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Posted on Sunday, 8 February 2004
Lizzy sat, hunched over her desk, scribbling in the darkness, her work area lighted only by a lamp. In case there were any night prowlers, roaming the hallways at night, she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She had a lot of work to finish and catch up on, what with most of her week having been eaten up by the preparations for the Cattlemen’s Barbecue at the end of the week. Even with all her work, Lizzy would have been in bed, except that she hadn’t gotten any work done during the day. Now, feeling guilty, she was trying to make up for playing hooky. She’d spent the day, visiting the town over and its mall with her sister and mother. Jane had been desperate for company, eager to shop for things for the expected baby, and Lizzy hadn’t had the heart to disappoint her.
It had been a fun excursion, though. The three Bennet women had left the men to fend for themselves for a day, and made a proper, “Girl’s Day,” out of their trip. They’d stopped by their favorite pancake house along the way for breakfast, showing off their hearty appetites and competing as to who could eat the most. Jane, now eating for two, was unquestionably the winner. And then they’d shopped until they could shop no more, propping up their feet in the food court amidst a sea of shopping bags as they ate their hamburgers and reenergized themselves for more shopping. Their cars filled to max capacity with almost everything available for purchase in the baby department, they’d topped off the evening at their favorite Mexican restaurant, drinking margaritas – virgin ones for Jane – and laughing over dinner. Even now, Lizzy’s belly was still full of veggie quesadillas, chicken enchiladas and baked flan from dinner.
Her pen made tiny scratching noises against the logbooks. Next to her, her calculator hummed loudly in the silence, waiting patiently for her to make use of it. Lizzy tried to keep her eyes away from the clock as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She yawned and stretched her arms, willing herself to stay awake. But as the hour grew later and her attention wandered, she found it more and more difficult to stick to the task at hand. Eventually, she put her head down on her desk, cushioned by her arm.
“Just one minute,” she murmured to herself. It was her last conscious thought as she fell into what was intended to be a nap, but turned into deep slumber.
When she woke up the next morning, she would find herself still dressed, but tucked into her bed in her own bedroom. Blushingly, she would remember that she’d fallen asleep at her desk, and wonder who had carried her above stairs.
The various ranches surrounding Lambton were fairly large and spread out, but the town itself was rather small. So, it came as no surprise when five minutes after Caroline Bingley’s return to the small, Texan town, everyone knew about it. It might have had something to do with the way she had returned to Lambton. Never one to do things by halves, Caroline had returned to her place of birth in lavish style.
The cowboys, working the fields, could not have missed her plane, flying dangerously low and scaring all the animals. The townspeople, going about their normal business day, could not have missed her long, white, stretch limousine, conveying her from the air field on one side of town to her brother’s ranch, located beyond the boundaries of the tiny town.
Despite the contemptuous feelings Caroline had always displayed towards her family home, and despite the misgivings that those who lived there might have had towards her, she was still greeted by genuine openness and delight. It was, perhaps, a little more than she deserved.
“Caroline!” her brother cried out, not even waiting for the limo to park before tugging open the passenger door and hauling his sister from the backseat to embrace her in a snug hug. It was hard to believe that already a year had gone by since he had last seen her. And yet, so much had happened in that past year. He couldn’t wait to tell her everything that had happened since her last visit, mainly his and Jane’s good news.
“Hello Charlie,” was Caroline’s more subdued response. She did hug him back though.
With her sister-in-law, she was even more subdued, settling for a lean over to give Jane an airy kiss on the cheek. “You’re looking lovely, as always, Jane. Country air seems to suit you.”
“Thank you, Caroline. You’re looking fashionable, as always. City air seems to suit you.” And in that, at least Jane could be honest. In her custom-tailored jeans and custom-made boots, it was a good thing Lizzy wasn’t there to see it, Jane thought to herself. One look, and she knew her sister would be sneering in contempt.
“Yes, I suppose it does.” Caroline cocked her head to one side unsure as to whether her sister-in-law was mocking her or being sincere. She gave up trying to figure it out and decided to change the subject. “Well,” she said, throwing up her hands to gesture around her. “I can see that not much has changed around here.”
“That’s not true! Tons of stuff has changed since your last visit. There’s lots for you to catch up on, Caro,” her brother said, reverting back to the nickname she’d been given as a child, and loathed as an adult. At least, Caroline thought with some distaste, it was only Charlie who persisted in calling her by that name.
“Let’s get you settled first, and then Jane and I will let you in on all that’s been going on since your visit last summer.” He picked up her bags and gestured for her to enter first.
At the top of the stairs, she instinctively turned right to where her girlhood bedroom had been. Behind her, Jane coughed. “Actually, we thought we’d put you in the yellow bedroom, this summer. It’s down the hall to the left.” Caroline’s old bedroom had already been set aside for the new nursery.
Caroline looked confused for the briefest of seconds before shrugging her shoulders and changing directions. It really didn’t matter to her where she slept in the old house. She hadn’t considered it her home for over a decade now. Her home and her life was in California. And she would be perfectly content there, except that there was still one thing in Texas that she desperately wanted.
“I’m sure you’ll want to wash up after your long flight this morning,” Jane told her kindly. “Come down when you’re ready and we’ll have some refreshments waiting.”
Jane and Charlie left her to her privacy. But, when Caroline came down, it wasn’t an update on her brother and sister-in-law’s life she wanted. It was Will Darcy’s.
“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to stop over at Pemberley and say hello,” she said as she came down the stairs.
Charlie frowned, mulling over the matter. “I don’t know if that would be such a good idea, Caro. They’re pretty busy over there, getting ready for things tomorrow. If you went over, you might just get in their way.”
“Fiddlesticks!” Caroline tossed her perfectly coiffed mane over her left shoulder. She was positive that Will would be as ecstatic to see her as she was to see him again.
Jane shrugged her shoulders in resignation. She knew that her sister-in-law wouldn’t rest until she had her way anyways.
In truth, Jane wasn’t the least bit surprised by Caroline’s request. She’d practically expected it. After all, wasn’t it like this every year? Her husband, the sweet man that he was, simply chose to remember the past as it gave him pleasure.
Jane laid a gentle, soothing hand on her husband’s. “I’m sure they’d make time to visit with a friend as old as Caroline. Let me just call my mother before we leave, so she knows to keep an eye out for us. Given the hour, we might as well stay there for lunch too. If I know my mother, I’m sure she’s prepared enough food to feed an army, so it will be no trouble for her to set an extra plate or three.”
Caroline brightened considerably at her words. Lunch with Will would ensure that she spent more time with him. “Well, all right, then,” Charlie said. “I guess that would be okay.” If it was all right with his wife, it would be all right with him.
Will had driven out west, to check on the fences with Denny, when the call came over the CB radio. “Will,” Fanny’s voice, cackled out from the tiny hand-held radio. “You better get on back to the house. You’ve got company coming.”
He stopped his jeep and picked up the radio. “Who is it?” Though he’d loathed asking, he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
There was some static before he heard his housekeeper say, “Caroline Bingley.”
Will groaned. Yup. He’d been right.
Denny laughed. “Well, how do you like that, Boss? Sure didn’t take her long to get herself over here, did it?”
Though Will was inclined to agree with his cowhand’s astute observation, he didn’t give voice to his opinion. “I guess I’d better get a move on it, then. I’ll send Sandy back with jeep and supplies. He can catch up with you and help you with the rest of the lines.”
“Right-o, Boss-o!” Denny saluted Will, climbing out of the jeep to continue on foot and sending him off with a loud guffaw. He didn’t envy his boss’s position. Everyone, but Caroline of course, knew how he felt about the woman.
Caroline and her entourage had already arrived by the time Will came back downstairs, cleaned up from his morning’s ride. He noted with some amusement that Charlie looked a trifle uncomfortable and Jane looked bored. Caroline, on the other hand, was sending calculating gazes around the room. Probably figuring out how she would redecorate the place if she had her hands on it, he thought to himself.
Fanny came up behind him, a tray in her hand. “Well, here he is. Finally! Come on in, Will. Look who’s come all the way from California to visit you.” To the rest of the room, she said, “Here we go, I brought some cool, iced tea.”
“Let me help, Momma.” Jane sat forward to pour the iced tea, while Fanny passed them round the room.
“I’ve also got some donuts if you’re hungry. I just fried them fresh this morning.”
Caroline cringed back in horror, seeing extra pounds on her thighs in every one of those golden, round delights. Charlie on the other hand, smiled in delight. “Excellent! I love your donuts, Fanny.”
Fanny beamed, but said, “You should get Jane to make them for you. I taught her and Lizzy how to make them when they were wee bitty things.”
“It’s not the same, Fanny. Nobody makes them like you do.”
“Hey!” Jane protested.
“It’s true,” Charlie managed, his mouth already full with a donut.
“Save some for the rest of us,” Will said, strolling into the room and playfully punching his friend on the arm as he walked past.
He stopped in front of Caroline. She sat up straighter and puffed her chest out a little more, careful to slant her body so that her good side was showing. “It’s good to see you again, Caroline,” he said. He leaned down and she immediately closed her eyes and parted her lips, waiting for her kiss. He kissed her on the cheek and moved away, settling into the large armchair in front of the fireplace.
Caroline opened her eyes frowning both at the disappointing kiss and at the empty space she’d purposefully left beside herself on the loveseat. Still, she wasn’t going to let a perfectly good opportunity go to waste. Inching forward so that she could offer him an unobstructed view of her delectable chest, she leaned over and pressed her hand to his thigh. “I’ve missed you, Will. You don’t know how happy I am to see you again.”
It was hard to miss her breathy tone. Charlie started hacking over the donut, while his wife patted him on his back, hiding her own smile. “Yes, well,” Will smiled wanly. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to her declaration, so hid himself behind the act of drinking from his cup.
When he reemerged, he thought to ask, “So, how are things in California, Caroline?”
“Oh, things are simply wonderful!” Caroline gushed. “I’ve moved, you know. My best friend, Binny, and I just got a new apartment. It’s in the perfect location too, right around all the shops. Such a fashionable new apartment – it’s a penthouse suite, so it’s quite spacious, and one of its best feature is the gorgeous living room with cathedral height ceilings. The rent each month is terrifyingly astronomical, but Binny and I agree that it’s worth it. After all, isn’t that what trust funds are for?” Caroline laughed at her own little joke, but no one else did.
“It’s a fabulous apartment for entertaining,” she continued. “Already we’ve hosted several cocktail parties, the latest one on behalf of . . .” Caroline named some important Hollywood director who had recently opened a movie. Apparently they were supposed to be impressed that she had been graced with the honor of throwing a party for the director and his movie, never mind that the movie had been a total flop at the box office.
“It was so much fun, and he really appreciated our efforts. I really love being able to help out friends like that. Don’t you?” The way Caroline spoke of the cocktail party, one would have thought that she had hosted some charity event to raise money for needy children in Kabul, and not some director without a female companion to do those sorts of things for him.
“You’re a good friend,” Will said, wondering whether he should be bored by her story or laughing at her earnest expression.
Caroline smiled pertly at the compliment. “I do try to be one.”
“So, do you and your brother have any special plans for this visit to Lambton?”
“Well, I thought . . ..”
“I’m afraid not,” Caroline cut her brother off. “There is the Cattlemen’s Barbecue tomorrow, of course. I’d never miss that.” She batted her eyelashes at Will. “And then I’m afraid I have to be back in L.A. by Monday afternoon. I have a very important dinner meeting that night.”
Will wondered what kind of business Caroline would be conducting. As far as he knew, she didn’t have a job. She just lived off her trust fund.
“I suppose there is always Sunday,” she said sweetly to her brother.
“You know we always spend Sunday at church and the rest of our day with friends from town, Caroline,” Charlie grumbled.
“It will be lovely to catch up with our old friends, I’m sure,” Caroline soothed. Inwardly she grimaced. She never went to church in California and she found the townspeople to be hopelessly boring and woefully behind in the times.
“You must be ecstatic about your brother’s good news, Caroline,” Will held up his cup to Charlie in silent acknowledgment.
Caroline looked around in confusion. “What good news?”
“You mean you haven’t told her already?” Will asked in disbelief.
“There really wasn’t much time,” Jane explained. “As soon as Caroline came down the stairs, she was eager to come over here and say hello.”
“I didn’t want you to think that I thought myself above you, just because I live in L.A. now,” Caroline turned to Will imploringly.
And had for many years now, Will thought to himself. Instead, he said, “Naturally, I would never think such a thing. You’re very silly to think that I would.”
Caroline felt as though she’d just been handed a treat, to be so affectionately addressed. “What’s your good news?” she finally asked her brother.
Charlie took his wife’s hand in her own, holding it in his lap. “You’re going to be an aunt!”
Caroline blinked.
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?”
Caroline snapped out of her trance. “How wonderful for you both! Congratulations! That’s just great. Really. Well done, Jane.”
“Thank you,” Jane said. How different this was, she mused, from when she had told her own family about their impending parenthood.
Once again the room settled into silence, no one sure what to say or ask. Charlie wanted to talk about the new baby, but his sister’s lack of enthusiasm had effectively cut that off. Will was scared to say anything since Caroline looked like she was ready to jump him at the slightest bit of encouragement. Jane seemed to be the only person who tolerated sitting in the silence.
“I just love what you’ve done to this room,” Caroline said, after a while, with forced interest. “You have changed it, haven’t you? I don’t quite remember it looking this way the last time I was here.”
Will studied the hand-crocheted afghan thrown haphazardly against the back of the couch and the arranged flowers left behind in old pitchers, milk bottles, and vases. The furniture had been rearranged too so that they all faced the center of the room; it created a much more homey and familiar atmosphere. The old, stuffed animal heads had also been taken down, relegated to the hunting room, and in their place now hung picturesque scenes of the Old West. In each change, he saw Lizzy’s hand.
“Yes, I suppose we have changed things around here quite a bit since your last visit.”
“Well, I simply adore them,” Caroline purred, all the while thinking that if she’d had her way, she would throw everything in the room out for a more modern, contemporary look.
“You should mention it to Lizzy. She’s the one responsible for the new look. In fact, I’m sure she’d be happy to take you on a tour of the house later, if you’d like.” Will prayed that Lizzy wouldn’t strike him dead for volunteering her for a job he knew she’d hate.
Lizzy, Caroline fumed. She didn’t like the way Lizzy’s name rolled so easily off his tongue. “I’d love it above all things,” she smiled sweetly.
“I wonder, where Lizzy is?” Jane asked at the mention of her sister’s name. Nobody seemed to know. When Fanny reentered the room, bearing a platter of fresh fruit, she repeated the question.
“Well, I don’t know rightly know, sweetie. Your sister took off first thing this morning. As far as I know, she didn’t even stop by the kitchen for some breakfast.”
“She all right?” Jane asked.
“I think so,” Fanny answered absently, busy rearranging the platters on the coffee table. “I think she went for a ride. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Georgie since she ate her breakfast this morning either. You know, they probably did go out together. I bet Lizzy went to relieve some of her stress and Georgie went to keep her company. Lizzy’s mighty worked up over the Barbecue tomorrow.”
“She shouldn’t be,” Will murmured. “I’ve told her time and time again that she’s doing a great job, and that everything will work out tomorrow.”
Fanny smiled broadly at her dear, sweet boy. “I know, Will. But you know, my Lizzy. She’s a worrier and likes to have everything perfect. It can’t be helped. She’ll be better once everything is over and done with.”
“Lizzy’s planning the Cattlemen’s Barbecue?” Caroline asked in confusion, pouncing on the one tidbit she’d understood. The rest of the conversation had completely eluded her, as they so often did when they weren’t centered on her.
“That’s right,” Will answered easily. “I’ve hired Lizzy to act as my steward of some sort.”
“Since when?” Caroline demanded to know, as though she should’ve had some say in the matter.
Will sent his eyes in Caroline’s direction, cocking his head in confusion over the ferocity of her voice. “Since the beginning of the summer.” He ended the statement on a questioning sound, wondering whether Caroline would try and challenge the wisdom of his decision. He was grateful when she did not.
Instead, Caroline stammered and said, “Lizzy Bennet. Your steward. I am all astonishment!”
“It’s been great. I don’t have to spend as much time poring over the books and I’ve enjoyed being able to spend more of my time working in the fields this summer,” Will said. “In any event, as my steward, Lizzy took over the preparations for this year’s Barbecue. She’s done a fine job of it too. I think everyone will be well pleased with her efforts tomorrow. I, for one, am very greatly appreciative. I was born a rancher, not a party planner.”
“Oh, Will! You naughty, naughty thing.” Will tried not to wince every time she slapped his thigh on the down syllable of “naughty.”
“Why, you should have called me. You know parties are my forte, and I would have done everything for you. I wish I’d known you felt this way sooner. I would have insisted upon your leaving everything to me. I do so love a party!”
Jane instinctively conjured up a mental image of the entire ranch covered in pink and silver crepe with a champagne fountain bubbling at its center. She wondered whether the men would’ve had to wear tuxedos while bronco busting at a Barbecue planned by Caroline, and was suddenly very grateful that Will had not consulted her sister-in-law.
“Er, thanks, Caroline,” Will managed politely. “It’s probably just as well though since you’re all the way out in L.A. and the Barbecue is held here, in Lambton. It would’ve been hard for you to handle all the details from all the way out there.”
“Oh, but you know I would come back to Lambton for you,” Caroline caressed his thigh, while her eyes glistened with deeper meaning.
Will shifted away and got up from his seat on the pretense of refilling his drink. “I would never ask that of you, Caroline. I know how much you dislike living in Lambton.” He hoped she would understand his double entendre.
If she did, she did not show it. “Well, I shall be quite eager to see how tomorrow’s feat turns out. I do not profess to be an expert on the subject of party-planning, but my friends do seem to think I am.”
“I’m sure Lizzy would be most appreciative of any feedback you might have,” Jane said.
“Do you think so?” Caroline asked, not hearing the sarcasm in her sister-in-law’s voice.
“I’ve always found Lizzy to be an open sort of person and eager to improve herself,” Will said, just barely managing to not chock on his words. Jane short him a dark look, really having a hard time keeping in her laughter now.
“How nice,” Caroline said, wishing Will would say something similar about herself.
At that moment, unbeknownst to those within, the subject of their conversation was just mounting the front porch steps. She had indeed gone out for a ride that morning and, just as Fanny had surmised, she’d gone riding with Georgiana. Georgiana, however, the little wimp, had scampered off to enter the house through the back door, scrupulously avoiding the front door that would’ve taken her past the living room in order to reach the stairs. As soon as she and Lizzy had come up from the barn and seen Charlie’s car parked in the front yard, they’d known what that meant. Caroline Bingley had finally descended from the high heavens and decided to grace them with her presence.
“Great. That’s just great,” Lizzy said, removing her hat and brushing off the dirt from her boots. “A visit from Caroline Bingley is just what I needed to complete my day.”
She entered the house and turned towards the living room. Yup, just as she had expected. She pasted a wide smile on her face. “Hello, everyone! Caroline, how nice to see you! I’m sorry I’m such a mess.” She held her arms akimbo, her hat still in one hand. “As you can see, though, I’ve just come back from a ride.”
Will thought she’d never looked lovelier. Seeing her standing there reminded him of the way he’d held her in his arms and how she’d instinctively curled herself into his chest as he’d carried her upstairs to put her in bed last night.
He grew warm just remembering.
“Nonsense. You look perfectly fine,” Jane said, gesturing for her sister to come into the room. “Come and have a seat. We were just talking about you anyways.”
“You were?” Lizzy raised an eyebrow.
“And saying only good things, brat,” Will reassured her.
“Hmm . . . and I’m supposed to trust that?” She came into the room anyways and sighed when she saw that the only seat empty was the one next to Caroline. She’d suffer for the afternoon, she supposed.
Lizzy stopped in front of Caroline on the way to her seat and looked down. “Great outfit”.
Caroline preened at the perceived compliment. “Thanks. I got them at Barney’s just this past Monday. They’d come in over the weekend. Aren’t I lucky that I was able to grab them up so quickly? Western is so in this season.” She took Lizzy’s free hand and patted it condescendingly. “You’ll fit right in, dear.”
Lizzy tried not to sneer. Western-styled clothing wasn’t supposed to be fashionable; it was supposed to be functional. She didn’t think she’d ever catch Caroline riding horseback in her custom-tailored jeans and custom-made boots. She almost opened her mouth to ask whether Caroline would be interested in going horseback riding, when Jane intercepted her.
Jane had recognized that special gleam in her younger sister’s eyes and thought it best to intervene before things got out of hand. Caroline liked to think she was Lizzy’s match, but in truth very few people were. If Jane didn’t intercede now, she knew her sister would soon be tearing her sister-in-law into shreds with her verbal repartee, and wouldn’t that be a mess to clean up!
“Now that you’re with us, Caroline, you’ll have to tell us all about the latest fashions.” Jane successfully managed to tug Caroline’s attention away from Lizzy and back to herself with her flattery. “We’re so hopelessly out of the way, here in Lambton, that we depend on city folks like yourself to keep us informed and in fashion.”
“I’d be delighted to, Jane!” Caroline cooed, bestowing the first genuine smile on her sister-in-law since her arrival that morning. “In fact, I brought some of my fashion magazines with me. Perhaps we can take a look at them after lunch.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“Oooh, goody. I can’t wait,” Lizzy muttered under her breath. Caroline shot daggers in her direction.
“I think that, if you ladies don’t mind, Charlie and I will be busy doing other stuff when that time comes,” Will chuckled.
“Lucky bastards,” Lizzy muttered again, earning her another sideways glare from Caroline.
Fanny poked her head through the doorway. “Lunch is ready, if you’ll join us in the dining room!”
“Saved by the lunch hour,” Lizzy said, rushing to her feet and leading the way out of the living room. Will was close on her heel.
Caroline and company ended up staying through dinner as well. The company part was fine; it was the Caroline part that caused Will to have an astronomical headache. Never had he been more excited to see someone leave than when Charlie had finally persuaded Caroline that perhaps it was time to return to their own ranch.
“I think it’s time to leave, Caroline,” he’d said. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back for the Barbecue tomorrow.”
The import of Charlie’s words hit him, and Will groaned. Not another day in Caroline Bingley’s company!
Well, he would simply have to take care that he was too busy to be bothered with her. And that was it. He would do whatever it took to see that it was so, even if it meant being unforgivably rude to his best friend’s sister.
Will was so involved in plotting the various ways he would escape Caroline’s clutches on the morrow that he missed someone’s entrance into his office.
Lizzy slipped into the office, seeking her escape. She hadn’t expected to find Will already there, thinking that he’d gone back out after dinner. Her surprise gave way to heart-felt relief though when she saw what he held in his hand. “Is that a bottle of Advil?”
Will looked at the tiny, white bottle in his hand. “You need one too?” he asked, somewhat amused.
“How could I not need one?” Lizzy wanted to know. “In fact, I think I’ll take three.” She pressed two fingers to her throbbing temple.
He passed the bottle over and poured more water into the now-half empty glass, handing it to her. “Thanks.” Shaking out three pills, she downed them in one swallow. Will tried not to notice that her lips had touched the glass at the exact same place his had.
“What a day, huh?” he asked.
“Thanks to a cyclone named Caroline.”
Will chuckled. “Don’t be a brat, brat.”
Lizzy looked at him. “Oh, come on, Will. Don’t even! You’re no angel, yourself. Watching the two of you was like watching a game of dodge ball.”
“Can you blame me?” Even at lunch and dinner, where Fanny had, upon Will’s strict instructions, set Caroline two plates down from Will, she’d tried to insinuate herself into his conversations.
“Well, maybe if you didn’t encourage her so much . . .” Lizzy drawled evilly.
“Encouraged her?!?” Will burst out. “I do no such thing. And you know it!” he blustered.
“Or, maybe it’s just that she can’t help herself around you.” Lizzy inched forward until their bodies were practically touching. “After all, who can resist a delectable man such as yourself?” Her eyes ran level with his plaid-clad chest, and she ran a fingertip down the buttons of his shirt. Though the gesture had begun as a laughing tease, the feel of his toned chest underneath her fingertip, and the hitch in her breath let her know that it had quickly become something else. Something much more sensuous.
“Uh, Lizzy . . ..” Oh, G-d. One half of Will wished she’d stop while the other half of him wished she’d never stop. Whichever way he was feeling, he held his body taut.
Her faint touch should not have evoked such throbbing sensations throughout his body.
“What?” Lizzy licked her lips, still running her fingertip up and down the front of his plaid shirt. She was mesmerized. Entranced.
When her hand traveled back upwards, Will caught her finger in his hand. “I don’t think you should do that anymore,” he whispered huskily.
“Why?” her voice equally deep and equally shaky asked.
“Because,” he lowered his mouth so that it barely brushed against her earlobe. “It makes me want to do this.”
He captured his mouth in hers. And it was his for the taking. He plunged, and she let him. Lizzy practically swooned, and had Will not been holding her up, she surely would have melted into a puddle at his feet. It was, she thought, right before he stole all her thoughts and senses, utterly pitiful and shameless the way she let him have his way. And yet, she couldn’t care. Not when Will was kissing her like that.
The kiss went on. It didn’t seem like either of them would ever break for air. Lizzy seemed to regain her faculties and she became an active, rather than a passive, participant. She shifted the angle of her mouth and while he thrust, she parried. While he licked, she nipped. And when they both returned to their senses, they broke away. The shock still evident on their faces.
“Wow.” Lizzy put a hand on the desk to stabilize herself.
“Yeah,” Will agreed, never having been so affected by a kiss like that in his life.
“That was . . .”
“I know.”
“Wow,” Lizzy repeated. “I don’t know what to say,” she said rather weakly.
“I do,” Will said with much more conviction. “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since the last time we kissed, at Charlie and Jane’s.”
“Really?” Lizzy asked in surprise. “But, you gave no indication.”
“Because I didn’t think you wanted it to happen again.”
“But, I . . ..”
“What?”
“ . . . Did,” Lizzy finished.
“What?!?” It was his turn to be surprised. And perplexed. “But you turned away after that kiss. And then you were so churlish the next few weeks.”
“I was embarrassed! Confused! I didn’t know what to think. And I didn’t think you were comfortable with it anymore than I was,” Lizzy argued.
“Oh, gees, Lizzy,” Will gathered her close, resting his chin on her top of her head. “What fools we’ve been.”
“I thought you hated me,” Lizzy confessed. “You and I, we always seem to be at heads. And then you always call me ‘Brat.’ After the kiss, I didn’t think you wanted to talk to me ever again. I thought you wanted to forget that it had ever happened, and so I tried to do the same. By avoiding you. Only, I couldn’t because we both live and work together! And then I saw that you were avoiding me as well, and I didn’t know what to think. I had to request a meeting with you, just to get us in the same room together, and during that meeting I went crazy, lambasting you like that. After that, I really couldn’t blame you if you never wanted anything to do with me anymore. I was so afraid, and I ran off to Jane’s. I felt like such an idiot. And then I got mad.”
Lizzy stepped away from Will’s embrace, needing to stand on her own as she explained her emotions, how she felt. “I’ve always prided myself on independence, to be a woman who could stand on her own two feet. You have always represented the antithesis of that. The quintessential alpha male. The protector. The provider. And while a part of me melted at those moments when I knew you were watching out for me, taking care of me, the other part of me rebelled. I wanted to take care of myself, and I needed to prove to the rest of the world that I could.”
“But, I . . ..” Will wanted to interrupt. To tell her that he never meant to stifle her or make her feel as though she couldn’t be her own person, capable of taking care of herself.
Lizzy shook her head and wouldn’t let him say his piece. She needed to finish hers first. “That day, I went to Jane. She asked me what was wrong and I couldn’t tell her. I couldn’t put it into words nor could I help feeling a little bit foolish for the mess that I’d gotten myself into. For a while, I almost wished that our relationship had never changed, that we’d continued to antagonize each other always, and not be the sometimes friends that I’d felt we’d become over the summer. That maybe, if we hadn’t become friends, I wouldn’t be so irresistibly drawn to you either.
“And that’s what I realized, on my way home, I needed to do. I needed to reclaim control over our relationship, to put you out of my mind and stop thinking about you like that. I was going to make sure that our relationship reverted back to what it had been before. And as for our working relationship, I was going to keep it strictly professional. After I’d done all that, I was absolutely convinced that I’d never have to spend sleepless nights, wondering what you were doing and what you were thinking.
“But, I never got to do any of that. Because when I got home, I found the bouquet of flowers you’d left me. And. after that, I knew that I’d never had a chance of doing what I’d told myself I was going to do. Do you know why that is?” Will shook his head no. “I never had a chance because somewhere, somehow you’d already stolen my heart.”
Will let out a loud gush of air. “Oh, Lizzy . . ..” He sighed and stepped forward to snuggle her close, her admission having humbled him. And knowing that just as her heart was his, his was hers.
“What are we going to do?” she asked, nuzzled against his chest.
“I don’t know,” Will admitted. “I’m as much at a loss as you are. We’ll figure it out together though,” he promised, linking his hands with hers. He kissed her forehead. “All I know is that we are somehow meant to be together.”
“Do you really think so?” she asked, tipping her head so that she could see him beyond her glassy eyes and fallen wisps of hair.
“I know so,” Will answered, sounding much more convinced. “It’s a little weird,” he conceded, “given our past and everything. I mean, I’ve known you since you were a baby! And up until this summer, you were just the little brat that tagged along, wanting to do everything that everyone else was doing, and creating trouble and mayhem in the process. But, somehow, between then and now, you grew up too. And, when I started thinking about things, I started wondering if things might have been different if our circumstances had been different. Like, maybe we would’ve figured things out sooner.”
Lizzy pondered the thought. “Maybe. In any event, now that we both know how we feel about one another, we’ll figure it out. Together. Like you said.”
“Oh my goodness! Mark this day down in the calendar!” Lizzy looked at Will oddly, wondering at his sudden outburst. “Lizzy Bennet has finally agreed with me. With me! This will surely go down in the annals of history!”
“Will!” Lizzy laughed and punched him in the arm. “Stop! Surely it’s never been that bad.”
He stopped laughing long enough to look at her and her sweet, earnest expression. “No,” he sobered. “It hasn’t.”
The tender look he gave her sent shivers down Lizzy’s spine. “The hour’s growing late,” she said falteringly, glancing at her watch. “I should probably get to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow and so do you.”
“Yeah.” The air in the room had grown thick and heavy fast. “Do you think you’ll be able to get to sleep tonight?”
Lizzy nodded.
“All right then. Good-night.” He started to step away.
“Will?”
“Yes?”
“Will you kiss me good-night?”
“Oh, gees . . ..” Will felt like he had been soccer-punched in the gut. He had a feeling that if he did anymore kissing, he’d be the one having a devil of a time sleeping that night. But, still, he said, “Yeah.”
In two strides, he had walked back over to her. He cupped her face with the palm of his hands, admiring the sweetness of her face. Softly, gently, he lowered his face to hers. Lizzy closed her own eyes, and lifted her face to meet him halfway. The kiss was much more relaxed than the last, but no less potent.
Lizzy felt as though her feet had been lifted clear off the floor. “Mmm,” she sighed. “Thanks.”
Will watched her float out of the room, totally amused. She looked dazed, her eyes filled with dreams. “Well, at least one of will have a good night’s sleep,” he huffed to himself. Still, he couldn’t help but break out into a smile.
Lizzy Bennet liked him back, and that was a good thing. Even if it did leave him feeling no better than a sixth grader.
George unlocked the door, letting himself back into his cabin, his temporary home while he was still at Pemberley Ranch. He closed the door and leaned back against the door, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh. It had been such a long night, but an enjoyable one. Even now, he was still a little unsteady on his feet.
He’d been down at the bunkhouse, playing cards with the other ranch hands. Since none of them had to work tomorrow, beyond finishing to help set up for the Cattlemen’s Barbecue, they’d taken their night off to heart, carousing it up with a little bit of cards and drink. Well, okay, a lot of cards and a lot of drink.
He stripped his shirt, which reeked like smoke from all the cigars they’d puffed that night, and balling it up, threw it into the corner of the room. Finally, when he’d let his eyes adjust to the dim light, he stepped away from the door and somewhat drunkenly made his way across the room to his bed. He collapsed onto the bed with a great deal of happiness. It felt good to be lying down finally.
George shifted on the bed, intending to remove his boots and jeans. That’s when he heard the distinct crinkle of paper coming from underneath him. Arching his back, he reached under and extracted a torn piece of notebook paper that had been left on his bed. Odd, he was sure it hadn’t been there when he’d left his cabin that morning. He read the words scribbled in handwriting that wasn’t his across the face of the paper and blanched. Then, he read it five more times just to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.
He wasn’t.
George fell back against his bed, covering his eyes with his left arm and groaning. He knew the note had to be from Younge. And, he only had ten more days to repay his debt. He didn’t know what he was going to do.
Even less, he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he didn’t repay his debt.
Posted on Wednesday, 18 February 2004
Lizzy had been walking for what seemed to be forever through a verdant forest when she entered a clearing in the copse. At its center was a pond, shaped perfectly like an egg. Lizzy walked along the water’s edge. The crystal clear blue water, peppered with pink and yellow water lilies looked seductively inviting. She took off her right sandal and dipped a toe into its cool depths. Lizzy shivered in delight. The water was absolutely perfect.
Making sure that no one was around, she rapidly shed her clothes and dove into the pond. It was so refreshing! Lizzy luxuriated in the feel of the water sliding off her back as she stood and whipped her wet hair around over her shoulder.
She waded around, with her head above the water, until she reached the pond’s center. Still alone, she closed her eyes and leaned back into the water. She held her arms out, keeping her body afloat like a graceful mermaid, and let the gentle breeze of the air guide her around. Lizzy felt as though she could stay there forever. It was so calm and peaceful there.
Lizzy woke up to splashing noises. Startled, she quickly reverted back to a standing position, taking care that the water would cover everything to an observer’s eye except for her head. She was too far away to make out the identity of the person standing at the water’s edge. Carefully, Lizzy tread her way closer. She saw that it was Will.
He was leaning against the large rock where she’d left her clothing carefully folded. He waved to her, and Lizzy hesitatingly returned the wave. She was trapped and he knew it. Smiling and amused, he pointed to her pile of clothes. She tried not to blush. She couldn’t prevent the gulp though when she saw him beginning to disrobe in front of her. Lizzy swiftly turned away to hide the fact that she was now blushing a deep-colored red.
She heard a splash and knew that Will had dived into the water. She peeked and saw him swimming towards her, his strokes long and sleek. At another time, she might have admired the power and athleticism in his movements. Now, however, was not an appropriate time to be letting her mind wander with such lustful thoughts.
In no time, Will reached her. She felt him come up behind her, standing so that her back was almost touching his torso. She tried not to think about it and how it would look, glistening in the sunlight with crystal teardrops beaded across his naked skin. She heard a moan, not recognizing it to be her own. Lizzy wanted to lean back, to feel his skin touching hers. Having a weak moment, she let herself close her eyes, imagining that she was.
Instinctively, Lizzy’s back arched towards Will. She had almost fallen into his embrace when out of nowhere, a parrot flew out of the forest overhead. He squawked and cawed, jarring them to attention and ruining the moment. The surprise of such a discordant sound caused Lizzy to lose her balance and she went flailing into the water, swallowing cupfuls as she struggled to regain her foothold. She thought that Will would have reached under for her and saved her, and was somewhat disappointed when he didn’t. When she reemerged though, breaking through the surface of the water, she found him gone.
Perplexed, Lizzy turned around in a circle and looked for him. Despite having seen him standing at the water’s edge and then later, feeling his presence behind her, there was nothing to suggest that Will had ever been around. Even the clothes that he had taken off, and left behind on the rock beside hers, were no longer there. Surely she couldn’t have been under the water for that long, Lizzy thought confusingly.
Though Will was gone, the parrot remained. It continued to screech at the top of its lungs, as if it were trying to catch Lizzy’s attention. When Lizzy persisted in ignoring it, the parrot began to flow low and in front of her face. Back and forth it flew until Lizzy was forced to acknowledge its presence. Swatting at it, it became a game of cat and mouse. The parrot was unrelenting in its high-shrilly noises and Lizzy tried desperately to make it stop. Its piercing call became a major source of irritation. Lizzy’s arms flew farther and farther out in the hopes that it would hit the parrot.
It hit her cell phone instead.
The sound of her cell phone hitting the wooden floor jolted Lizzy from her sleep. She sat up straight in her bed and heard her cell phone ringing. Dazed and confused, she brushed away her mussed up hair before reaching down and grabbing the loud and offensive object. With somewhat jerky motions, she managed to snap open her cell phone and in a still-sleepy voice, asked, “Hello? Who is this?”
“Lizzy-bear? Is that you?”
“Yes,” she answered falteringly. In her sleepy state, she couldn’t recognize the voice on the other end of the phone. “Who is this? Dad?” Lizzy was totally confused. Though the voice wasn’t her father’s, she couldn’t think of anyone else who would call her “Lizzy-bear” at that moment either.
“It’s me,” the person on the other end said, his voice sounding like he had his teeth gritted tightly together. “George.”
Lizzy slapped her face in an attempt to make herself stay awake. Then, she grabbed her alarm clock and took note of the time. “George?” she mumbled confusedly. “It’s four o’clock in the morning.”
“I know. But I need to talk to you,” he whispered in his urgent voice.
“Can’t this wait until later, when I’m more fully awake?”
“No,” he insisted.
“What is it? Is everything okay?” she asked, immediately assuming the worst since she couldn’t think of any other reason for why she would be woken up from her sleep at this hour. Lizzy wasn’t ready to admit to herself that she’d been disappointed to be interrupted from a particularly spicy and very interesting dream.
“I really need to talk to you,” George repeated.
“Okay. Fine,” she sighed resignedly. She shifted her position and pulled the covers up closer to her chin, settling in for a long conversation. “What’s up?”
“No. In person.”
“Huh?”
“In person. I really need to talk to you in person,” he cried out in exasperation. He didn’t have time for Lizzy to be so continuously confused.
“George! It’s four o’clock in the morning,” she reminded him in a whine.
“Lizzy, please. I really need to talk to you. And if this weren’t so important, I wouldn’t dream of bothering you at this hour. But I really need your help, so please say you’ll meet me now and hear me out.”
“Hold on for just a second and let me see if I understand you. You want me to get up, put on clothes, and meet you at four in the morning? To talk?”
“Yes!”
She chewed on that for a second and then asked in a laughing, teasing tone. “Is this a joke or something? Am I on hidden camera? Wait. I know. Will put you up to this. This is all a joke to get me out of bed at an ungodly hour. Right?”
“Lizzy, please! Be serious! I’m not joking; I really need to talk to you.”
It took her a while to process his words. “Oh, all right. Since you sound like you really need the help. Where do you want to meet?”
“How about down by the stables?” George suggested.
“Fine. Give me a couple of minutes to throw some clothes on.”
“Thanks, Lizzy. I appreciate it.”
“It’d better be good, whatever it is, for dragging me out of bed at this hour,” Lizzy grumbled. She tried not to think about how she’d just lost the few precious hours that remained between now and when she needed to get up to put the finishing touches on the preparations for the Cattlemen’s Barbecue.
George was already at the stables by the time Lizzy got there. She pulled her cardigan tighter across her body and tried not to shiver in the morning chill. Though it was a little nippy at the moment, in a couple of hours, once the sun was fully out and baking, the Texan heat would take over.
“Morning,” she yawned as she crossed the corral to where George stood. Lizzy would have liked a hot, steaming cup of coffee and tried not to think of what one would taste like at the moment.
“I really appreciate your coming down to meet me this morning,” George said.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She waved away his words.
“You look tired.” He didn’t know why he’d said that. All he knew was that now that she was here, he was suddenly reluctant to come to the point.
“I should. It’s four in the morning and I only got a couple of hours of sleep last night.” She spoke with emphasis, but she wasn’t trying to make him feel guilty. She was just pointing out the obvious.
“I’m sorry ‘bout that.”
“Fine. You’re sorry. You’re grateful. Now that we’ve got out of the way, why don’t we just get to the point?” Tiredness had Lizzy speaking even more bluntly than usual. “What did you need to see me about?”
“Well, it’s like this, Lizzy. I’m in a bit of trouble.”
She raised her eyebrow. “What kind of trouble?” When he wouldn’t say, she probed further. “Legal trouble? Woman trouble? Money trouble?”
“Money trouble.”
“Okay . . .” she said the word, extending the syllables. Lizzy leaned back against the fence post and crossed her arms. “What’s the problem?”
“I’m in a bit of rut. I owed some money to some people and when I didn’t have it, someone suggested I get a loan.”
“But not from a bank,” Lizzy guessed. “You went to a loan shark.”
He hung his head and tried not to be embarrassed. “Yeah.”
“And, now he’s calling in your debt?”
“Something like that.”
“It either is, or it isn’t, George.”
Her sharpness made him feel like he was a little boy being called to the carpet. He resisted the urge to clasp his hands behind his back and dig his toe into the ground. “It is.”
“Well then, I’d say you are in a bit of a rough spot, aren’t you?” Lizzy wasn’t sure she could summon much sympathy when she had a feeling that his debts hadn’t been incurred because of some good reason, like caring for a deathly ill relative. In fact, if she had to guess, she’d wager her month’s paycheck that he’d lost his money like most other men of his ilk. At the gaming table.
“I am. If I don’t get him the money, I don’t know what he’ll do to me,” George cried out in exasperation. “You don’t know what this guy is capable of.”
“Is this why you came back to Pemberley?” Lizzy asked, suddenly seeing George for who he really was.
It saddened her a little to find that all her childish illusions had been so easily shattered. It used to be that she thought George to be everything a person could ever hope to be, kindness and affability. Meanwhile, she’d thought Will to be the opposite. If Lizzy had learned anything this summer, it would be not to trust facades. After all, Will was a responsible person, if nothing else.
“Yeah. I thought it was as good a place as any to hide out and make some money in the meantime.”
“But he found you anyways.”
“I had a feeling he might have. He’s like that; got lots of contacts. And I could feel him hanging around. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me though so long as I had what he wanted and kept myself surrounded by people. No way he’d show his face when others were around. He likes to keep himself mysterious, he thinks it’s safer that way.”
“Is that why you kept asking me to go out with you?” Lizzy asked, seeing more and more of the light. And feeling rather annoyed that he’d knowingly placed her in a precariously dangerous position.
The little devil on her left shoulder whispered in her ear, Will would never do that.
“Yeah. But it wasn’t all like that,” he hastened to reassure. “I really did like spending time with you, Lizzy. You’re a special gal and you’ve grown up real nice.”
“Thanks. I think. I take it then that you’ve received confirmation that this person really is around and not just in your imagination?”
George nodded. “He contacted me last week to let me know that he’d found me, and last night, he gave me notice. I have ten days to pay up and I don’t have the money, Lizzy.”
Lizzy wasn’t sure what was expected of her, so she asked. “I don’t mean to sound rude, George, but, on the other hand, I’m not really sure how I factor into all of this either. What exactly is it that you want from me?”
“Your help!”
“What kind of help. I don’t have any money.”
“But you can help me get money, right?”
Lizzy stared at him stupidly. “How?” she finally asked wondrously. “I’m not a magician! Do you think I can conjure up money just like that? If only I could!
“How much money are we talking about anyways?”
He didn’t really want to say, but he’d come this far already anyways. There was nothing he could keep from her since it had been his own choice to seek her out in the first place. “Eight thousand dollars.”
Lizzy’s mouth formed a breathless ‘o.’ “Eight thousand dollars?” she croaked questioningly. She was finding it difficult to lift her jaw and close her mouth.
“Yeah.”
“Oh my gosh, George! What were you thinking? Did you really lose that much money gaming and betting?” She knew she was freaking out and couldn’t help it. She didn’t know how he could have been so idiotic and irresponsible.
“This isn’t the time for a moral lecture, Lizzy,” George snapped. “Don’t you think I realize what a foolhardy thing it is I’ve done?”
“Well, I don’t know. You’ve already lost eight thousand dollars and yet, I don’t see you avoiding the blackjack tables down in the bunkhouse.”
George groaned, suddenly grateful that he hadn’t tried to make Lizzy his in any way more than as someone he could count on for a good time. Christ, but she was a nag! “That’s small fish compared to what I’m up against now.”
“Yeah, apparently,” Lizzy scoffed.
“Look, I don’t have time for your opinions or judgments, Lizzy. I didn’t come to you for that. I came to you as a friend, hoping that you’d be able to help me out of a bind.”
“Well, I don’t really know why you thought I’d be able to help you other than to pass judgment,” Lizzy sniffed, not a little annoyed that he could see fit to berate her at a time like this, especially given his situation. “I don’t have that kind of money nor do I know of anyone who would have that kind of money at the ready. What are you coming to me for???”
“Well, here’s the thing,” George began, hunching over as he finally reached his main point for seeking Lizzy out in the first place. “Will’s hired you on to be his steward, right?”
“Yes,” Lizzy confirmed his question cautiously. She wasn’t sure what her job had to do with anything.
“So, you have complete access to all the business accounts, right?”
Now, Lizzy was beginning to see where this was going. Already she began to shake her head. “No,” she said repeatedly as she began to step back and away from George. “I won’t do it. You can’t ask that of me.”
“Come on, Lizzy,” George leaped forward to snag her wrist, preventing her from escaping. “Can’t you see how desperate I am? I need you to do this for me!”
“Why can’t you just ask Will for help?” Lizzy cried out. “He might be willing to help you if you just explained why you needed the money and told him the truth. He’s not an unreasonable person!”
George laughed harshly. “Will?!?” he bellowed. “You want me to go to him, asking, begging for a handout? I wouldn’t give him that sort of satisfaction! Do you know how much it has cost me already to ask him for this job? To let him treat me no better than a hired hand? When we both know that I deserve better than that? I, who grew up on this ranch, helped work the land when I was still a boy in a school, and was then forced off the land once the Old Man was dead and Will could do as he pleased?
“Will would love it if he knew I was in trouble. It’s all he’s ever wanted for me my entire life. All because he was jealous that his dad loved me better than him.”
“No,” Lizzy shouted out, her eyes reflecting her horror. “You’re wrong! Will would never do that! He’s too fair, too honest. You’re lying. His daddy did love him and Will knew it. He never regretted the kindness his father showed to the other children around the ranch.”
“Grow up, Lizzy. Open your eyes!” He shook her hard until she was shaking in her shoes.
“Stop it, George! You’re hurting me!”
He stopped then, because he remembered that he still needed her. “Please, Lizzy,” he pleaded in a soft voice, changing his tactics. “It wouldn’t take much. Just a little fudging in the books. And it wouldn’t be forever. Just as long as it took for me to get the money, and I promise you I will. And when I do, I could pay the ranch back. Once the money’s back, no one would ever have to know that it was even gone.”
His voice, dripping of gentleness and charm was seductive. She could feel herself wavering, wanting to help those pitiable eyes of his. It was dangerous, lethal. Lizzy pulled herself together. “No!” she said firmly. “I won’t do it.”
“Come on, Lizzy . . ..”
“It’s wrong, George. You’re asking me to steal and to play with the books! I won’t have it. Will gave me the job based upon his belief in my integrity and I won’t betray him or the ranch like that. I’m sorry for the trouble that you’re in, but I can’t help you like that. And that’s my final answer. I’m sorry.”
George swore. “So,” he sneered. “Will’s managed to brainwash you with his distorted views too, huh?” Now that he’d lost his only hope, there was no sense in being nice about things anymore.
“I think you’re the one with distorted views,” Lizzy said softly, suddenly feeling pity and sorrow for this man who stood before her. A man she’d known as a boy, and once looked up to as a hero.
He didn’t say anything. He just stared back at her.
“I hope you get the help you need,” she said finally, leaving her words open for interpretation as to whether she was referring to his outstanding debt or his pent up resentment towards Will.
“I should get back to the house before people start waking up and find that I am gone. They’ll wonder where I’ve gone to this early in the morning.”
Lizzy turned and headed back for the house. At the corral’s gate, she rested her hand on the newel post and turned. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Will what you asked me to do. But, if I find you trying to get the money by some sort of other unscrupulous means, I will. Good-luck on getting the money, George. Despite what you may think, I truly do hope you find a way out of your mess.”
Without another backward glance at the man who’d stayed behind to stare at her back, Lizzy resumed her walk back to the main house.
Will woke up slowly feeling a bit on the sluggish side. He rolled over and noted the time on his alarm clock. It was time to get up. This, he mused, had to be the worst part of the day. Today would be an especially busy day what with the Cattlemen’s Barbecue taking place later in the day too. Will wasn’t sure he was ready to get out of bed.
Settling back with his arms crossed under his head, he thought about all that had happened the day before. He remembered briefly Caroline’s visit to the ranch. And then he thought about all that had taken place afterwards. He recalled with perfect clarity the words Lizzy had spoken to him the night before. Suddenly he was very eager to get the day started. He couldn’t wait to see Lizzy again.
Will jumped into the cold shower. As he splashed his face with soap and water, he remembered the two kisses they had shared. He wondered if she’d fallen asleep thinking about them just as he had. Everything was all right with the world, he decided, when Lizzy Bennet returned his feelings.
He finished his shower and wrapped a towel low around his waist. With another hand cloth, he wiped his face and hair. He threw it over his shoulder when he was done and stepped up to the window. In the distance, he could see the sun peeking through the mountains, preparing to reclaim its spot in the sky.
Will leaned back against the window frame and brushed the drape aside to look a little closer to home. What he saw wiped the smile from his face.
Lizzy and George Wickham were talking down by the stables. It looked to be an earnest conversation. And with his hands on her and Lizzy making no move to try and step away, it looked a little too close for Will’s comfort. He felt like a peeping tom, but he couldn’t stop himself from spying on them.
His stomach churned as he thought about all the possible reasons for why they might be meeting down at the stables, alone, at that hour. No, he wouldn’t think about it, he told himself. After all, would Lizzy really have kissed him like she had last night if there was something going on between her and George?
You don’t really know the answer to that question, do you? a little voice persisted in asking at the back of his head.
He wanted to tell himself that he wouldn’t get involved, but he knew it was a lie. Will was dressed in a matter of seconds and headed for the stables.
He met Lizzy returning to the house. “I need to speak with you,” he growled. He snagged her wrist and pulled her along to the other side of the house where they were shaded from anybody who might be looking out their window.
Lizzy tried not to trip over her own feet as she let herself be dragged behind Will. “What on earth is the matter with you, Will?” she asked breathlessly. “Was it really necessary to pull on me like that? I would’ve come if you’d just asked me to,” she said huffily, pulling on her shirt and straightening her tangled hair.
“What was all that about?” Will turned on her and immediately questioned.
Lizzy’s eyes grew round, taken aback by the vehemence in his voice. “Pardon me?”
“You heard me. What the hell were you doing with George Wickham down by the stables at 5:30 in the morning?”
Was this why he had a burr up his butt this morning, Lizzy asked herself. It rankled that her own private business could affect him so. Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of answering to him. If he wanted to know what she was doing, he would learn to ask politely. “It’s none of your business,” she told him.
“Oh yes it is,” Will disagreed. “If you’re going to be down there, making out with him behind my back, I damned well better know about it.”
“Or what? What are you going to do about it if I am? I don’t see one of your brands on my butt, Will. I’m not one of your stupid cows!”
A harsh sound erupted from the depths of Will’s throat. It surprised even him.
“I’m surprised at you, Will,” Lizzy said more softly, but no less calmly. Her voice shook with emotion. Hurt and sad emotions. “I know that I have many faults, but I thought you knew me better than that.”
She slipped her wrist from his grasp and walked away. Will was left behind, his hands on his hip, still fuming.
But at himself. Not her.