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Chapter 4 Posted on Tuesday, 14 November 2006
Liz got home several hours later, cursing City traffic as she shoved her door open with her suitcase. She dropped everything in her hallway with a large sigh and went to check on her answering machine. She had fourteen new messages. Hitting play, and soon ruing that she did so, she quickly discovered that ten of the messages were from her mother.
"Lizzy? This is Mom, dear ... call me when you get home. I want to hear all about the party at that big house you went to. Tell me, did you meet any nice men there?" Beep.
"Lizzy ... this is your mother. You haven't called me yet. Are you out on a date? Mr. Darcy has some rich friends, you know ... you would do very well to secure yourself a nice, rich husband while you're still young enough. Call me." Beep.
"Elizabeth Anne Bennet! I did not raise my daughter to ignore me like this! Have some consideration for my poor nerves! " Beep.
Lizzy deleted the rest of the messages from her mother, and listened to the other ones. One was from her dry cleaners, two from the office regarding cases she was working on, and the last was from her friend, Steve.
Picking up the phone she quickly called him back. "Steve? Is everything okay?"
"Lizzy, dahrling!" the rich, lilting voice answered. "About time you've come back to me. Come on ... dish sweetheart! I want to hear all about your days of decadence in the lap of Darcy luxury ... or better yet ... in the lap of 'Dark 'n Handsome' Darcy!"
"Cute, Steve ... oh, I'll tell you all about it later ... I just got in and I'm a bit tired. I heard your message, is everything alright?"
"Yes ... I'm fine now. Although I would have loved to have your shoulder to cry on instead of drowning my sorrows in a bottle of bad wine."
"So what happened?"
"Alex left me," Steve said with a sigh. "And I do not want to hear 'I told you so...'"
"Oh ... I'm sorry, Steve. Do you want me to come over? I'll just take a quick shower and pick up some take-out."
"If you're sure you are not too tired, I'd love it. And then you can spill all the sordid stories of your time in la-la land!"
Laughing, Liz said, "Sure thing, baby. I'll be over in a bit. Chinese alright?"
Liz took a quick, refreshing shower, changed quickly, and was on her way to Mister Chung's down the street. Grabbing her order, she was out the door and down another block to Steve's apartment.
Steve was a co-worker of hers, and an old friend from college. She was the first person he 'came out' too, and she had supported him and held his hand through the awkward and somewhat painful time of letting his family know of his sexuality. Through the years, Steve had become like the brother she had never had, being one of five daughters in the Bennet household. They had roomed together near the end of school, and when they both graduated. Liz moved out to her own apartment only when Steve insisted on it. He had felt that her having a male roommate and hanging out with him and his friends had put a damper on Liz finding a relationship of her own. Although Steve knew that Liz was not the kind of person who needed a man or a relationship, he wanted her to find happiness.
"Little Lizzykins!" he said, answering his door with a smile.
"Alright, Steve ... enough with that. Help me with this, will you?" she said, holding out a bag.
"Your wish, is my command!" and laughing, the two walked into the kitchen. Placing the bags on the counter, Steve walked over to get a bottle of wine out of the fridge and Liz began getting plates and silverware, the layout of the kitchen not having changed at all since she had moved out the year before.
"So, while you are dishing out that glorious lo mein, you start dishing as well, girl!"
Over the course of the meal, Liz told Steve all about her time at Pemberley, her new friends, her misunderstanding of Darcy, and left the part of her mysterious masked man and his letter for last.
"Oh ... girl! You mean to tell me that not only does Mr. D*mn-Hot-Darcy want to be friends with you, you had a gorgeous, dashing, tangoing, man-in-a-mask seducing you and now he wants to exchange letters d-amour? I'm going to need another drink and a cold shower!" he said, fanning himself as Liz blushed and laughed.
"Steve ... you make it sound so tawdry!"
"Tawdry? It should have been tawdry, my dear! You played it all way too tame! If I were you I would have done more than tango with Mr. Pink, and then, for dessert, I would have given Mr. Darcy a birthday present he would never forget!"
Liz sat there open mouthed in amused shock, and slapped Steve on the arm. "You know I could never ... would never do anything like that!"
"And you wonder why you're still single!" Steve shot back with a teasing grin.
Smacking Steve on the arm again, the playful fight degenerated into a tickle-fest, and the two old friends sank onto a couch trying to catch their breath.
"Oh Lizzy ... sorry if I tease you so, but I am worried about you, old girl."
"I don't see why you should be."
"But how am I ever going to be 'Uncle Steve' to your kids if you don't meet a man, get settled down, pregnant, and fat?"
"Oh G*d ... you sound like my mother..."
"That is perhaps the meanest thing you've ever said to me," Steve cried, wiping away mock tears and causing Liz to burst out laughing again.
"Seriously ... I'll meet someone if I'm meant to. Who knows, maybe this mysterious Mr. Pink will turn out to be Mr. Right? If he is, great ... if not, I'm not holding my breath."
"I hope he is, girl. Wow ... how rrrromantic! Sounds like a movie ... or a bad romance novel. His name just needs to be 'Pablo' or Antonio Bandaras and you'll be all set. Find out if he has any brothers or friends too ... you know, for me..." Steve quipped, waggling his eyebrows and growling.
"You are so bad. But I think I'm going to just keep this whole thing with Mr. Pink on the 'down-low' for now, you know ... just get to know him through our letters. I thought about what Jane said on the drive home, and she's right. I don't know him at all. He could be some sleazebag or something ... just picks up girls at parties, feeds them a line or two to get them into bed, and then he's gone."
"Sounds like him and Mr. Darcy have something in common then..."
"I don't know about that. I mean, now that I've talked to him and heard his explanation about his behavior, he doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who is out for another notch on his bedpost ... then again ... I saw that woman come out of his room that night, and there are all those pictures of him with women hanging all over him. Never the same one twice," she said, chewing her lip.
"So you think he was nice to you and gave you the whole 'let's be friends' schtick because you really aren't his type?"
"I seriously doubt I would be his type, if he were so inclined ... there's no way I could compete with some Christie Brinkley clone. But I think he realizes that if my sister and Charles get more serious, we'll probably be around each other more often, and I think for the sake of 'diplomacy' he wanted to call a truce."
"There's no way you could compete, huh?" Steve asked sarcastically. Then, picking up a pillow, he hit Liz over the head with it. "Will you knock that off? Stop selling yourself short Liz! You're gorgeous, wonderful, funny, brilliant ... h*ll, you make me want to switch sides sometimes!"
"Ow! Very funny, Steve..." Liz said glaring at her friend.
"I'm serious, old girl. You're a beautiful person ... inside and out! One of a kind ... unique! If some guy doesn't see that, he's blind and incredibly stupid. You're the kind of woman a drag queen dreams of being," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Cute..." Liz said with a snicker.
"Okay ... enough of this serious stuff ... how about we watch a mushy romantic comedy? And thanks for coming over, hon. You always make me feel better."
"So, are you going to tell me what happened?"
"I caught Alex going out with some twenty-year-old underwear model for Calvin Kline. He swore that nothing had happened yet, but that it was on its way to. So he packed up and left. Says I was getting 'too old' for his taste, and he was looking for fun and adventure. Oh well ... in the words of Gloria ... 'I will survive'!" he said, standing up and raising a fist in the air.
"I'm sorry, Steve."
"It's okay, hon. I'll find someone ... somewhere in this city there has to be a gay man that wants a stable relationship. And hopefully he'll have a straight friend or two that I can hook up with you!"
"Very funny, hon. Now, throw in that movie, will you? I'll go get some drinks."
A few hours later, Steve nudged Liz awake.
"Sleeping beauty? Wakey, wakey!"
"Mmmph ... what time is it?"
"About 11:00. Do you want to stay here?"
"No ... thanks, though. I should get home, sleep in my own bed. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure thing hon."
Liz stumbled out of his apartment and walked the few blocks back home. It was a pretty safe area, and she never felt awkward being out alone at this time of night. When she got home Liz crawled into bed and fell asleep immediately.
She was woken up the next day by the phone ringing incessantly. Grumbling, she pulled the covers over her head, grabbed the receiver and mumbled, "Someone better be dead..."
"Lizzy!!! That is no way to talk to your poor mother! Where have you been, insolent girl?! Why haven't you returned any of my calls, I've been worried sick about you! Such flutterings of my heart and achings in my head. You have no consideration for my poor nerves!"
"Mother ... *sigh* ... I didn't get back into town until last night! I was tired and planned on calling you today. Leaving all those messages on my machine wasn't going to make me call you any sooner if I wasn't even here to receive them, you know," she said acerbically.
"Um ... well ... nevermind. So tell me! Did you meet any nice, rich, men while you were there? Leave it to Jane to secure such a nice man as Mr. Bingley. Throwing my other daughters in the paths of nice men. Ooooh. The next time there is a party at Mr. Darcy's, you should take Mary, Kitty, and Lydia with you! They could find someone for themselves!"
"Mother!," she snorted with indignation. "Mary and Kitty aren't finished with college, and Lydia is still in high school! I seriously doubt the people in Mr. Darcy's circles would want to associate with children!"
"Nonsense! Men always like younger women ... which is why you must hurry and secure yourself a husband! At your age, you should..."
"Good bye, mother!" she said, hanging up. Heaving a sigh she threw the covers off and stumbled into the bathroom. Taking a shower and brushing out her hair, she quickly got dressed and went into the kitchen to attack the pile of mail she had on her table.
After throwing away the junk mail and being left with bills and the odd invitation, Lizzy got up and went to her home office/library/hobby room to check her email. Sifting through even more junk, she sighed and checked her bookmarked pages. She had a couple of weeks of comics and friends' journal entries to look through. It took her a while to gather up her courage, and opening her email again, began to type a message to the masked man.
to: mrpink@quanta.comfrom: dm4id3n@quanta.com
Re: pen pals
I received your letter shortly before I left Pemberley. It is a good thing that you sent it when you did, as you had nowhere else to forward it. In fact, I doubt that Mr. Darcy's butler would have even known who to give it to were it not for the fact that several tales were going around the house about me and my dance partner. Or, you know exactly who I am ... which means that you have the advantage here. And if so, since I have a fondness for equality, I hope you even the score for me.
Anyway, I do hope to continue our 'conversations'. I must admit, I was intrigued by you, and this method of communication may aid in our acquaintance.
So, no names, no 'public persona'...
Very well. My favorite color is purple. Not lavender or lilac. Not that pastel garbage that they say is purple. Purple! Dark, royal, eggplant, looks and feels deep, purple. I am very fond of coffee, as in, I would implode without it. If I could find a way to inject it directly and still be able to taste it and savor the aroma, I would do so in a heartbeat. I am very fond of hamburgers and fries, as well. Caffeine, meat, potatoes ... three of the major food groups, there are six in total. The other three are, of course, cheesecake, chocolate, and Guinness.
I am originally from what most New Yorkers call "upstate"; meaning, the entire rest of the state, not the tiny island they believe to be 'New York'. I grew up in green, hilly terrain, surrounded by trees, cows, and vineyards. It was a noisy childhood, for I am one of five sisters. My father moved us all to the City some years ago, as he had taken a prestigious teaching position at a university. I followed him into his area of expertise.
I have lived in NYC since I have graduated, and my family is still here. I usually go to museums and galleries, or to dinner with my friends. I am thinking about adopting a cat, my apartment seems a bit empty.
Well, that is all I am going to say, for now. The ball is in your court.
Dark Maiden
Liz chewed on her lip and hit the 'send' button, breathing out as she did so. She hoped that she wasn't making a fool of herself and that her mystery man didn't turn out to be someone she would regret. Picking up the phone on her desk, she dialed Steve's work number.
"Steven Mitchell speaking."
"Hey Steve, it's me. Got any plans for lunch?"
"Hey Lizzy, sorry hon. I'm swamped today. Good thing you're not here til Monday, hon. We're wrapping up a case right now and it's not fun. You doing anything tonight?"
"Nothing. Want to catch dinner then?"
"Sounds good, I'll call you later."
Several hours later, Liz went out to grab a bite to eat with Steve, and met up with some of her other friends. The rest of the weekend was filled with unpacking, cleaning, and getting ready to go back to work.
Monday rolled in, and Liz walked into her office, full of energy and ready for the day. Her secretary, Mina, took one look at her and rolled her eyes.
"I think it's illegal to be that chipper on a Monday, Liz. Unless ... you got some 'action' over the weekend?" she asked, giving an exaggerated wink.
"Ha ... ha. Nope, just relaxed for the past couple of days, and it was nice not having to worry about work or anything the past couple of weeks. It was a good break, and I haven't had one in years."
"I know ... I don't think you've had a vacation in a while. I don't know how you do it!"
"I never really needed one. I like what I do. Anyway, are there any messages or things that I should get to immediately?"
"Everything is on your desk, in order of priority. Just jump right in! And good to have you back," Mina said, smiling. She and Liz had a good working relationship.
"Good to be back, Mina," said Liz over her shoulder as she strode into her office.
It took the better part of the week for Liz to catch up, but she managed well, and even got ahead on a few projects. As Friday came around, Liz called and left a message on Jane's answering machine, for her sister should have come home either the previous night, or sometime that morning. A few hours later, Liz received a return call.
"Lizzy? I'm home now."
"I see that! So, how was your trip? And how was your last week at Pemberley ... do you have any good news for me?"
"No, Lizzy ... I don't. And I don't know why you keep expecting Charles and I to be engaged already. We haven't been serious for that long, you know."
"Jane ... .anyone with eyes can see how mad that man is for you. It is only a matter of time before you give our mother her dearest wish; to go totally insane and plan for the wedding of her dreams," Liz said laughing.
"Oh ... mama. Have you heard from her lately?"
"*Sigh* ... yes, unfortunately. And she immediately went for the jugular. Now I am also supposed to take Mary, Kitty, and Lydia with me the next time I go to Pemberley, so they can all get rich husbands."
"Uh ... I don't believe it!"
"Believe it, dearest Jane. Oh, and I'm getting too old to be married, as well. I can't understand that woman. She honestly believed the only reason why I, or any other woman, actually went to college was to find a husband. Forget the education!" Liz said with a rueful laugh.
"She is just old fashioned, Lizzy. And she really just wants the best for us."
"Jane ... you are really an angel if you can justify Mother's way of thinking..."
"Lizzy ... oh! Before I forget ... Darcy and Fitz came back into the city as well. They were wondering if we could all get together tomorrow night."
"Really? They don't need to settle in, at all?" she asked with surprise.
"I guess not, but then again, I didn't really pry. Should we find somewhere to meet for dinner?"
"Um ... we couldn't just go over to your place?" Liz asked, dreading the kind of place that Darcy and Fitz would be used to eating out at. Although Liz made very decent money, she was adverse to spending $200 on one dinner. She had never countenanced wasting money on frivolous things.
"Oh, I would, but since I've just come back home, the place isn't fit for company right now. I know, why don't we see if everyone would like to go to Volare's? We haven't been there in a while, and they have the best food."
"Oh, that's a good suggestion. Are you going to contact them, then? Or just tell Charles and he'll relay all the details?"
"Well ... everyone is outside, so I think we'll just make all the arrangements now."
"What is everyone doing there?"
"We came back in Darcy's limo, Lizzy. It made sense to come together. I was just dropping off my things and saw your message, and then I was going to get a ride over to Charles' place."
"Just spent a few weeks with him and you can't part company? Just wait and see Jane, I'm not kidding!"
"Lizzy!" Jane squealed, her embarrassment evident. "Anyway, I'll let you know later tonight about dinner tomorrow. I'll talk to you then!"
Saturday morning found Lizzy sleeping in. Although she was happy to be back at work and busy, she was tired. After she woke up and breakfasted, she was sitting in her pajamas reading a book on her small balcony. Her cordless phone rang; the number on the caller I.D. was Steve's.
"Dahrling! What are you doing tonight?"
"Mornin' hon. I'm going out to dinner, why? What's wrong?" she asked with concern, the tears evident in Steve's voice.
"Well, any way you can cancel it?"
"Ummm, I don't know. I'm supposed to meet up with Jane and Charles at Volare's, and it seems like Darcy, Fitz, and Georgie are coming too. Jane's already made the reservations, but if you need me to come over, I will. What's wrong, Steve?"
"Oh, then don't you dare cancel, hon. Dinner with Mr. Darcylicious! How's this Fitz guy? You said they were cousins? Oh, baby, you could have one on each arm! Now that's how you 'accessorize'!"
"Steve, you are shameless, aren't you."
"Oh, but of course. Anyway, Alex stopped by saying that he had to pick up some more things, but basically, he just came over to rub his boy toy in my face. Then he started insulting me. And get this, today was our anniversary. What a day, huh?"
"I'm sorry hon. Did you kick him in the face? Want me to do it for you?"
"Baby, that would make me feel better, and I would love to watch you, but you know that you'd have to stand on a chair to do that, 'Shorty'," he said, his humor returning.
"Cute ... hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you come to dinner with me. Get out of the house, meet some new people ... could be fun."
"I don't know, I don't want to crash the party..."
"You get to stare at 'Darcylicious' all night..."
"Okay ... I'm there. Wow, you don't pull any punches do you! Saucy little minx!"
"I just know how to push your buttons. Do you have anything to wear? Oh wait, stupid question ... *sigh* ... okay, I'll call Jane and tell her that we've got one more. Do you want me to pick you up?"
"Oh, baby ... we're going to see Darcy at Volare's and you want to drive your car? I don't think so, we'll be traveling in style tonight, darling. I'll pick you up at 6:30, okay? Or do you need my help getting ready?"
"I'll be fine, Steve, I'm a big girl, I can dress myself," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, I'll be over at 5:00 then. I know you can dress yourself, baby, but you don't do it as well as I could! Trust the gay man!" and with a laugh he hung up.
Shaking her head, Liz called Jane, got dressed and ran some errands. She got home around 4:15 and quickly took a shower.
At exactly five, her doorbell rang, and she let an excited and well-dressed Steve into her living room.
"Hello, Lizzykins! So, what are we doing with your hair? Yes, this butterfly-clip-on-top thing has got to go! Are we wearing strapless tonight?" he asked with a teasing waggle to his brows, "Are we going sleek or smutty?"
"Steve ... this is not going to be a session of 'Lizzy-dress-up'. Just help me pick out something to wear, and it will not be something that either my mother or Lydia would pick out..."
"So 'smutty' is not an option..." Steve muttered, causing Liz to flash a glare at him.
"I am just going out to a nice dinner with some old friends and a few new ones. There is no one that I am trying to impress. If you're just going to be a pain about the whole thing, go sit in the other room and watch some TV."
"Alright ... I'll be good. So what do you have to wear, hmmm? Oh, this is nice! Too bad it won't fit me," he said, chewing his lip and holding up a black, leather skirt. "You should wear this."
"It's still summer, Steve, I'll sweat to death," Liz said, shaking her head.
"Okay ... right ... summer. Ooh, wow," he breathed.
"What is it?" Liz asked, looking over his shoulder into her closet.
"Is this what you wore to the ball?" he asked, holding a burgundy swath of silk in his hand. "You must have looked amazing."
"Yes, that was my dress, and no ... I'm not going to wear it tonight!" she laughed.
"Well then, you are just going to have to wear this," he said, pulling out a black, strapless, cotton, cocktail-length dress. "See? This should be fine to wear on a summer night, and it's dressy enough for dinner. Just grab a sweater and put on some nice jewelry."
"Sounds good to me. So, what are we doing for the rest of the hour I have to kill now. Not all women take forever to get ready, you know."
"Hair and makeup, hon. Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her into her bathroom.
Liz sat down and let Steve style, smudge, line, blot, brush, and pat to his heart's content. She would think that she would come out looking like someone attacked her with every ounce of cosmetic that she owned, but Steve was actually very good, and Liz was pleased with the result. She did not look 'done up', but very natural. Steve only accenting her best features, her eyes and lips. He didn't do much to her hair, just put in some leave-in conditioner to combat the humidity and give her curls a calmer appearance.
"So why did you go to law school again? You could have been a makeup artist or a stylist."
"Oh please! You make enough gay cracks as it is ... you would be completely insufferable if I were something as cliché as a hairdresser," Steve quipped back.
"So you picked up all of this stuff when you were doing theater, right?"
"Thou hast nailed it, Madam Elizabeth. You know, with your flair for the dramatic, I'm surprised you never joined me on stage."
"Steve ... don't make me hurt you and ruin all of your work," Liz growled.
Liz got dressed while Steve was ransacking her jewelry box. Deciding on a garnet necklace, he quickly found the matching earrings. Finally, Liz grabbed her sweater and they left her apartment.
Steve opened Liz's door for her, and she slid onto the leather upholstery of his Mercedes. She had to admit, it was nicer to be in this car, than her own, but she was determined to drive her car until it fell apart. It was a quick drive for a Saturday night through the city, and they were at Volare's with some spare time to kill. After the valet took Steve's car, he escorted Liz inside and over to the bar, where they ordered two glasses of wine. Liz would have preferred some beer, but didn't want to get filled up before a meal, and Steve's sensibilities would not have recovered.
"Beer ... I cannot understand how you can drink such swill!" he said with a laugh.
"Swill? You're the one drinking a Chardonnay! That's 'Yuppy Beer', you know," she said in retort.
"I would have you know ... oh, is that Jane?" he said, pointing over Liz's shoulder.
"Hmm? Oh, yes!" and stood with a smile on her face as she watched her sister and Bingley approach them. "Oh, Jane! Hi Charles!"
"Hi Lizzy ... oh, Steve! Hello. Lizzy didn't say who she was bringing, its so good to see you!"
"Hello, Jane," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Hello, I'm Steve Mitchell, old friend of Lizzy's," he said, extending his hand.
"Charles, Charles Bingley, pleased to meet you. You are the 'Steve' that works with Liz at her firm, correct? I have heard a lot about you," Bingley said with an enthusiastic grin.
"Good things, I hope. Then again, knowing Liz..." he said, arching an eyebrow at her.
"Well if you think I'm going to give you an endorsement now, you can forget it!" she said with a laugh. The foursome settled in at the bar and waited the rest of their party, which was not for very long.
As the Darcy limousine pulled up to the restaurant, Darcy ran a nervous hand through his hair and checked his clothes, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. Georgiana was looking out the window, so she missed her brother's agitation, as well as the knowing smirk on her cousin's face. Fitz bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud. Darcy was acting like a schoolboy on his first date.
"So, did Jane or Charles say anything to you about this 'friend' that Liz is inviting?" Darcy asked.
"No, she only said that there was going to be an added person. Is this what has you so fidgety?"
"Huh? Yes ... well," he began, and noticing his cousin's sudden interest, quickly dissembled, "you know how I am about meeting new people, Fitz. I don't want to sit through an evening trying to make small talk and possibly averting any attentions," he said, barely stifling a smirk. Fitz was aware of Darcy's interest in Liz, and he didn't want his overeager and garrulous cousin interfering.
"Oh..." Fitz said, obviously thinking this over.
The limo stopped, and Darcy got out first so that he could hand out his sister. Fitz followed them into the restaurant, where the three of them stood in the foyer searching for their party. Darcy quickly noticed a grinning Bingley waving at them from the bar. Tapping Fitz on the shoulder and nodding over at them, the three walked over to join Liz, Jane, Charles, and a tall, well-dressed, handsome man. "So ... this is the 'friend'?" Darcy thought, somewhat worried.
"Hello, everyone! Hi, Georgie!" Liz said, giving the younger woman a hug.
"Hello, Lizzy. You look very nice, tonight."
"Thank you, you look great, as well. Hello, Fitz," she said, receiving a kiss on the cheek from him, before turning to his cousin and sticking out her hand, "William," she said with a smile.
"Elizabeth," Darcy said, grasping her hand, the corners of his mouth curling up briefly before he turned his gaze on the man standing next to her.
"Georgie, Fitz, William ... this is a friend and co-worker of mine, Mr. Steve Mitchell. Steve, this is Miss Georgiana and Mr. William Darcy, and Mr. Richard Fitzwilliam, or as everyone calls him, 'Fitz'," she said making the introductions.
"Pleased to meet you Steve," Fitz said, shaking hands. Darcy and Georgiana shook hands as well.
Steve stood there and quickly took a drink of his wine to hide the grin that was spreading over his face. He had noticed the glances Darcy had shot him and Liz, and the way Darcy seemed to be studying them. "Oh, my stars and garters! This could be fun!"
The maitre' d came over to escort them to their table, and before Darcy could offer Liz his arm, Steve had stepped up and guided Liz past him with a hand on the small of her back. Darcy then watched as Steve whispered something into Liz's ear, causing her to blush and giggle, although he couldn't imagine the word "licious" causing such a reaction. Steeling himself, he followed everyone to the table and sat down between his cousin and sister with Liz and Steve more or less across from him at the round table.
Placing the napkin on his lap, he reached and took a long gulp of his ice water to calm his nerves. He had been happily anticipating his meeting with Liz after not seeing her for a week. Now it seems that she has a boyfriend, and this disturbed him greatly. "Although, neither she nor anyone had mentioned Steve while we were at the house ... could she have gotten together with him in a week? Yes ... it's possible. Or maybe they're not dating yet ... she did say she works with him ... they've known each other for a while ... get control of yourself, Darcy..."
Steve had to keep his laughter hidden, but was having a horrible time of it. "If only that man knew what his face looked like! Oh, this is too rich!"
Leaning over to Liz, he whispered, "So, have you heard anything from your Mr. Pink, yet?"
"Yes, I've received two emails, so far, and no, you're not going to read them.." she said with a low laugh.
Turning to Georgiana, she asked, "So, are you looking forward to classes starting?"
"Yes, I can't wait. I love learning, I always have," she said shyly.
"Ah, where is it you go? And what are you studying?" Steve asked.
"I'm going to Columbia for Archaeology. I've always been fascinated by history and culture," she said with a shy grin.
"She's always watched Indiana Jones too much as a child, she means..." Darcy said, winking at his blushing sister.
"I can fully understand that!" Liz said with a laugh. "I used to dream of running around the world with a whip myself after watching those movies!"
"Used to?" Steve said with an indignant snort. "You have a leather fedora in your closet, and every time we come up against a bully in Court, you mutter: 'Nazis, I hate these guys...'" he said, causing everyone, even the shy Georgiana to burst out laughing.
Darcy's laughter quickly faded as he dwelled on Steve's remark. "So, he knows the contents of her closets?" He took another deep breath and tucked into his appetizer, even though he had no stomach for food at the moment, which changed when everyone's dinners were brought out. Volare's was not one of the most fashionable places to dine in the city, but Liz and Jane knew that it had the utmost quality food and service.
"This looks almost as good as it smells," Fitz said, eyeing his plate greedily. "How come we've never been here before, Darce?"
"Probably because you or Caroline is always dragging us to those so-called 'Posh' places where you eat capsulated food. This is amazing though. I guess they have a new customer-for-life!" Darcy said, savoring a bit of his lamb.
"Jane and I have been coming here for years, its one of our favorite places. Our father found it years ago when he had to stay at work late," Liz offered. "Which reminds me, Georgie, if you need any help at Columbia, don't hesitate to ask me. I went to school there, and my father's a professor."
"You went to Columbia?" Darcy asked, his interest piqued.
"Yes, graduated Magna cum laude, and she did her undergrad work at Harvard," Jane answered. "Don't give me that look, Lizzy. You will never toot your own horn, so someone has to."
Liz just pursed her lips and shook her head.
"So ... how many geniuses do we have at this table?" Fitz asked, looking around. "And how many of us will it take to screw in a light bulb?"
"As if you've ever had to screw in a light bulb by yourself, Richie Rich," Liz said, shooting him a look.
"I will have you know, that not only can I screw in a light bulb, I can sew, do my own laundry, cook, clean, as well as do minor plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry," he said, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"A jack-of-all-trades then?" Liz asked with amusement.
"Oh, Fitz likes to think he's very accomplished," Darcy interjected.
"There aren't six men that I would consider accomplished," Liz said with a smirk.
"Really? Only six? Your standards for what makes up an accomplished man must be rigorous indeed," Darcy countered.
"Yes, they are. And they should be. In this day and age, anyone that has a bit of money or a piece of paper from a good school is considered 'accomplished' or 'successful'."
"Oh, I agree." cried Steve, "To be considered truly accomplished one must go above and beyond those things. A man ... or woman ... must strive to truly help others, have command of themselves, ethics, honesty, and compassion, or the word will be but half deserved."
"All this he must possess," added Liz, "and to all this he must yet add something more substantial; the constant improvement of his self and mind."
"I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished men. I rather wonder now at your knowing any..." Darcy shot back with a grin.
"Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this?"
"I have never met such a man ... are you sure even one exists?" Darcy said with a soft laugh.
After dinner, the group settled in for dessert and coffee, and continued their amiable conversation. Liz related to them some of the more humorous exploits of Jane as a child, with Jane having to retaliate in kind, to the amusement of the group. Fitz attempted to bring up instances of Darcy's childhood, but was silenced by a teasing grin.
"What's that look for, Cuz? You think you can scare me by retaliating in kind?"
"No ... I just know where you live and where you work ... do you really want to push your luck?" he said with a smirk.
Fitz threw up his hands and cried, "I surrender!" causing everyone to laugh again.
Steve was just about to regale the party with stories of Liz from college, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. His face suddenly grew pale and he quietly looked down at his plate. Liz noticed her friend's distress, and glancing around the restaurant, found the cause.
"Steve? Are you ok?"
"Fine ... I'll be fine," he muttered.
Jane glanced at her sister to see what was wrong, and Liz mouthed, "Alex". Although she had not told Jane the particulars, she knew that Steve had just broken up with his partner of the last two years, and was understandably upset at seeing Alex here with another man.
"Do you want to go home?" Liz asked Steve quietly.
"Yes, I'm sorry. You can stay here, though. Oh ... that's right, I gave you a ride. I'll hang around, hon."
"No, I'll go with you. You'll need me," she began, and was cut off by Steve.
"William?" he asked, cutting into Darcy's conversation with his sister.
"Yes?" Darcy asked, warily.
"I apologize for interrupting you, but I just realized that I have to leave immediately. I was Liz's escort for the evening, and now she is without a ride home. If you were planning on extending your party, would you terribly mind giving her a ride?" he asked, and in a whisper said to Liz, "No, I won't spoil your evening, darling ... you go have fun. You never go out except with me or your sister. I insist!"
Darcy arched a brow at the man across from him, "Yes, of course I will. Are you certain that everything is alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Well, ladies ... gentleman ... thank you for your fine company this evening. It was a pleasure to meet you all," he said shaking hands and kissing Georgie's fingers. He straightened his suit and walked out holding his head high.
Liz was concerned for her friend, and sat there chewing on her lip, absentmindedly stirring her coffee.
"What was the matter, Elizabeth? I hope it was nothing serious?" asked Georgiana with concern.
"No, Steve should be fine."
"He seems like a very nice man, Elizabeth. How long have you known him?"
"Since college, and we shared an apartment until a year or so ago," at Georgiana's startled expression, she finished, "he's like the brother I never had."
Fitz chuckled silently when he noticed Darcy let out the breath he had been holding.
"Oh. That must have been interesting for you, and quite different; going from living with five sisters to living with a man. However did you put up with the mess?" Georgie asked, with a teasing grin at her brother and cousin.
"Oh, I think it was Steve having to put up with me! He is the neatest, most organized person I know. He would threaten me with death for leaving a towel on the bathroom floor," Liz giggled.
"How did his girlfriends react to his living with a woman?" Charles asked in innocence, missing Jane's look.
Liz bit her lip, her eyes dancing with mirth. "I don't think it was a problem," she said, barely restraining her laughter, as she watched Jane whisper something in Bingley's ear, his eyes growing wide and his face covered by a light blush.
Georgie looked back and forth between Charles and Liz, confused. Finally, Liz leaned forward and said softly, "Steve is gay..."
Georgie looked thoughtful, and said "Oh ... I thought.." Fitz shot his cousin a look and noticed the relief on Darcy's face.
"It's okay, I'm kind of used to everyone thinking that we're together or friendly exes because we're so comfortable with each other. "
"Well, so what shall we do now?" Fitz asked.
"I heard that there was jazz band playing down the street from here," Charles offered.
"Really? I love jazz, well ... real jazz, I can't tolerate the 'modern' stuff." Liz said.
"Me neither, modern jazz sounds like so much noise ... I'm actually up for it tonight. What say you, Fitz ... Georgie?"
"I'm game, but I think we should run Georgie home. She looks tired," Fitz said.
"If you could take me back to the townhouse, I'd appreciate it," she said with a look to her brother.
He smiled and said, "Sure, honey. I'll have the driver take you home, if that's alright. Charles? You said this place was down the street? Can we walk there?"
"I think so, its only a few blocks away," Bingley said.
It was decided that Georgiana would go home in the car, and the remainder of the party would walk to the Blue Room for drinks and to hear the band. Darcy attempted to pick up the entire bill, and was emphatically denied by Liz, who insisted that she pay for herself and Steve. Darcy was determined to stand his ground, but ended up giving way with a laugh when Liz stood up, walked around the table, and was preparing to drag him outside by his ear.
"Alright, alright! I give up, have it your way!" he said with a grin.
"Now I bet that's something that's never happened to you before," Liz said with a smirk.
"And what is that, exactly?" he asked with curiosity.
"Not getting your own way for once," she said over her shoulder as she flounced out of the restaurant.
Darcy stood there for a moment, shaking his head. Then it occurred to him that Liz was correct; there was very little that he had ever wanted that he was unable to acquire. This awareness shot a cold sliver into his heart. The only thing he really wanted, truly desired; was Liz. He knew that she was a woman without equal, and that he could never buy her affection, unlike other women of his acquaintance. He would have to earn it and her respect. He wanted this more than anything in the world, and the prospect of failure sent a shiver of despair down his spine. Clearing his throat, he left the restaurant, and waited for the limo to come around for Georgiana.
When the limo pulled up to the curb, the driver got out to open the door and flashed a grin at Liz. She stood there in confusion for a while, furrowing her brow, until she was joined by Darcy who noticed her preoccupation.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a soft voice while waving at the departing vehicle.
"Hmm? Oh.. sorry. Is it me or does your driver look an awful lot like you?"
Chuckling, Darcy said, "I've heard that before. Actually, it comes in quite handy at times ... Wickham is part of my security detail, as well, and has had to play 'decoy' for me on occasion."
"Decoy?"
"Erm ... well, there are some people that would come after me, or Georgiana to get something out of it.." he said uncomfortably. "Yes ... I think we should catch up to everyone. It looks like they've started to walk without us."
They caught up with the rest of the group, and Liz was walking and chatting with Fitz, Jane and Charles were ahead of them. Ruing that she left her sweater in Steve's car, she rubbed her arms to warm them in the cool breeze. Suddenly, she felt a coat being placed about her shoulder, and heard a low voice near her ear, causing her to shudder.
"Did you leave your jacket behind?"
"Oh! Thank you, William. Actually I forgot my sweater in Steve's car."
"Is that better?" Darcy asked with a soft smile.
"Yes," she said, and then she breathed in deeply as she caught a whiff of Darcy's cologne on the collar of his coat. She had to bite her lip as she found the deep, musky, somewhat sweet and spicy scent mildly intoxicating. She was surprised and confused at her reaction, and was silent for the rest of the walk.
Entering the club, Liz quickly handed Darcy his coat back, thanking him again for its use. Darcy took the coat, and instead of putting it back on, discretely tried to catch her scent on it. Fitz looked back and shook his head wryly at his cousin, standing there and attempting not to be obvious.
"Pathetic boy ... really pathetic.." he said and Darcy just glared in response. "Why don't you just ask her out?"
"We're barely friends now, Richard. It wasn't much more than a week ago that she went from hating the sight of me to talking to me. And I don't think she trusts me at all. No, Fitz. I'm going to take my time and get to know her ... have her get to know me."
"But you're besotted, already, Darce. I don't see why you're going to take your sweet time with this. And don't forget her 'mystery man'. Do you want him swooping in and sweeping her off her feet before you even make a move?"
"Everything is in hand, Fitz. Don't worry about me."
"Of course I'm going to worry about you, what is family for," he asked, nudging his stoic cousin in the side.
"Needlessly badgering me about things that are not at all their business?"
"Exactly! Cheer up!" and chuckling, the two men headed over to the bar.
The party ordered drinks and found a table near the middle of the room. The band started playing, and everyone found them to be excellent. Darcy tapped his foot and watched Liz dancing in her seat.
When the band began playing a slower song, Liz stood up and bowed to Fitz, saying with a wink, "I believe I owe you a dance, kind Sir!" Fitz laughed and accepting her arm, was escorted to the dance floor. Jane and Bingley laughed at their display, and Darcy fidgeted in his seat, waiting for his turn. Unfortunately, his turn was not to come that night, as the band didn't play another slow song, and everyone was ready to call it a night after a couple of drinks.
Darcy had his limo take everyone home, and he arrived at his townhouse where he walked to his study. Sitting down at his desk, he turned on his computer and checked his email. A while later, Darcy finally went up to bed.
Chapter 5 Posted on Thursday, 16 November 2006
When Liz woke up, she stumbled into the kitchen and groggily made a pot of coffee. She had not stayed out the previous night very late, but the combination of food and drink had acted like a sedative. After she poured herself a large mug, she made her way to her study and turned on the computer.
She had email. Smiling, she opened the latest correspondence from Mr. Pink.
Dark Maiden,It sounds as if you had an enjoyable evening for the most part. I am sorry that your friend seemed out of sorts; hopefully they are fully recovered now. It is one of the most enjoyable things, I believe, to be surrounded by friends and those that care about you. Unfortunately, for most of my life this was a rarity for me. I have little family left, and even fewer true friends. But those I do have, I treasure, and would do anything for.
My business is moving along at a good pace. I am hopeful that it won't take as long as previously anticipated.
I was reading a most amusing book the other day, titled "My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist". Modern literature sometimes throws me, I must admit. I am a fan of the classics; but in movies, that is another matter. I am quite fond of recent films, action movies and comedies most particularly.
I apologize for this being a short missive, but I have an early morning tomorrow. I eagerly anticipate your next letter.
Sincerely yours, Mr. Pink
Liz laughed out loud and decided that she was going to visit a bookstore as soon as possible.
Liz went back and reread the previous emails she had received, the smile on her face growing larger.
to:dm4id3n@quanta.com
from: mrpink@quanta.com
Re:Re: pen palsDark Maiden,
I am sorry to disappoint, but I cannot 'even the score'. In regards to knowing your identity, I will not say one way or the other. I really hope to continue this anonymity for as long as possible, and until the day our identities are revealed, you shall be my "Dark Maiden, beautiful flower of the night who dances the tango like I've never seen".
I very much hope to continue our 'conversations', as well.
Hmm..." deep, dark, purple." I know exactly of what you speak. My favorite color is deep blue, ultramarine, cobalt, etc ... blue so 'blue' that it glows from within. The blue of the midnight sky on a clear night over the beaches of Tahiti.
I am more of a tea drinker myself. I used to drink a lot of coffee, mostly in college, but as I have grown older, I find that my stomach cannot handle it. Oh the hazards and pitfalls of age! That and squeaky knees. Do your knees squeak?
I am originally from the City, although I spent most of my childhood at my family's other properties, and I spend a lot of time on the west coast for business, as well as in Europe. I followed my father into his arena of work, as well, and I have a younger sibling. My apartment seems a bit empty too, but I don't know if I'm there enough to have a cat. It would be lonely there for the poor thing, and I would end up having to get a pet cat for my pet cat.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Sincerely yours, Mr. Pink
Dear Lady in Red,
Business is doing well. I still do not know how long it will take to wrap up my affairs here, and it grates that I am not where I would wish to be. C'est la vie, non?
Have you ever noticed that you can see the spectrum in a sunset? Just after the sun has dipped below the horizon, there is a brief moment where you can see all of the colors, even the green, in the sky in a subtle gradient with the deepening indigo directly overhead. I hope I am not the only person who has noticed this ... that and if you are eating Lucky Charms cereal and take a gulp of grape juice, the combination tastes remarkably like Dutch apple pie.
My mind is rambling ... this is what all work and no sleep does to a man. Can you please come and visit me in my dreams?
Yours,
Mr. Pink
Chuckling to herself, she got dressed and drove over to Jane's where she spent the rest of the weekend, as Charles had to go out of town for one of Caroline's 'crisis'.
"What did she do, break a nail?"
"Lizzy! That's not nice..." Jane said, trying to hide her grin.
"It may not be nice but I bet its close to the mark. So, how did Charles peel himself away from you?", Liz asked over the rim of her coffee mug.
"Well, it is his sister, Lizzy. I would do anything for you, why should you think that he wouldn't do something for Caroline?"
"Hmm ... good point, I guess. So, are you doing anything next weekend? Is 'the gang' going to get together again anytime soon?"
"There's a concert on Wednesday that everyone is interested in going to, so I'll let you know about that. Charles and I have plans for dinner on this Friday and the next, but I'm sure that if you got hold of William and Fitz, they'd be glad to do something with you those nights."
"The concert sounds good, but I'm not sure about Friday," Liz said, chewing her lip.
"Why not? I thought you got along with William now?"
"Oh, its not that. I would just feel awkward going out with only them. Its more comfortable when we're a group. As much as I like Fitz, and Darcy and I seem to get along now, I would feel odd without you and Charles there too."
"Well, you just don't know them well enough yet, I understand. Maybe you could bring Steve with you. Everyone seemed to like him and get along," Jane suggested.
"Perhaps, we'll see. Then again," Liz began, her eyebrow arching, "it might be nice going out with two or three, very attractive men by myself. Who should I have carry my bag, and do you think a large fan and being fed grapes would be over the top?"
"I think you've been hanging out with Steve too much," Jane said, giggling. The two sisters settled in for a lazy weekend, watched several of their favorite movies, and did not fight over the ice cream ... too much (Haagen Daas' Mayan Chocolate is to die for).
Elizabeth went back to work on Monday, and was soon engrossed in a case the firm was handling. She and Steve were both pulling in extra hours, and often took their work over to Steve's apartment, where they would pour over a mountain of documents until late at night.
"Remind me again why we are doing this?" Steve whined.
"Because you know how important this case is to the firm ... and as junior partners we get the short end of the stick," Liz grumbled.
"I hate short sticks..." Steve said under his breath. Liz glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and caught the barely-contained smirk forming on her friend's face. "Steve ... really!" Liz said, rolling her eyes.
"Sorry, darling. Couldn't help it!"
"Oh L*rd. I can't do this anymore. My eyes feel like two, burned-out holes in my head," Liz groaned.
"Ok, Lizzykins. You go home now. I'll finish this up for the morning."
"I can't leave you with all of this!"
"Liz, we're almost through with this section, there's only this small pile left. Believe me, I can handle it. Go home, soak a bit, and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning, toots," he said and kissed her on the forehead.
"Alright, if you're kicking me out, I guess I'll go. Thanks, hon," and after standing on tip-toe to return the kiss, Liz went back to her apartment, where she kicked off her shoes and immediately fell asleep. This was the pattern for the entire week. Elizabeth couldn't make it to the concert with everyone else, much to their regret, and it wasn't until the weekend, with the case finally on track, that she could have a moment to herself.
Saturday morning, Liz lounged around in her pajamas for as long as she could. She looked at the contents of her fridge, and after seeing nothing but a week's worth of Mister Chung's take-out containers, decided that she had to go out, lest she die of a rice overdose. After getting dressed, Liz did her usual rounds of the markets and her favorite stores. She found a copy of Mr. Pink's "My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist" at her favorite bookstore, and sitting down in a little park, read while munching on a croissant, laughing away.
When she was finished, she dropped her bags off at her apartment, and walked over to Steve's to check up on him. He was out, so she continued her stroll down the street, listening to the sounds of the city.
"Elizabeth?" she heard a short while later.
Turning to look, she saw a sleek jaguar pull up to the curb. Leaning down slowly, Liz finally got a look at the driver. "William! Good thing it was you, I'd hate to waste my pepper spray," she said with a laugh. "What are you doing on this side of town?"
"Just going for a drive ... and I stopped by my bookstore," he said hurriedly, not wanting her to know that he had hoped to run into her.
"One of the great things about New York ... everyone has a favorite bookstore!"
"It's good to see you, everyone missed your company on Wednesday. Are you headed anywhere in particular? Do you need a lift?" he asked, hoping he didn't look or sound like an excited puppy dog.
"I'm sorry I couldn't go out with everyone to that show ... work was crazy this past week. I thought I would go for a walk today, since its so nice out and I haven't seen anything but paperwork for days ... but thanks anyways."
"Mind if I join you, or is this a solitary ramble?"
"Um," she began, biting her lip, "sure if you want to."
"If you want to be alone, its ok, Elizabeth. I just figured you might want a bit of company, and I have nowhere to be today," he said, trying not to sound disappointed in her hesitancy.
"Oh! I'm perfectly fine with it William, I just thought you'd be going somewhere ... you look like you are," she said, noticing he was wearing a blazer.
"I had breakfast this morning with Georgie before she had to get back to homework. Hold on a moment," Darcy flashed her a grin and parked the jaguar. Liz stood there and tried not to get caught watching him unfold his long limbs and gracefully get out of his car. "Steve's right, d*mmit ... he really is one fine-looking man..." Darcy walked over to her and gestured for her to continue walking. His long legs fell into a comfortable step next to her.
"Do you often walk this way?"
"Yes ... there's a little park about another two blocks away. I usually go there on nice days when I'm free. There's another park about six blocks behind us, I was there earlier, but the one we're headed to is my favorite. Oh, I hope you don't mind. If you want to go somewhere else..."
"No ... no ... a park is a great idea. After being at Pemberley, having to be in the city again makes me homesick for some green and trees. All of this concrete becomes grating and depressing after a while," he said with a smile.
"Too true. If I were you, I would never leave Pemberley. I couldn't imagine ever leaving such a wonderful place. How can you bear to?"
"'Tis the price of doing one's duty, I guess. I can't conduct all of my business from Pemberley, although I would love to, so coming into the city is necessary. It's alright though, I have too many people who depend on me ... too many jobs at stake ... I couldn't ignore all of that for the lure of Pemberley," he said with a serious and distant look in his eyes.
"You really love what you do?"
"Yes," he answered with a small grin. "I had to take over the company when my father died, and many people thought I was too young to be handed the reigns to such a big corporation ... but I knew that I had to succeed. For myself ... for my father ... for Georgie ... For everyone who was depending on me for their livelihoods. It has been difficult, but it is more than worth it."
By this time they had reached the park and the two found a bench under a tree where they continued their talk.
"So a life of duty and responsibility ... .what do you do for fun? Obviously you don't go 'clubbing' with Caroline..." Liz said with a teasing grin.
"According to Fitz I look at blotches of paint and listen to bad music ... you missed a good show, by the way. I love to spend time at Pemberley ... .go riding, take some time to read, see the occasional movie or play.." he mused, furrowing his brow.
"Alone?" she asked, trying with all of her might to make it sound like an innocent query.
Darcy's lips twitched imperceptibly, "Sometimes Fitz or Charles comes out to the house. Georgie used to go with me to some things, but with school, she doesn't have a lot of free time."
"Well, don't you take dates to movies or parties or anything like that?"
"I don't go on dates," he mumbled, a slight flush tinging his cheeks.
"Oh come on!" Liz snorted in disbelief. "I have seen the pictures of you at events and parties, you know. You have a different date every night, from the looks of it."
"No ... .you've seen pictures of women draping themselves all over me like leeches. Half of the time I don't even know their names. And don't even get me started on the photographers ... All of it disgusts me ... Believe it or not, I haven't had a girlfriend in about two years," he said, blushing slightly and looking at his feet.
Liz rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Seriously. Her name was Anne. She was ... nice, I suppose. I broke it off when I overheard her talking to her mother about how she was 'so close' to making me propose and how she would completely redecorate Pemberley to suit her taste after we were married," he said with a sad sigh. "I really liked her, but it turned out to be all an act. She just wanted my money, like almost every other woman I've known. Anyway, she was the last person I've ... been with," he said, looking away.
Liz looked at him in consternation. His account did not fit what many people had said at Pemberley. Not to mention the woman she saw coming out of his room one night.
"So ... what about Emily, then?" she asked in a toneless voice.
"Emily?" Darcy repeated, whipping his head around to look Liz in the eye. "I assume you are talking about the woman who broke into my room and crawled into bed with me one night?" he demanded, his eyes flashing. "Sorry," he said, taking a breath to calm himself after noticing Liz's slightly startled look. "I don't mean to bite your head off ... it just ... it just made me see red! Can you imagine what its like ... trying to sleep in your own house ... in your own d*mned bed, and people are breaking in so they can ... and she insinuated we had before ... You bet I made her leave!" he said heatedly.
Liz sat there contritely, twisting her hands. She felt awful. "I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to pry ... but ... well, so many women talk about sleeping with you. A lot of women at your party were even saying it. You have to realize that a lot of people think of you as a bit of a ... well ... a..." she bit her lip and flushed, not able to look at him.
Darcy sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know," he said dejectedly, "it's been that way for a while now, ever since I took over the company. But believe me, its far from the truth."
The two sat in uncomfortable silence. The ease they had felt earlier was gone. Liz shook herself and stood up and ran over to a swing set nearby. Sitting down on the swing, she quickly started pumping her legs and gained height. "Come on!" she yelled over her shoulder at Darcy.
Darcy stood up and walked over to the swings and leaned against the frame, hands in his pockets. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" he asked as Liz was sailing by.
"Its fun!" she said laughing. "You need it, believe me!"
Darcy shook his head and sat on the swing next to her. He began to swing, more slowly than Liz was, but after a short time he was reaching Liz's height and laughing along with her.
"Isn't this great?" Liz laughed again and sputtered. Darcy turned to look at her, and chuckled at the sight. Liz's hair had come loose from her ponytail and blown into her face, effectively blinding and nearly choking her.
"Slow down, crazy woman," Darcy said, slowing his own swinging and jumping off smoothly. When she had slowed enough, he reached out and grabbed the chains, effectively bringing her to a halt. "Here, let me..." he said, brushing her hair out of her face.
"And people wonder why I want to shave my head," she said with a rueful chuckle, her cheeks still tingling where Darcy had touched her.
"Don't you dare!" Darcy said in shock. "You have beautiful hair ... don't ever change it, I beg you."
"Ok ... ok, don't get your panties in a twist," Liz said, trying to put it back in a semblance of a ponytail. "So, do you feel better?"
"Actually ... I do. Thanks. I can't remember the last time I went swinging," he said with a smile.
"Well I had to do something to lighten the mood. Sorry about bringing all of that up, I didn't mean to upset you. How about some ice cream? Or lunch, my treat!"
"You know I'm not going to let you pay for me," he said with a smirk.
"Oh yes you will," she said and grabbed his arm to drag him back to the sidewalk. "There's a nice café down the street ... great sandwiches."
They found the café and had lunch. Neither talked much and just enjoyed the company of the other. When they were finished, Liz reached over to grab the check and Darcy tried to snatch it out of her hand.
"I told you I was getting this," Liz said, raising her brow.
"And I told you I'm not going to let you," Darcy said with a smirk.
"Too bad, Will. I invited you for lunch, so I'm getting the tab," she said triumphantly.
"You dragged me to lunch," Darcy said with a chuckle. "Alright, you win this round. But ... by using your argument, if I were to ever invite you to a meal, I would pick up the tab, correct?"
"Um..." Liz began, chewing her lip.
"You really have a problem with other people paying for things, don't you?"
"I guess I do. I've always disliked the hidden motives behind some men's buying women gifts or dinner ... ..the whole "I paid so I get laid" mentality. Not accusing you of that, or anything ... besides, I make decent money so why can't I pay for myself or treat from time to time?"
"I don't see a problem with that, but you didn't answer my question."
"Well ... to use my argument against me, I guess I could let you pay if you invited me," she grumbled.
"Good ... how about dinner ... on Friday? My treat."
"Oh? Are you going to invite everyone? I know Jane and Charles already have plans for Friday ..."
"Um ... no," he began nervously. "I was thinking about it just being you and me."
"You mean like a date?" Liz asked laughingly.
"Well ... ..it would be... a date," he said in a low voice, looking at his ring that he was twisting around his finger.
Liz sat there wide-eyed, her mouth a perfect "O" in her surprise. "Oh..." she finally managed and looked away. "A date? I thought were just friends?!" She sat there in silence for a while, reviewing all of what she knew of Darcy and their acquaintance so far. He seemed like a nice guy. He was funny, intelligent ... evidently not someone who slept around ... But was he someone that she could be in a relationship with? Especially when Mr. Pink was around? "Wait ... why does it have to be a relationship? It's just one dinner for G*d's sake!"
Darcy's heart had stopped while he sat watching Liz say nothing for a long moment. When she finally said that she would have dinner with him, he nearly fainted with relief.
"Yes? Are you sure? You seemed to be deliberating on your answer for quite a while. Am I that distasteful or were you calculating Pi to the hundredth decimal?"
"Nothing like that," she said with a smile. "I'm just ... surprised. And I haven't been out on a date in a while ... except with friends."
"Well, I hope we're friends."
"I thought that was established," she answered with a shy smile.
"So ... you don't really date ... and neither do I ... should I bring some safety equipment so we don't get hurt while we're flailing around in our inexperience then?"
"So we'd be sitting in a restaurant looking like hockey players then? Oh my, what a field day the photographers would have!"
Darcy's smile immediately slipped from his face and his brow furrowed.
"Is something wrong?"
"No ... no ... it's fine, it just got me thinking," he started, and noticing Liz's look of silent query, "well, since I don't want to deal with or subject you to idiots with flashbulbs, I guess there's only one solution: I'll make you dinner." At Liz's stunned look he quickly added, "I can come over to your place." "Smooth, Darcy ... smooth. You just pushed her too far! Idiot!"
Liz sat and chewed her lip for a moment before she said "Sure..." in a quiet voice. Darcy tried to quell taking a sigh of relief and took a gulp of his water.
"Is that ok? I mean, we can just go out if you'd prefer ..."
"No, its fine. I just haven't had anyone over to my place except for Jane and Steve, and I'm sure its not what you're used to."
"What do you mean?"
"Its not a penthouse by any stretch."
"I'm sure its quite large enough to accommodate my big head, Elizabeth," he said with a deprecating grin, eliciting a chuckle. "So, what should I make, or should I surprise you?"
"Surprise me ... then again, you're probably just going to cater it!"
"Hey! I'll have you know that I cook ... I spent untold hours in the kitchen at Pemberley when I was a kid ... just watching the staff at first, then diving right in. And since I don't have a chef here in the city, I cook for myself and Georgie all the time."
"Is there anything you can't do?"
"Am I your idea of an 'accomplished' man?" he said with a laugh. "I've already told you that part. I can't talk to people easily."
"Well, that is a fault that I can't laugh at ... you are safe from me!"
"Am I? I'm sure you'll find another way," he muttered wryly.
"Oh, so you've seen enough of my frankness to realize that?" she said teasingly.
"'Frankness'? I'd call it being a smart*ss."
"Are you sure you I'm going to let you come over on Friday now?" Liz said archly.
"Of course you are! How can you say no to such a handsome, rich, and charming man like myself," he quipped.
"Now who's the smart*ss!" she chuckled. "And don't ever say anything like that in my mother's hearing. She'd have you chained in the basement before you could blink!"
"Erm ..."
"Oh! Sorry ... long-running joke of the family. It's my mother's sole purpose in life: to have all of her daughters secure rich men and marry them! She's very angry with me right now because I didn't come back from Pemberley engaged and I'm going to end up an old maid."
"You can't be serious!"
"I am! You should have heard the messages she left me on my machine when I was gone. And the moment I got back she began haranguing me about taking my three youngest sisters to Pemberley so they could be 'thrown in the paths of other rich men'! It's embarrassing, really. I know she means well, but I guess I will end up an old maid, for who would want such a mother-in-law?" Liz finished with a giggle.
Darcy just shook his head and silently hoped that he'd never meet the woman, although, if things went as he wished, he would have to meet Mrs. Bennet in the future.
Noticing Darcy's expression, Liz continued, "As I said, she means well, and my father would release you from bondage, anyway."
"What is your father like? You mentioned he was a professor."
"He's the chair of the law department at Columbia. He got me interested in law when I was very young, and I guess I followed in his footsteps. He's very quiet; he prefers to sit in his study and read, but he has the most wry, sarcastic sense of humor when you get him going."
"I guess you take after him, then.." Darcy interrupted.
"Cute. I think he's a very good man, but sometimes he's a little negligent as a father. He spent enough time with me and Jane ... me especially, but the younger girls he leaves alone for too long, and then wonders why they take after my mother. I know he became very busy because of school, but I wish he would take the time to spend with his family."
"I know ... and I felt the same way about my father. I know he loved Georgie and me, but didn't spend as much time with us as we'd like because of the company. That was one of the first things I did when I took over; realigned some of the departments and hired new people to take over running some of the divisions for me. If I have a family of my own, I want to have as much time to spend with them as possible. I don't want my kids wondering who the strange man named 'Dad' is."
"I just worry about my sisters at times. I know they have to the potential to do more with themselves and their lives, but my father's lack of participation has left them with too little guidance and too much of my mother's 'advice'."
"Two of your sisters are in college, are they not?"
"Yes ... Mary and Kitty. They're both at Columbia, as well. Mary is majoring in music and Kitty is still undecided. Lydia's in high school."
"It can't be too bad if they've made it into Columbia. Maybe they both just need to grow and spend time away from the family on their own."
"One can only hope. Oh well, enough of my family ... although I could talk about Jane non-stop!"
"Your sister is a very nice woman. She makes Charles very happy," Darcy said.
"Oh Jane is wonderful, I really couldn't have hoped for a better sister. She has the sweetest disposition and the kindest heart. And Charles makes her very happy, too. I think my mother may have her dream come true someday soon."
"What do you mean?" Darcy asked guardedly.
"I keep telling Jane that I hope she and Charles get engaged soon. They're perfect for each other! And I've never seen my sister so in love before. I was just joking about my mom, although I think she'll probably die of happiness if she sees Jane get married."
"Oh..."
"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Liz asked with some alarm.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I got worried when you said that your mother might have her dream come true. I've known Charles for years ... we've been best friends since college, and I've seen him in and out of love more times that I can count. Well, its infatuation, really; but with your sister, he's different. He really loves Jane ... but ... I used to have a feeling that she didn't love him back. Now, I told you not to take this the wrong way," he said hurriedly, holding up his hand to stem the angry tirade Liz appeared to be on the edge of releasing, "I like Jane, I really do ... but she always seemed too serene about everything. She appeared to enjoy Charles' attention and company, but didn't seem to be touched by it. And then you said that your mom wanted her daughters to 'secure' rich men ... it got me worried. But you said that your sister loves Charles ... that is a great relief ... and I can only hope now that your mother does get her wish. You're right, Charles and Jane are perfect for each other."
Liz sat there for a moment quietly seething. "How dare he! Thinking that Jane is just a gold-digger!" She clamped her jaw and looked away from Darcy and stared blankly at the street. Darcy fidgeted and cursed himself.
After a while, when Liz's temper had calmed, she began to see the validity of Darcy's words. "If he has to deal with women chasing him for his money, I can guess that Charles has had his share too, even if he's not as rich. And he's right ... Jane doesn't show her emotions openly. I can see how someone who doesn't know her well would think her heart is unlikely to be touched. He's just being honest ... and now that he knows that Jane does love his friend ... he's really happy for them. Ok Liz ... simmer down ... let the poor man know you're not going to strangle him ..."
"Sorry ... I guess I can see your point ... even though its wrong," she said softly.
"I know its wrong, and I'm sorry if you felt I was attacking your family in any way. I guess I'm just too used to type of women that hang around me and Charles all the time ... the ones after a bit of fame or money ... But as you said, your sister loves my friend, and I can only hope that they're happy together. Charles is such a great guy ... he deserves to be happy."
"And Jane deserves it too. She is one of the best people that I know."
"To Charles and Jane.." he began, picking up his water glass, "may they make your mother happy and you an aunt very soon!"
Liz's eyes widened, and stifling a snort, raised her glass as well.
They both left shortly after and walked back to Darcy's car. "Can I give you a lift?"
"Oh, I'm fine ... it's only a few blocks from here."
"Well, I'd like to know where you live anyway, so I know where to go on Friday ... if we're still having dinner that is," he said as they got into the car.
"Why wouldn't we?" Liz asked with surprise, motioning for him to make the turn.
"I would think that after this day you might not want to anymore," he said.
"Considering the very start of this friendship ... it shouldn't surprise anyone that there's still some miscommunication going on. Besides, I'm a crazy woman ... you're a bad mutha ... we're both stubborn and opinionated..." she said trying to coax a smile.
"Now that I agree with ..." he said, a small smile gracing his lips. "Ok, so dinner is still on and it's going to be a surprise. Is this the place?" he asked, pulling up in front of a handsome brownstone building.
"Yep, I've got the apartment on the top floor."
"I thought you said you didn't have the penthouse!" he said in mock indignation.
"Well.." she began shyly, "thanks for the walk, the talk, and the ride. I'll see you Friday," she said, getting out of the car.
"Elizabeth, wait! Can I get your number ... ?"
"Oh ... see! I told you that I haven't done this in a while!" she said laughing and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Scribbling down her number she walked around to Darcy's window and handed it to him.
Darcy reached for her hand and held it for a moment before kissing it lightly and releasing it. "Talk to you soon ... bye Elizabeth," he said with a large smile, and drove off leaving Liz to stand there and unconsciously caress the spot on her hand that his lips touched.
She made her way up to her apartment and flopped on the couch. "Silly girl..." she chided herself. Picking up the remote, she spent a couple of hours flipping channels and catching a movie or two. A grumbling stomach reminded her that she hadn't had a bite since lunch several hours before, and after making some soup, she grabbed the bowl and went into her study and got online.
After reading some news articles she checked her email. Nothing. Sighing she was about to log off when she heard a 'ping' and saw a window open up.
"mr.pink invites you to chat.Ignore Accept"
Liz was startled for a moment. She had sudden and unbidden flash of guilt. "Why should I feel guilty? I only danced with this guy once and have emailed him a few times ... and Darcy ... it was one lunch and we're having dinner. Big deal. Nothing will come of any of this.." she told herself, and clicked on the 'Accept' button.
"mr.pink: How are you this evening, Dark Maiden?"
"dm4id3n: Very well, Sir. And you?"
"mr.pink: Attempting to work and failing miserably. I have run into a snag and it is taking quite a bit of untangling. Have you ever run into a problem like that?"
"dm4id3n: Hmm ... 'fraid knot."
"mr.pink: ... ... ... . that is perhaps the worst pun I have ever heard. How should I punish you for inflicting that upon me."
"dm4id3n: Sorry. Couldn't help it. You lined up the shot and I had to take it."
"mr.pink: I wouldn't have pegged you for an opportunist."
"dm4id3n: If someone leaves you an opening like that, you have to take it. It's a moral imperative."
"mr.pink: So humor and bad puns are your religion?"
"dm4id3n: At times, o'ye of little faith'."
"mr.pink: Enough, Madam! Please desist or I will forward you chain letters for the next month!"
"dm4id3n: Now you're just being cruel :P
Liz spent the next few hours online chatting with her masked man. Glancing at the clock she gasped.
"dm4id3n: Oh my ... I've got to get to sleep. Do you realize that we've been talking for over 4 hours?"
"mr.pink: Has it been that long? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up so late. I think I could talk to you forever, but go get some rest."
"dm4id3n: I know ... I could talk to you for ages too. But you're right ... I've got to get going. Well ... good night ... sleep tight ... and I'll chat with you another time."
"mr.pink: Sweet Dreams my Dark Maiden. And when I go to sleep, I hope to have visions and dreams of an alluring woman in dark red silk dancing in my arms."
"dm4id3n: And I hope to have dreams of a dashing, masked man. Later, Mr. Pink," and she logged off. Standing to stretch she sighed deeply, realizing that while having dreams of a man in a mask, she'd probably be dreaming of a tall, dark, handsome man by the name of William Darcy standing right next to him.