles a scarf once," Jane said. "He loved it. Men love things that women make for them."
"I hope so," Lizzy said. "I made William a scarf. Of course, it's the first thing I've ever finished and it doesn't look anywhere near as nice as the one Olivia made."
"It's the thought that counts, Lizzy. Besides, William loves everything you do," Jane said. Olivia and Lizzy exchanged a glance and laughed, causing the others to look at them quizzically. Lizzy and Olivia were made to describe their theft of the Range Rover and the snowball fight, and Olivia admitted that Richard had managed to get his revenge. Bess and Kathleen exchanged an amused glance.
"I think it's time for my beauty rest, girls," Bess announced as she rose.
"I think I'll join you, mother," Kathleen said. "I'll have Pierce dig up another bottle of wine for you. Make yourselves comfortable. If Hugh is any judge, you won't see any males for hours!" Another bottle of wine was brought and the trio relaxed on the sofas.
"Now that we're alone, I can tell you what I'm really giving William," Lizzy said archly.
"You mean you lied about the pen?" Jane asked. Lizzy shot her a withering glance.
"Yes, I got him the pen, and paid a small fortune for it. But I found a few more interesting things as well."
"Oh?"
"Do tell," Olivia smiled, and leaned in to hear the details.
"Well, I think I told you that William gave me a little red chest with keys to all his homes..."
""Yes?" the others said in unison.
"Well, William is getting his own little red chest...a red box, really." Jane and Olivia exchanged a glance.
"And what's in his little red chest?" Jane asked.
"Well," Lizzy began. "There's a picture of me--."
"Wearing...?" Jane interrupted.
"A smile. And a red dress," Lizzy hastily added, "But you can't see it in the photo. I had it cropped. There's also a Marc Anthony CD..."
"William likes Marc Anthony" Olivia questioned doubtfully.
"Who knows? I like him!" Lizzy shrugged.
"What else?" Jane asked eagerly as she refilled empty glasses.
"A pair of red silk boxer shorts..."
"What size?" Olivia giggled.
"His ," was Lizzy's terse reply. "A small feather duster--don't ask!" she warned. Olivia and Jane shared a shocked look.
"And the kicker...chocolate body frosting." Olivia and Jane exchanged another shocked glance.
"Chocolate body frosting?" they repeated in unison.
"I found it online," Lizzy smiled. "I love the Internet, don't you?"
"Tell us about this chocolate body frosting," Jane urged.
"Well, it's just like any other frosting, I guess. Except that it's much more expensive."
"So you could have saved yourself a wad of cash and bought it in the supermarket," Olivia opined.
"How much does it cover?" Jane wondered.
"I have no idea," Lizzy replied, "But I think I can guarantee an answer before New Years." The women all burst into laughter.
"Does it come in different flavors?" Jane asked.
"Are you considering buying some?" Olivia teased. "If so, let's borrow a car and go down to the market!"
"It's not the same as the stuff in the supermarket. It can't be!" Lizzy cried.
"So what? Charles won't know--especially if we put it in a fancy jar. And if it's cheap," Olivia giggled, "Jane can definitely afford to get enough to cover all of him!" Jane blushed crimson.
"How much of him would you want to cover, Jane?" Lizzy inquired archly.
"What flavor would you get for Charles? I think lemon might be nice," Olivia volunteered.
"No," Lizzy said, "Actually, Charles is more like that white icing with the sprinkles."
"Ewwww!" Olivia cried. "You'd eat that stuff?"
"You don't like it?" Jane asked, forgetting for the moment to be mortified.
"I wouldn't eat that stuff on a cake much less on a man!" Olivia spat. Lizzy and Jane began to laugh.
"Livy, of course, would do nothing less than drench her man in homemade icing," Lizzy declared.
"Mmm, what flavor would you put on Richard?" Jane asked.
"Richard and I haven't gotten to the frosting stage yet, Jane," Olivia blushed.
"Come, come, girl! Don't be shy!" Lizzy challenged. "This is no time to be impeded by the facts! What flavor would you choose for him?" Olivia thought for a moment and looked to Jane.
"I'll give you an answer if Jane gives hers first." It was Jane's turn to blush.
"Well, actually, I wasn't thinking of buying frosting for Charles..." Lizzy and Olivia gaped at her.
"Jane! Another man?" Olivia slapped Lizzy on the shoulder.
"Don't be an idiot, Lizzy! Jane meant--I think that Jane meant--I certainly hopethat Jane meant--."
"Well, whatever she meant, what is it?" Lizzy demanded as the wine began to buzz in her head. Olivia looked at Jane.
"I wanted it for me," Jane fairly whispered. Lizzy looked at Olivia and the pair began to giggle.
"Mmm! What flavor icing goes with angel food cake?" Olivia quipped.
"A rather wicked angel food cake," Lizzy amended.
"Indeed!"
"Strawberry," Lizzy said.
"Or peaches and cream," Olivia said. "Not that it makes a difference; our Jane doesn't need icing to be sweet."
"Thank you," Jane replied as she poured the last of the wine into three glasses. "Exactly where do you plan to use the frosting, anyway, Lizzy?"
"William's house?" The three burst into laughter once more as the door unexpectedly opened. Richard poked his head in and gave the women a searching look. They all smiled back at him demurely.
"Did you want something?" Lizzy finally managed to ask.
"I was looking for Fitz. He came upstairs for something and he's been gone a while. What are you three Cheshire cats up to?" Olivia began to giggle.
"Sharing recipes," she managed. Richard eyed her warily, but he shook his head and closed the door. All three women burst out laughing. "Caramel!" Olivia cried, and the three fell over in hysterics.
Richard stood in the hall and tried to imagine why the word "caramel" would provoke such a great deal of laughter, although he figured that the two wine bottles on the table had been a factor in the mirthful sounds that continued to emanate from the room behind him. Richard scratched his head and went in search of his cousin. He found William coming in the front door.
"Where's Lizzy?" he asked, a large firm snowball in his hand. Richard arched an eyebrow.
"Don't you think you're carrying this a little far?" William walked past his cousin and moved in the direction of the family room. Richard quickly caught up with him. "You aren't going to do anything rash, are you?"
"Just one last throw," William said. He opened the door to the family room, took aim and threw. Unfortunately, Olivia chose that precise moment to rise from her seat. She crossed into William's line of fire and took the snowball in her left ear. Olivia let out a scream, while Lizzy and Jane began laughing anew. Richard stepped past William and into the room and went to Olivia's aid.
"Fitz, Lizzy Bennet is the long-haired brunette on the left. I thought you knew that," he deadpanned before he turned his attention to Olivia. "Are you all right?"
"I think so." Olivia replied. "But one of my contacts just went south." Richard shot William a look and escorted her to a powder room where she could adjust her lens. He took the opportunity to take her in his arms and kiss her because "I haven't done that in a while," before he left her and returned to the family room. When Olivia came out of the powder room she encountered Kathleen in the hall.
"Did you have a nice nap, Mrs. ...uh, Kathleen?" Olivia smiled.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't sleep at all. Would you like to join me in the kitchen for a moment? I've heard some most disturbing news and I'd like to speak to you about it." Her expression brooked no refusal, although her tone was mild. Olivia's curiosity was piqued as she followed the older woman into the expansive kitchen. As soon as she passed through the door into the room it occurred to Olivia that that the entire first floor of her house might fit in the Fitzwilliam kitchen. It also occurred to her that marrying Richard could mean that she'd finally be able to have the kitchen of her dreams. She found herself torn between her desire to explore the vast room and her curiosity as to what had displeased Kathleen.
"My mother tells me that Fizz has proposed to you and that you refused him," Kathleen said without ceremony as she slid onto a stool at the granite-topped island. Olivia sighed as she joined her.
"That isn't exactly what happened. He did propose, but I didn't refuse him. I just told him that I thought it was too soon for us to be thinking about marriage." Kathleen smiled.
"Thank goodness!" she replied, pressing her hand to her chest. "I was very concerned." Olivia frowned at her and Kathleen began to laugh. "Please don't get me wrong, dear. The minute I met you I knew that you were right for Fizz and I could see that he was very taken with you. I was so relieved to see that he had decided to move on and didn't go on pining over Lizzy. Hugh and I both think it's high time that he found the right girl and settled down, but...well, to tell you the truth..." Kathleen slipped off the stool and walked around to the other side of the island and put on water for tea. Olivia waited patiently for her to continue.
"Don't get me wrong. Had you accepted Fizz's proposal, I would have welcomed you with open arms. We both would. But I'm so glad one of you showed good judgment! When Hugh told me what he was up to, I was shocked. I know he idolizes his father, but our situation was very different than yours. I mean, from what I understood, you and Richard scarcely knew each other at Thanksgiving, and that was barely a month ago! And since then, he's been in New York (and part of that time in a hospital) and you've been in Pennsylvania. I had to wonder on what basis my son had come to the conclusion he wanted to marry you."
"We've been in almost constant communication since he got out of the hospital. We talk on the phone and e-mail each other. And I've been back to New York and saw him then. But you're right, we still have a long way to go."
"I'm glad to see one of you slow things down. I was afraid you might just give in to him--."
"If you were thinking that I'd be swayed by his wealth or his persuasive charms, you needn't have worried," Olivia laughed. "I have to admit that the moment I saw the ring box I panicked. I didn't even stop to think about anything other than the fact that it was too soon." Kathleen placed a pair of cups and saucers on the counter. Pierce appeared and Kathleen suggested that she make coffee and tea for everyone in the family room. Kathleen came around the counter and left Pierce to make tea. She motioned Olivia into the morning room, where the two women could chat in privacy.
"I didn't think you were a gold digger. Lord knows I can spot them a mile away, and so can Fizz. But that doesn't mean that...well, even if you weren't after his money, most women would be hard-pressed to refuse someone of his wealth."
"I don't even know what his wealth is!" Olivia said, eyes wide. "I just love him, Kathleen. I love him too much to let him make a mistake, even if it was with the best of intentions." Olivia promptly turned red. She hadn't intended to make so passionate a declaration. Kathleen placed her warm hand over Olivia's.
"Thank you, Olivia. I'm so glad we've had this little talk," she said as Pierce appeared with the tea. "You have no idea how much better I feel. I trust that Fizz is okay with your decision?" Olivia opened her mouth but it was Richard who answered.
"What's Fizz supposed to be okay about?" he asked from his place in the doorway. The two women jumped, Kathleen nearly spilling her tea in the process.
"This was a private conversation," Kathleen replied, but Olivia was a bit more forthcoming.
"Since your whole family seemed to know that you intended to propose, it seems only fair that they should know the outcome." Richard's expression darkened slightly and he came to the table and sat down.
"Then you know that she turned me down," he told his mother with a slight pout. Both women were a bit surprised by his response.
"That isn't what Olivia just told me. She said she just wants to wait a while." Richard brightened.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was confusing you with Karen." Both Olivia and Kathleen were taken aback.
"Who's Karen?" they asked in unison. Richard smiled.
"Someone I proposed to once. I think I was twelve at the time." Kathleen visibly relaxed.
"I take it she wasn't ready for marriage, either," Olivia smiled. Richard rolled his eyes.
"I wouldn't know. She refused me solely on the grounds that my name wasn't Fitzwilliam Darcy." Richard sighed. "Karen Fuse was the only girl I could never pry out of Fitz's grasp. Funny thing is, he never even knew she was alive. She got her revenge though; married some guy named Roarke who owns about a quarter of Ireland. So much for her so-called undying devotion," he scoffed. "Anyway, Fitz and the others are about ready to head back to his place. Do you want to join them or stay here for a while?" Richard asked Olivia.
"Do stay a bit longer. We haven't discussed the menu and I would like to give you that tour." Olivia acceded to Kathleen's request and stayed at the Fitzwilliam's house for a few hours more. She and Richard returned to the Darcy house in time to sit down to supper. The remainder of the evening was spent with the group divided in two, according to gender: the men repaired to William's pool room while the ladies, joined by Georgiana and Tineke, gathered in Jane's room and discussed their attire for the party to be held on the following night. Lizzy and Olivia made the two younger women model all the outfits under consideration.
"I love this dress, Lizzy! You should wear this one!" Tineke cried as she spun before the mirror in a haze of pale grey chiffon.
"I think she should wear this one," Georgiana insisted. "It's more Christmassy."
"I think she's right," Jane agreed. "You should wear the green." Olivia languidly lifted her head and agreed. She laid on her back across the king sized bed not paying much attention to the goings on. Lizzy and Jane exchanged a glance.
"What are you wearing, Livy?" Olivia sat up and handed Tineke a handful of black velour. Tineke reluctantly slipped out of Lizzy's dress and into the attractive but relatively modest dress.
"Unh uh."
"No way."
"Here we go again," Lizzy cried. "Olivia, you cannot wear that dress tomorrow."
"What's wrong with it?"
"You're going to a party, woman! That's a Sunday dinner with the parents dress. Wear that on Christmas day. Tomorrow, I want to see a little flash, a little sparkle!" Olivia groaned and lay back on the bed.
"Do you feel okay, Livy?" Jane asked.
"I feel fine. I just don't know if I'm up for this right now." Olivia was more interested in thinking about her extraordinary morning. Richard had proposed! It was still difficult for her to believe. The activities of the day had pushed it far back in her mind, but now it had burst forth and was uppermost in her mind. She was...she didn't know what she was exactly. A woman in love, perhaps, but she had long since acknowledged that status. She wanted nothing more than to be alone with her thoughts. Alas, that was not to be.
"Well, tough. Gee, go into the closet and on the far right, I think, you'll find a cobalt blue dress. Put that on," Lizzy ordered.
"I'll put it on," Tineke volunteered. "I love that color!"
"Good!" Georgiana exclaimed. "I have a burgundy dress that's perfect for Livy. It'll make Richard sit up and take notice." Georgiana rushed out of the room to retrieve the dress.
"What makes you all so sure that Richard hasn't already taken notice? What makes you think that I have to--?"
"Livy, are you withholding again? Maybe we should go into her room and find out what she's really planning to wear tomorrow!" Jane threatened. Olivia shrugged. She got up and followed the others into her room. They opened her drawers and closet and went through her things with abandon. Olivia panicked momentarily, but remembered that she had left the ring in Grandma Bess' care.
"Ah ha! What's this?" Jane said as she pulled a garment bag from the closet. Olivia looked at her innocently. Jane opened it and pulled out a long gunmetal grey taffeta skirt and a pale pink beaded sweater set. "I knew she was withholding!" Jane examined the ensemble approvingly.
"I don't like the skirt, though. It doesn't show her legs and they're her best feature," Lizzy complained.
"They're my only feature," Olivia quipped as she sat on the edge of the bed. Georgiana and Tineke joined the trio in Olivia's room. Georgiana was dressed in a short burgundy slip dress and Tineke wore a deep blue dress that complemented her dark coloring very well. They each did a model turn for the assembled women. Tineke froze when she heard a whistles and cat calls. She turned around and saw Richard, William, and Charles at the door.
"Good, gentlemen, I'm glad you're here. We're trying to decide what Olivia should wear tomorrow," Tineke said.
"Correction: They are trying to decide. I know what I am wearing," Olivia smirked. Lizzy ignored her.
"Richard, which do you prefer?" Richard glanced at Olivia, who raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"Whatever she decides on is fine with me," he said diplomatically.
"Oh, come, Richard. Don't let her bully you! Tell us what you really think!" Lizzy laughed, drawing Richard into the room by the hand so he could get a better look at the two dresses.
"I think that Tineke ought to wear that dress tomorrow for David. Don't you think Baby Cousin will like that, Fitz?" William nodded approvingly. "As for you, Gee. You'd better not show up in that if you don't want Garren breathing down your back all night. He won't let any other man within ten feet of you." Georgiana giggled at his flattery.
"Too smooth by half, Richard," Lizzy commented. "Have you ever considered becoming a politician?" Richard laughed. Charles and William came into the room and they all sat around for a few minutes discussing the party. Jane showed Richard what Olivia intended to wear and Olivia retaliated by showing Charles and William what Jane intended to wear to the party. None of the men were displeased.
"Well, I still think that Olivia needs a short skirt. Why don't we go shopping tomorrow morning and try to find her one?" Lizzy suggested.
"Be my guest," Olivia replied. "I think I'll stay here and sleep in."
"Speaking of sleep, I'm headed back over to my place," Richard said rising from his spot on the floor at the foot of the bed. "Want to see me off?" He helped Olivia to her feet and she escorted him downstairs.
"She looks a little out of it," Jane said worriedly. "Maybe she's depressed that she and Richard aren't really a couple." William and Charles exchanged a glance. They had heard enough from Richard in the pool room to believe that he and Olivia were very much a couple, or at least soon to be. Richard had brought up her name no fewer than half a dozen times in the space of an hour.
"It is kind of hard to be the only one around without a real boyfriend," Georgiana offered, "And with you four together, and my boyfriend arriving tomorrow, and even Tineke and David paired off, it's only going to get worse."
"They seemed to be doing so well the other day... Will, darling, do you think you could put a word in Richard's ear?" Lizzy suggested. William rolled his eyes.
"What should I say to him? 'Lizzy thinks Olivia's a bit depressed because you've failed to sweep Olivia off her feet. Could you make some moves on her friend to cheer her up?' Yeah, that ought to go over very well." Lizzy ruffled his hair; his head was resting in her lap and it made an easy target.
"Charles, will you help?" Lizzy asked as William slapped at her hand. Charles's look told her that he wanted no part of whatever plot she was hatching.
"Well, if you guys won't help, we'll have to take this on ourselves." William opened his mouth to protest but Tineke spoke up.
"I know, how about a makeover?"
"You want to give Richard a makeover?" William asked, confused. Lizzy ruffled his hair again. William grabbed her by the wrist and bit her hand.
"No! Let's give Olivia a makeover! That's brilliant, Tineke!" Georgiana cried enthusiastically.
"What would she need a makeover for? She's hot the way she is," Charles blurted out, then reddened slightly.
"Yes, she's not in need of any improvement that I can see," William agreed with both Lizzy's hands still held firmly in his. Jane and Lizzy exchanged a surprised glance.
"Who knew? Well, if you guys think she's hot, what's wrong with Richard?" Jane asked. But downstairs, Olivia found nothing to complain about in Richard's arms.
"So you're going shopping tomorrow?"
"I guess I have no choice in the matter. Do you think I should get a short skirt for the party?" Olivia asked as she looked deeply into Richard's eyes.
"I can't say that I'd object to seeing your legs, but you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in," Richard replied. At the moment he was more interested in her mouth than her legs. He whispered an "I love you" in Olivia's ear before he kissed her, while their friends upstairs tried to figure out how to bring the pair together.
Before she went in search of her breakfast, Olivia booted up her Companion and opened her e-mail. Richard had said that he had to do some work online in the morning, and since she knew him to be an early riser like herself, she decided to send him a message.
Did yesterday really happen? To her surprise, she got an almost immediate response.
Don't you think it's a bit early in the morning for existentialist discourse? Olivia smiled as she typed.
I was merely expressing my wonder at yesterday's events. I can't believe that you asked me to marry you yesterday!
I did not! I only asked you to marry me!
I thought that was what I just said. Olivia hit send, knowing that she had fallen into some sort of trap Richard had laid for her. Her fears were confirmed with his reply.
No, you said (and I quote): "I can't believe that you asked me to marry you yesterday!" when in fact the truth is that yesterday I asked you to marry me. Olivia stared at the screen for a full minute before she surrendered, with absolutely no idea why she was doing so.
You know, you're absolutely right!
Of course I am. It would have been impossible for us to marry yesterday. Olivia rolled her eyes.
What are your plans for the day? Jane, Lizzy and I are going to do some shopping with Gee and Tineke.
I think I'm destined to be stuck here all day. I'm going to spend a good bit of time setting up Grandma Bess's computer this morning. And I had an idea about creating a website for her so she can broadcast all her grandmotherly advice to the family via the web.
I can give you the name of a very good web page designer.
Well, actually, Charles volunteered to give me a hand today, but I appreciate your offer.
Anything for Grandma Bess!
Miss Crenshaw, you are a certifiable heartbreaker! I'm crushed!
And you are overreacting, as usual.
Perhaps. I'm going to be thinking about you while you're off on your shopping expedition. Will you miss me?
A little.
Maybe I should call you and remind you of my existence from time to time.
Who said anything about you being forgettable? Which reminds me: I want to take a picture of you later. I don't have any. A moment later Olivia opened a JPEG file and saw a picture of a two-year old Richard, replete with a shock of pale blond curls giggling at her.
Thanks. Between this and our little contract, I'll never be able to forget you!
Richard's response was a much more mature image of himself, one more suited to rendering himself unforgettable. It depicted Richard lounging on the deck of a sailboat wearing only cutoff jeans and a smile. Olivia went to her suitcase and dug out her portable printer. In minutes she had Richard's picture neatly folded in a pocket close to her heart, right next to her little contract as she headed down to breakfast. She encountered Georgiana in the hallway and the two women went to the kitchen together. A few moments later, Lizzy slipped quietly out of the bedroom and padded down the hall to the room Jane and Charles occupied. She was about to tap on the door, but Jane opened it before she had a chance.
"Oh, good, you're up. I was hesitant to knock," Jane said as she closed the door behind her. "You aren't dressed. Hurry up. You know Livy's been up for at least an hour and I think I heard her and Gee going downstairs to breakfast," Jane added as she headed in the same direction.
"Uh..." Lizzy reddened slightly. Jane paused and looked at her expectantly. "William wants to sleep in and..." Jane smiled.
"I can't say that I blame you. I'll make your apologies to the others." Jane turned and began her descent of the stairs but Lizzy stopped her.
"Jane, I've been thinking." She sat down on the steps and Jane joined her. "About Livy: maybe I was wrong last night in thinking she was depressed about Richard."
"I'm beginning to think you're wrong about the whole thing. From what Charles tells me, Richard has Olivia very much in his sights."
"Well, I have seen him kiss her a few times, but Richard can be very..." Lizzy, used to being told by Olivia not to talk about her past relationship, aborted her original comment. "I was thinking last night that last year at this time, you and I were in Pennsylvania holding her hand while her father slipped into a fatal coma."
"That's right. I hadn't thought about that. This is going to be a rough holiday for her. We all have to remember that and make sure that we're there for her," Jane decided.
"Agreed," Lizzy said as she rose to her feet. "I'll speak to William about it and he can let Richard know. He'll want to help, I'm sure." The sisters talked for a few seconds more about shopping and then Jane went down to join Georgiana and Olivia at breakfast. Lizzy, meanwhile, crawled back into bed and snuggled beside William's warm body. He semi-consciously threw an arm around her and held her close. William was about to return to his slumber when he thought he heard a sniffle. He raised his head and listened. At the sound of the second muffled sob, he gently turned Lizzy over to face him.
"What's the matter?" he asked gently. Lizzy shook her head.
"I..." she sat up and reached for a tissue from the nightstand. "I was just talking to Jane. We were recalling that last year at this time Olivia's father was dying. We spent the holidays in Pennsylvania with her and..." William pulled Lizzy close to his chest and let her cry for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry," she said finally. "It was very painful, watching Mr. Crenshaw slip away. He was such a lovely man. After my parents died, and my grandmother took Jane and me to New York, the Crenshaws used to have the two of us come down and stay with them for a month every summer. I used to dream that the Crenshaws adopted me and that I had the greatest father in the world." Lizzy smiled. "I'm sorry, William. I know you wanted to sleep late. I didn't mean to wake you."
"There's no need to apologize. If something is troubling you I want to know about it and be here for you," William replied as he stroked her cheek. Lizzy took his hand and kissed it.
"Thank you. You know, Will, this will be Olivia's first Christmas without her family."
"Then I'm especially glad that she'll be here with us. It'll do her good to be surrounded by her friends."
"I was thinking that we ought to let Richard know about Olivia's situation. He could be very helpful to her right now." William nodded.
"We'll have a word with him before the party. He'd want to help in some way if he can," William said as he lay back among the pillows. Lizzy said something, but though he tried to listen most of his energy was devoted to a huge yawn. Lizzy smiled at him and curled up his arms. They quickly fell asleep again.
Charles joined Georgiana, Olivia and Jane in the kitchen and breakfasted on the sausages and eggs Mrs. Reynolds placed before him.
"I understand that you're doing a web site for Grandma Bess, today," Olivia ventured as a means of making conversation.
"Richard told me about his grandmother's Christmas present last night," Charles admitted, reddening slightly, "And I offered him a hand. If you'd rather--."
"No! Go right ahead! I was just going to say that I think it's an awesome idea. I think Grandma Bess is going to love getting online." A short time later, Charles entered the Fitzwilliam homestead and came face to face with the lady under discussion.
"Good morning, Grandma Bess," Charles smiled at the matriarch, as Pierce divested him of his outerwear.
"Hello dear," Bess replied. "If you're looking for my grandson you'll find him upstairs in my room. Do you have any idea what he's up to? He has put me out of my room until Christmas and I'm not allowed in at all!" Charles's eyes twinkled but he refused to say.
"Oh, well. I'm afraid my feminine wiles are no longer up to the task of seducing secrets out of young men," Bess sighed. "Go on up, then. I'm sure you two have some important conspiring to do." Bess waved Charles along, but he stopped to kiss the top of her head before he bounded up the stairs. He turned left at the top and knocked on the fourth door on the right side of the corridor. Richard poked his head out to see who had knocked before he allowed Charles to enter the room.
"Lock the door behind you," he called over his shoulder as waded back into the sea of boxes, packing materials, tools, and manuals that littered the floor. Charles followed him gingerly and surveyed the mess that had once been Bess's elegant and immaculate room.
A large armoire had been installed between the two windows of her peach-toned bedroom. The armoire replaced a small writing table that Bess admittedly rarely used. Richard knelt before the imposing piece of furniture and consulted a note pad.
"How's it going?" Charles asked.
"So far, so good. I've got the cabinet wired, I've inventoried everything and figured out where it should all go. You're just in time to help with the assembly." Charles peered over Richard's shoulder as he attempted to wrest the CPU out of a large box. Charles gave him a hand installing it in the armoire and then assisted Richard in unpacking and installing the monitor.
"You know, I should probably warn you," Charles said during a lull in their easy banter, "The ladies were plotting against you last night." Richard looked up.
"Against me? Whatever for?"
"Well, Jane and Lizzy seem to think that Olivia is a little depressed about the state of your relationship," Charles shrugged. Richard gave Charles a quizzical look.
"I wonder where they hatched that idea?" Richard said mostly to himself as a small smile curled his lips.
"You haven't noticed anything amiss in Olivia's behavior of late, have you?" Charles suggested, looking for some plausible explanation for Jane's suspicion. Richard picked up the box containing the keyboard and handed it to him.
"I've noticed that she's been giggling an awful lot lately." Richard replied as he hooked up a pair of speakers.
"Well, she wasn't giggling last night. In fact, she was very quiet."
"She's got a lot on her mind. She's approaching the first anniversary of her father's death. I believe her mom died sometime in December as well. Christmas isn't a particularly happy time for her." Charles sat down heavily on the desk chair.
"That's rough," He said as he pulled the keyboard out of the box and examined it. He suddenly lifted his head and looked at Richard. "Wait a minute! You just said she'd been giggling a lot."
"Well, she has spent a lot of time in my company this week, and as you well know it's fairly hard to maintain a straight face for long around me," Richard countered, half in jest.
"Too true." Charles agreed. "So how are things really, between you and Olivia?"
"I'd say they were pretty good. I asked her to marry me yesterday," Richard revealed easily, as he reached out to take the keyboard. Charles promptly dropped it to the floor. "Hey! DARCO computers are built to last and we have an in with the owner, but--."
"Are you serious?" Richard picked up the keyboard and turned to install it in the armoire.
"Of course I'm serious. I know we haven't known each other for very long and we've had exactly one 'official date,' we haven't been intimate, I don't know whether or not she likes Aretha Franklin, or what her shoe size is, or her favorite flavor--although I have reason to suspect it's... Look, it may not seem like the most rational decision I've ever made, but I have fallen in love with Olivia and I want to spend the rest of my life loving her and discovering everything there is to know about her and building a life with her and raising a half dozen kids with her and growing fat on her cooking. I want that more than anything in the world." Charles observed Richard as he made his declaration; if nothing else, Richard looked and sounded convincing.
"And does Olivia share your vision of the future?"
"Nope. Not at all," Richard replied matter-of-factly as he positioned the mouse to the left of the keyboard. "She wouldn't even consider it. In fact, she wouldn't even look at the ring she rejected." Charles took a deep breath and exhaled.
"She rejected you." Richard nodded. Charles grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around to look into his eyes.
"I don't get it!" Charles exclaimed. "You asked Olivia to marry you and she refused." Richard nodded again. "You don't seem very upset."
"I'm not," Richard said simply.
"Why not?" Charles had rarely seen Richard fail at anything, but he had seen enough to know that Richard did not take rejection well. So the innocent expression on Richard's face both astounded and worried his best friend. Charles cleared a spot on the floor and sat down.
"I asked her too soon, I know that. I'll just wait until the time is right before I bring it up again," Richard said calmly. He turned his attention back to his work as Charles looked on not knowing whether he should be encouraged or troubled by Richard's demeanor. One thing he was certain of: he would redouble his efforts to keep Jane from becoming involved in Richard and Olivia's affairs. The last thing he wanted for her to encourage Richard in his hasty rush to the altar.
Charles wanted to speak with Richard, reason with him, and do whatever it took to make some sense of his rash behavior. But he couldn't think of how to begin. The last thing Charles expected to hear from Richard's mouth was that he had proposed to Olivia the day before. At least Olivia had had the good sense to refuse. What was Richard about, anyway?
"You haven't told Fitz about this, have you," Charles surmised. Richard had said nothing of the matter when the three men were gathered at William's house the previous night.
"No, and I'll thank you to keep what we discuss strictly between us."
"You know I can be trusted, Fitz. But why? If you're so in love and all, why the secrecy?" Charles demanded.
"Livy doesn't need all the fallout that's going to come if and when it gets out. Look, she's already had to run the gauntlet of my family once. Then Lizzy and Jane started in on her. She's had nothing but pressure from all sides since she met me."
"Including from you?" Charles accused.
"You're right," Richard admitted as he scratched his head. "I obviously overwhelmed her by moving so fast. I have this incredible desire to sweep her off her feet but I am quickly learning that Livy is somewhat fragile. It was wrong of me to move so fast." Charles eyed Richard, who smirked back at him. "Is this where you plan to chime in with the 'Is it love or is it Lizzy' speech? Save it; I've already heard it from both my parents and Olivia."
"And?"
"And I'm sick of it!" Richard exploded out of his seat. "I mean Lizzy's a very special girl and maybe--at another time, or on another planet, or better yet, if Fitz hadn't been born--we may have had a chance. But for me, Lizzy is girlfriend material. Not practice, mind...real girlfriend with keys to my apartment material. But Livy's different. I can't explain it. I have to have her with me for the rest of my life. I never felt like that about Lizzy." Charles chuckled and shook his head.
"When did this all happen?" he asked. Richard shrugged.
"I can't say exactly when it happened, except that it was before my 'accident.' I vaguely recall thinking a lot about Olivia before I saw Caroline that night." Charles grew pensive and Richard regretted bringing up his sister's name. Charles was still somewhat miffed about having to spend part of the holidays away from Jane. Richard tried to lighten the mood. "Maybe if I play my cards right, we can have a double wedding."
"Triple wedding, if Jane has anything to say about it--and she won't. I don't think that Lizzy is any more eager to go the altar than Olivia."
Lizzy galloped down the stairs and launched herself into the living room.
"Where is he?" Olivia and Jane looked up.
"Where is who? And are you aware that your hair is dripping on the carpet?" Olivia replied reasonably. Lizzy ignored the criticism.
"Where is Fitzwilliam Darcy?"
"We haven't seen him since we got back and we've been here at least twenty minutes now." Lizzy was momentarily distracted from her chase.
"Back so soon? Didn't you find anything at the mall?" Jane exchanged a glance with Olivia.
"Oh, we found a few things, but didn't really feel like making a day of it. Tineke was kind enough to drop us off and go back for Gee. She was having her hair done or something," Jane volunteered. She looked at Lizzy meaningfully. Lizzy looked at Olivia, who was absorbed in knitting. Jane rose and with a gentle nod of her head, led Lizzy from the room.
"I think I made a tactical blunder," Jane whispered when the sisters were some distance from the living room. "I mentioned last year. Olivia promptly went into a tailspin."
"Oh, no!"
"I mean...well, she didn't burst into tears or anything, but she got real quiet, didn't say much to anyone after that. She bought a few things, went into the craft store and bought some yarn. After that, she seemed to brighten up a bit, but when Tineke asked her if she wanted to go home, she fairly jumped at the chance."
"This is bad. I wonder if William spoke with Richard yet? Maybe I should give him a call. He'd be able to cheer her up." Jane went back to the living room and Lizzy went into the den to phone Richard. She found William lounging on the couch watching television.
"Were you calling me earlier? I could have sworn I heard someone calling my name," William said innocently. Lizzy shot him a look and went for the phone.
"Have you spoken with Richard today?" she asked in a business-like matter.
"Not yet. It's only..." William paused to look at his watch. "It's only 1:00. He had a few things to do this morning." Lizzy rolled her eyes and dialed Richard's cell phone number.
When the phone rang, Charles and Richard laughed as they tried to find it amid the scattered debris in the soon. Charles unearthed it, but it had ceased to ring.
"It was Fitz," he said, glancing at the caller ID. Richard raised a hand and Charles tossed the phone to him.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Lizzy. May I speak with your beloved?" Richard smiled.
"He's no longer my beloved...at least not at the moment," Lizzy smirked at William, who stuck out his tongue in reply. "And if you're returning his call, I'm the one who called you." Richard scratched his head.
"Come again?" Lizzy sighed impatiently.
"Look Richard, we've got a problem with Olivia." It was Richard's turn to sigh.
"Look, Lizzy. Don't you think it's time for you to stop--?"
"You see, her father died a year ago, and--," she said simultaneously. Richard abruptly switched gears.
"On New Year's eve; I know all about that."
"She told you?"
"Yes, why?"
"It doesn't matter. Look, she's kind of down right now and I thought if maybe you were here you could cheer her up." William sat up and listened to the conversation more closely.
"I'd like to, Bright Eyes, but I'm in the middle of something right now." Richard consulted his watch. He rose and Charles took his place at the keyboard. "Look, I've got another hour or so of work to do here..." Charles gestured at him, sending a message that he could handle things if Richard wanted to go out for a while. Richard thought for a second. "May I speak with her?" Lizzy was a bit reluctant, but she walked into the living room and offered the phone to Olivia.
"It's Richard for you," Lizzy explained. Olivia took the phone.
"Hey, you didn't call me," Olivia accused.
"You said I was unforgettable."
"Yes, but when you said you'd call you raised my expectations." Richard laughed.
"I hope I didn't disappoint you too much."
"I was crushed, as you are wont to say," Olivia smiled. She looked up at Lizzy, who was boldly eavesdropping on her conversation. Olivia glared at her until she retreated. Charles eavesdropped more discretely as he typed in HTML code behind Richard.
"So did you buy anything?" Richard continued.
"Yes, a few things."
"Something to wear?"
"You'll have to wait to find out," Olivia smiled. She could feel her spirits rising as she spoke with Richard. Jane had unintentionally plunged Olivia into a deep funk. The sound of Richard's voice could not erase the painful memories of the past, but just knowing that he was there for her, just as he had promised, made her feel better. Her love for him grew at that moment, and had he proposed just then it would have been impossible to refuse him. They spoke a few minutes more, and Richard promised to come over early. She called Lizzy from her place across the room. Lizzy lifted her head from her magazine (she was only staring at a picture and straining to listen) and went over to Olivia's chair.
"Richard wants to speak with you." Lizzy arched an eyebrow and took the phone.
"I think Livy's fine. She's at least stubborn enough to not tell me what she bought today."
"Well, that makes two of us, I'm sure," Lizzy smiled.
"You're a good friend. Just keep an eye on her. She's going to have a few ups and downs; that's natural, under the circumstances. And Lizzy?"
"Yes, Richard?"
"Don't ask her what she's wearing tonight." Richard hung up the telephone. Lizzy smiled and went back to the den. William was still lounging where she had left him. He raised his head to smile at Lizzy.
"What did Richard have to say?"
"He knew all about the whole thing. I'm surprised. Livy never talks about her family."
"Maybe it came up in conversation, or maybe..."
"Maybe they're closer than we think?" Lizzy mused. William shook his head.
"Richard is a very good conversationalist. He has a way of getting people to open up. He seems to know an awful lot about you, for example."
"I guess we did talk about a lot of things. Still do, to some extent," Lizzy agreed. Lizzy eyed William for a moment. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Why should I be jealous of Richard's encyclopedic knowledge of you?" he answered a bit too hastily. "He's always willing to share his knowledge whenever I need it."
"Who said anything about jealousy?" Lizzy asked smugly. But William deftly turned the tables on her.
"It's a moot point, anyway; Richard has obviously moved on to finding out all he can about Olivia." William watched as a flicker of something passed over Lizzy's expression. He didn't care to speculate on its meaning. "If I tell you something, would you leave them alone? I mean really leave them alone?" Lizzy just stared back at him. "Well, will you?" Lizzy nodded.
"I have a plan that will bring them together." William raised a hand to forestall Lizzy's questions. "Don't ask because I'm not giving any details. Suffice to say that it's complicated and it will take time. Just have patience. And for goodness sake, leave the two of them alone. They seem to be getting on just fine."
"If they're getting on 'just fine' why do you have a complicated and time-consuming plan in the works?" Lizzy asked, folding her arms and challenging him. William sat up.
"Look. Richard did a wonderful thing for me. He made me the happiest man alive. I want to return the favor."
"How did he do that?" Lizzy asked innocently. William rolled his eyes.
"He introduced me to a certain gorgeous, long-legged brunette with a wicked right arm and a wonderful gift for writing e-mails that make me forget where I am in the middle of important meetings with my investors. Which reminds me...a few of my investors are coming to the party tonight. Don't make me forget myself," he smiled wickedly.
"You almost made me forget something," Lizzy smiled. She climbed onto William's lap and kissed him. William knew that she was trying to disarm him before a planned attack, so he pinned her arms to her sides as he kissed her, and then began to tickle her. Across the hall, Olivia and Jane exchanged a bewildered glance as Lizzy began to scream.
"Livy! Richard is downstairs!" Lizzy said as she knocked on the guest room door.
"I'll be down in a minute," Olivia replied. She turned her attention back to her lipstick. She carefully blotted her mouth and then appraised her appearance in the mirror. She took a deep breath and saw her navel peek out from below the hem of her pink camisole. She tugged on it and checked herself once more in the mirror before she went to the door. Olivia listened for a second, ascertained that Lizzy had gone down the hall, and stepped out into the hall. As she made her way downstairs, Olivia looked down to check her appearance once more. She walked into the living room, where Charles, William, and Richard were standing in front of the fireplace talking. William was the first to notice Olivia's arrival.
"Wow," he breathed, not quite realizing that he was speaking out loud. Richard and Charles turned and both sucked in their breath in unison. Richard smiled while Charles was the only one of the trio to manage a civil greeting. Olivia joined the men as Lizzy and Jane entered the room behind her.
"You're wearing pants!" Lizzy exclaimed. All three men looked admiringly at the low-slung black leather pants that clung to Olivia's legs like a second skin.
"Yes, she is!" Richard replied enthusiastically, fascinated by the inch of exposed skin between Olivia's demure pink sweater set and the edgy, slightly dangerous-looking pants.
"Yes, Lizzy. These are pants. I believe you suggested that I show off my legs!" Olivia smiled innocently. Lizzy looked at William and arched an eyebrow. William averted his eyes and walked over to look at the tree. Charles likewise averted his eyes as Jane and Lizzy exchanged a glance. They joined their respective men as Richard led Olivia over to the sofa.
"You look amazing," Richard said in Olivia's ear. "I had no idea you were an outie."
"Huh?" Olivia looked down and blushed. "Oh, yes my belly button really has a button."
"Mine, too!"
"Really?" Olivia said doubtfully.
"You didn't look closely at my picture, did you?" Olivia didn't answer. She had indeed examined the picture very closely, but admittedly, Richard's navel was the last thing on her mind at the time.