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Oil Thigh Na Banrign ~ Chapter 8

Bridle Path is a street in Toronto known for its sweeping estates and extravagant mansions. It is located in the middle of downtown Toronto and settled by the "who's who" of Canada. The Bingley house belonged in this pretentious neighbourhood.

Will drove up to a wrought iron gate, rolled down his window and pressed the intercom button. "It's Will." And the gate clicked and slowly swung open.

Lizzy surveyed the drive up to Chuck's house in awe. The path was paved with aged red bricks, and lined with what would have been flowers, but because it was autumn, Lizzy only saw the wilted remains of the flowers. Between the bare trees, Lizzy could see a rustic gazebo crouching at the edge of a small brook. The path curved to reveal a towering fountain presiding in front of an imposing Colonial style mansion. Will parked his car at the steps of the door to the house and turned off the engine.

"Finally, we made it," he said with a small smile at Lizzy who was still in shock at the abundance of Chuck's family. Her family was not poor, but she had never in her life encountered anyone with a house and property like Chuck's. She found it hard to believe that a person as humble as Chuck could inhabit a place like this. Caroline's attitude, on the other hand, became more understandable.

Lizzy unbuckled her seatbelt and smile back at Will. "Thanks for getting me here."

"No problem." He didn't seem to be getting out of the car.

"Aren't you coming down?" asked Lizzy. She felt herself go suddenly cold at the thought of going into the Bingley residence without Will's protection and guidance.

Will studied the concerned look on Lizzy's face and said, "Of course I am. I- I just need to do something first." He looked at the front door. Chuck was already there waving at and beckoning them to come up. Will gestured back at him. "He's waiting for you. Why don't you go in first and I'll come in later."

Lizzy nodded and grabbed her knapsack and shopping bag. "See you inside then."

Chuck had already bounded down the marble steps when Lizzy got out of the car. He took one of Lizzy's bags. "I was wondering what took you two so long."

"We had to go shopping." Lizzy said as they walked up the stairs.

"You're very lucky. Will usually doesn't like to go shopping. He agreed pretty easily this time."

"Well, he did find me, so I'm his responsibility."

Chucked laughed, "Found you? Like a lost puppy?"

"That's exactly what I told him."

Chuck opened the door and Lizzy walked in. The sight of the foyer made Lizzy catch her breath. The outdoors came in with them in the shape of a small pond and garden at the upper part of the foyer. Two wide steps took Lizzy down from the white marble floor to the feeling of thick carpet in the main foyer. Twin sets of richly carpeted stairs ran from either ends of the foyer to a large landing then up to the upper floors. A glittering chandelier hung over the vaulting ceiling.

"We're all playing Virtual Tennis in the entertainment room if you want to join us." Chuck offered. "Or I could show you to your room if you want."

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to see Jane first. Is she in the entertainment room too?"

"Yeah, she's in there too." Chuck said in his usual easy-going way. "By the way, I'm really sorry about what happened. I didn't know that she was that allergic to peanuts and the waiter at the restaurant told us that the Thai chicken wouldn't have any peanuts. He was right, it didn't have any peanuts, but it was cooked in peanut oil. Stupid!"

Lizzy assured him that it was not his fault. They then walked down a hall to the right of the foyer where they passed a line of closed doors. Chuck walked through several decorated arching frames and into a series of hallways; Lizzy began to wonder how long it would take her to learn to walk around the house without getting lost.

"Don't worry about this part of the house," said Chuck, who seemed to have sensed Lizzy's confusion. "We don't usually use it. All the doors and rooms we've passed are used for the banquets my parents hold throughout the year. This building is shaped like an upside down T. The two arms of the T holds my parents' home offices and the rooms for the banquets. My dad has a den and a library there too. The spaces that we actually live in are upstairs and downstairs in the basement through this door." He opened a set of double doors and ushered Lizzy through. "It would have been faster and less confusing if we took the passage from upstairs, but I didn't think you would be up to climbing all those stairs."

A large swimming pool enclosed in glass panels met them at the bottom of the stairs. They walked past a collection of exercise machines. Chuck pointed at them and said, "My parents bought them for Carol just last year, but she never uses them." He then swung open the double doors at the end of the exercise space. "This used to be the playroom when we were little. It still is, but two nineteen year-olds owning a playroom doesn't sound very flattering so we've called it the 'entertainment room'."

Jane was in this room and turned to meet her sister when she heard the door open. Lizzy nearly burst into tears when she saw Jane; it had been a long and trying day for her. They ran and embraced each other.

Chuck watched them, smiling. Jane had been asking for Lizzy since last night. He had been a little envious of Will when he had called to tell him that he had found Lizzy downtown this morning. Chuck had wanted to be the person to get Lizzy to Jane and see the joy on her face. He had actually considered flying down to Kingston last night to pick up Lizzy and bring her up to Toronto. For a moment, he had wondered if Will was trying to impress Jane by getting Lizzy to her, but then he remembered that Will had not insisted on escorting Lizzy to Jane, and he felt better. After all, if he really wanted to impress Jane, he would have brought Lizzy to her personally to get the full credit!

Lizzy let go of Jane and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. It was just like before, but they kept me overnight because I fainted."

"Where was your Eppi Pen?"

"I left it in my suitcase and forgot to put it in my purse when I went out to dinner."

Lizzy sighed and shook her head. "Well, I'm glad it turned out okay." She looked over at Caroline who had not moved from the couch since she came into the room. There was no doubt that she had been sulking every since she heard the news that Lizzy was going to be staying with them until Monday. Putting on a smile, Lizzy attempted a friendly greeting. "Hi, Caroline. Thanks for letting me stay for the weekend."

Caroline frowned and restarted another game of Virtual Tennis. "Sure, whatever."

Eager to avoid a heated confrontation in his house, Chuck decided to show Lizzy to her room. Jane insisted on following. She didn't want to admit it, but Caroline was a terrible hostess. She had barely said a word to Jane all morning.

The room Lizzy was to occupy was right next door to Jane's. It was a spacious room decorated in soft yellows and creamy whites, complete with its own bathroom. The window yielded a view of the back gardens with arching bridges and a quaint guest cottage.

Chuck opened a closet and tossed Lizzy's shopping bag in it. "So, what do you think?"

"It's fantastic." Lizzy answered. The sight of a place for her to rest made Lizzy go weak for a spell. She desperately wanted to crawl into the bed for a long nap and was trying to think of a way of asking them to leave when Jane spoke.

"You need to get some rest," said Jane, who had always been able to read her sister like a book.

Chuck instantly agreed. "Good idea. I should have thought of that." He moved towards the door. "I'll leave you to rest for a bit. Oh, by the way, did Will tell you that we're going out to dinner tonight?"

"No, he never told me that," said Lizzy suddenly wondering why he had kept this from her. If he had told her sooner, she would have bought more than underclothing and pajamas. It was going to be uncomfortable spending another day wearing the same sweater and slacks. Curious as to the dress code of the dinner, Lizzy asked, "What kind of restaurant are we going to?"

"Well, it's Will's choice, so it's bound to be good."

"Oh," said Lizzy, suddenly feeling very troubled. She decided not to concern herself with that problem for the time being and resigned herself to sleep it away. After a short reminder that dinner would start at eight, Jane and Chuck left the room. Lizzy hopped into the bathroom for a hot shower, put on her pajamas, crawled under the fresh linen, and fell instantly asleep.

Chuck and Jane peeped into the entertainment room expecting Will to be there, being harassed by Caroline and her tactless taunts, but the room was empty save for the presence of Caroline and her fuming about having Lizzy under her roof. Unwilling to think ill of anyone, Jane quickly shut the door before she heard too many insulting comments about her family and her sister.

"Let's go for a walk," suggested Jane.

"Good idea." Chuck said, "Maybe we'll find Will outside."

They took the basement door out to the back gardens and slowly sauntered along the winding path that led to the front gardens.

"Did you have fun last night?" Chuck asked, and then added. "Aside from the whole anaphylactic shock."

Jane laughed and, "Yes. I had a great time."

"How so?" asked Chuck. He had a plan in mind, but Jane didn't seem to have noticed.

Jane answered dreamily, "Well, everything was just..." she searched for the right word, "It was enchanting. There is just no other way of explaining it. It was like those stories I used to hear about the prince and the princess. I truly felt like a princess and you were just like those princes."

Chuck took in a deep breath and hoped that Jane would say more, but she only stayed silent with a soft blush slowly rising in her cheeks. He let out the breath he was holding. If Jane wasn't going to admit it then he would have to tell her. This couldn't wait any longer!

"Jane, I'm wondering if I could ask you a question."

Jane shrugged, "Okay." But her heart was pounding within her tender body.

"I really like you." He stopped, and then added, for emphasis, "I mean it." But it wasn't enough. "I would really like to like you more than the way I like you now, but I was wondering if you would like me to." This was put in a way that only Chuck Bingley could manage, but Jane understood.

She stopped their walk and slowly took Chuck's hand. A look and a kiss passed between them and Chuck's question was answered.

He drew back and grinned widely, as if he had conquered something. He saw the joy on Jane's face and said, "I made sure I didn't eat any peanuts this morning."

Jane pretended to push him away, but fell into his chest instead, and was wrapped in a tight embrace.

"What a horrible thing to say after our first kiss," said Jane when they parted. "This will go down in my memory and ruin the romance of this moment, you know."

Chuck curled his arm around Jane waist as they continued to walk. "Yeah, but it wouldn't stand out in your memory as much if everything was perfect." They had reached the gate to the front garden and Chuck unlatched it. "Here, as a sign that I am still the gentleman, I'm opening a door for you."

Jane walked through saw Will sitting on the edge of the fountain with his head in his hands. "Chuck," said Jane quietly when Chuck followed her and closed the gate. "Will's out here."

"What is he doing out here?" asked Chuck. "I thought he said he was going to come inside." He began to jog towards Will, calling out to him.

Will snapped upright, his face looking troubled. "What?"

"Why didn't you come inside?" asked Chuck.

Will stood up and shoved his hands inside his pocket. "I just needed to do something out here."

"Like sit on the fountain ledge?"

"Chuck, I'm not in the mood for this," warned Will.

"I was only joking."

"Did... did Elizabeth said anything about me?"

Chuck looked at Jane for some input, but Jane gave none. He shrugged, "Nope, but she was pretty tired though. Why'd you ask?"

Will shook his head absentmindedly, not really hearing Chuck's question. "Listen, I don't think I can go out to dinner tonight with all of you, so can you give her something for me?"

"Is there something wrong with Georgie? I thought she was going to have a sleepover tonight with her friends."

"She is, but I think I should be there."

"Have you ever been in the same house as a girl's sleepover party? I have, and it is not pleasant, you don't want to be there until the danger is over and they're asleep. Trust me, if you stick around, your going to wake up the next morning with tight curls and a bad haircut."

Jane giggled, "It's true, Will. Lizzy and I have had quite a few and my dad always planned 'guys night out' activities at the same time as our sleepovers." In a moment of boldness, Jane continued, "I don't think this is the real reason you don't want to come to dinner with us tonight Will. Tell us what's really wrong?"

Will looked at Jane in disbelief. Was he being this obvious?

Chuck apparently had noticed too and said, "This isn't like you Will. For one thing, you usually come up with better excuses. I don't understand why you didn't want to come in just now. You've put up with my sister far too many times for you to use her as an excuse."

Will sat back down on the fountain ledge and related to them the whole of the morning's transactions. After he had finished he reached down and picked up the Ralph Lauren shopping bag. "I bought her this. You know, as an offering of peace."

Jane smiled and thought to herself. "So there is a heart in him after all."

"What are you smiling about?" asked Will.

"Nothing" answered Jane. "Will, I think it would be better if you gave this to Lizzy yourself."

Will shook his head. "No. I seen enough today to know that she won't accept it if she knows it's from me."

"Wel, I'm her sister," Jane retorted. "And I've been her best friend since she could talk. Lizzy is not as unforgiving as you think."

"You don't understand! She hates me. I must have offended her sometime in the beginning of the year because she hasn't been able to say a word to me without insulting me at the same time."

Jane stepped back in shock. She didn't know that Will cared this much about Lizzy's opinion of him. There was only one reason for this. "Will, is there something going on between you and Lizzy that we don't know?"

Will nearly fell into the fountain. "WHAT?"

"Just wondering that's all."

He shook his head furiously. "No. You got the wrong idea. I just don't like having people hate me."

Chuck raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. From his knowledge, there were several people in high school as well as several board members that didn't like Will. Will once told him that he didn't care what people thought of him because he knows that he'll come out on top in the end.

"What's your problem?" Will snapped at him.

Chuck sighed impatiently. He was one of the few people still alive in this world that could see through the defensive exterior Will always used whenever he was not with his family. "Fine, suit yourself. Don't come to dinner tonight. Lizzy's a smart girl. When she sees that you didn't show up, she'll know that she's won." He reached out for the bag in Will's hand. "Give that to me. I'll say that I bought it for her since she isn't going to accept anything from you."

Will refused to hand the bag over to Chuck.

"Chuck's right," said Jane innocently. "I think it makes sense that Chuck should give this to Lizzy if you think that she'll refuse anything you give her. We don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to."

"Hand it over, Will," urged Chuck.

"Hang on a second. Let me think about this!" cried Will. It didn't take him long to come to a decision. "Okay, I'll come to dinner, but I still think one of you should give this to Lizzy. There's a dress code at the dinner tonight: shirt and tie, or dresses. I really want her to wear it tonight, but don't think she'll do it if she knows that it's from me."

Chuck and Jane had identical expressions of triumph on their faces. "Sure, we'll give this to Lizzy when she wakes up." Chuck answered.

"Do you want us to tell her it's from you?" asked Jane.

"Do what you think will get her to wear that tonight," said Will slowly. Jane knew what to do. She extended her hand and Will willing handed her the bag. Without another word, he brushed past them to his car and drove away.

William Darcy, for the first time since his parents' passing, felt like he had lost control. It was unbelievable considering his history. He was accustomed to making several crucial decisions in his life. He had been using negotiation strategies and ruthless tactics to obtain what he wanted since he could remember, and yet he could not get a girl to like him. It was ridiculous! And today, his simple-minded best friend and his sweet tempered girlfriend had outmaneuvered him.

Lizzy sat in front of the dresser mirror admiring herself. She was dressed in a dusty lavender mohair sweater and a black chintz nylon skirt. Jane had come into her room an hour before with it in the bag Will had been carrying. She had been reluctant in accepting it, but somehow Jane had talked her into it.

"Will said that there is a dress code for dinner tonight. You didn't bring anything that will be suitable to wear."

"Fine! Then I won't go. It'll save me the torment from embarrassment!"

"What do you have to be embarrassed about?"

"He's been really nice to me all day while I've making his day a living hell."

"Then think of it as something nice you are doing for him in return. Besides, he really wants you to wear it."

That was all it took.

Thankfully, the shoes that she wore when she left that morning went well with the outfit, but she still had to borrow Jane's makeup. She didn't have any pins to put up her hair, but after a good wash and ample gel, Lizzy tamed her curls until they fell down to the middle of her back like a waterfall.

Jane wasn't in her room when she knocked. Lizzy sighed and resigned herself to finding her way downstairs to meet up with the rest of the group. She had a vague impression of the route to the stairs, but after that she wasn't quite sure where she would end up. Taking care not to tread on her dress with her shoes, Lizzy descended the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, she heard some sounds coming from a door to her left and she boldly opened the door to investigate the sound.

Her heels clicked loudly as she stepped onto the hardwood floors of an oak paneled billiard room. Standing across the room, with a cue in his hand, was Will. Lizzy's eyes widened in shock and without thinking she turned in a hurry to leave the room.

"Wait!" she heard Will call. Not knowing why, she stopped and stepped back into the room.

"Sorry for intruding," mumbled Lizzy. "I heard some noises and thought that everyone was in here waiting for me."

Will propped the cue back on its stand and came towards her. "Oh, they are waiting for you, but I wanted to get away for a while."

Lizzy knew that he was referring to the attentions of his biggest fan, but she had more dire concerns on her mind than to think of Caroline at this point. "Thank you for the dress. It was really thoughtful of you. You really didn't have to, but thanks anyway. By the way, how much do I owe you for the dress? I'll pay you back." It all came out in a rushed blur.

"You don't have to thank me, and you don't need to pay me back," Will stated simply.

"Why?"

"I just wanted to buy a dress for you, that's all." He didn't want to admit that it was her compensation for putting up with his teasing all morning.

"I don't care. I still want to pay you back. How much was it?"

"I told you. You don't need too."

"Well, let's say I need to. How much was it?" Lizzy demanded impatiently.

From watching his mother and father, Will knew enough not to disclose that information and answered. "I don't know."

"You're an awful liar."

"You make it sound like a virtue one should be proud to have."

Lizzy frowned, "I thought you said earlier that you didn't want me to yell at you anymore. If you've changed you're mind, I'd be glad to revert back to insulting you. And don't think I won't because you bought me a dress!"

"Fine, you win."

"So you'll tell me how much I need to pay you back?"

"Sure, but later. In the mean time, I haven't told you how nice you look in that." Will boldly stepped closer.

Lizzy fidgeted with her outfit. "Thanks. You uh, you have pretty good taste."

Will's cheeks flushed a little as he sheepishly confessed, "Actually, I didn't really pick it out. There were these girls in the store who helped me."

"Well, it's nice anyway." She wanted to add that she would have appreciated it more if he asked for her consent first, but didn't, because she felt it was cruel to say that to him. Instead she said, "So, where are we going for dinner? Jane told me that you were the one who picked out the restaurant for tonight."

"Somewhere with a really good view," was all Will would say. He gestured toward the door. "Come on everyone is waiting for you."

They drove downtown in the Bingley family car, which turned out to be the white Lexus. Caroline had petitioned for the limousine, but was met with frowns from Chuck, and more importantly, Will, for her efforts. There was ample room in the backseat for Lizzy, Caroline, and Will, but somehow it felt like it wasn't enough. Because of his height, Will was advised by Chuck to avoid the middle seat. Caroline flatly refused to take it because the sliding in and out from that seat would wrinkle her satin ankle length skirt. Therefore, Lizzy was forced to seat herself between Caroline and Will. It wouldn't have been so bad if Caroline hadn't kept leaning across her and to whisper comments to Will throughout the trip. He was unusually quiet considering how chatty he was that morning.

The restaurant Will had booked for dinner did indeed have a very nice view. In fact, it offered a 360 degree view of the entire downtown Toronto. He had booked them a dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top of the CN Tower. It afforded and brilliant view of the city lights and the faint bobbing ones of the boats out on Lake Ontario.

Dinner was a smooth affair. Each dish had been so skillfully crafted and displayed that Lizzy almost didn't want to break into the appetizer Will had ordered for everyone. Never in her life did Lizzy imagine that she would be eating this well at during her college years. She had always envisioned herself as the malnourished college student who lived solely off frozen or canned dinners.

Will also ordered wine for everyone, but blanched ever so slightly when he found out that Lizzy was still 18 and therefore couldn't drink. To make up for his blunder, he insisted on ordering her whatever drink she desired, only to be told that she was just fine with water. Caroline, hoping that Will would shower her with the same kind of attention, complained loudly about her distaste for red wine. Her efforts were unfruitful for Will only looked out the window. The view was not the only thing Will looked at all evening. Caroline noticed that Will stared openly at Lizzy several times throughout the evening. Lizzy would sometimes catch his eyes and the two would avert their gaze just as quickly as their fleeting glance. Caroline didn't like it at all; she didn't like it one bit.

Finally, when she couldn't resist it anymore, Caroline said, "That a nice outfit you have Lizzy. Where did you get it?"

Lizzy mumbled something quietly, only to be told to speak up by Caroline. "I don't know. Will got it." She was forced to say.

Caroline arched her finely penciled eyebrows, "Really?" She turned to Will. "How come you never bought me a dress?"

"Because I never got the opportunity to." He found it prudent to add, "Elizabeth will be paying me back for that."

"And how would you know what size she wore?"

"She's about the same size as my sister," Will answered plainly. He turned to look out the window again, hoping, praying Caroline would let things settle at that.

Caroline evidently was not satisfied with that answer. In fact, the comparison of Elizabeth to Georgiana only vexed her more. She surveyed Lizzy's outfit and said, "That's Ralph Lauren, isn't it?"

Lizzy nodded.

"I thought I've seen that somewhere. I think the whole outfit was going for close to over two hundred dollars." She paused for some emphasis. "Will has pretty good taste doesn't he?"

The bottom of Lizzy's confidence seemed to have dropped out, but she rallied her spirits and said with as much coolness as she could muster, "Yeah, he does have good taste."

Caroline glowered and resumed her dinner. Physical appearances and money were the only things she had ever used, as grounds for criticism. Once again, it hadn't worked against Lizzy.

The rest of the dinner passed without further tension. When dinner had been paid for by Will, they went back down the elevator and sat outside on the benches at the base of the tower. Chuck and Jane were immediately given a bench to themselves. Everyone had noticed during dinner that something had changed between Chuck and Jane. Their previous relationship had been one of politeness, teetering precariously on love. Tonight, there was no doubt that they had pitched themselves head first into love.

Caroline and Lizzy sat on another bench while Will stood silently behind them looking up at the stars. It was a clear but cold night, and soon after sitting down, Lizzy began to shiver. Being the most unprepared of the group, she didn't have a jacket; the outfit Will had bought her was not suited to autumn temperatures in Ontario. She blew softly into her hands to warm them up. There was a rustling behind her and a jacket was draped around her shoulders. She looked up, and saw Will, now without a suit jacket, standing, still looking up at the stars.

"Thanks," she said quietly. She moved to take it off. "I'm not that cold really." She lied.

Will held her hands to stop them from removing his blazer. The feeling of her hands seemed to have shocked him because he quickly drew his hands away and said, "No, it's alright." He looked as if he wanted to say more, but his mouth and mind just wouldn't conjure up what he really wanted to say. He had no other options but to step back again.

Caroline saw this whole episode and began to worry. It looked as if there was something going on between Will and Lizzy; something that she wanted to make sure didn't happen. She had always liked Will. Ever since she could remember, she had always like him. Her mother had encouraged her in her pursuit of Will's attentions and even managed to persuade Will to take Caroline to her graduation dance. She couldn't let her and her mother's hard work go to waste just in one weekend. In a huff, Caroline leapt up from her seat and stood prosecutorially in front of Lizzy. In the behind them, Will stepped forward.

"Let's take a walk," uttered Caroline at the last minute.

Lizzy raised her eyebrows. "What was the point of Caroline doing this?" She wondered while answering, "Sure."

They didn't walk far-only around the pavilion at the base of the tower. Several times, Caroline would shoot glances at Will who was watching them like a hawk. "If you can't beat her," she thought to herself. "Then make him come join us."

"Will!" Caroline called. "Come join us for this walk."

Will crossed his arms and shook his head. "That would defeat the purpose of your walk," he called back.

Caroline giggled. "Your walk?" she quoted. "What do you mean? We're just strolling here. There's no hidden meaning in that is there?"

Will only smiled back.

Caroline turned to Lizzy and asked rather loudly so Will could hear, "What do you think Will meant by that?" She hoped that if she made an effort to be nice to Lizzy, Will would become more receptive to her attentions.

Lizzy shrank away from Caroline's shrill voice, and after recovering said, "I don't think it really matters, does it?"

"Oh, of course it matters." Caroline chided. "Come on Will! I want to know what you meant by that! Unless you have certain personal reasons for not telling us."

"It's nothing personal," said Will as soon as Caroline gave him the chance. "You are either walking together because you have some secrets to exchange, in which case I would just be in the way; or you are walking because you both know that I can best check you out when you are standing instead of sitting."

"You make us sound like we're desperate!" Caroline exclaimed. She turned to Lizzy. "He ought to be punished for this, don't you think? What should we do to him?"

Lizzy thought for a moment and said, "There's no better punishment at this time in life than to be laughed at."

Caroline stepped back in perplexity. "Laugh at him?"

"You've known him for a long time, you ought to know his faults. All we need to do is point out this fault and laugh at it. It would be more than sufficient punishment."

Caroline whipped her hair back and said, with a dignified air, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Will actually has no faults."

Lizzy doubled over with laughter. She didn't think that Caroline would be this desperate to gain Will's good opinion.

Will came towards them to explain himself. "There is no way a person can be without faults, Caroline."

Lizzy stopped laughing and looked up at him. "Now you're talking."

"I never said I was perfect," he turned to face Lizzy fully and continued. "There are faults enough in me, but I always make an effort to make sure that they don't show up when I am with other people. Why you think a fault should be laughed at anyway?"

"Why?" Lizzy began. "Well, because if you take your faults too seriously, then other people will take it seriously too. It will no longer be a fault but a burden-like a handicap."

"Like a handicap?" Will repeated methodically. "Are you saying that you would make fun of a person's handicap?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Lizzy snapped. "I was making an analogy, dimwit! If you are unable to see the humour during the trials in life, then you will be easily defeated. I guess you are one of those people who are determined to take life seriously and not see the ridiculousness of it all."

Will took in a breath to argue the point further, but upon a moment's contemplation, he said, "You are aware that some faults will be harder to laugh at than others?"

"Like pride? And insolence?" She was thinking of the first time she heard Will speak.

"No, insolence is a weakness you can laugh at. But pride-yes, pride is something that you can't ridicule if it is under good regulation. In fact, it shouldn't be considered a fault at all."

Caroline, who had been feeling rather left out during this repartee, decided to put her two cents in and said, "See? I told you he is without faults."

"No," Will answered with his eyes still fixed on Lizzy. "I stand by what I said before. I have failings. My temper has often been called resentful. People think that I ought to give them second chances, but for me, when I happen to lose the good opinion of someone, it is lost forever."

Through the light from the pavilion lamps, Lizzy could read the seriousness in Will's eyes when he said this. She could hardly believe that those words had come out of his mouth! It was as if all the changes she perceived today had been a part of a dream. Perhaps she was mistaken in thinking Will was a nice person after all.

"That is a well chosen fault then," said Lizzy coldly. "You are safe from me. I can't laugh at it."

Will sensed Lizzy displeasure and continued in hopes of regaining her good opinion. "It's part of being human know. There is a Chinese proverb that goes something along the lines of humans are born evil. There are just failings in us that cannot be overcome."

"I see that yours is to hate everybody."

"And yours is to misunderstand them."

"Come on, it's getting cold," cried Caroline. "Let's go home. I don't want to spend the rest of Thanksgiving weekend with the flu of something."

Will agreed and after rousing Chuck and Jane from their obsession with each other, the group piled back into the car and headed back home. They drove Will home before heading back to the Bingley house. He lived a few blocks further down the path on another vast property hemmed in by tall ivy covered fences and towering gates. Chuck had offered to drive Will up to the house but he declined and clambered out of the car when it drove up to the gates.

Lizzy turned as the car drove away and saw Will slowly opening the gates and disappearing behind them into the dimly lit property. The darkness of the property gave Lizzy the impression that it was still in mourning and by stepping into it so was Will.

Oil Thigh Na Banrign ~ Chapter 9

The elevator door opened and Emma leaned back in her chair to see who else had returned from their Thanksgiving weekend. It was Lizzy, Jane and Caroline.

"Hey!" She called getting up from her chair. George had driven her and Harriet back early this afternoon. Being the keener that she was, she had gotten down to work immediately after unpacking. "How was your weekend? I heard from Elinor and Marianne that you went down to Toronto to see Jane."

Lizzy started blankly at Emma, unable to formulate a reply that would faithfully depict what happened this weekend. After opening her mouth several times without saying a word, Lizzy shook her head and walked away. Caroline closely followed suit. Jane, however, remained.

"What happened?" asked Emma leaning on her doorframe.

"Do you really want to know?" Jane asked wearily.

"Sure. I need a study break anyway." She stepped back and invited Jane in to sit on her bed.

Harriet, who had been sitting idly at her desk pretending to be enthralled by her chemistry textbook, was relieved that Emma had agreed to take a break. Ever since the beginning of the year, Harriet had studied when Emma studied, and rested when Emma rested. She was never a stellar student, and hoped that by imitating Emma's studying patterns she could train her mind to be as sharp as Emma's. What Harriet didn't know was that when Emma sat at her desk to study, she actually studies, whereas Harriet would periodically stop to play with her hair, look out the window and check for e-mail.

"Hi Harriet!" Jane greeted when she saw her. "How was your weekend with Emma?"

"It was good!" Harriet lied. She had actually spent the weekend rotating between watching television and listening to the inane cautions of Emma's overprotective father. They didn't even do any sight seeing because Emma said had that there was really nothing to see in Toronto. The only highlight of that weekend was when George Knightley and his parents showed up for dinner on Sunday. Several times she wished that she had accepted Robert's invitation to spend Thanksgiving with him in Ottawa instead.

"So," Emma sat back down into her desk chair. "What happened?"

Jane began by telling them about the reasons for Lizzy's trip to Toronto, and then reiterated what Lizzy had told her about how Will had found her that Saturday morning. Jane then told her about dinner on Saturday night and the verbal exchange that had occurred between Will and Lizzy at pavilion.

Emma interrupted. "I think there is something going on between those two."

Jane nodded, "That's what Chuck and I think too."

"Chuck and I?" Emma repeated and grinned. "Am I right in assuming that you two are now an item now?"

Jane blushed. "I wish you wouldn't put it that way, but yes. You should have heard him when we were out in his garden and he tried to make this come out into the open. I have never heard so many 'like's in one sentence!"

Emma gave Jane a hug. "I'm so happy. I knew someone from the brother floor had to ask one of us out. It wouldn't be fun if that didn't happen." She went back to her chair and asked Jane what happened the next day.

"Will didn't show up for the rest of the weekend. In fact, he didn't come back to campus with us. Chuck's car had to be driven back to Toronto by their chauffeur so only four of us could fit in that car. I think that made Lizzy mad. I'm getting the impression that she thinks Will is avoiding her. I don't know why that would make her mad because she told me several times that she thinks he's an arrogant and insulting pr-- What's funny is that, she kept asking Chuck if Will was going to show up for the rest of the weekend. It was like she wanted him around and didn't at the same time. Chuck said that it was weird for Will to be this busy during Thanksgiving too."

Emma's eyes brightened and she whooped. "Yup! I think they're going to be next ones after you and Chuck."

Jane shook her head. "I had hoped so too, but there is something in the way. I'm not sure if it's coming from Lizzy or from Will, but there's something stopping them."

"Maybe it's Caroline?" suggested Harriet.

Emma turned to face her roommate. She couldn't believe that Harriet had spotted that before she did.

Jane looked doubtful. "No." She looked at the door to make sure Caroline wasn't there and continued. "She may think of him that way, but I don't think Will really cares for her like the way he cares for Lizzy. Did I tell you he bought her a dress that night when he took us to the top of the CN Tower for dinner? He knew Lizzy wouldn't have anything suitable to wear so he bought her a dress."

Emma sputtered. "No way! He did what?"

"Ralph Lauren too. Caroline said during dinner that the whole outfit comes out to over two hundred dollars."

Emma sputtered some more. "Two hundred dollars?"

"I'm serious! Lizzy wants to pay him back, but I know that he's not going to take her money."

Emma took in a shuddering breath. "Someone pinch me. This is like the stuff that happens in movies."

Jane laughed. "I can scarcely believe it myself, and I saw this whole thing happen."

"What else? I want more!" Emma urged.

"That's about it." Jane got up from Emma's bed and grabbed her bags. "I need to unpack."

"I'll come with you," said Emma. "I want to ask Lizzy a few things about Will now that I have a better idea of what happened."

Jane quickly shook her head. "I don't think that is such a good idea. The last thing she wants to talk about right now is Will. She needs to sort out her feelings before anyone asks her anything."

Emma feigned a pout and agreed, "I'll just go and say hi then."

On the way down the hall to Jane's room they passed Anne who was putting on her shoes. The first thing Jane and Emma noticed was that their Don was dressed up for something. She was wearing a forest green dress over a creamy blouse. Her hair had been swept back neatly with the help of a decorative clip. Beside her, on the floor sat a fresh iced chocolate cake in a plastic cake container.

"Oh that look's good!" Emma said, eyeing the chocolate cake.

Jane, on the other hand said, "You look very nice Anne. Are you going somewhere?"

Anne stood up and took the chocolate cake in her hands. "Yes, I'm going to a friend's Thanksgiving party."

"Did you bake that cake yourself?" Emma asked. She was obviously fixated on the chocolate cake.

Anne laughed at the gleam in Emma's eyes. "Yes, I did. I made of batch of cupcakes using the same batter. I was going to come around later on tonight with it as a Thanksgiving treat, but if you really want one now you won't be able to get another one tonight."

Emma actually stopped to ponder this, muttering, "Immediate gratification, or wait for long term rewards?"

Jane shook her head. "Have fun tonight Anne," she said as she and Emma, who was still muttering to herself, resumed their course down the hall. Anne smiled contently in return and turned to lock her door.

She had been involved with the residence council for several years, but only this year did she feel a sense of belonging. She truly felt that these were her girls. It was like being part of a family, a feeling she hadn't experience for a long time.

It was beginning to darken outside when Anne reached Harville's house. She rang the doorbell, and the person Anne recognized as Harville's fiancée, Emily opened the door.

"Anne!" Emily exclaimed, when she saw her. She took the chocolate cake from her and set it down on a table by the door. Then she turned to drag Anne bodily into the house. "Here's our surprise guest everyone."

Anne was pushed into the living room where the rest of the guest had gathered. It was a small party. There were only five people sitting on the couches but she knew them all: Harville, Emily, Charlie Musgrove, his sister Louisa, and James Benwick. It was as if the youth staff of Camp Wilderness had gotten together for a reunion.

"Holy-Anne Elliot! Is that really you?" James Benwick came forward and gave her a hug. "Of all places... I never thought that it would here. Small world."

"Big campus," said Anne when they drew back. "How come I've never seen you around?"

"Well, I'm shut up in Watson Hall most of the time."

"Watson? That's the English building. Harville said that you were doing Geography."

"No. You should know better than to trust Harville's memory. That guy couldn't get his major straight until his fourth year of university." He shot an exasperated glance at Harville.

"Hey, guys. I'm still here and within hearing range remember?" Harville reminded.

But nobody was really listening. They had all come up to Anne, one by one to greet her warmly. Anne's spirit was elated. She had never felt so at peace with life until now. After the initial greetings were over, the activity in the room resumed its usual course. James took her hand and led her over to a couch.

"So, tell me, what's been happening these past few years?" he asked.

"Where do you want me to start? It's been so long!"

James shrugged, "Come on, we've got all evening. Besides, we have to wait for Frederick anyway, and knowing him, he won't be leaving his office until half an hour after dinner's started."

Anne's heart suddenly froze. "Frederick's coming?"

"Yeah. It'll be just like old times." He lowered his voice. "I heard from Harville that things didn't work out between the two of you. I'm sorry."

"It happens." Anne replied, hoping that her voice sounded disengaged enough.

"You think Louisa might be his type?" asked Charlie who had caught the last part of the conversation.

Anne winced inwardly. Charlie had never been a very tactful person. "I don't know. She might. Frederick and I didn't go out for that long. It was over by the end of the summer."

"I have to find a boyfriend for my sister." Charlie explained. "My mom's been asking me everyday ever since Lou came out here. I think Frederick will be a good candidate."

Anne nodded and turned away, not wanting to hear anymore lest she should start crying and make her feelings obvious. She turned back to talk to James when the look on his face stopped her. James looked positively furious with Charlie, though Charlie didn't seem to have noticed. Anne wondered what it was that could have made James this angry.

At this moment the doorbell rang and Anne's heart began pounding in anticipation of the person who was about to walk into the room. Emily went to answer the door. Anne heard some rumblings, a hearty laugh, and Frederick stepped into the living room. His tall stature seemed to fill the doorframe.

He took a look around the room, and in mock shock cried, "My past has come back to haunt me! Don't you people ever go away?"

Everyone in the room laughed, including Anne. She found it comforting to see the friendlier side of Frederick once again. Every time she had chanced to encounter him, he had been cold, bordering on uncivil. She hoped that he would be warmer this time, now that there were so many people to buffer any harsh words he may have for her.

With Frederick's arrival, the guests were ushered by the host and hostess into the dining room where a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner lay wafting a mixture of appetizing aromas. They talked and laughed comfortably throughout dinner, as old acquaintances generally do, reminiscing of the old times and boasting of the new. Halfway through the dinner Harville disappeared and reappeared moments later with a tattered makeshift yearbook.

"Everyone," he called. They all turned to listen. Harville held up the book and the group gasped. "That's right. It's the priceless Camp Wilderness end of the summer album."

"Pass it around!" called Charlie from the end of the table. "I haven't seen that thing in years."

Harville absentmindedly handed it to Anne and called back to Charlie, "What happened to your yearbook? I thought everyone got one." But nobody was really listening to him. They had all gathered around Anne's chair as she slowly flipped through the album.

Every now and then, someone would laugh and call out, "Hey, there's me!" or "Hey, there's you!" or "What were we thinking when we took that picture?" The group suddenly got very quiet when Anne turned the page to reveal the picture of a young freckly girl, wearing a counselor's uniform, smiling broadly and squinting into the camera. Everyone turned and looked at Harville and James.

It took Anne a moment to realize who this young girl was. It was Phoebe, Harville's sister and James's girlfriend during the year Anne was at camp. "Why is everyone so upset about her?" Anne wondered.

"Turn the page Anne," whispered Frederick, who unbeknownst to her had been standing behind her, looking at the album from over her shoulder.

Anne drew in a sharp breath, and let is out like a small sigh of relief. He finally spoke to her out of his own volition. He had said her name! She turned the page.

The mood didn't improve. The next page revealed a picture of Frederick and Anne sitting on the dock, watching the sunset. He had his arms around her waist and she was leaning on his shoulder with her eyes half closed in a blissful, contented expression. It was now Anne and Frederick's turn to be stared at.

Thankfully, Charlie realized this and cried out, "We can finish with that book another time. The food is getting cold."

Everyone murmured vague words of agreement and returned to their seat. The rest of dinner was rather somber. Several times, Emily shot Harville apprehensive looks, and Harville, in turn, looked as if he wished he had never brought out the book. Anne avoided looking up from her plate, and Frederick, eating at twice his usual speed, was the first to leave the dinner table. James, who was unable to touch the rest of his dinner after seeing that picture of Phoebe, was the next to leave.

They were sitting in the living room after the dinner when James finally told Anne what had happened to Phoebe.

"She died Anne. She drowned the year after you stopped working at the camp. This kid had gone out too far in a sailboat and it capsized. Sophie went after the kid, and got herself tangled in the ropes. Harville and I took the motorboat out to help them, but it was too late. The kid didn't make it, and neither did Sophie."

Anne reached out and took James's hands, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know."

"I didn't want to spread the word." James said, grimly. "It's not as if - well, I wasn't part of her family. Harville has more right to be upset than me."

"Yes, but you loved her and that gives you the right to be sad as much as her family."

"That's what Harville and Frederick have been telling me, but I still don't feel right being as upset as Harville."

Anne looked over at Harville who was now drinking after dinner wine and laughing jovially with Emily, Charlie, Louisa, and Frederick. "He seems to have adjusted well."

"Well, you can't grieve forever right?"

"What about you? Have you moved on?"

James shrugged, "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right. Harville has been helping me through this. He was the one who suggested for me to come to Queen's to do grad school. He said it would be good to get away from Nova Scotia." He sighed and looked down at his hands, which were still covered by Anne's. "But it feels like I'm running away from her. I feel like I've abandoned her."

"But you didn't," consoled Anne. "You still love her, but you know what James? She wouldn't have wanted you to throw away the rest of your life because of her. I remember you telling everyone how you wanted to study English and became a world-renowned author. Remember how Phoebe had supported that idea? She wouldn't have wanted to you to give up on that because of her."

James looked up and suddenly smiled. "You know that's true. I still remember that conversation. She was the only one who didn't roll her eyes when I made that announcement. She didn't know I was really serious about it, but after listening to her tell me that she thinks I'll be brilliant at English, I started to believe I could do it myself."

"See?" Anne said, and then added with a mischievous grin, "I told you so."

For the first time in the whole evening James laughed. He leaned forward and gave Anne a hug of appreciation-- and then it happened. When drawing away from each other James suddenly turned and for a moment their lips brushed each other.

Anne immediately blushed a shade of deep crimson. Her ears told her the world seemed to have gone suddenly silent although her eyes told her the activity in the room had not changed. Harville, Emily, Charlie, and Louisa were still talking animatedly at the other side of the room.

Frederick however, looked infuriated. His eyes had narrowed, his face had darkened, his lips were drawn in an expression of repressed disapproval, and his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were ivory white.

Anne's heart sank. He really hated her now.

Chapter 10

Almost everyone was glad that Thanksgiving weekend was over. Jane was always thankful for everything, so it is not necessary to explain her happiness. Emma was glad to be back at school where she could finally do some "real" work. Harriet was glad to be rid of that tedious weekend at Emma's-- she never thought a weekend could last so long. Elinor, who begrudgingly endured a whole three days of Marianne's moping from a lack of John Willoughby, was glad to see everyone back in residence. The floor had been rather quiet without Emma's stressing, Lizzy's jests, Caroline's scoffing, and Jane's soothing. Anne, who returned from the Thanksgiving party with very confused feelings was more than happy to bury herself in her academic and floor responsibilities-- although the girls on the floor noticed that she always seemed rather preoccupied now.

Lizzy was the only person, who was not happy to be back. There was no way for her to avoid Will Darcy on campus, because they always ate together with Chuck, Jane, and the rest of the girls on the floor, and sat together in psychology classes. She did appreciate one thing however, and that was Caroline. She came in very useful by monopolizing Will's attention for herself every chance she got. The problem was, Will didn't seem to be affected much by Caroline's fawning. Instead, Lizzy noticed that he stared at her a lot more, and she found that rather disconcerting. She could tell whenever he had his eyes fixed on her; it always gave her that prickling feeling at the back of her neck, and her heart would do odd flips within her chest. She wished he would stop.

It was the day before the first psychology exam and the girls of McNeill 4 and their "brothers" were sitting at their usual table in Leonard Cafeteria, directly in front of the ice cream freezer (they found it rather convenient for times when one is suddenly overcome by a craving for ice cream right in the middle of his/her mashed potatoes). Emma, who never failed to bring her notes to every meal was flipping frantically through them, muttering the habituation times for the eye puff, electric shock and other nasty things classical conditioning researchers thought up.

"Shut it would you?" Lizzy snapped, when she couldn't stand Emma's stressing anymore. "I'm stressed out enough without you mumbling Pavlov's stuff next to me. You'll give yourself indigestion."

Emma who had been huddling over her notes, sat up straighter and kneaded her stomach. "Urgh, I think you're right," she stopped for a brief moment and then said, "Food aversion takes about 12 to 24 hours to develop."

"STOP IT!" chorused the rest of the group.

Emma quickly shut her books before they had a chance to throw their leftovers at her. Why ruin a set of perfectly composed notes?

"I'm getting up for ice cream," announced Marianne. "Anyone want to come?"

"You can just push back your chair and get some ice cream." Will pointed out. It was true. Marianne sat directly in front of the freezer for ice cream.

She took a page from Lizzy's book and glared at Will for his trouble, "Fine. Then I'm going to get some fruit anyone want to come?" But still no one wanted to, and Marianne left the table alone.

"You know, I think we should do a group study tonight," suggested Emma, who was incapable of keeping her mind off school.

Everyone groaned.

"Emma, this is getting pathological," said Elinor, "It is just another midterm. There are going to be two more after this, AND a final. You need to get used to it or this place is going to eat you alive."

"Aren't you the spreader of good tidings?" Lizzy said dryly. "You are a veteran, whereas we are froshies. We have a right to overreact."

"Right on sister!" urged Emma, raising a fist in the air as a gesture of support. Lizzy gave her the sign of peace in return.

"Veteran?" repeated Elinor. "And what's with the peace sign? You guys are calling me a veteran when you seemed to have just stepped out of the sixties!"

Lizzy grinned and said in a fake Alabamian accent, "Yup, me and Forrest. We was like peas and carrots."

The table roared with laughter and Lizzy grinned broadly back at them. She suddenly felt a prickling feeling at the back of her neck and her eyes immediately flicked over to Will. Their eyes locked. The expressions on their faces vanished and both looked away.

"Marianne is taking a long time getting fruit." Lizzy commented off-handedly-- anything to rid herself of that strange feeling in her chest.

As if on cue, Marianne came back into the dining hall holding a small bowl of assorted fruits. Everyone turned to look, and watched in horror as she suddenly threw the bowl into the air and began flailing her arms about in an attempt to maintain her balance. It didn't work, and she went crashing to the ground. John Willoughby leapt from his chair and rushed to her side. Everyone closely followed suit.

"Are you alright Marianne?" asked John as he tried to help her up.

Marianne cried out in pain, "No, I think I've broken my ankle."

John knelt down next to her, and gently removed her shoes. Marianne whimpered pathetically as he methodically felt the bones in her foot. Finally he looked up and flashed his charming smile at her. "Thank goodness. It's not broken. Just a sprain."

Next to him, Elinor breathed a sigh of relief. "Can she walk on it?"

John nodded. "I think so," he turned to Marianne. "Why don't you try to stand?" He held out his hands and practically lifted her up so she stood on her feet once again. "See? Not broken. If it was then you wouldn't be able to stand on it."

"Oh but it still hurts." Marianne whined, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Why don't Lizzy and I take you back to our room and we'll put a cold compress on it?" suggested Elinor, "If you want we can go down to Student Health tomorrow and get it check out."

"But I can't walk on it right now," snapped Marianne.

"Then I'll carry you," and with that John swept Marianne off her feet and walked out the cafeteria door.

Elinor sighed and shook her head, "Here we go again."

She hurried off behind John and Marianne, leaving the group dazed in their wake.

"How romantic was that?" gushed Harriet when she and Emma returned to their room. "Like a knight in shining armor, rescuing her and carrying her off into the sunset." She faked a swoon and flopped backwards onto her bed. "All he needs now is a white horse."

Emma agreed and sat dreamily down at her desk. "For lack of a better cliché, it is the stuff dreams are made of." She stopped and seemed to snap back into reality. "Why is it that these things happen to people like Marianne and Jane? What about us?"

Harriet smiled shyly and blushed. She would like to think that Robert and her were just like Marianne and Jane. Perhaps, it wasn't as glamorous, but she liked it. He was always very attentive to her, even more so lately. Just recently, when his mother sent him a care package, he had shared the contents of it with her, and offered her some of the tarts that his mother baked especially for him. To Harriet, that was something significant.

"What are you smiling so slyly about?" pried Emma with a crafty smile.

"Oh nothing." Harriet dismissed, but she secretly wanted Emma to ask.

Emma took the hint, for Harriet never took any pains to conceal her easily read emotions. "I bet it's about a guy..."

Harriet blushed as red as her hair.

"I bet I know who it is."

Harriet didn't dare lift her eyes to look at Emma.

"I bet it's Phil right? Phil Elton?"

Harriet's head snapped up in shock. "What? Please tell me your joking."

"I can read you like a book," Emma proclaimed confidently. "I see how you look at him, and you know what? I think he's interested too. He's always talking about you with me. I think he wants me to arrange things..."

Harriet looked bewildered, much like a deer caught in the headlights, and stammered, "Oh-- oh really? I-- I didn't know. Are you sure?"

Emma looked slightly affronted, "Of course!" How dare Harriet doubt her insight? "I'm usually pretty good at these things. Remember Jane and Chuck? Didn't I say that it would work out like this in the end?"

Harriet stammered meaninglessly some more. She generally had a memory like a sieve, but from what she could remember, Emma had said that Chuck and Will would prefer blondes, and Jane was not blonde...

Emma continued, ignoring Harriet's futile attempts at objections. "If you were more observant, you would have seen the signs. I've been reading them all along. He's always complementing you, and sitting with us during class. Remember yesterday when you said that you didn't understand today's chemistry lecture? He volunteered to come over after dinner to tutor you. He was so patient too. It was really nice seeing you two like that."

Harriet swallowed uncomfortably. Her recollection of the tutoring session was not congruent to Emma's. From what she could remember, Phil had assigned her questions to do and then proceeded to spend the whole night sitting on Emma's bed and chatting.

Oblivious to the horror stricken expression on her roommate's face, Emma went on, "You two will make a really good looking pair, and I think Phil knows it too. He's always complimenting your looks to me. He loves your hair and how it curls at the tips, and whenever I tell him about you wanting to diet, he always tells me that he doesn't want you to change because you're just perfect."

The wheels in Harriet's brain, which had been cudgeling for the best way to tell Emma that she was not interested in Phil Elton, stopped abruptly. "Really?" Harriet gasped, "Did he really say that about me?"

"Of course!" asserted Emma boldly. "It came up when we were talking about dieting, and I mentioned that you wanted to lose weight and I didn't agree with dieting in order to lose weight. Phil told me that he agreed with me, so obviously he didn't want you to diet."

Harriet smiled brightly, all thoughts of Robert Martin clearly banished from her mind. After all, Phil Elton did look extraordinarily like George Clooney. Which girl wouldn't be flattered by that?

Chapter 10, Part 2

Lizzy knocked on the door and was immediately invited in by Marianne's muffled voice from behind it. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she closed the door behind her.

Marianne looked up from her psychology notes and shrugged. "Not too bad. It doesn't hurt as much now. What's up?"

"Just taking a study break. Where's Elinor?" Lizzy asked, sitting down on Elinor's chair.

Marianne frowned, " She's taking a shower. You know, I don't understand why Elinor is so uncaring. I mean, I fall and sprain my ankle, and she acts like she doesn't care at all."

"Marianne!" Lizzy cried. "Elinor cares. It's just a sprain. We both know you're just fine."

Marianne tutted and sighed impatiently. Lizzy, obviously, was the not the person to give her the sympathy she wanted. "Well, aside from the sprain, she didn't seem to understand how embarrassing it was when I fell in front of everyone in the cafeteria and had to be carried off by John."

"Yeah, but I think you were probably less embarrassed by John carrying you off than you were by the fall. In fact, I don't think you were embarrassed at all when John carried you off."

Marianne flicked her eraser bits playfully at Lizzy, "How dare you say that about me? Besides, doesn't every girl like to swept off her feet every now and then?"

Lizzy snorted, "Yeah, right. That's a lame excuse. I, personally, can do without any guys sweeping me off my feet. Thank you very much."

"What about Will's rescue when he found you in Toronto during Thanksgiving weekend?" Marianne asked bluntly.

Lizzy winced at the reference to Will and Thanksgiving. "That was different and I was not impressed by him. As a matter of fact, I found it embarrassing."

Courtesy of Emma and a little bit of Caroline, the "Lizzy and Will Fiasco" from Thanksgiving weekend had spread like wildfire among the girls. The details of the trip and Lizzy's conflicting feelings about Will were still censored from the group. Nobody really knew what Lizzy thought about Will, and no one dared to ask Will on his opinion of Lizzy. Any questions about the conversation they had in Will's car and in the pavilion at the base of the CN Tower were met with cryptic answers from Lizzy. She had hoped that the curiosity of the girls would abate if she simply refused to fuel them with details. However, having only known the group for two months, she was now learning, the hard way, that the innate female determination to pry into other people's lives can never be so easily deterred.

Eager to rid herself of the feeling in her chest every time she thought of Will, Lizzy took a hairpin turn and steered the conversation onto something else.

"I heard that the students of the music department are putting on their first concert next Friday. Are you going to be in it?"

Marianne nodded, "Yup! I can't wait. It feels like ages since I've performed in public."

"What are you playing?"

"Here, I'll show you," said Marianne, and she reached into her desk drawer and took out a folded piece of paper. "It's the tentative program for Friday's concert. Have a look."

Lizzy scanned quickly through it, looking for Marianne's name. "Hey, you're playing Liszt's Liebestraum! I love that piece."

"Ever played it?"

Lizzy shook her head, "No, I'm not that good." She continued down the page and spotted Marianne's name amongst the choristers. "Mozart's Missa Solemnis. I've never heard of it."

"Oh it's a beautiful piece. I know you'll love it when you hear it. The orchestra will be playing for us too." She pointed at her name at the end of the page, "Look! I get to sing the soprano solo"

"What is this? The Marianne Dashwood concert?"

Marianne laughed, "No, I wish. It's going to involve quite a few music students, and our instructors all want the first years to have as much experience for the first concert as possible. Our music director this year really likes big concerts involving all voices and instruments. She says it's good practice for professional performances when we graduate."

"So that's why I see the all these soloists," said Lizzy. She looked further down the list. "Hey, it says here that you're playing the accompaniment for a violin soloists."

"Yeah, we're playing Moritz Moszkowski's Guitarre." Marianne pulled a sour face at the mention of the piece

"I take it from your expression, that is not one of your favourites."

"The piece itself is not bad, but I play the accompaniment for it," said Marianne in a sniffy voice. "I hate being the accompaniment. The were going to get a fourth year to play for that violinist, but my piano instructor said I should play it because I need to broaden my style. I would much rather have played that Mendelssohn piece, but they gave that to the third year student."

"But Mendelssohn, Moszkowski, and Liszt are all Romantic period composers. Why would your piano instructor want to you broaden your style using composers from the same period?" asked Lizzy.

Marianne shrugged, "I don't know. I think it's the style of the pieces that he wants to expand on."

Lizzy thought that maybe the true motive behind the decision of Marianne's piano instructor was to bring Marianne's ego down a few notches, but she knew it wasn't a wise thing to say, so she agreed with Marianne's interpretation. After a few more minutes of discussions on music and composers, Lizzy left the room to resume her studying.

Back in her room, Lizzy sat at her desk, picked up her psychology notes, but looked out the window. She didn't have the most spectacular view in the building, but it was a view all the same. Through the trees she could see the windows of Leonard Hall, and although it was midnight, all the windows were still lit. Some of the windows didn't have their curtains drawn so she could see the boys of Leonard Hall wandering around in the their rooms. One of the windows caught her eye. It was partially blocked by some leaves, but she could still see two boys throwing a football in their room. She set her notes down and knelt at her window to get a better look; it was far more interesting than reviewing what she had already memorized about the founders of psychology. She watched them toss the football for a few seconds before one of them stopped to draw open their window. Now she could faintly hear the music that was coming from their room.

I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can take anymore

A breeze swept through campus and a stubborn autumn leaf that had been obstructing her view fell away. Now she could see the occupants of the room clearly.

Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone

Lizzy suddenly gasped. It was Will and Chuck who were tossing the football! She never knew she could see their room from hers. One part of her wanted to rip her eyes away, but another part of her wanted to look some more. She didn't know why, but she obeyed the latter part of her mind.

When you feel all alone
And a loyal friend is hard to find
You're caught in a one way street
With the monsters in your head
When hopes and dream are far away and
You feel like you can't face the day

Will caught the ball but didn't toss it back. He seemed to be listening to something. Chuck spoke and Will shook his head, then he threw the ball back to Chuck who pitched it into his closet.

Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone

Because there has always been heartache and pain and when it's over you'll breathe again
You'll breathe again

Will walked to the window and looked out, with his hands in his pockets. Lizzy shrunk back a little. Did he see her? She wondered. He obviously had not because he began looking up at the stars. It was a clear night. Lizzy timidly edged back to the window. She could see that Chuck was now sitting at his desk talking on the phone.

When you feel all alone
And the world has turned its back on you
Give me a moment please
To tame you wild wild heart

Without any indication, Will turned and looked straight into Lizzy's window. Lizzy froze in surprise. Would he know this was her window? A distance of ten metres separated their rooms, but still their eyes met. He knew, but like Lizzy his stare did not waver.

Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone*

With a flick of his wrist, Lizzy saw Will twitched his curtains closed. Once again, he had been the first to look away. Their windows were still open and she could hear his music from behind it.

"Oh, stop it" Lizzy snapped and slammed her window shut. Part of that statement was to directed the unceasing voices that had been pulsing through her brain ever since Thanksgiving weekend, and the other part was directed the perspicacious lyrics of the song. Even that radio station knew her situation better than she did. She sat back at her desk and stared blankly at her notes.

"What is wrong with me?" she wondered aloud.

Determined not to have her mind be distracted by the likes of Will Darcy she refocused on her notes, but still nothing sank in. Overcome with frustration Lizzy snapped her notes shut and without her realization peeked between her curtains to look at Will's window again. She was expecting his window to be blocked by his curtains, but it was not. He had drawn back his curtains, and she could see Will sitting at his desk, twirling his pen. He flipped through a few pages of his psychology textbook then stopped to run his hand over his face. A wave of nostalgia washed over Lizzy; it reminded her of the Will she knew during Thanksgiving weekend. He leaned back in his chair and stared out the window. Perhaps it was Lizzy's imagination, but she thought his gaze seemed to be directed towards her window. Sighing, Lizzy stepped away and her curtains swung closed softly. This nonsense really had to be stopped.

*Lyrics from Savage Garden Affirmation Album, "Crash and Burn" written by D. Hayes and D. Jones.

Chapter 11, Part 1

Her stomach rumbled and Elinor looked up at the clock. It read, "6:15". She grumbled impatiently and turned the page of the magazine she was reading.

"Oh pie," she said when she spotted the picture of a tart-looking strawberry pie on the next page. Normally, she would have flipped the page again, but in her current state of hunger, Elinor's attention lingered as she gazed longingly at the plump, glazed strawberries embedded in a golden brown piecrust. She was waiting for Marianne to finish with her physiotherapy.

Ever since Marianne's fall last Wednesday, she has rarely stopped moaning of the pain in her ankle and of her awkwardness in mobility. Initially, Elinor had tried to inform Marianne of the time it takes for sprains to heal, but her opinion had not only gone unheeded, but had actually enraged Marianne even more than before. She insisted on going to Student Health Services and later guilt-tripped Elinor into accompany her to the physiotherapy sessions. Marianne's rationale was that Elinor ought to walk with her, to and from the physiotherapy building, as a punishment for Elinor's disbelief in her suffering. Elinor just went so Marianne would forgive her, because their economy double room would never accommodate the whole of Marianne's ego while leaving enough room for Elinor to breath and survive.

She was about to start reading the recipe for the pie when she heard Marianne's voice from down the hall of the therapy rooms.

"So I'm done right?" she asked.

A male voice answered her, "Yeah, just be sure to walk carefully on stage this Friday."

Marianne laughed, "I will. Thanks for everything."

They came out to the waiting area where Elinor was sitting. Elinor looked up from her magazine and saw her sister come out with the physiotherapist and immediately wished herself anywhere but the waiting room. There was no mistaking him: the mousy hair that stuck up in all directions on his head, the sneakers, and the build. The physiotherapist seemed to have recognized her too, because he looked up and did a double take

"Elinor?"

Elinor stood up wringing the magazine into a tight roll, "Hi Edward. How's it going?"

Edward looked rather surprised at being addressed directly by Elinor. Ever since that disastrous meeting with Lucy in the coffee shop last Thanksgiving, Elinor had disappeared without a trace. He tried to call her, but she never answered the phone. Edward didn't blame her. She had every right to desire a completely dissociation from him.

"I'm-- I'm good," he stammered. He felt hot and clammy whereas Elinor looked cool and composed. If only he knew how hard her heart was pounding at this point.

Marianne looked from one tightly drawn face to another and put the pieces together. She zipped up her coat and said, in what she hoped was a casual tone, "Well, I'm hungry, so I'm going to head back to the cafeteria. See you both later."

Elinor grabbed her coat too, "I'm coming with you Marianne." She looked out the window. "It's dark outside and you really shouldn't be walking around by yourself."

"No, I'll be just fine," she stared meaningfully at her sister. "You stay here and uh, chat."

Elinor shot her sister a look that Marianne didn't recognize; it was a mixture of anger and desperation. Marianne never knew Elinor could feel, let alone express, those emotions.

Finally, Edward spoke, "Actually, Elinor, if it's okay with you, I- I would like to talk to you," and he thought it would be better to add, "just for a little while."

The magazine in Elinor's hands looked a mess as she clenched and unclenched her hands on it. She pleaded silently to Marianne to help her get out of a solitary talk with Edward. Where was Marianne's neediness when it was most needed?

Marianne beamed at the two, "Sounds good!" She took off as quickly as possible out of the physiotherapy building, glancing back periodically to make sure Elinor wasn't following her.

Back in the waiting room of the Louis D Acton building, Elinor and Edward stood facing each other. Marianne had been the last patient of the day, so the waiting room was empty. Edward nervously rocked on the balls of his feet. He didn't know why he wanted to keep Elinor with him a little longer. After a moment's thought he realized what he really wanted to do was explain to her the reason for Lucy's presence and ask her why she had left without giving him a chance to explain. The problem was, he didn't know how to start.

"So, um, how are you?" he asked tentatively, cringing faintly at Elinor as if anticipating harsh words from her.

"I'm fine," she answered. Her voice was as steady as ever. "Nothing has changed since last year, except my sister's here, and you know that now."

"Ah," he said. He thought he saw Elinor looked pained, but she quickly forced it back to her original neutral expression. He had to tell her, he just had to. "Look, do you want to go for a walk somewhere? There's a park right behind this building."

Without much deliberation, Elinor consented, and immediately regretted that decision. The logical part of her brain didn't want this. It was telling her that she was creating opportunities for her to get hurt again, but the other part of her mind held on in hopes that maybe Edward would tell her what she wanted to hear.

Edward stepped back into the staff room to grab his coat, the same tan tweed coat, and the two began to stroll slowly through the park.

"The park looks really eerie at this time of night," Elinor said as she looked at the silhouettes of the gnarled branches from the bare maple trees.

Edward looked and saw what Elinor was looking at and shivered, "Yeah, it's a good thing it's not Halloween anymore. But just wait until they get the Christmas lights on the trees. They'll look really great then."

"Hm," Elinor responded. She didn't leave her room much last year, so she wouldn't know. "So, is there something you want to talk about?"

Edward took in a deep breath, "Yes, I want to explain the whole Lucy thing to you. You see--" But he was prevented from continuing by Elinor.

"There's nothing to explain. If you're afraid I'll blame you for it, you don't have to worry. I never blamed you. There was nothing to blame.

Edward stepped in front of Elinor, blocking her from moving on. "No," he said in a determined voice. "You have to let me do this. I honestly like you, and I don't want to you to think that I've been leading you on."

Elinor felt her face flush. He had said what she wanted to hear. Nothing he said now was going to matter.

"I know you think that it's been a year and things change, but for me it hasn't. We left things unfinished, and I've been waiting for a chance to run into you again so I can explain everything to you. You probably think I'm a jerk and I hate it when people think I'm a jerk." They came to a park bench and Edward invited Elinor to sit down while he stayed standing.

Elinor began to get a sense of foreboding. As if he was going to drop a bomb on her. It was the same feeling she got when her father first told her of his intention to divorce her mother. Suddenly, the contented feeling that had just begun to settle in her chest evaporated and apprehension took its place.

"Do you remember that afternoon when you met Lucy?" Edward asked. Elinor nodded, and thought she saw Edward recoil at the reference to that episode. He acknowledged her and continued, "Well, she was actually there with my brother, Robert. I don't know if I told you about him?"

"Robert?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Ah," Edward paced a little to order his thoughts. "My brother Rob works as a bartender in Stages. Have you ever been there?"

"Stages?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Ah," said Edward again.

Elinor thought this was getting a bit tedious and spoke. "Edward, what is it you wanted to tell me? I've already told you I'm not mad at you, and I don't have any reason to be mad at you."

Edward sighed and ran his hands through his hair, "I think you'll change your mind about that after this."

"Why?" asked Elinor, but Edward didn't respond. Instead he paced some more, losing his nerve to tell Elinor the truth by the minute. She suddenly had an idea. "If it's anything about you and Lucy--"

"It's not about me and Lucy!" Edward almost shouted. Then he reconsidered, "No... actually, yes, it is about Lucy and me, but not in the way that you think it is." He sat down next to Elinor and stuck his hands in his coat pockets. If the truth had to be told, he might as well do it now.

"I came to Queen's three years before you did. I did my two years of sciences at Queen's, and then got accepted to the physiotherapy program here. During my first year in the physiotherapy program, I met this girl, Lucy, through my brother Rob. He had been looking for a job, because my mother kicked him out of the house for not getting into a college. So, he came to live with me in Kingston and to find a job. My mother, at the time, didn't know Rob was with me, or else I would have been disowned too." Edward grimaced at the thought. "Lucy, who was a friend of Rob's from back home came to live with us, because she had nowhere else to go either. I took both of them in. Blood is thicker than water right? And I couldn't leave Lucy alone without a place to live after she came all the way to Kingston to get a new start in life, right?" He paused for Elinor's consent.

She nodded and wondered where this tale was going. Edward continued.

"So, after about a term, Rob still hadn't found a job, and money was getting a bit tight. My mother gave me enough to pay for tuition and board as long as I was in school and was doing well. If I had asked her for more money, she would have gotten suspicious. Lucy helped out by getting a job waiting tables, but Rob was having a little more trouble. At the end of my first year of physiotherapy, I applied for some bursaries, and did manage to qualify for one. As celebration, Rob, Lucy and I went out for a few drinks. I don't know if you know this, but I'm not much of a drinker. We ordered so many drinks that I passed out on our way back to my apartment."

Edward was very thankful it was dark outside, because this way he couldn't see Elinor's expression when he said the next bit. He opened his mouth to deal out the final blow when a blinding light flooded over them accompanied by the sound of a car honking.

"Eddy! Where've you been?" called a man's voice from the car.

Edward swore outright, and tore at his hair in frustration. "Just go away!"

The man got out of the car. He looked at Elinor, and narrowed his eyes, "Who's this?"

Edward composed himself, and answered in a calm, albeit a little shaky voice, "This is Elinor. A friend I met from last year." He turned to Elinor, and gave her an apologetic look, "Elinor, this is my brother Rob."

Although she was still squinting from the offensive glare of the headlights, Elinor studied Rob's profile. She was getting the impression from Edward, that this was going to be the last time she'd ever see Rob again.

He was built stockier than Edward, with big muscular arms and a wide protruding chest. In contrast to Edward, and especially in front of the headlights, Rob looked wide and menacing, with sandy spiked hair that added to his aura of ferociousness. He had a square-shaped face, with a slight over bite. He wore a red and white bomber jacket over a tight black top with a pair of faded blue jeans. Overall, he looked less refined than Edward. It was difficult for Elinor to imagine the two as brothers.

"Hello Rob," said Elinor courteously.

Rob nodded at her and turned back to Edward. "Eddy, Lucy's been wondering where you are. You told her you were supposed to be back by dinner, so she sent me out to look for you."

Edward's left eye twitched, a reaction Elinor knew Edward did until now. "Well, as you can see, I met up with an old friend so we were talking."

"In a park, and in the dark." Rob's eyes narrowed again, and he looked at Elinor as if daring her to put her arms around Edward. She had no intentions of doing so, but for a fleeting moment she did want to, just to spite Rob. She had only met him for 30 seconds and she didn't like him one bit.

"Yes," Edward sighed and stood up. "Look, I'm allowed to have a life outside of work, school, and that apartment."

"Well, I just want to remind you of your responsibilities."

Even in the dark, Elinor could see Edward's face turn pasty white. She wondered what was so bad at home that it was making Edward react in such a way. She bitterly detested Rob for showing up just at the moment when Edward was about to disclose everything. She wanted to know, not because she wanted to allay her curiosity, but because she knew Edward would feel much better if he confided in someone about his problems -- she had learned that from Lizzy.

"Rob, why don't you go back to the car? I just need to say goodbye, and I'll be there in a sec," said Edward. Evidently, he didn't feel like confiding in anyone anymore.

Rob looked back at them warily, but obeyed and got back into his car. Edward then turned back to Elinor, his back deliberately facing the car and blocking Elinor from Rob's scrutiny. He sighed, and rubbed his eyes. Elinor suddenly noticed how much older he looked. Something must have happened to make him age so much in one year.

"I- I've got to go. It was nice seeing you again Elinor."

Elinor nodded, "Yes, it was nice seeing you too." Overcome by a moment's desire, Elinor blurted out, "My number is still the same as last year. Give me a call if you need someone to talk to. I'll answer the phone this time."

Edward smiled, although the melancholy in his eyes remained, "Thanks, I will try." He took his hands out of his pockets and moved as if to touch her, but then he recoiled when he remembered Rob's presence behind them. "I'm glad I ran into you Elinor. You should come on walks here more often, especially at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Today was an exception."

Elinor looked up and read the underlying meaning in Edward's face. She nodded subtly and answered, "Thanks for the pointer. I'll do that sometime. I might even try it out tomorrow."

Some hints of hope began to reappear in Edward's eyes as he nodded, "I guess I'll see you around then."

He turned and left.

"Bye," said Elinor, softly, to herself, as she watched them drive away. Once again, Edward didn't get to finish what he wanted to say. At least this time they got to say goodbye. Slowly Elinor began walking back to McNeill House.

Hunger and thoughts of dinner and strawberry pies no longer dominated her thoughts. They had been displaced by the peculiarities of this meeting. There was something Edward had wanted to tell her. She knew it had to be something that involved the one night of drunkenness and Lucy. Her mind was imagining the worst, but she refused to believe them. Rob had said something about Edward's responsibilities. Was it about money? What happened to Lucy? Why did Edward seem like the subordinate to Rob when he was the one who was supporting him and Lucy? These questions circulated endlessly in her mind.

Continued in Next Section