Beginning, Previous Section, Section VIII
Jump to new as of November 30, 2003
"Wow, look at this place," said George Knightley as he turned onto the long driveway of the Bingley's house.
"You saw it yesterday," said Emma, fiddling with her bracelet.
"Yes, but it looks much more impressive with all the lights turned on. No wonder people say Queen's students are all rich snobs."
Emma smacked George playfully with the back of her hand, "Hey, that's not fair. It's only Chuck, Carol, and Will, who are really loaded. I'm not, and neither is everyone else. Besides, you've got it all wrong. It's Western students who are all rich snobs, and as I recall, you went to the University of Western Ontario. Western, isn't that an omelette?"
"Spare me from the school rivalry jokes. And for your information, I didn't know a single rich person during my time at Western. You know three already, and it's only your first year at Queen's."
They would have continued bickering, but they had pulled up to the front drive of the house, where a valet was there to open the door for Emma. Her bracelet was still undone, but with the valet waiting, she had no choice but to leave the trinket in George's car. Emma felt rather disappointed about leaving the bracelet behind; her mother had given it to her when she graduated high school, and she had only worn it once at her high school graduation dance. Emma sighed; she would just have to make do without it tonight.
After handing the valet the keys to his car, George checked to see if his tiepin was still in place before buttoning his suit jacket and joining Emma at the broad front steps of the mansion.
"You forgot this in the car," said George holding out the bracelet she had just forsaken.
"Oh, thanks. I wasn't going to put it on. The clasp wasn't opening properly and it's hard to do it up with one hand."
George took hold of Emma's wrist and with surprising deftness fastened the bracelet for her. He held her hand for a while, and the two looked at the small gems glittering faintly from the twinkle lights in the bushes.
"There now, you're complete," said George. Extending his arm, he tilted his head toward the front doors and said, "Come on, let's go inside. You're dad will never forgive me if you caught a cold tonight."
Chuck and Caroline were at the door to greet them. The latter said very little-only an obligatory hello and turned back to her other guests. Chuck, however, was far friendlier.
"You're looking very nice, Emma," he said, and he was speaking the truth. Emma had on a burgundy silky satin charmeuse dress that fitted the contours of her slim figure, and showed off her snowy back. Her hair had been curled earlier and was swept up in an elegant array that was encircled by pearl beads. She had on simple, light make up, and modest accessories.
"Thank you," said Emma. She gestured towards George, "And this is George Knightley, the friend I told you I was going to bring."
George handed Chuck a box that had been wrapped earlier by Emma. "Happy birthday."
Chuck took the box from him, and after setting the present on a table with all the other gifts, shook George's hand enthusiastically, "Thank you, and thanks for coming. I saw the others just a few moments ago. I think they're all in the ballroom." He looked up and saw his mother beckoning him over. "I'd show you to the ballroom myself, but I've got to run and meet some old guy. It's just down these stairs and then follow the crowd."
"If things are like this on his twentieth birthday, I'd hate to imagine what it would be like on his wedding day," commented George, when Chuck had dashed off to meet his mother's request.
Emma took George arm, "Come on, I guess we'll go find the others."
True to Chuck's word, almost as soon as Emma and George walked into the ballroom, they were waved over by Harriet and Robert.
"You look very nice," said Harriet, who had on a glittering black sequined gown.
"As do you," said Emma.
"Oh Rob, you look so nice this evening," George said, pretending to brush some lint off the lapels of Robert's forest green suit.
"And you too, George," answered Robert, playing along. "Dark blue sure brings out your rich skin tones."
Neither Harriet nor Emma looked very impressed, but the rest of the group laughed at their little act.
"So, what did I miss?" asked Emma.
Elinor shrugged, "Not much. Oh, we did meet Chuck's parents, and that was interesting."
"Talk about an odd couple," said Lizzy.
"Has John come yet?"
Harriet shook her head, "No one's heard from John. Marianne's upstairs right now, all dressed, but refuses to come down unless John is here--" she stopped, but it was too late. Christopher, who was standing nearby, had heard.
"Oh, right, I hadn't introduced you to Chris," Emma said to George. She pulled him over to Christopher and introduced the two to each other. When she had ascertained that the two were engaged in some conversation, she returned to her friends.
"I'm getting the sense that something else is wrong."
At that moment, the small band the Bingley's had hired, struck up their first tune, and everyone began to move away from the centre of the room to clear the floor for the dancers.
"Come on," said Lizzy. "Let's find somewhere we can talk in private."
The girls left the boys in the ballroom and walked out the nearest door, which deposited them back in the lower foyer. They had hoped to wave hello to Chuck, but quickly moved on when they saw that he was occupied at the moment talking to another middle-aged man, and a girl who was most likely his daughter. After crossing the foyer, they came to another hall and Lizzy opened the door to the first darkened room and ushered everyone inside.
A Tiffany lamp was the only source of light in this room. It smelled faintly of Cuban cigars and on a small table close to the door was a crystal decanter of brandy and with the appropriate goblets. There was a large mahogany desk and a dark green leather office chair at one side of the room, with large mahogany bookshelves on the opposite side of the room. The group settled themselves into the large green couches before the windows and began to talk.
"Okay, so what happened today?" asked Emma.
"I found out that Chuck hasn't told his mother about us," Jane said quietly.
"Just his mother, or both of his parents?"
"His mother," answered Jane. "She is an imposing woman, so I can see why he would want to keep secrets from her, but I just didn't think that..."
Lizzy finished off the sentence for her sister, "... that their relationship was something that needed to be kept secret."
"I don't understand," said Harriet. "Why?"
"That's what we're all wondering," said Lizzy.
"You know how I stayed behind earlier this afternoon, when you all went out on a walk around the neighbourhood with Chuck?" asked Jane. "I was sitting and reading in the family room when Mrs. Bingley came in."
"Ah, yes, the Lady Catherine De Bourgh," quipped Lizzy.
Jane smiled to indulge her sister, "Anyways, she told me that she had been looking for me and we chatted for a while. If she disapproved of me, I'm sure that I would have heard something from her at that time, but I didn't get any signs that she didn't like me as a person."
"What did you talk about?" asked Elinor.
"Well, she asked me where I was from originally, and what mom and dad did for a living. Just really general things."
"What did you tell her?" asked Emma.
"I said that Lizzy and I were from Vancouver, and I told her that dad works in an advertising agency and that mom is a principal at an elementary school."
"And what was her reaction when you told her all that?" asked Lizzy, who understood why Elinor and Emma had asked the preceding questions.
Jane put her hand to her forehead, trying to remember, "Well, then she asked me what our grandfathers did for a living, and I told her that granddad was a shopkeeper, and that mom's dad worked at a lumber mill in the interiors."
"Did you tell Chuck's mother about all of this?"
Jane nodded, "She asked and I told her. There's nothing to be ashamed of. They had honest jobs, and were hardworking people."
Lizzy groaned and rolled her eyes, "You're done for. Honest and hardworking wasn't what the Lady Catherine De Bourgh was looking for. She wanted girls who have blood as blue as... as Nova Scotia's Bluenose!"
"Lizzy, don't judge so quickly," Jane gently scolded. "She seemed genuinely interested in our background."
"Jane, don't you see?" said Lizzy. "She probably knew that you and Chuck have been dating, and she was sizing up our background to see if you would be an eligible match for her son!"
"Whoa! Where did that come from?" asked Elinor. "Look, it might have just been an innocent chat, and we're just reading too much into it-as girls are apt to do..."
Lizzy shrugged, "Maybe... but she chose some pretty interesting questions to ask for an innocent chat. But you're right. I might have jumped to a conclusion too rashly. I'm sorry if I made you worry Jane."
"No, no. I didn't take any offence. I know you were just concerned," said Jane, patting her sister's hand.
"Well, let's not mind all that for the evening," said Elinor. "We're going to have a good time tonight. We didn't make the trip all the way here to be miserable about the clandestine state of relationships."
Jane pulled a smile onto her face, "You're right." Yet, Jane couldn't smile away the twinge of pain she felt when she saw Chuck, just a few moment ago, conversing rather warmly with that young lady.
"I wonder which room we're in," said Lizzy, getting up from the couches. She also had observed what her sister saw a moment before and knew what Jane must be feeling. As there was no remedy that she could give at the moment, Lizzy felt a diversion would be better.
"I thought you knew where you were going!" said Harriet. "We just barged in here then? Without permission?"
"Apparently we have," said Lizzy. "Well, since we're here..." She walked towards to the large desk, and sat down in the office chair.
"Stop it Lizzy!" warned Jane.
"I'm not touching anything," said Lizzy, with a mischievous grin. "I'm just going have a look around..."
"Stop it!" the group cried simultaneously.
"... Around the top of the desk," finished Lizzy. "There's nothing here but some pictures in frames." She turned on the desk light.
"If we get caught, Lizzy, you are shouldering the blame for this," said Elinor.
Lizzy shrugged, "Whatever. Hey, you guys should come see this!"
They all came rushing forward.
"Who's going to shoulder the blame now?" Lizzy teased. She handed them a picture of two men with two boys in a silver frame.
They crowded around it.
"Hey look! It's Chuck!" said Emma, pointing at a small boy, wearing swimming trunks and flexing his arms, grinning unabashedly with his two front teeth missing. Chuck's hair was curly even as a boy, but it must have darkened with age, because it was almost white in the picture.
"That must be Chuck's dad," said Harriet, pointing at the man standing behind Chuck. The man, indeed resembled the current Mr. Bingley, albeit slimmer and with fewer lines on his face.
"Who are these people then?" asked Elinor pointing to the pair standing next to them.
They all leaned closer for a better look.
The man and the boy looked liked they were related. Both had dark hair, dark eyes, and the same aristocratic nose. The man's face was square, and although he was smiling, he had a small knit in the centre of his brow, as if he had spent so much time worrying that it left a mark on his forehead. He was bent over his son, with his chin on the top of the small boy's curly head, and his arms wrapped around him. The boy was also smiling, but unlike Chuck's bold toothless grin, this boy's smile was more reserved and uncertain. He was leaning back on the man's stooped figure, with both hands grasping onto his father's arm.
"It's Will," Lizzy said quietly.
"How do you know?" asked Emma.
Lizzy thought quickly, "No, no. I meant he's outside right now. I can see from the window. He just got here." She didn't know why she knew the picture was of Will and his father, but the fact that it was so implicit made her uncomfortable and she felt an urgency to leave the room.
Thankfully, Elinor came to her senses and said, "We really shouldn't be in here."
"Yeah," said Lizzy, and she took the picture and placed it back on the desk. "Let's go."
The house was now filled with people-young and old. The cut and material of the ladies' gowns, and the mad dashing of men shaking hands and introducing each other, had the effect of doubling the occupancy of the room. There was no chance that they would be able to see Chuck in the crowd, and even if they did, the cacophony would drown out their calls. Resigned to that fact, the group began wending their way back to the ballroom.
As they reached the stairs Elinor turned to Jane, who was closest, and said, "I'm going upstairs to check on my sister. I'll meet you all in the ballroom."
Jane nodded and hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. Just as they reached the doors to the ballroom, they spotted Chuck. He was standing, talking to some guys the same age as him. Jane assumed that he would be too busy to notice her and didn't try to catch his eye. However, much to her surprise, she felt a hand arrest her pace and knew from a gentle waft of cologne that it was Chuck who had rejoined her side. Suddenly, everything was right again.
"There you are! I was going to introduce you all to my high school friends, but I only met up with the guys when I went into the ballroom for look for you. Where did you all go?"
"We needed to get some air," said Emma.
"I see," said Chuck. He didn't further pursue the issue, and instead he turned his attention to introducing his friends.
Chuck had been very popular at his high school, and consequently, called many people friends. There were some nice boys, as well as some not-so-nice ones. The ones that were nice stuck around and made polite small talk, whereas the not-so-nice ones excused themselves as quickly as possible after the introductions.
One person, in particular, seemed especially nice and polite, almost painfully so; his name was William Collins. He was a tall, heavy-set man who looked a little older than Chuck. He had jet black hair that was slicked back and glistened with whatever hair product he used to keep every strand of his hair in place. Overall, his style seemed stern and stately. At first, everyone assumed that he was also one of Chuck's high school friends, but William set them right, excusing profusely for causing them confusion.
"Oh, no," he said, "I'm sorry to have cause such a confusion. I was not fortunate enough to attend Upper Canada College. It is definitely the most prestigious school in Ontario, and I'm sure in all of Canada, but sadly, I did not pass the examinations. Although, I do have to say that I feel sometimes those examinations can be affected by a person's luck. I mean, I was feel rather ill on the day of my examination, which I am sure negatively impacted my performance. Of course, I didn't mean to give myself excuses, and I'm not saying that those who got in did it by chance. I hope Charles that you did not mistake me."
Chuck, who had not been paying attention to what William had been saying, smiled and said, "Not at all." Chuck had learned that that was a safe phrase to use whenever one's mind drifted off from the conversation only to be brought back by a request.
"Well, I'm glad, although I truly did not mean any disrespect. No, I'm working as Catherine DeBourgh's personal assistant," he puffed out his chest in pride, "I've been working with her since I got out of college, and I'm learning as much from her as I would from any school. Of course, I didn't mean to discourage anyone from pursuing further graduate work. I admire those who can..." Thankfully, everyone was spared from further pedantic droning by the announcement of dinner.
Dinner was a perfectly orchestrated event. There were seating cards that helped to reduce the usual pre-dinner confusion of whom should sit with whom. Extra servers, who had been hired for the evening, helped the ladies into their chairs. During the meal, every plate was placed at exactly the same orientation so as to bring attention to the artistic arrangement of each dish. Wine was served, and for those who chose not to partake of some alcohol, sparkling punch was offered. The meal finished with a heart-warming toast by the Bingley parents and a spectacular white cake that looked like it was on fire with twenty candles burning atop.
True to Mr. Bingley's word, the parents left soon after the meal, but left their children to enjoy the rest of the evening. If Lizzy hadn't been told earlier not to read too much into situations, she would have voiced her suspicion that this party had been held as an opportunity for Chuck and Caroline to find a potential mate. From the conversations she had overheard, most of the children who had been invited to the party had come from distinguished backgrounds. What kept Lizzy from making her suspicions known was Chuck's treatment towards her sister throughout the evening.
At first, Chuck did not think much of William Collins's particularly friendly behaviour towards Jane, but by the time the appetizer came and went, it became very apparent that William's intentions were not limited to being general acquaintances. Something wormed inside Chuck and he began to make it quite obvious to William, and any other observer, that he was devoted to Jane. Thus, his mother's suspicions were confirmed and the hopes of several girls were dashed.
Much to Lizzy's dismay, after learning of Chuck's attachment to Jane, William Collins's attention changed to her. He had decided, in the amount of time it took for him to put a piece of asparagus into his mouth that Elizabeth was equal to Jane in beauty, and since he now liked her, she, of course, actually succeeded Jane in those aspects. With such a decision made, he solicited Lizzy for the first dance as soon as she came into the ballroom. Feeling that it was the polite thing to do, Lizzy had accepted.
That dance would go down in Lizzy's memory as one of the most mortifying experiences of her life. William Collins was awkward and had absolutely no sense of rhythm, which often resulted in him moving on the wrong beat without being aware of it. It gave her all the shame and misery, which a disagreeable partner could give. What made it worse was that Will had watched the entire dance, casually leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest and a small smirk on his face. As soon as the song was over and she was released, Lizzy moved to distance herself as quickly as possible from William Collins and the ever-watchful eyes of Will Darcy.
She danced the next one with Christopher Brandon, who discretely asked if she had seen Marianne all evening. Lizzy wished that she had some comforting news to give him, but she had not spoken to Elinor since she went upstairs earlier to check on Marianne. Neither sister had come down to dinner. When her dance with Christopher was over, she saw Elinor standing by one of the doors to the ballroom and immediately approached her.
"How is she?" asked Lizzy.
Elinor sighed, "I don't know. She's not listening to what I'm saying to her. I've never seen her like this. She's been in relationships during high school, but this kind of obsession is something that she's never done before."
Lizzy took Elinor's hand, "It's all right. She'll come around."
"I certainly hope so. She's really not well. I don't know how to describe it, but I'm certain it is not good for her health."
"Has she eaten anything? Have you eaten anything?"
"No," answered Elinor. "I'm not really hungry, and Marianne's refusing to even drink."
"Isn't there any way to get her to come out of her room?"
"Yeah, if John shows up. She heard the music start up a few moments ago and said that she's sure John will come during the dancing. Let's hope for her health that she's right." Elinor didn't sound very hopeful.
"Pardon me," came a deep voice, which took both Lizzy and Elinor by surprise. "Elizabeth, I was wondering if I could claim you for the next dance."
Lizzy mouthed voicelessly for a couple of seconds before hearing her own voice betray her and say, "Yes."
"Thank you," said Will with a slight bow. He then turned to Elinor and asked, "How's your sister?"
"She's still upstairs, but I think she'll be coming down soon."
"Will she be needing anything?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Do you need anything? I noticed that you weren't at dinner."
"Well, a glass of water would be nice," requested Elinor.
Will nodded and went away.
"Dang it!" said Lizzy, as soon as Will was out of earshot. "Why in the world couldn't I think of a reason to refuse him? I'm tired, I need a bathroom break, I have leprosy, anything but the answer 'yes'. Stupid brain, remind me to skewer it when we get back to Kingston."
Elinor laughed, "He does you a great favour by singling you out, Lizzy. I noticed that he hasn't danced with anyone yet. You are his first dance partner of the night. You never know, you might find him very agreeable after the dance"
Lizzy shuddered, "If you are my friend then you would not wish me such an evil: To find agreeable someone that I am determined to dislike."
They could see Will returning and Elinor gave Lizzy a small push towards him, "Go on and keep an open mind."
Lizzy only had time to scowl at Elinor before Will arrived with the glass of water. He handed the water to Elinor and then offered his hand to Lizzy. She took it and the two walked onto the dance floor. There was a faint murmur from the crowd that formed the perimeter of the dance floor when Lizzy and Will stepped out together; that sight immediately crushed the hopes of more girls.
The two danced in silence for a while. Lizzy was content to not speak a word to Will, but suddenly it occurred to her that making Will talk would be more punishment than the cold shoulder, so she made a comment about the song. He concurred with her statement and then fell silent again. After waiting a few seconds Lizzy addressed him with
"It's now your turn to say something, Will. I talked about the song, and now you should make some kind of remark about the size of the room or the number of couples."
Will smiled and made some deliberately stiff comments about the room and the couples.
"That'll do for the time being, I guess. I think I'll also add that I like dancing in functions like this instead of in club halls. You probably don't really care, so now we may be silent."
"Do you talk by rule then, while you are dancing?"
"Sometimes. In such situations I find that being silent would give the wrong impression of a couple enjoying comfortable silence together, whereas conversations in this case can be arranged so that the couple may have the trouble of saying as little as possible."
"So, is this idle conversation serving a function for you or me?"
"Both, I should be imagine," replied Lizzy archly. "I've always thought that we are somewhat similar. We tend not to socialize and generally don't speak unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room, and be handed down as proverbs by later generations."
"What you just said certainly does not describe you, I am sure. However near I think it describes me, I will not say. You undoubtedly believe that it is a faithful sketch of my character."
"I generally don't evaluate my own performance, so I wouldn't know."
Will made no answer and they were silent until he spoke again. "I take it from what Elinor said that Marianne is still waiting for John to come."
"Yes," Lizzy hesitated a little, then said, "I guess not everyone is as privileged as you and me. It is rather unfortunate that John drew a tougher lot in life. While we are here having a good time, he's had to stay in Kingston and work for the weekend."
The effect of Lizzy's comment was immediate. A deeper shade of hauteur overspread Will's features, but he did not make a reply. Just as Lizzy was beginning to reprove herself for her temporary loss of temper, Will spoke.
"John Willoughby is rather unfortunate to have drawn a more hardy fate. It is through no fault of his own that he was forced into his previous state. However, I cannot vouch for his current situation."
"You admit then that you had some involvement in bringing John to his current difficulties," replied Lizzy with warmth, "and in a manner which he is likely to suffer from all his life."
Will again made no answer, and seemed desirous of changing the subject. A few moments passed, then Lizzy spoke again,
"I remember hearing you once say, Will, that you hardly ever forgave, that your resentment once created was implacable.
"Well, thus far, I have had no reason to hold a grudge against anyone amongst our mutual acquaintance. I have some qualms about a few people, but you are mistaken if you think that I currently hold some deep resentment against a certain person."
"Well, I am glad to hear that you only find us suspicious, but you are very careful, I hope, as to your resentment being created."
"I am," Will said firmly.
"And never allow yourself to be blinded by prejudice?"
"I hope not."
"I feel it is particularly important for those who never forgive to be secure of judging properly from the very beginning."
Will nodded, and then hearing that the song was about to end, he asked, "May I ask what you are trying to derive from these questions?"
"I was merely trying to better understand your character."
"And what is your success?"
Lizzy shook her head, "I don't understand you at all. I hear and see such different accounts of you that it's really difficult to make a certain decision."
The song came to an end, and still holding onto Lizzy's hand, Will led her out of the ballroom and into the foyer. Once out of the prying eyes of the other guests, Will said,
"I can readily believe, that there are some pretty disparate rumours out there about me, and I could only ask you, Elizabeth, not to sketch my character based on these reports, as the result would reflect no credit on either of us."
"But if I do not figure you out now, I may never have another opportunity," Lizzy retorted.
Will's eyes narrowed, "So be it. Then I would by no means keep you from such a pleasurable task."
He released Lizzy's hand and turned to go up the stairs when he heard a cry above him.
"Willoughby!"
Posted on Friday, 11 July 2003
It doesn't really matter now how she got out of school grounds. What really mattered was that as a border at her school, she was not allowed out of school grounds after 9pm without written consent from her guardians or permission from her house matron. She was feeling particularly vulnerable standing at the street corner that was just a few blocks from her school, with thick snow drifting steadily down on her. What was even more confusing was that she didn't know whether this feeling was from concerns about how her brother would react, from anxiety of being caught by someone at her school, or from fear of the unknowns out in society. She shivered and puffed into her gloved hands. How she wished that he would come before someone spotted her.
Almost as though her thoughts had somehow brought him to her by magic, there was a honk and she heard him call, "Get in Georgie!"
Georgiana smiled got into the car.
"Sorry, I'm late hon," he said. "Traffic's pretty bad with all this snow. I heard on the radio that it's going to turn into a snowstorm later on this evening."
"There was a big storm just a couple of days ago," said Georgie, "If it storms again, Toronto's going to need the army to dig it out!"
"Such an imagination! That's why I like you. You bring such freshness into my life."
Anyone, regardless of his or her age, would have been flattered by such a compliment.
"You are too good to me, John," said Georgiana. "I don't know what I've done to deserve you."
"Didn't I just tell you my reasons for liking you?" John asked rhetorically. "That only scratches the surface of my feelings for you. If only I was not so bothered by money troubles I would write a sonnet for you, but you know how my creativity is just sapped from my job."
Georgiana opened her purse, "Will took me out to lunch today and he gave me another three hundred dollars." She took out the money and handed them to John, "You take it. I don't really need it."
"Now, now, Georgie. I don't want to be taking your allowance from you. I feel really bad every time you do this for me."
Georgie drew back her hand, "Oh, I'm sorry I made you feel that way John. I was just trying my best to help you out of your current problems. If you'd like, I can speak to Will about it. I'm sure he'll be willing to help. We just need to explain things to him, and he'll understand."
"No, you silly girl. Your brother won't understand!" John said angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"
Tears welled up in Georgie's eyes, but she blinked them away. John had told her once how much he detested girls who cry, "I'm sorry John. I really want to help, but I don't know how."
She looked down at her hands and saw that the bills were still clenched in her fist. What was she to do now?
John sighed, "I'm sorry I yelled at you, hon. Look, why don't we forget about my troubles for the night." He reached over and held her hand for a while; when he removed it, the bills were gone.
"Do you feel up for a party?"
Georgiana nodded.
At first she didn't notice where they were going. It suddenly hit her, when the car turned onto Bridal Path, that they were heading to the Bingley's house.
"John, are we going to Chuck and Carol's birthday party?" she asked.
"It's just a quick stop, then I'm going to take you to a real party."
"What are you going to do at Chuck's party?"
"Nothing."
There was a hint of danger in his answer and Georgiana did not press on with her queries. Her feelings of foreboding were back.
They drew up to the Bingley's house and a valet opened the door for Georgiana. She unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to step out when John grabbed her by the wrist, "No, she's staying here. I'm just going in to talk to somebody."
John got out of the car, showed the valet his invitation and headed into the house. He knew that Marianne would be at the party, but with any luck he would be able to talk to Will Darcy without her noticing. In his mind, it had been a very simple operation: find a server, and ask them to find and tell Will Darcy that he'll be waiting for him in Mr. Bingley's study. But all his plans were ruined when he stepped through the front doors and heard,
"Willoughby!"
His name had been called out so loudly that the chatter in the ballroom stopped.
John looked up at the source of the voice and saw Marianne standing at the top of the stairs looking very pale. Standing at the foot of the stairs was Will Darcy and just beside him was Lizzy. The cogs of John's brain worked furiously, but a plan did not come to him. Some of the dancers from the ballroom were beginning to come out to look for the source of the sudden scream.
He heard the front door open slowly and John instinctively spun around to block the entering person from view and then bolted out the front door. He grabbed Georgiana by the wrist and flung her back into his car. After slamming the door, he got in on the other side, started the engine, and sped off the Bingley's property.
"John, what are you doing?" Georgiana asked in alarm.
"Shut up."
"John, you are scaring me. Please tell me what you are doing? Why did you go in and then come out so quickly?"
"I told you to shut up."
Georgiana's heart pounded furiously, "At least slow down. It's not safe to drive so quickly in this weather."
John cursed, "Shut up, will you?"
When he had decided they were far away from the party, he pulled over, turned off his lights and engine, and sat there in silence. Georgiana didn't dare move, but she was shaking inwardly.
Finally, he spoke, "Did you realize what you could have done?"
She made no answer.
"I told you to stay put for your own good. Why did you have to betray me too?"
"I didn't mean to betray you. I just wanted to see if I could help in any way."
"You were going to tell Will, weren't you?" he asked so quietly that Georgiana could barely hear him.
"No. I'm being honest. I swear." Georgiana said in a quivering voice.
A bus sped past them displaying an advertisement for the city's newspaper, Toronto Star. John saw the advertisement and relaxed his iron grip on the steering wheel.
"Everything was almost ruined," he said in the same tone, almost as if he was musing to himself, "but I still have you. I still have you..."
"Wh- What do you mean?"
John started the engine, and pulled back onto the road.
"Let's go to a real party now."
Posted on Monday, 21 July 2003
Marianne could only stare blankly at the front door. Was he a dream or was he real?
"No," she said to herself, oblivious of the stares below her, "he must be real. He must be."
By this time, Elinor had reached the top of the stairs and reached out to take her sister's hand.
"Dearest," said Elinor, "Marianne, you look very pale. Let's go get some rest."
Marianne pushed her sister's hand aside, "He's real, Elinor. I have to find him."
"It's been a long day," Elinor took her sister's hand and led her out of the sight of the other party members and back into Marianne's room.
Once Elinor had led Marianne away, the whispers began.
"How desperate must she be?" Augusta Hawkins asked her boyfriend Phil Elton.
Phil only shook his head and tutted in agreement.
"Terribly rude to just call out so loudly," said another girl.
"I thought that someone had fallen," said the girl's dance partner. "I guess it takes some people longer to learn self-control."
Augusta, having heard that the pair next to her shared her opinion, turned and said, "I hope you will not think that all of the students at Queen's are like that. I can assure you, that girls like Marianne are few and far in between."
"Oh, I wouldn't judge the whole student body just by her," said the girl, "but I do have to say that it was very uncouth to cry out like that."
Augusta smiled benignly, hoping that the speaker would not perceive that she did not understand what the word 'uncouth' meant.
The girl then asked for Augusta's name and after further exchanges they returned to the ballroom.
Christopher Brandon, who had overheard the entire conversation, sniffed in disapproval, "Hypocrite. How can Augusta ask that girl not to judge by one person, when she has appraised Marianne by this one incident?"
"I take it that you've decided you do not like Augusta very much, after what you overheard," whispered Emma.
"Not at all."
"Then, won't that make you a hypocrite as well?"
"A hypocrite? How can that be?" Then changing from a frown to a smile, he said, "Ah, because I just said not to judge from one incident. Well, in such cases as these, I'm sure that I don't need to see much more proof."
Emma laughed. This was her first full chat with Christopher and she found him an interesting conversationalist. Evidently, Christopher felt the same way, for he asked Emma to dance and led her out to the dance floor when the next song began.
Charles gave a huge sigh of relief when the party returned to the ballroom. After Elinor had led Marianne away from the stares of his guests, he had vacillated between concern for the success of the party, and unease about Marianne's condition. It frustrated him that he could not salvage both situations. Thankfully, he didn't need to worry about the party, for the night was still young and the music was tasteful and suitable for dancing.
Like a prospector, Chuck surveyed the ballroom with a grin. It seemed like his guests were having a good time. At least, that's what he thought until he spotted Harriet looking rather forlorn without a partner. Robert was nowhere to be found. A remedy was needed, in Chuck's opinion, so he began scouting the room for a suitable partner for Harriet. He soon found one.
Sidling up to Phil, Chuck asked why he wasn't dancing.
"Oh, well, I would if I could find a partner as agreeable as Jane. You've been monopolizing her all night!"
Chuck forced himself to smile, "Well, Jane is indisposed at the moment, but I can find you another partner."
"If you could find me one of your high school friends," said Phil, "I would most happily dance with them."
"I went to an all boys school," said Chuck, suppressing a laugh, "But I was thinking that Harriet is available for this dance."
"Harriet! Well, I would, but I'm getting rather tired. Got to save some strength for the rest of the night," said Phil winking cheekily at Chuck.
Chuck did not wink back; in fact, he looked far from amused. One might say that he looked downright angry. Disliking confrontations, Chuck immediately removed himself from the vicinity of Phil Elton.
All of this had passed within Emma's hearing range, and seeing as Harriet was standing not far from them, Emma knew that Harriet had heard them too. The pain from such a sting must have hurt badly, and Emma cast her eyes around the room looking for someone to relieve her best friend.
In another moment a happier sight caught her eye; George Knightley was leading Harriet onto the dance floor! Never had she been more surprised, seldom more delighted, than at that instant. She was full of admiration and gratitude, both for Harriet and herself, and practically steered Christopher towards George and Harriet so that she could give him a look of appreciation.
Emma had never seen George dance, and was pleased to see that his dancing proved to be very good. She would have felt that Harriet had been too lucky if it wasn't for the sad state of affairs prior to her deliverance by George.
After the dance, Emma immediately sought an opportunity to speak to George; her eyes invited him irresistibly to come to her and be thanked. He too had noticed Phil Elton's snub and was warm in his reprobation of Phil's conduct.
"He aimed at hurting more than Harriet," said he. "Emma, why is it that he is such an enemy?"
He looked with smiling penetration; and on receiving no answer, added, "I should think that in this day and age, one could be willing to forgive and forget, but confess Emma, you have misjudged his character, right?"
"I did," replied Emma, "and I hope that I'll never make such a blunder again. Please don't scold me."
He shook his head, but there was a smile of indulgence with it, and he only said, "I won't scold you, but I'll leave you to derive the lesson learned through your own reflections."
"Are you sure giving me such credit is appropriate?" Emma asked aghast, "Haven't you learned that my vain spirit will never tell me I'm wrong?"
"Not your vain spirit, but your serious spirit. If one led you astray, I'm sure the other will tell you of it."
"I can't believe that I made such a mistake about his character. There is a pettiness about him, which you discovered, but I did not. I honestly thought that he was in love with Harriet! How could I have possibly thought that?"
"Don't think about it like that. People learn from their mistakes, and in return for your acknowledging that you are wrong, I will do you justice and say that your choice for him was better than his choice for himself. Harriet Smith is a very decent person. An unpretending, single-minded, artless girl that any man would prefer over a social-climber."
Emma was extremely gratified and was about to say so, but they were interrupted by Chuck who came over to apologize to Emma for inadvertently hurting her best friend, and to thank George for getting Harriet out of an embarrassing situation.
"Who does he think he is anyway?" Chuck asked emphatically, "I honestly can't figure out why my sister is attracted to befriending people like Phil and Augusta. Well, it doesn't matter, I'm just glad that it didn't escalate into something worse."
The band struck up a new tune.
"Lady in Red," said Chuck smiling and looking at Emma. "Someone should ask our lady in red to dance. I would, but Jane's just come back and I would rather dance with a lady in blue, if you don't mind, Emma."
Emma laughed, "No, you go and be with Jane."
"Who are you going to dance with?" asked George Knightley, when Chuck had gone away.
Emma hesitated a moment, then said, "With you, if you'll ask me."
"Will you?" he said offering his hand.
"Of course I will. I've seen proof tonight that you can dance, and although you may have known me since I was born, we are not really so much brother and sister as to make it at all weird."
"Brother and sister! No indeed."
Posted on Thursday, 23 October 2003
The party continued late into the night and ended in the early hours of the next day. When the time came to leave her friends, Emma was particularly reluctant, especially considering Marianne's condition, and entreated George to allow her to stay for the night with her friends. However much he would have liked to indulge her, he reminded her of her promise to her father to come home at night, but told her that he would drive her over again the next morning if she wished to return to Kingston with her friends. With such a compromise struck, Emma was able to leave without pouting too much.
With the exception of Will, Emma was one of the last guests to leave. Once she was gone, the girls, along with Robert, and Chuck collapsed in the carpeted lower foyer. Will preferred to sit on the stairs.
"Oh my feet hurt so much," groaned Harriet. "I don't think I can get up now."
"Me neither," said Lizzy. "I'm surprised I was able to walk for the rest of the evening considering how William Collins stepped on me so many times during that first dance."
Chuck laughed, "Yeah, I should have warned you guys about him."
"Well, overall, he was harmless. I just had to make sure that I was occupied for the rest of the evening so he would not have the opportunity to seek me out. Hopefully, that gave him the hint that I'm not interested."
"Let's hope so," said Robert, "but he could be one of those really clueless and determined guys, you know. What are you going to do if William Collins pulls a stunt like the one that Phil did to Emma?"
Lizzy propped herself up on her elbow and said, "I don't know, but I just know that it won't be pretty."
Jane yawned and everyone followed.
"It's contagious!"
Elinor began to get up, "Well, I think I'm going to check on my sister and call it a night. If I stay on this floor any longer, I think I would just sleep here for the rest of the night."
They all watched in amazement as Elinor climbed the stairs to their rooms.
"Wow, that's impressive," said Lizzy. "Right now, those stairs look like Mount Everest to me."
"Do you think it'd be easier if we crawled?" asked Harriet, still lying on her back.
"It would, if you weren't all dressed up," said Christopher, "You'd ruin your gowns and which girl would want that?"
That got them all up, or at least in a sitting position.
"Chris!" Chuck exclaimed, "I thought you had gone home."
"It's snowing pretty hard outside, so I had to clear the snow off my car first. Just came in to grab my scarf."
Chuck stood up, "I saw the snow just now too. Are you sure you want to head back to Kingston tonight?"
"Well, no," said Christopher. "I was going to spend the night at a motel and then head out tomorrow morning."
"No, don't do that. You can spend the night here. We have plenty of bedrooms and I'm sure it's more comfortable here than at any motel."
Christopher looked gratified, "If it's not too much trouble."
The sound of doors slamming upstairs disrupted them.
"Something's wrong," said Lizzy, getting to her feet.
With their heart pounding they all raced upstairs and found Elinor frantically searching and calling for her sister in each room. She saw them and hurried forth.
"Have you seen her?" she asked.
"Is Marianne not in her room?" asked Chris.
"No," said Elinor, fighting back the growing panic in her chest.
"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Will.
"I checked on her once after I took her back to the room. I think it was around eleven at that time.
Will checked his watch. It was now one o'clock in the morning.
"Is anything missing from the room?"
Elinor shook her head, "She's still in her dress. I know because it's not in the closet."
"We'll need to split up and search."
Christopher immediately agreed, "I'll look outside." And without waiting for anyone to offer to come with him, he practically leapt down the stairs and hurried out the doors.
It seemed highly unlikely that Marianne would be in the house, but they searched anyway. After fifteen minutes everyone returned to the guest hallway with the same report: she was not in the house.
"Do you think she ran off after John?" asked Harriet.
"But how would she know where John went?" asked Lizzy. "The earliest Marianne could have possibly gone after John is approximately two hours ago. That's about an hour after John made his sudden appearance and disappearance."
"Well, whatever her reason, should we contact the police?" asked Jane.
"I think the person needs to be missing for 24 hours before you can file a missing person report," said Robert.
Elinor couldn't help but shudder at what a missing person report would imply. Surely, Marianne had not been kidnapped.
"Well, maybe not a missing person report," said Lizzy, perceiving Elinor's wince when the topic was mentioned, "but I think it's a good idea to at least get some authorities on the look out."
They all agreed and were moving towards the phone in the hall, when a cell phone rang. It was Will's. Feeling it was rather ominous that a phone should ring, just as they were about to call the police, everyone froze and listened to Will's end of the conversation.
"Hello. Yes, I am. Is there a problem?" there was a long pause and they could see the blood drain from Will's face. "I'm sorry, can your repeat that?" another long pause and by the end, Will's complexion was chalk white, "Yes, yes. I'll be right there." The conversation ended.
Everyone waited in anticipation for Will to tell them if it was news about Marianne, but instead, Will ran down the stairs. They called out to him to stop and tell them what had happened.
He stopped at the upper foyer and with a bitter look said, "It was not about Marianne, but I can assure you, that she did not go after John Willoughby. Please excuse me."
He opened the front door, but found that his way was blocked. Christopher Brandon, covered with snow, and carrying Marianne's lithe form in his arms filled the doorway.
Posted on Thursday, 30 October 2003
Elinor was brought back to wakefulness by the sounds of her sister's tossing.
"Marianne?" Elinor called softly, rising from the couch where she had spent the night. "Dearest, do you need anything?"
There was no answer, but Elinor had not expected an answer anyway. Marianne had not spoken a single word since Christopher carried her out of the storm and back into the house.
Elinor kneaded a knot in her neck and approached her sister's bed. With a sigh, she brushed back a wet lock of hair from her sister's face, but drew back suddenly. She thought she had felt a fever burning within her sister. She attempted to feel for the fever again, but her hand was brushed away.
"Could you draw the curtains for me Elinor?" Marianne asked listlessly.
"Why?" Elinor asked, suddenly thinking morbid thoughts about how people drew the blinds in the room when a person dies.
"It's too bright."
Elinor walked over to the window to close the curtains. She found that the day was just dawning; the snow was still falling so it was going to be another cloudy day.
"Now why would she think it's too bright?" Elinor wondered to herself. She turned to ask her sister, but she had fallen asleep again.
Taking advantage of the situation, Elinor crept quietly back to her sister's bedside and gently put her hand on her forehead. Yes, Marianne was definitely warmer than usual. She needed to find Christopher, and let him look over her. Hopefully, it wasn't something serious.
Luckily, Elinor did not have to go far to find Christopher. He had spent the night in a chair outside Marianne's room, and woke when he heard the door beside him open.
"It's Marianne, isn't it?" he asked, as soon as Elinor emerged.
Elinor nodded, "I think she's coming down with something."
"Would you mind if I saw her?" he asked, rising from his chair and grabbing an overnight bag that was sitting at his feet.
Elinor consented, thankful that she didn't need to ask directly. She never liked asking for help. She watched as Christopher methodically examined her sister, but she could not read from his behaviour any indication of what the diagnosis might be. For the first time, she became aware how much her sister meant to her. She began to think of what her mother would say if she knew of Marianne's illness, or... no, she could not think of the latter possibility. Her mother had repeatedly reminded her to watch out for her sister when they left home for school.
"It's just us, mother and daughters, so you girls must look out for each other," her mother had said.
Finally, Christopher emerged from his examination, "I think she might have the flu, but we should take her to a hospital just to make sure it isn't something more serious."
"No," Marianne managed to croak, "John..."
Elinor suppressed a sigh of exasperation, "He's not here."
With much effort Marianne sat up in her bed. She clutched at her head for a moment, and with her brow furrowed in pain said, "No, I want to go back to Kingston. I'm just a little warm, there's no need to go to the hospital."
"Dearest, you really aren't well. You need to go to the hospital and get the doctors to check you over."
"Chris is a doctor and he said I just have the flu. I'm fine."
"No, Marianne. Having the flu is not fine," said Christopher gently.
Tears began to stream down Marianne's flushed cheeks, "Please let me go home. Please."
"Will she be able to travel like this?" asked Elinor.
Christopher shrugged, "Maybe. I'm not sure if she'll be able to endure the long car ride back."
"I can!" Marianne insisted. "I'm feeling fine. It's just a fever and a headache. I get them all the time."
Christopher suddenly became even more concerned and looked over at Elinor, "Does she?"
"Just recently, ever since we went back to Calgary for Christmas. She also hasn't been able to keep food down, but I've always thought that it was her way of... pining..."
Christopher rubbed thoughtfully at the stubble that had developed on his chin overnight.
Marianne perceived Christopher's concern and immediately said, "You said it's just the flu, it can wait until I get back to Kingston."
Further pleas by her sister, or Christopher fell on deaf ears. Brushing aside her sister's aid, Marianne threw back the bed covers and rose from her bed. She began packing her over night bag, swaying slightly as she worked
"Do you think it's just the flu?" asked Elinor drawing Christopher aside.
"It looks like the flu, but she's missing a few symptoms, and has a few symptoms that don't indicate the flu."
"Like what?"
"She doesn't have any swollen glands, no coughing, only the headache and the fever seem to indicate the flu. But then she seems quite sensitive to bright lights, which isn't like the flu, and the fact that she hasn't been able to keep food down is troubling. I really think she should go to the hospital."
"Is this based on your gut feeling?" asked Elinor.
Christopher gave her a wry smile, "Call it whatever you want, but right now we have to think of a way to get to her go to the hospital."
"I didn't mean to imply that I didn't trust your abilities," Elinor explained, "I just wanted to know why you are so insistent on her going to the hospital. There's something you're not telling me."
Christopher crossed his arms and deliberated. Elinor met his gaze unflinchingly. His silence confirmed her suspicions and she became even more determined to know what he was keeping from her.
Finally, Christopher spoke, "There are certain signs that indicate something otherwise than the flu, but in order for a diagnosis to be made, tests will need to be run on Marianne's spinal fluid."
"What might she have that will require that kind procedure?"
"It might be meningitis, but we can't be sure of that based on a few symptoms."
Elinor paled, "Isn't meningitis life threatening?"
"If left untreated it will be. The survival rate is high, and I'm sure that Marianne will pull through. She's young, and healthy. Don't worry about that yet. Just try to convince her to go to the hospital."
Elinor nodded, "It'll be best if I can talk to her alone. She'll be easier to convince if she can't look to you to back her up."
Christopher assented and turned to leave the room. He didn't get far before he heard the sound of a person crumpling to the floor.
Elinor cried out in terror and rushed to her side. Much to Elinor's relief, Marianne quickly regained consciousness, but she had difficulties recognizing her surroundings. There was no time to spend trying to convince her to go to the hospital. Without Marianne's consent, Christopher picked her up once more and carried her out of the room.
The rest of the group was breakfasting when they heard the sounds of people leaving the house. Upon their discovery, Elinor quickly explained to them the reasons for their sudden departure, and their need for haste. But as it turned out getting Marianne to the hospital proved to be more difficult that anticipated. The blizzard that began last night was still hanging obstinately over the city. There was no way Christopher's car would be able to make it through the drifts. Thankfully, Chuck had already risen and offered his services to drive Christopher, Elinor, and Marianne to the hospital in the Range Rover. Before long they were speeding down the drive, the car kicking up snow as it went.
Just as everyone else was about to despair about being left behind, George Knightley and Emma arrived in Emma's father's Jeep. Before George had even turned off the engine, Lizzy, Jane, Harriet, and Robert mobbed the car. Seeing the stricken expressions on each face, George agreed without question, and Lizzy, Jane, and Harriet clambered into the back seat. Robert opened the trunk door, jumped in, and closed it before George could voice his safety concerns.
"What happened?" asked Emma as soon as they set off.
Lizzy recounted the night's events from the time Emma left up to Christopher's suspicions and Chuck's gallant offer to drive the patient to the hospital.
"How romantic!" Emma exclaimed.
"Oh for crying out loud!" protested George Knightley, "That's not the point. So why wasn't she taken to the hospital earlier?"
"There was nothing wrong with her when Christopher brought her in," said Jane, picking up from where Lizzy left off. "Christopher found her walking among the hedges in the garden. He said that she had told him she needed to get some air and think. Christopher took Marianne up to her room, and checked her over, but there was nothing that he found to be of concern-- well, aside from the fact that she wouldn't speak to anyone-- so, Elinor put her to bed, but decided to stay the night with her. Then this morning Elinor found that Marianne was running a high fever, so she found Christopher to check on her."
"Word has it that Christopher had spent the night outside Marianne's door," said Robert, who had been sitting cross-legged in the trunk of the Jeep, leaning against the back seats.
"Really?" breathed Emma. "Wow..."
"What's there to wow about?" George asked crossly.
"You are as romantic as a coat hanger," Emma said, and then turned to face the occupants of the back seats. "So, is that why she's going to the hospital?"
"Christopher said that she might have meningitis, but he can't be sure until tests are done on her spinal fluid," Jane answered.
"Isn't that contagious?" asked George.
"Certain types of meningitis are contagious," said Jane. "We will all need to be tested if it turns out to be a type of contagious meningitis, but seeing as we spent very little time with Marianne this weekend, we should be fairly safe. Elinor and Chris will have to be monitored closely."
"What about Chuck?" asked Harriet.
Jane looked pained for a second, and then answered, "Yes, I forgot. Since he's driving them to the hospital, they'll need to be careful about him as well."
"But it can be cured now, right?" asked Lizzy, hoping for an affirmative answer.
"Generally," said Jane. "She'll need to take a regimen of medication for quite some time though."
They sat in silence for a while, still feeling concerned, but more hopeful.
"Um," Emma began timidly, "Has it occurred to anyone that we have class tomorrow?"
It suddenly dawned upon the other occupants of the car that they were not on vacation.
"What are the chances of classes being cancelled because of the storm?" asked Robert.
"Close to zero," said George, "I've known classes to continue during blackouts, so a little thing like a snow storm isn't going to stop them."
"Well, it's still early," said Jane. "We'll be able to find a solution when we get a diagnosis for Marianne."
"Do you think she will be able to go back to Kingston tonight?" asked Lizzy.
Jane shook her head, "If it turns out to be meningitis, she won't be able to leave the hospital. If it isn't, it'll still be uncomfortable for her to travel such a distance in her condition."
"Elinor can't leave her either," said Harriet. "So where would they stay?"
"Most likely in the hospital," suggested George. "Maybe longer if she's contagious."
"How long will that take?" asked Harriet.
"It takes about a week or two after the treatment begins," answered Jane.
"How do you know all of this?" asked Emma, feeling slightly intimidated that, she, with her aspirations to become a doctor, knew fewer facts on illnesses than Jane.
"I worked part-time in a nursing home when I took time off school last year," Jane explained. "There was a patient there who died suddenly of the illness and we had to give a last minute seminar to concerned family members who were afraid that it was hereditary or contagious."
The storm proved to be a blessing for the group as there were plenty of parking spaces available when they arrived. George parked his car as close to the entrance of the hospital as possible; even so, it took the group a good ten minutes to wade through the snow and into the clear strip of pavement below the sheltered overhang.
They found the emergency room, but did not see anyone they knew sitting in the waiting area. George quickly inquired at the information desk, and was told that Marianne was currently being examined. With the knowledge that they had found the right place, the group sat down on couches in the waiting area and picked through old magazines to pass the time.
After leafing lazily through an old copy of Chatelaine, Lizzy threw the magazine back onto the table and slid down in her seat to take a little nap. She was just about the drift off when she heard two voices directly behind her.
"It's my treat. What would you like?" asked the first voice.
Lizzy could hear the sounds of change being counted.
"I think I need a double shot of espresso," said the second voice yawning.
Over the sounds of the coffee machine Lizzy could still hear the two conversing.
"Long night?"
"Yeah. They brought a bunch of kids in for alcohol poisoning. There were some that needed to sleep off the Rohypnol."
"Did you hear about the illegal rave downtown last night? The police got wind of it and raided the place at around midnight. It turned out that they were doing more than drinking and dancing. I heard that they found some cocaine and ecstasy in some of the hidden rooms."
The second voice made some noises of disapproval. "It must have been from there then."
"Oh there's more. Some of the students bolted when the police showed up, but a few were caught. My husband works at the police station downtown and he said that they brought in a thirteen year-old girl!"
"My goodness!" exclaimed the second voice. "They just keep getting younger and younger."
"Apparently, she's a right little heiress. Her parents are dead and her brother and her cousin are her legal guardians. I'm willing to bet that social services conveniently overlooked their case because of their money. A thirteen year old attending a rave-- what are things coming to?"
The whirling of the coffee dispenser stopped.
"The rich get away with everything," the second voice censured.