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St. Louis
In the next days that passed, Elizabeth felt something changing in Will's attitude. He practically smothered her with attention-something she often times had to force herself not to like. He sent her flowers almost everyday at work, convincing the entire staff that he was absolutely in love with her and, according to Charlotte, actually putting a "girly" touch in her office. Elizabeth and Leah were staying at Jane's apartment until the wedding, and without fail Will drove there every night for dinner and to put Leah to bed.
He asked her advice on everything and every once in awhile she would catch him staring at her with an odd expression on his face. She couldn't quite explain what the look was-something like regret, perhaps, but more than that, something deeper. His looks disconcerted her. She was afraid that that little bit of regret meant he was having doubts about their decision.
As she sat in his car, staring out the window at the familiar landscape on the way to her parents' house, they were both strangely silent. Elizabeth noticed Will continuing to glance at her out of the reflection on her window. For some unknown reason, she felt like crying. Her parents' house came into view and broke through her thoughts. Will had volunteered to help Elizabeth clean her stuff out of the attic. The old apartment had been so small that a lot of her possessions were still stored at her parents' house.
Will opened the door for her, as he was suddenly doing more often. She stepped out and smiled at him, trying to rid his face of the anxious look that had lately taken over. He didn't smile at her, but took her arm to help her up the steps. Elizabeth could not contain her rolling eyes.
"Will, I have been walking up stairs safely since childhood," she teased softly as they made their way to the house.
He simply shrugged and offered to carry her purse. Thankfully, the door opened and Thomas greeted the couple. As was her custom, Elizabeth flew into his arms, squeezing him tight. Will watched with envy. Would there ever be a time during their marriage where she would greet him like that?
"Hello, Ace. Hello, Will," Thomas said, widening the door so they could both step in.
"Good evening, sir," Will responded with a hearty handshake.
"Where's mom?"
"She's already upstairs clearing out your stuff. She's made it her project for the day."
Elizabeth grinned as she led Will up to the attic. Years ago, Thomas had come up with an idea to keep his often over-bearing wife occupied. Every week, he created special "projects" for her-as he called them. These ranged from sewing buttons on every member of his high school team's uniforms, to hanging curtains, to planting and arranging flowers. Sue enjoyed the distraction, and the rest of the family enjoyed when she was distracted. However, if Elizabeth knew her mother, which of course she did, old, sentimental throw-outs that were stuffed into the attic was just the kind of thing she would sit for hours reminiscing about.
Sure enough, Sue Bennet was sitting in the middle of a pile of boxes, sniffing and dabbing at her eyes. She looked up when the two entered the attic.
"Do you remember this, Elizabeth? It's your first doll. What did you name her?" She held up a pathetic looking rag doll and waved it in front of her daughter's face.
Elizabeth grinned. "Babe, I named her Babe."
"That's a cute name for a doll," Will stated, and then asked, "but what is that black stuff under her eyes?"
"I named her Babe for Babe Ruth. The black stuff is the reflector that baseball players put underneath their eyes. At least, that's what I wanted it to be."
She laughed at his face and tossed Babe back into her box. Mother and daughter got to work. Will quickly found that when he tried to help, he just got in the way. His best use was to carry heavy boxes down to the bottom floor.
"Use some of those muscles," Elizabeth winked, as she gave him an encouraging smack on the back while he tried to balance two huge boxes in his arms.
Finally, when most everything was cleared out, Sue went downstairs to check on dinner.
"How you have so much stuff is beyond me," Will muttered as Elizabeth loaded him down with the last box.
"Just be careful with that one, will you?" She asked as she followed him down with a much smaller and lighter one.
"What? More dolls?"
The constant walking up and down the stairs doing nothing but carrying boxes had put Will in a bit of a surly mood. In all honesty, Elizabeth was glad for it. The always- happy-and-ready-to-serve Will kind of threw her off and she found she didn't really like it all that much. His grumpiness was kind of cute.
"Actually, that box has some of my awards in it." She could almost hear Will rolling his eyes. Elizabeth grinned.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You have a couple cheap T-ball trophies in here or something?"
Elizabeth set her box down in the living room and laughed at Will.
"I probably do have some of those in there, yes. What I'm worried about is the gold medal, though."
Laughing all the way into the kitchen, Elizabeth could barely refrain herself from sneaking a look behind her shoulder. She wouldn't have been disappointed; amazement was the look on Darcy's face. After a quick check into the box, he started after his fiancée. She was setting the large kitchen table with four spots. Will grabbed her from behind, in what he knew would look like a rather intimate hold-for the benefit of Sue Bennet (and he was sick of lying to himself, he enjoyed it, too, gosh darn it!)-and whispered into her ear, "You are such a sneak."
Elizabeth shivered as his warm breath tickled her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother watching them with a content look on her face. Of course Will was doing it for show. He never grabbed her like this unless a friend or family member was around.
"I'm not a sneak! You just never asked," she stated calmly, twisting out of his grip and giving him an imp of a smile.
He stood there staring at her while she completely ignored him. Well, she tried, at least. He caught her glancing at him from underneath her eyelashes every few seconds or so. One time she smiled and winked at him and handed him four glasses with a pointed look. Will felt his heart slipping and calmly told himself to get under control.
"So?"
Elizabeth feigned an innocent look. "Yes?"
By that time, Thomas was helping Sue place the spaghetti on the table, although both were watching them with curiosity.
"Are you going to tell me how you got a gold medal?"
"Sure, I will, Fitz. Rhythmic Gymnastics, of course." She got a big kick out of that one, laughing so hard she almost missed her father's next words.
"Tickle her."
Elizabeth immediately shut up and gave her dad one heck of a glare. Being rather used to them, both Will and Thomas ignored her. Quite the devilish look appeared on Will's face as he turned to consider the woman to his right. Before he could make a move, however, mother saved daughter.
"Stop horsing around, you two, and sit down. I worked up quite a hunger."
Instantly contrite, Will sat down and even led the prayer. He was intent upon hearing the story of the gold medal, however, and was not going to let it drop.
"Now that I know your weakness, Miss Bennet, I will not be above blackmail." Will's smile exuded an air of confidence.
Elizabeth answered back by sticking her tongue out at him, which brought on an instant reprimand by her mother. She had to kick Will to stop him from laughing. Suddenly, like lightning-for that was honestly the only way she could think to describe it-a thought entered Elizabeth's brain. She was flirting! She, Elizabeth Grace Bennet, was flirting...and with the man she was supposed to hate.
"Are you going to tell me or not?" His air of confidence was slowly deflating as he sat waiting for her to tell her story.
She seemed to snap out of the trance she was in and gave him a small smile.
"I played softball all through college and when I graduated, I was invited to pitch for the professional team. The natural step after that was to try out for the Olympics."
"Of course, she didn't really have to try out, Will, dear. They all but begged her to play," Sue broke in with, what she obviously thought was, a hushed voice.
"Oh, mother, stop! After I made the team, we played, and we won. That's really all there is to it."
Will was trying to process all this information, but it came as a huge surprise. For goodness sake, he was going to marry an Olympian, and a very successful one at that. Was Elizabeth ever going to cease to surprise him?
"So you were on the 1996 team?"
She swallowed a bite of spaghetti. "Actually, I was on both the teams that won the gold medal."
The nonchalance that bespoke through her words was astounding. They were talking about the Olympic Summer Games, something most athletes simply dreamed of participating in, let alone winning.
"I'm surprised you haven't seen her tattoo yet, Will. It's absolutely appalling that a daughter of mine has a tattoo, but she claimed it was necessary," Sue proclaimed as her husband rolled his eyes.
Will turned to stare at Elizabeth. She had mentioned a tattoo before but had adamantly refused to let him see it.
"Mother, there is no reason why Will needs to see my tattoo. It was just team building, after all."
"Team building? Whoever heard of getting a tattoo for team bonding? It is absolutely disgusting if you ask me," Sue continued as she buttered a piece of French bread.
"Well, mother, I didn't ask you, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Not to mention the fact that you yourself have never even caught a glimpse of it," Elizabeth in a voice that stated she was through discussing the topic.
"What position did you play?"
Elizabeth sighed. "Pitcher."
"Didn't you watch the Olympics? She was what everyone talked about, you know." It seemed that Sue Bennet was going to continue to gush over her daughter.
"Hardly, mother. The team was mentioned, but not always me specifically," Elizabeth was desperate to change the subject. She turned to her father and begged him with her eyes to help.
"So how is JD's arm coming along? We going to see him in the lineup soon?" Chalk one up for her dad!
"Ha, I wish. Wouldn't that be nice? At least they have been able to keep winning without him. Now that Edmonds is hitting again, they're not struggling so much from the left side." Elizabeth sighed, willing to keep talking about something safe.
"So how are the wedding plans going?" Thomas asked next.
Darn. Wedding plans was not a topic considered safe by any means. Elizabeth had figured it was futile to make it through an entire meal without talking about the wedding. She was beginning to loathe the word. There was still so much planning for her to do and every night she went to bed without accomplishing anything, she just envisioned Will's face giving her that disapproving look. He didn't seem to understand how hard it was to plan a wedding in a couple months.
"Very well, Mrs. Bennet. My sister is flying in this weekend and she can always help Elizabeth with anything she needs done."
"How old is your dear sister, William?"
"She is eighteen, just finished with her first year of college. Usually she lives with me during the summer but she has been spending some time with her aunt and uncle in New York."
"It seems nice that you are able to get along so well even with the difference in your ages," Sue commented and for the first time since sitting at the table, Elizabeth didn't want to kick her mother for what came out of her mouth.
"She has such a sweet and natural disposition, it is hard not to, honestly. We've had to learn to rely on each other more in the recent years and I'm sure that has created a bond different than some siblings might have," Will commented in a quiet voice.
Elizabeth gazed at him in alarm. He had suddenly turned melancholy, moving forkfuls of spaghetti around on his plate and not looking at anyone. Of course he was going to turn morose at the topic. It had to be a reminder of his parent's death. Before her mother could continue to pester him, she'd have to move fast.
"Well," she said standing, while grabbing Will's plate from under him, "it looks like Will is done. I can clear up the plates, mom, while you get out the desert."
"Nonsense! I'll do all the work here, young lady. It is not often you don't have Leah with you and I'm sure you both could use some time alone," Sue told her, beckoning with her eyes to the living room.
Heat immediately began to flare, turning her cheeks an absolute red color. Thankfully, Will seemed to still be in his trance, continuing to stare down at the table, apparently not even noticing the absence of his plate.
Elizabeth stood up and was about to leave the table when she felt the warmth of the hand she was getting used to on hers. It always amazed her at how many calluses scarred his palm. What was it exactly about being a CEO that caused calluses? Looking down, she was surprised to see Will staring up at her. Words were not spoken, but as Elizabeth gently squeezed his hand, she understood exactly what he had meant.
"Anytime, Will," she smiled, feeling a sense of loss when he let go of her hand.
After he had stood up from the table and pushed his chair in, however, he took her hand again and allowed her to lead him into the living room. Instead of sitting down, she kept going straight through, off into a room he had never seen before.
"What's this?" he asked softly, reveling in the feel of her small hand in his own.
"Our trophy room. You seemed so interested and all..." Elizabeth finished off by shrugging.
It seemed impossible, but his sassy and often unashamed Elizabeth was completely embarrassed. Will smiled softly, hoping that their hand- holding affected her as much as it did him. He gave her hand a squeeze and was delighted to see the blush on her cheeks heighten even more. This was a side to Elizabeth he'd never experienced before and while he liked the fiery side better, he enjoyed this softer side as well.
Elizabeth knew that he was looking at her. To her mortification, just that simple realization made the color on her cheeks intensify. There was a gentle warmth surrounding her hand and for some reason her heart was pumping like she was pitching in the ninth-inning with the game on the line. The feelings made her want to hug him, wondering how it would feel to have his warm arms completely enveloping her. Her blush got hotter, making Elizabeth believe her face was now the color of a very ripe tomato. What was it about Fitzwilliam Darcy that got to her? She had never remembered blushing before in her entire life and here she was reddening like a schoolgirl.
Suddenly Will broke into a huge smile. "Is that you?"
He moved closer to look at the pint-sized t-ball player doing her best to give the camera a ferocious look, bat in position as if ready to hit one over the fence. Even at about five, Will could still recognize that look in her eyes: supreme confidence. She was absolutely adorable.
"Quite vicious, huh?" Elizabeth laughed, feeling much better about being out of his scrutiny, but not quite as happy to realize he had let go of her hand.
Will continued to look at the side of the room that was dedicated to her. Awards, pictures, and medals littered the wall and he could not help but gain even more respect for his future wife as he went along. Elizabeth had kept her secret well.
"You played baseball in high school?" he asked, incredulously.
"I sure did. We won State three years running. Honestly, I like it better than softball."
"Why'd you stop it then?"
"I seriously contemplated trying to play in college, but didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to make that a reality. The thought of making it a court case gave me shivers. Not to mention, I didn't think I was pitching fast enough to get balls past the guys, then."
"You fared well in high school, though?" Will wanted to know everything about the child Elizabeth Bennet was.
She shrugged, reluctant to give him the truth. Truthfully, she had taken a lot for playing on an all-boys team and all-boys sport in school. Some girls looked at her with disgust, some with envy. Most of the guy's girlfriends could not stand them being in such close proximity with another girl. Elizabeth never saw what the fuss was, though. They were her teammates and she would never have thought about breaking into that barrier by starting to date any of them. She had always considered herself "one of the guys." However, that attitude hadn't sat well with some guys at her school. They had been cruel: sneering at her, calling her names she would never repeat, and claiming she only made it because her "precious daddy was coach."
"What was your final ERA?"
Again Elizabeth shrugged as if she couldn't recall, but Will would bet his best business that she remembered exactly what it was.
"I guess it was somewhere around two...or so," Elizabeth mumbled as she moved onto a different wall, this one proclaiming the accomplishments of Jane.
"Around as in lower than two or slightly above?" He was obviously impressed.
"Does it really matter?" Elizabeth asked, carefully studying a picture of Jane and her parents at her graduation from law school.
"Of course it does. I played baseball in high school and I don't know many pitchers whose ERA was under two."
"By my senior year, it ended up at 1.77," she stated simply.
Will was growing more impressed by the minute. While baseball had definitely not been his sport, he had enjoyed it and was above average. The speed and consistent arm he had acquired through football certainly helped him in the outfield. His teams had never won State, but each year they had a winning record and were highly competitive. There had only been one pitcher in all four years that had an earned run average under two-in fact, it had been under one. Last Will checked, however, that kid was now a major league pitcher.
"You graduated from Mizzou?" Will asked as he noticed a graduation picture.
Elizabeth nodded. "I got my journalism degree from good ole University of Missouri-Columbia. Familiar with our school?"
Now it was Will's turn to be evasive. He didn't want her to find out about his football years at Florida State just yet. It was fun knowing that they had met earlier and that she couldn't remember it. That would be worth definite blackmailing points later on.
"We weren't in the Big 12, so I wasn't as familiar with you as I could have been."
Before Elizabeth could question him, he moved onto Jane's wall, itching to grab her hand again. In fact, he wouldn't mind doing a few other things as well but was pretty sure Elizabeth might kick him hard for any of it.
They both looked at Jane's various awards, Elizabeth pointing out her medals for track and cross-country. Although Elizabeth never bragged about herself, she seemed more than happy talk about any of her sisters' accomplishments endlessly. He saw the medal Jane won for finishing a marathon with the best female time. Mary Bennet's "English Student of the Year" award from Yale was on display as well as her award for contribution to the St. Louis County Libraries. Elizabeth proudly told him she was the Head Librarian in the St. Louis area.
Kitty Bennet's talents seemed to range in the sewing department. Pictures of amazingly beautiful dresses were on display, as well as certificates and prizes for most of the designs. Apparently she was still in school working on her master's in Costume Designing.
The room was smaller with three and a half sides completely filled to the brim. One half of the farthest wall was absent and it did not take Will long to figure out why. He didn't say anything, waiting to see if Elizabeth would begin.
She was silent as she stared at it for a few moments. Elizabeth took a deep, shuddering breath and then he felt his heart just about fly with elation when she grabbed his hand for support.
"This was Lydia's wall. After she...died, well, my mother couldn't stand coming in this room and see her accomplishments staring at her in the face. I can't say that I really blame her..." Elizabeth trailed off and Will could see she was losing herself within, just what Will had done at dinner.
"So you're the great pitcher, Jane's the runner, Mary's the English Major, Kitty's the designer...what was Lydia's talent?" He asked softly, trying not to probe, but wanting to get her mind off Lydia's death. It was a lot easier to remember when she was alive; at least it was in his case.
Elizabeth smiled. "She was the actress. Lydia loved to be on a stage with everyone's eyes focused straight on her. Actually," she amended, "it didn't have to be on a stage. Lydia liked to have eyes on her all the time. I never understood if it was because she was the youngest or what, but she did things just to get attention...Lydia was certainly a challenge to my parents, though I must confess my mother probably loved her the most out of all of us. Lydia was truly my mother's daughter.
"Especially with me, Lydia seemed to try to make being sisters a contest. She saw where my love for softball had gotten me and she was determined that she would be just as well-known in our town and with our friends." Elizabeth sighed. "I don't know why she felt threatened by me. I tried so hard to give her nothing but love..."
The pain in her voice was pulling at him. In a way, he could understand how Lydia might have felt threatened. She had had four older and quite talented sisters. She was the baby, probably spoiled, and maybe a little left out. It was obvious to Will that Elizabeth had not quite forgiven herself for Lydia feeling this way, even if she had no real control over it. In fact, it almost seemed as if Elizabeth was plagued with a guilt trip about her youngest sister's death.
After a few more moments of silence as they stared at the blank, white wall, thoughts in completely different directions, Elizabeth spoke again.
"Well, now you know everything about my sisters. When am I going to learn about the illustrious Georgiana?"
"Want to come with me and pick her up from the airport Saturday?"
Elizabeth gulped as Will flew down the highway Saturday afternoon. When Sir had found out that Elizabeth was getting married, and more that his daughter was going to be a bridesmaid, he immediately told her she would not be covering any more away games to make sure she had enough time to finalize wedding plans. Personally, Elizabeth was slightly disappointed, but knew it was the best idea. However, with the way Will was driving, she wasn't sure they'd ever be getting married. He just might kill them.
"Will! You totally just cut that guy off!" she yelled, waving to the man behind them who returned with a not so nice gesture.
Will shrugged. "I used my turn signal just for you, though."
"Do all rich people drive as bad as you do?" she asked, checking the speedometer and noticing he was going twenty over the speed limit.
"I'm not going to answer that because I don't believe that I drive bad at all."
"I was simply trying to tie in a connection with rich people driving horribly and rich people always having a chauffeur. It makes sense, you know. Did you have a chauffeur?"
His silence and the way he was pressing his lips together gave Elizabeth all the answer she needed.
Laughing, she couldn't help but tease him. "Well, Mr. Darcy, that does explain a lot."
He shot her a dark look before focusing his attention on the truck that was breaking his ultimate highway rule. If you drive in the fast lane, drive fast. While he was distracted, Elizabeth quickly tried to change the radio station. Her hand was still a good foot away from the controls, when Will's voice practically gave her a heart attack.
"My car, my choice of music, Elizabeth, dear."
"Oh, come on! You do not listen to normal music!"
"There is nothing wrong with Frank Sinatra. You are un-American if you down Frank."
"What, you're on a first name basis with the man?" she asked, rolling her eyes as he began to sing along, just to annoy her she was sure.
"Luck be a lady tonight..." Will sang, pointing right at her.
Elizabeth was surprised at the quality of his voice. She supposed Frank was better, but she really couldn't tell that much of a difference. Granted, she listened to music if it had a nice beat and she couldn't distinguish the difference between a good singer and a bad singer. She supposed it was because she was tone deaf, or at least that's what Lydia had shouted to her one morning after church.
"Haven't you seen Guys and Dolls before?" Will wondered out loud as the truck finally got tired of Will riding two inches from his rear and changed lanes.
"What is it? A movie?"
Will burst into laughter. "You are so sheltered from everything but baseball, my future Mrs. Darcy."
"That's not quite true. I know a lot about softball, too," Elizabeth pouted, crossing her arms across her chest and trying her hardest to scowl at him. Darn it if he just wasn't so adorable when they fought.
Not surprisingly the usual forty minute drive was shortened almost in half, Elizabeth noted as Will pulled into a tight spot in the parking lot. The car beeped as Will locked the doors and stood waiting for her. As she walked closer to him, she was taken aback when he grabbed her hand and began to walk into the building and to the right terminal. The buttery feeling in her stomach quickly thawed as she realized he had to put up a good show in front of his little sister.
Of course, Will and Elizabeth arrived at the terminal just as the first passengers were leaving the plane. His punctuality never ceased to amaze her. While she struggled to simply make it to meals on time, Will easily seemed to have an internal clock.
"So what does your sister look like?" Elizabeth asked, keeping her eyes focused on the people getting off the ramp.
"Nothing like me," he smiled.
Elizabeth smiled back at him. The thought of seeing his sister again had certainly put him in a good mood. A little green monster that most people had nicknamed Jealousy sprang up and began to whisper in her ear. Why isn't he that happy to see you? Elizabeth shrugged the thought aside, thinking of how excited she would be if she were seeing one of her sisters after a long separation.
"Where I'm dark, she's light. I frown; she smiles. I have dark eyes, hers are bright blue..."
Will's comparisons were interrupted by a loud squeal of, "WILL!"
Both turned in time to see a slight blonde-haired form literally fly into Will's arms. Then he was hugging that form with all his strength and kissing her forehead, his smile so wide and genuine it almost startled Elizabeth.
When the siblings pulled apart, Elizabeth could see tears forming in the younger's luminous eyes. How could I have ever thought he was so unfeeling or arrogant? Okay, so the arrogant part she could still see sometimes. However, he had proven over and over again-whether with his interactions with Leah, to his dealing with her parents' feelings, to this display of affection with his sister-that he was a man who certainly felt emotions.
Elizabeth noted that Georgiana was glancing up at her shyly, seemingly unwilling to initiate the conversation. This was not the girl she expected, as Will had always seemed to look out for her 'fury.' She smiled kindly at the younger blonde.
"You must be Georgiana," Elizabeth said, skipping her outstretched hand and going straight for a hug.
Will's sister seemed surprised but squeezed her in return. As she stood back, Elizabeth was able to get a good look at the teenager in front of her. If there even was such a thing as a delicate beauty anymore, Georgiana Darcy was it. She wasn't extremely tall but her long and thin limbs made her appear so. Her hair was worn past her shoulders and it curled slightly. It was her face that made Georgiana so pretty. Large blue eyes dominated her features, her cheeks seemingly flushed as if in permanent embarrassment, and a tentative smile stuck on her face. Georgiana made Elizabeth want to protect her and could see why Will was always so attentive with calling his sister every night.
"Please, just call me Ana. Georgiana is much too formal for me," she said softly, half averting her eyes.
Suffice to say, Elizabeth was charmed. By the end of the day, she promised herself, she and Ana would be great friends. Taking her by the arm, and telling Will to get his sister's luggage, Elizabeth began leading her out of the airport.
Will watched both of them go with feelings he really couldn't understand and was afraid to name flying in his heart. From the first moment he had met Elizabeth, even when he had found her lacking (which he still couldn't understand to this day), Will knew she would be a wonderful influence on his sister. Ana had always been a quiet girl growing up, but had become almost reticent after their parents death. She had just been breaking out of that shell when Wickham hit. Feeling the usual anger that accompanied the thought of even his name, Will pushed through them to dwell on what was happening in front of him. Ana was laughing. It felt so wonderful to hear his baby sister laugh. When Elizabeth glanced back to smile at him, he felt his heart all but catch in his throat. Elizabeth would be so much better off with a man she could love, but here she was getting ready to marry him. The smile he returned was hard to force as the usual feelings of guilt threatened to take over.
"You know, Ana," Elizabeth started and by the volume of her voice and the teasing grin he had grown accustomed to, Will knew she was speaking for his benefit, "for as fast as your brother drives, he certainly doesn't walk with any speed."
To his delight, Ana joined right in. "You let him drive? I'm surprised you made it here alive."
Both women laughed at his expense but he honestly did not care one bit. Seeing Ana so at ease was enough that they could mock his driving skills-yes, they were skills-as much as they wanted to. After all, he knew deep down they were just jealous, anyway.
"I told him as much, but he just ignored me and cut someone off," Elizabeth kept laughing.
"You think you have it bad? Guess who taught me how to drive?"
Will shook his head in amusement, hefted Georgiana's two suitcases into his hands, and marched past them to the car. They were soon settled on the road, not without the two of them cracking a few more jokes, including Elizabeth stealing his keys and Ana locking him out.
"How long will you be in town for, Ana?" Elizabeth asked, as she desperately tried to keep her concentration off the road.
"Just for your wedding," she answered.
Elizabeth looked over at Will, posing the silent question, and he seemed to know what she was asking. Grinning, he nodded slightly.
"I don't think so, young lady. You are going to be staying much longer than that. After all, I need some time to get to know my new sister."
Georgiana blushed and rushed, "Oh, Elizabeth, I don't want to put you and Will to any trouble."
"Sweetie, it will be no trouble. I've been begging you to stay with me for awhile anyway." He grinned at Elizabeth. "Plus, now we can get free baby-sitting."
Georgiana perked up as soon as she heard the word. "Oh yes, I would love to. I am well qualified, Elizabeth. Honest."
"I wouldn't doubt you," Elizabeth assured her, seeing the fleeting doubt shadow her eyes.
Georgiana was true to her word. Her smile grew at least twice as large the moment she laid eyes on Leah. Her ways with children seemed to be natural as Leah reacted to her much the same way. When Elizabeth left the room to pay Maria Lucas, Georgiana was sitting on the floor next to Leah, both of them giggling.
After she saw Maria to the door, she walked back towards the living room. Will leaned against the doorframe watching the scene in front of him with a small smile on his lips. He was literally beaming, Elizabeth thought, as she grinned at him.
"A little happy about seeing your sister again?"
Will laughed ruefully. "Does it show?"
Elizabeth lifted a sardonic eyebrow, smiled, and began to walk past him. The hand that grabbed her forearm surprised her. She looked up to see Will simply staring into her eyes, almost as if he was waiting for her to say something. The Great Will Darcy, Cool-as-a-Cucumber-Darcy actually looked nervous.
"Yes?" She finally mustered.
"Are you free tonight?"
"Tonight? Well, I don't know. Leah and I had a big night planned."
"Oh, really?" Will teased, crossing his arms across his chest and bracing a shoulder on the wall.
"Of course. I was going to watch the Cardinal game and she was going to eat, mess her diapers, and fall asleep. Definite girl bonding time."
"Would you mind going to dinner with me, as long as I guarantee to have you back by the fourth inning?"
"Fourth inning you say? Top or bottom?"
"Top, of course."
Elizabeth shrugged. "Since Sir limited me to only home games I've got nothing better to do."
"Thanks for squeezing me in," he laughed, filled with relief that she had answered so quickly. "I'll pick you up around five-thirty. Ana would love to baby-sit, I'm sure."
"Okay, then. It's a date."
Let's hope, Will thought. I'm just so afraid I'm going to be making the biggest mistake of my life.
"Oh, William?"
Will heard his sister's singsong voice from in front of his mirror while he was trying on shirts. Calling her in, he ripped off the light blue and pawed through his closet for a different color. After a gentle knock, Ana entered without saying a word and sat on the bed, watching him. Once he had found the black shirt he was looking for, he turned towards her.
"May I ask you a question, Will?"
Instantly, his head went up, glancing at his sister warily. She had that all too innocent expression on her face, proof that she was about to try something.
"You know I can never deny you anything, Georgie."
Georgiana scrunched up her nose. "Well, in that case, stop calling me Georgie! I told you I hated that name when I was twelve."
Will shrugged, and then grinned. "I suppose to me you'll always be twelve. It was so much easier back then."
Without thinking about how those words might have a double meaning to her, he began buttoning up his shirt. Expecting a tart retort in reply, he was surprised to see Ana sprawled on his bed, tears running down her face.
"What is the matter?" He asked, obviously concerned.
Whenever Ana began to cry he still felt so incredibly inept. He never knew quite what to do. Most of the time he just blundered his way through comforting her in some sort. However, Ana hadn't had a breakdown like this for a long time-or at least in front of him. She was obviously still more fragile then she let on.
Georgiana sniffed loudly and wailed, "I've been a horrible sister. I've been the worst sister you could have ever asked for!"
Instantly, Will was next to her on the bed, holding his sobbing sister in his arms. Guilt coursed through him immediately. Obviously she had been hiding these feelings from him and he should have been able to catch on when they talked every night. If anything, he was a failure as a brother. To his surprise, Will realized Ana was still mumbling.
"I know that you never wanted to become a father during college and I know that you didn't even want to take over daddy's business but you did because you wanted me to be supported and have an inheritance and I know that you warned me about Wickham but I just ignored you and I know that I tried to make up for my mistake by insisting you take care of his child and marry Elizabeth and I know that you don't want to get married to someone you don't love and..."
Will stifled a laugh at her run-on sentence. This was his Georgie-always blaming herself for everything. Her doctor had told him that came with what George had done to her. It was all the more reason to want to beat the man to a living pulp.
"Ana, first let's get some things cleared up," he instructed her gently as he handed her the box of Kleenex next to his bed. After she had cleaned up a little, he continued.
"You are my sister and I love you. I would do anything for you and I know you would do exactly the same for me. Raising you wasn't very hard since you tried to be as perfect as possible, a little too perfect for my liking."
"Well," she sniffed, "I didn't want to be any trouble."
Will chuckled and hugged her tight. "You weren't. Will you ever believe me?"
Ana smiled against his shirt. "Maybe."
"You're such a tease," he told her, feeling that her moment had passed and she was back to her usual self. "Now what were you going to ask me about?"
He went back to buttoning his shirt, glancing self-consciously in the mirror.
"About Elizabeth..."
Will lifted an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"Why doesn't she have a ring?"
The fingers deftly buttoning suddenly stilled. Of course Ana was going to notice something like that. Well, it was time to come clean. Unbeknownst to him, his little sister had a pretty good idea about what was going on. As a young child, she had held a certain hero worship for her older brother that had carried over to her young adult life. Her brother had his faults; she certainly knew that. However, he also had many qualities to offer a wife. And after meeting Elizabeth this morning, Georgiana instinctively knew she was the perfect woman for Will-caring, but playful; intelligent, yet witty; beautiful but down-to-earth. It might take time, and they were obviously working through the early stages, but she was confident they would end up very happy with the arrangement.
"Ana, our relationship...so to speak...hasn't necessarily gotten off to the right start."
"Oh, Will, you didn't..."
"I didn't what?" He asked, immediately defensive.
Ana threw herself back down on his bed. "You pulled your stuck-up CEO act, didn't you?"
"I did no such thing!" He announced, his lie only more pronounced by the red that was rising on his neck.
"Will, how could you?"
"Hey, I only stated how beneficiary our marriage would be for her," he muttered.
"I bet you used those exact words, too. Man, you're lucky she's even speaking to you," Ana accused, scowling at him.
"Yeah, well, we seem to be getting along better now."
"Okay, and she agreed to marry you?"
He hesitated. "Yes."
Georgiana didn't miss a beat. "Why the hesitation?"
"She was sort of coerced by the situation to marry me." Before Ana could begin to question him, he filled her in with the details.
"The point is, Will, that she did agree to marry you and you have a wedding coming up very soon. So where's the ring?"
He motioned towards his dresser. "Top drawer."
Georgiana made a face. "I don't want to look at your underwear."
"Funny. You're getting funnier by the minute."
Opening the drawer, she first noticed his socks in complete disarray, but then noticed the small velvet box. She looked up at him, confusion etched on her features.
"Tonight when we go to dinner I'm going to propose to her."
Realization hit Georgiana full force and she smiled at her brother with pride. Will was shook from his thoughts when she vaulted herself into his arms and squeezed him with all her strength.
"Sometimes you are just too noble for your own good."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Answer me this: Do you want to marry Elizabeth?"
Will shrugged evasively. "I don't know."
Georgiana lifted an eyebrow, but continued. She knew the answer to her next question, but she was going to ask it anyway. "You like her, though, right?"
Will smiled. "It's kind of hard not to. Trust me, I tried."
"Do you love--"
"I care for her-a lot. Can we just leave it at that?" Will interrupted.
Georgiana grinned from ear to ear. "I suppose we can." Suddenly she sobered. "Will, what are you going to do if she says no?"
Will shrugged sullenly. "Respect her wishes, of course."
With a soft smile and a kiss on the cheek, Georgiana exited the room, leaving in her wake a pair of gray slacks and a light blue shirt folded on his bed.
Elizabeth glanced critically in the mirror, studying her reflection. After a moment of inspection, she pulled off the shirt in anger and threw it towards her bed. The shirt, however, hit her entering sister square in the face.
"Lizzy!" Jane protested, peeling the shirt off her head, carefully folding it and then returning it to the bed.
Elizabeth was too busy looking through her other clothes to spare her older sister a glance. Jane was getting quite a glance at the room, though. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, bed, and dressers. One shirt even hung from the top of a windowsill. Jane shook her head.
"What is going on?" Jane shouted over Elizabeth's mumbling.
Elizabeth's head shot up and she stared at her sister in wonderment, as if she had just noticed her presence. Jane smiled. This was looking good.
"Why didn't you ever tell me I don't have suitable clothes? I think everything I own are either cotton T-shirts, cotton sweatpants, or cotton shorts."
"I have told you that before. You came back with, 'I like cotton.' " Jane mimicked.
Sticking her chin out defensively, Elizabeth replied, "Well, I do. It's comfortable."
"Doesn't help you much in this situation, though, does it?" Jane teased with a smile.
"Jane Bennet!" Elizabeth accused, scowling. As always, though, she could never scowl at her sister for too long before she began to grin. Jane Bennet was just not the kind of person one could scowl at.
As was her habit (a habit that annoyed her sister to no end), Jane began to tidy up the room. Elizabeth sat dejectedly on the bed, her black shirt misbuttoned, watching through the angry slits her eyes had become.
"What exactly is the problem, Lizzy?"
Elizabeth shrugged and blew a stray piece of hair out of her face, proceeding then to fling herself down on the bed. Here it comes. Somehow Jane had a way of making Elizabeth say things she had never meant to betray.
"My problem," she began cautiously, "is that I have a date in half an hour and cannot find anything to wear."
Jane eyed her, eyebrow gracefully dipping upward. Elizabeth scowled. How could her sister be so perfectly polished that even her facial expressions were filled with grace? Elizabeth was lucky to make it through a meal without spilling something on herself.
"Honestly, Jane, that's it."
"Since when have you ever cared what clothes you were wearing? What happened to the I-don't-care-what-people-think-about-me-Elizabeth-Bennet?"
Shooting another dark look, Elizabeth refused to answer.
"Is it perhaps that you just care what a certain person thinks? Could that be the problem?"
Elizabeth met her sister's stare, trying to successfully hide her discomfort.
"If you are referring to Fitzwilliam Darcy," she said haughtily, "then you have made a grave mistake."
"Really? Hmm...is that how you're going to wear your hair tonight?"
Instantly, Elizabeth glanced critically in the mirror at her long tresses, hanging free. Darn it, she knew she should have just worn it up like normal.
"Why? It looks bad, doesn't it?"
Jane smiled wickedly. "That's just the thing! You never wear your hair down!"
Feeling as though perhaps Jane had caught her in some trap, Elizabeth thought carefully before defending herself.
"I just though I'd try something new," she stated with nonchalance.
"A new style that just a few days ago the one and only Fitzwilliam Darcy said he liked best?"
Elizabeth gasped. "Just what are you insinuating?"
Jane simply smiled and evaded the question. "Is that your make-up out in the bathroom?"
"Yes..." She replied hesitantly.
There was that dang triumphant grin again. Elizabeth was starting to hate the sight of it.
"Since when did you start wearing make-up for your dates? I thought make-up was only for certain occasions like weddings and television interviews."
Crossing her arms angrily across her chest, Elizabeth turned away from her sister.
"Just what are you trying to prove?" she muttered.
"Why do you think you're going through all this trouble?" Jane answered.
Silence reined the room for several long moments. Jane was worried she had pressed her sister too far when Elizabeth finally turned around. Her face looked pained and there was a certain kind of wild fright in her eyes.
"I'm doing it for Will!" Came the mournful cry.
Grabbing her sister's arm in a viselike grip, Elizabeth pleaded for answers.
"What do you think that means? Jane, please help me!"
Older sister smiled gently and sat down next to younger sister. In many respects, it seemed as if Elizabeth had the upper hand in most things. And it was true that when someone wanted advice they almost always sought out the darker haired sister and not the blonde. Still, to Elizabeth, there was no one better to go to for words of wisdom than her big sister.
"I think, Elizabeth," she started softly, "that you like Will very much."
After a few moments of reflection, Elizabeth nodded her head.
"It does appear so," she admitted morosely.
"Lizzy, you don't have to sound so sad about this!" Jane laughed, patting her sister on the back. "It's wonderful that you feel something about Will. You are about to marry him, after all."
"I know, Jane, I know..."
Jane noticed the hesitation immediately.
"But?"
"But I'm afraid."
Wrapping her hurting sister in a warm embrace, Jane searched for the right words.
"Lizzy, you don't have to force any feelings you are not ready to give. On the other hand, don't repress any feelings, either." She felt her sister nod. Pulling away so that Elizabeth was looking her straight in the eye, Jane continued. "Lizzy, Will is not...him."
"Oh, Jane, I know that but I can't help feeling like I'm walking on fire here. It's taken me so long to...What will happen if I get hurt again?"
"I can't answer that, sweetie. What I can tell you is that you can't keep your heart bottled up for fear of losing it. Some things you just have to risk."
Kissing Elizabeth on the forehead, Jane left her to ponder her words, leaving a yellow shirt and a pair of gray dress pants folded neatly on the bed.
When Will buzzed up to Jane's apartment-exactly at 5:30, of course-Elizabeth felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Taking a deep breath and refusing the urge to glance in the mirror one last time, she stepped into the foyer right as Jane opened the door for Will. Locking eyes, they both paused to stare-as if each trying to convey some silent message. Finally, Elizabeth broke eye contact, letting them roam over his person.
With a tingling in her stomach, she noticed the way his shirt accented the breadth of his shoulders and his commanding height. His hair was wet and curling, as if he had just stepped out of the shower. The clean, soapy scent drifting from his direction proved her assumption correct. There was no doubting the fact that Will Darcy was one darn attractive man. Now that she wasn't so busy despising him, Elizabeth allowed herself to admit what she'd known all along.
Will, as well, was making an appraisal of the woman in front of him. As usual, her riveting, dark eyes immediately captured his attention. The brown hair framing her face hung loose past her shoulders, and he couldn't help but notice how soft and shiny it looked. Smiling at the thought, he realized he was really losing it. However, there was something different about her hair. Quizzically, Will looked up, into her eyes.
"Your hair is curly." It was as much a question as a statement.
Elizabeth smiled at him. "It's always curly. I just usually use a very strong straightening shampoo."
With a shrug at his careful perusal of her curls, Elizabeth slung her purse over her shoulder and walked over to kiss her niece goodbye. Jane had waved off Georgiana's offer to baby-sit, claiming she and Leah hadn't had a night out in awhile.
"Jane, I promise to have her back by the top of the fourth," Will teased, grinning like crazy.
Shoot. He has a dimple-a very, very, very cute dimple. Darn it. Darn it to heck. I am not going to make it through tonight.
"...right, Elizabeth?" Jane asked.
"Huh?" She was forced to ask, feeling like a complete idiot. Because of her stupid fascination with Will's dumb dimple, she had turned into some swooning southern belle.
"I told Will you wouldn't mind being home a little later. Maybe even the sixth?"
All Elizabeth could manage was a shrug. Will grinned again and took her hand.
"Say hi to Charles for me, Jane," he teased as he pulled Elizabeth out behind him.
The shutting of the door muffled her response, which only made Will laugh more.
They were both strangely quiet as they made their way down to Will's car. Will was a little nervous about he was going to proceed with the night-after all, he had certainly never proposed to a woman before. He wasn't quite willing to count that first time with Elizabeth as a true proposal. The thought of it was quite embarrassing, actually.
Elizabeth was quiet for a fairly different reason. She wasn't sure what had happened to her, but it wasn't good. Since she had admitted to herself about five minutes prior that Will was attractive, she couldn't seem to get over the fact. Her mind was gushing about the way the blue material of his shirt contrasted with his tan skin and the way his smile lit up his eyes and the way those same eyes got that little sparkle in them when he was about to tease her and how his hand was so strong and warm holding hers...Oh, man. This evening was not going to work!
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Will interrupted her thoughts.
Lifting an eyebrow, she stared at him for a few moments before she nodded her consent. He held the door open for her and when they were both seated inside, continued.
"Why is Leah so physically behind normal ten month olds?"
Elizabeth almost sighed in relief. Leah was no longer a personal question. Since Will was going to become her father, her young life was pretty much an open book.
"She was born three months early and had to stay in the ICU for almost thirteen weeks. She had a lot of problems early on, her breathing and her heart. Mixing her premature birth with the fact that Lydia was so young and didn't always take care of herself, made Leah's birth a complete miracle. In more ways than one, of course."
Will gazed at the joyful expression on her face and felt himself openly reacting to her. Honestly, he had to grip the steering wheel with all of his strength to refrain himself from taking her in his arms and kissing her.
Elizabeth shrugged, oblivious to the train of Will's thoughts, and went on. "Even when she was out of the ICU, we had a long recovery to go. It's still almost like she's three months behind in age. She can do most things that seven-month-old babies can do. My doctor assures me that she will end up catching up, but will probably always be smaller than the rest of her age group."
"She may be smaller, but I guarantee she will be smarter," Will stated in a doting voice.
"Oh no. It's starting already," Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head.
At his confused look, Elizabeth explained herself.
"I have noticed that in Leah's play group, the dads have quite the egos about their children. Honestly, we really have no idea if Leah will be smart or not."
Will shrugged. "We're both intelligent people and we are going to be raising her. Plus, I can see the intelligence in her eyes."
Elizabeth repressed a laugh after she realized he was completely serious.
"Oh, of course. I've seen it, too. Especially when she's thrown her food on the floor for the seventeenth time."
"Yet you still pick it up, don't you? I'd say that is pretty smart."
Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him. "So where are you taking me anyway?"
"You'll see," he smiled enigmatically.
"Actually, I just wanted to keep talking. It keeps my mind off your driving."
"Ha. Ha."
"Did Georgiana enjoy her first year of college?"
Thoughtfulness hit Will's features. "I should know. I called her at least twice a day, I think. Or at least that's what she accused me of."
Elizabeth laughed. "That's the way it goes, though. When Kitty started college, my mother really did call her everyday. Finally, Kitty told her she wanted to talk to her once a week, tops, but could live with once a month."
"Ouch. Your mom must not have liked that," Will grinned.
"Not quite. Kitty's a lot more outgoing than Ana seems to be, though, so I would assume her year was probably easier."
Nodding, Will continued. "She was scared to death of college, at first. Luckily, her roommate turned out pretty well and they became fast friends. Georgie ultimately needed someone she could confide in. Once Susan understood where Georgie was coming from, she helped her out in social situations. Georgie has always been good at school and college was no different. By the end of the year, I don't even think she wanted to come home."
He sounded sad and Elizabeth honestly took pity on him. Putting a comforting hand on his arm, she was about to speak when Will flinched away, as if her hand was a poisonous snake ready to strike. Blushing, she mumbled an apology and turned away. It was obvious Will only wanted her physical contact when there was an audience.
In reality, Will had been so adamant about not touching Elizabeth, that when she had, he reacted without thinking.
"Sorry about that. You scared me," he lied, knowing he did a bad job of it when Elizabeth nodded her head without looking at him.
He pulled into a parking spot, walked around to open the door for Elizabeth, and was dismayed to notice that she was no longer willing to take his hand. Great job, Darcy, really great. You expect her to marry you when you act like her touch repulses you?
Walking into the Italian restaurant, Elizabeth noticed that Will had chosen her favorite. Still upset about what had just occurred, it somehow angered her that he knew exactly where to take her.
"Did Jane talk to you about this restaurant?"
Will shook his head no. "An employee told me the Old Spaghetti Factory is a great place."
"It is," she muttered as a hostess talked to Will and then led them downstairs to a small and rather secluded table.
Looking around, Elizabeth began to get suspicious. She had been to the Spaghetti Factory many times because of its proximity to the stadium. She had been there with numerous people, sometimes players or owners. None of them had garnered the attention of a private table. Narrowing her eyes, she scowled at the man across from her.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing."
Will swallowed and dared a glance at Elizabeth. Arms crossed across her chest, frown scowling on her face, eyes glowering, she was the picture of a woman scorned. Sighing, he wondered how it always happened that he made her angry like this. Well, he would just have to tell her the truth. The fact that he could barely keep his paws off her probably wouldn't make her much happier.
Seeing the waiter making their way back to their table, Will made a choice quickly.
"I was using all my concentration to keep my hands off you."
Hmmm, somehow in his head it hadn't quite come out like that.
"Excuse me?" Elizabeth sputtered on her water.
"I was so busy trying to keep my hands off you, that when you touched me, it just took me by complete surprise." He smiled at the young waiter and then proceeded to begin ordering. "I'll take the lasagna meal, please."
"And for you, miss?" the waiter asked expectantly, turning to look at Elizabeth.
She was simply staring with her mouth open at the menu, obviously not really looking at it. Will wasn't even sure she realized the waiter had asked her a question.
"She'll take the spaghetti meal. We'll both take iced tea with a lemon."
Taking their menus, the waiter walked off in the opposite direction, leaving the two alone again. Elizabeth was still staring at him with astonishment written all over her face. It was almost as bad as her angry look.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, all right?" he muttered, taking a drink of water out of embarrassment.
Taking a gulp of air, Elizabeth ventured in a small voice, "You want to touch me?"
"Are you kidding me? I'm a male and you are quite an attractive woman. I don't have ice in my veins, you know."
This was said so nonchalantly, Elizabeth knew it had to be true. However, it wasn't quite registering in her brain.
"So you mean all those times you held my hand weren't just for show?"
Will laughed. "Heck, no." He paused and really looked at her. "Wait a second...You actually thought that I didn't want to...touch you?"
Elizabeth shrugged, a red tinge spreading across her cheeks. Looking down at her lap was much preferable to staring dumbly at her fiancée at the moment. The warmth of Will's hand over her own forced her to look up.
"Elizabeth, I might as well clear the air while we're at it. I like you; I like you a lot."
It wasn't a declaration of love by any means-not that Elizabeth would have wanted it to be-but the way he said it made her feel he was pledging his life to her.
Smiling, she replied, "I like you, too. A lot."
They both grinned at each other, blushed like teenagers, and quickly looked down at their clasped hands. Neither of them felt like moving from their current position as they talked and waited for their food. Dinner was a nice affair, with both of them talking about whatever came to mind-baseball, family, Leah, books, movies. It had been a long time since either was able to converse on the exact same intellectual level. After finishing Will's spumoni, Elizabeth asked him if he'd like to take a walk. His bright smile betrayed the fact that it had originally been on his agenda for the evening.
"I'll let you lead the way," he teased as Elizabeth grabbed his hand and began dragging him in one direction.
"Well, you don't know where anything is, do you?"
"Where are my offices located?"
"Downtown, of course. The mayor just about had a heart attack, I heard, when he found out you were relocating here. He wanted to make sure you had the best building."
"I guess I just might know my way around down here, then, hmm?"
"All right, Mr. Smarty Pants-where are we headed?"
Will chuckled. "Towards Busch Stadium, of course."
Scowling, Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows together. "Nice guess."
The night was actually quite pleasant for a St. Louis July. A breeze made the humidity less unbearable. Will was content to walk all evening, but felt the velvet box burning a hole in his pocket. If he didn't ask soon, he would probably expire. They were soon upon Busch Stadium and by Elizabeth's broad smile, he would have thought she had never seen it before.
"Isn't this the greatest sight in the world?" she sighed, glancing in front of her with care.
Shrugging, Will stated, "It's all right, I guess. Now Wrigley Field on the other hand..."
He laughed as the jab of an elbow in his side shut him up. Hand in hand, they continued walking along the sidewalks, stopping to look at the statues of past Cardinal greats. Looking for a specific player, Will smiled and halted suddenly.
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, startled at their hurried stop.
"Stan Musial. He's your favorite, correct?" he asked, pointing at the statue in front of him.
Grinning, Elizabeth turned to look at the inscription. " 'Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight.' How could he not be?"
"I suppose it's fitting then, that he's here to witness."
Confused, Elizabeth turned around only to find Will down on one knee, ring in one hand, with the most endearing look on his face. She was fairly sure her mind wasn't working. She was fairly sure she was hallucinating. What was he doing?
"Elizabeth," he began in a soft voice, never once taking his eyes off of her, "I know that you probably deserve someone ten times my worth. After the way I've treated you, barging in and trying to decide your life for you, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't hesitate on sending me on my way immediately."
Stopping to take a quick breath, Will continued to rush on, afraid she would interrupt. In all honesty, however, Elizabeth wouldn't have been able to do anything.
"So while I know that I am completely undeserving in asking you to marry me, I can't help myself. I am absolutely in love with Leah and I find myself wanting to protect both of you as best as I can. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that it would be absolutely unbearable for me to live the rest of my life apart from either one of you." He paused, hesitated for a moment and then hurried to finish. "Elizabeth Grace Bennet, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Elizabeth found that forming coherent sentences was a task she was plainly incapable of at the moment. Feeling a simpleton for staring at him with a dumbstruck look on her face, she tried to speak.
"Will...you...I..." It was not a very good try.
Taking her mumbles the wrong way, Will stood up and took her hands in his. Looking straight into his eyes simply made it even more difficult to act.
"I understand if you wish to refuse me, but please just tell me now. You have my promise that I will take you on your word and not bother you again."
Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Elizabeth did the only thing that came to mind. She flung herself at him and squeezed tight. Hopefully this display of affection would give Will the answer she could not find in herself to give.
"Am I to take that as yes?" Will asked into her hair.
Sensing her nod against his chest, Will let out a yell and swung her around in a circle. Elizabeth laughed, and when she safely had both feet back on the ground, took a step back. Placing a hand on his cheek, she smiled up at him.
"Of course I will marry you, Will. Leah and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Knowing full well he was smiling like a complete idiot, Will took the ring and slipped it onto her fourth finger. It looked very nice on her lovely hand. Catching himself on a sigh, he silently laughed at himself. Elizabeth was going to turn him into a lovesick puppy-or worse, into Bingley.
"It's beautiful, Will. Did you pick it out yourself?" She asked, while watching the way the diamond glittered in the moonlight.
"It was my grandmother's. She would have loved you," he murmured, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Taking her hand in his, Will began to walk again. Neither said anything, content to let the happiness seep through the silence. Finally, when they were almost to the car, Elizabeth turned and posed a question to Will.
"What exactly is it that makes you so undeserving of me, Will? I certainly can't see it."
Reddening and shrugging his shoulders, Will ventured an answer.
"After your sisters talked so much of your prince, the man you envisioned yourself marrying, I just knew I could never measure up."
Elizabeth bit her lip and allowed Will to open the car door for her. She was deciding if she wanted to risk a little embarrassment to ease his feelings. Finally, Will won out. Extracting a worn slip of notebook from her purse, she shyly placed it in Will's lap. He turned towards her with a confusion etched on his face, but began to unfold it at Elizabeth's insistent look.
" 'Elizabeth's Marriage List,' " he read the young scrawl with a grin.
"Please do not mock me over this, Will." Shrugging, she added, "But I suppose I simply had to show this to you."
After quickly glancing over it, he looked back up at her again.
"I still don't quite understand what..."
Flushing, Elizabeth snatched the list from his grasp.
"This is the infamous list Kitty was talking about. When I was a senior in high school I made a list of the top ten attributes I must have in my future husband. As you can see by the checkmarks...you apparently have every single one."
Narrowing his eyes, he grabbed the list back from her and read it over, Elizabeth turning redder from mortification. At last, he looked up to her and really smiled. Carefully folding the sheet of paper back to its original shape, Will calmly handed it back over to Elizabeth, betrayed only by the wild sparkle in his eyes.
"So you see," Elizabeth laughed, "you are quite deserving of me. In fact, I would venture to say that, strange as it may seem, you are the perfect man for me."
"Perfect man? And why exactly would you say that?" Will asked, failing at keeping the smile off his face.
Checking her watch, Elizabeth pointed out the time. "It is probably well into the seventh inning by now, Will. It has been a very long time since anyone or anything has kept me from remembering the baseball game."