Beginning, Previous Section, Section IV, Next Section
"Charlotte?" Elizabeth called out as she knocked on the open office door.
"Come in," she heard Charlotte mutter, on the phone and trying to write on her calendar at the same time.
"No, Bruce, I'm going to need someone to review the show at the Muny every week. Of course not every single night! Send Judy to the second show. She knows exactly how I want musicals reviewed."
Hanging up the phone, she gave a loud sigh and graced Elizabeth with a smile.
"I tell you-the Muny has been an institution here since before I was born. You think people would know how to write a review for it."
Elizabeth laughed and sat down at the edge of Charlotte's desk. Opening her mini-fridge, Charlotte grabbed a bottled water for herself and then grabbed a Blow-Pop from her desk drawer for Elizabeth. Grinning, Elizabeth began to unwrap the candy.
"You read my mind, Char," she stated with a laugh.
"Why else would you come in here?" Charlotte teased as her phone rang again.
Rolling her eyes, she picked it up.
"Charlotte Lucas. What? Bruce for goodness sakes, you don't need to buy a ticket! Just call the Muny's main office ahead of time to let them know you're coming."
After hanging up the phone, Charlotte let out a groan and laid her head on her desk. "Now I know how you feel with Bill."
"Ha. Is Bruce a sweaty, pompous toad who likes to flirt with you every chance he can get?" Elizabeth shuddered. "His hands are so sweaty they just about drip."
Charlotte gave her friend a disapproving look. "For as much as you complain about him, you know he isn't that bad."
"Isn't that bad?" Elizabeth all but shrieked. "You're right-he's worse!"
Shaking her head in disagreement, Charlotte took a swig from her water bottle.
"Bill Collins has a stable and steady job, you know, with chances for promotion. Your job and his job would have created matching schedules and would have been very easy to have a relationship around."
"Besides the fact that I feel sick just thinking about that," Elizabeth started, waving her left hand in the air, "you know I'm already engaged...which brings me to the point of why I'm here in the first place."
After Charlotte gaped at her ring for a few moments (Elizabeth found this to be a reoccurring experience. She could hardly blame anyone, however, since the ring was gorgeous) Elizabeth pulled an invitation out if her purse.
"First, there's this. Will and I are having a barbecue next Saturday at the house. Mostly it's so I can meet all his family," she whispered conspiringly, lifting her eyebrows for effect. "It will be pretty nerve-wracking."
"Why's that? Only because they probably all make more in a day than you make in ten years?" Charlotte teased.
"Ha, ha...thanks a lot."
"You'll be fine, Elizabeth! I have not known one person yet who you haven't charmed into thinking the world about you."
Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at Charlotte.
"You know, right now, your tongue is green."
Lifting the apple Blow-Pop in one hand, Elizabeth acknowledged it with a nod of her head and then continued.
"Second, I wanted to make sure you got your second fitting done for the bridesmaid dress."
Charlotte nodded. "Yes. The seamstress actually came to my house and did it. I was highly impressed."
"I know! Isn't she wonderful? Even for my fittings, she comes to me so I don't have to leave Leah. Apparently, she was Mrs. Darcy's seamstress for years and years and agreed to do the gowns for no charge." As an afterthought she added, "I'm sure Will is going to pay her anyway. She's actually letting Kitty help with the sewing as well."
"Sounds like there isn't much Will hasn't taken care of," Charlotte pronounced.
"What?"
"Every time we talk about the wedding, it's something Will has done. Will ordered the flowers, reserved the reception hall-"
"Oh no, we decided to have it at the house-"
"Will hired the seamstress, the caterers, sent out the invitations...Did you get to plan anything about your own wedding?"
Elizabeth felt herself blushing. "Well, I was supposed to. Will and I divided up the tasks and he finished his list before I had even looked at mine. I think he got sick of waiting for me to get done so he took over my jobs, too." She sighed. "He's been much too good to me."
"I don't know. I hear that future husbands are usually pretty good to their future wives."
"Oh, be quiet," Elizabeth told her, sticking out her tongue yet again. "So can you come? To the barbecue?"
"I need to review a new movie that day, so I may be a little late," she said, after checking her schedule. "I wouldn't miss the event in a million years. After all, where else will I get to taste catered caviar and rub elbows with the rich and famous?"
Elizabeth shook her head as she laughed. "I guess you'll still be waiting then. Apparently, Will is pretty religious about the word barbecue. He's actually cooking everything himself-well, meat wise, that is. He's setting up washers and badminton and the volleyball net. The pool will even be open for the kids." Elizabeth grinned mischievously. "I'm thinking about buying Will a chef's hat."
"If you gave it to him, I'm sure he'd wear it, too," Charlotte chuckled as she turned back to her computer.
Halfway to the door, Elizabeth stopped in mid-stride.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
Glancing up, Charlotte saw that she had gained her friend's absolute attention. Elizabeth appeared to be waiting for her explanation on pins and needles. She grinned inwardly to herself. Having figured out Elizabeth's relationship with her fiancée long before, Charlotte was anxious to bring the feelings she saw in her friend's eyes to the surface.
"I mean exactly what I said. The man practically worships the ground you walk on, Elizabeth."
Furrowing her eyebrows together, Elizabeth contemplated what she had just said. After a few moments, she shook her head with a smile.
"Oh, Charlotte, I think you're wrong about that. I mean, our relationship, so to speak, isn't..." Trailing off and turning red, Elizabeth tried to recover quickly, "What I meant to say was...uh...of course that's true. We are getting married after all. I mean-"
"Elizabeth, I have known for a very long time that you aren't marrying William Darcy out of undying love. For whatever reason, you two have seemed to come to some kind of arrangement. Rather medieval, if I must say so myself." Charlotte grinned to herself at Elizabeth's distraught look.
"Medieval? Isn't it Victorian?"
Charlotte thought for a few moments. "You know what, I don't care! You're evading the subject."
"I am not," Elizabeth pouted, immediately sitting back down in the chair she had vacated. "How did you figure out we weren't in love?"
Smiling, Charlotte shook her head. "I never said that you weren't in love, I said that I knew that wasn't the reason you were marrying each other."
Confusion etched in her face, Elizabeth was silent for a couple seconds until she spoke again. "They are one and the same, Char."
"No way, Jose. You might be marrying Will for a reason that isn't even remotely linked to being in love with him...but that doesn't mean you aren't."
"That's preposterous!" Elizabeth exclaimed, standing up in what was almost outrage.
"Watch out, Lizzy. That was four syllables; you don't want a brain vessel to pop."
Elizabeth glowered at Charlotte who was desperately trying not to laugh.
"Are you insinuating that I am in love with Will?"
Shrugging, Charlotte checked her watch and grabbed a folder off her desk. Keeping her grin in check, for the most part at least, she walked around her desk and headed for the door.
"You're just going to leave after a comment like that?"
Turning, she saw that Elizabeth was rather upset. Feeling just a bit sorry for her friend, since she obviously had no clue about how she really felt for her future husband, Charlotte took a few steps forward and placed a comforting hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.
"Yes. Yes, I am."
St. Louis, Saturday
"You're going to wear that?"
Halfway down the stairs, Elizabeth stopped, rolled her eyes, and took a deep, calming breath. After slaving all afternoon making the house presentable from their move-in she had finally scrounged up just enough time to shower and change. Feeling tired already before the guests had even arrived, the shower doing absolutely nothing to refresh her, Elizabeth really did not want to get into it with Caroline Bingley.
"Hello to you, too, Caroline," she said wearily, continuing down to the bottom of the steps.
After spending most of the morning cooking at Jane's apartment, both she and Bingley had volunteered to also come a little early and help set up the backyard activities. Will had been grateful, and so had Elizabeth, until they realized that Caroline had invited herself along as well.
The bright aura of orange that seemed to engulf Caroline nearly blinded Elizabeth and she literally had to avert her eyes. Not being on top of the fashion world, even she knew that orange was definitely not Caroline's color-at all.
"Do you really want to insult William's family by parading around in front of them in these...these..."
"Clothes?" Elizabeth filled in helpfully, but only receiving a glare in return. "They're just clothes. I highly doubt that I can insult anyone by wearing clothes. Maybe if I wasn't wearing any...well, I could probably understand then."
"Fine. If you want to prove to his family by your Wal-Mart bought garments that you are the trash they all must believe you to be, then by all means-don't listen to me."
Ordinarily, Elizabeth would have been angry. Honestly, in any other situation, she would have been completely irate. There was just something so sad in the way Caroline went about her life, however, that only made Elizabeth feel sorry for her. She was not an ugly woman and if she only laid off the orange and softened her attitude just a bit, guys would probably be waiting in line for a date with her. All right, so that might have been a stretch...but they certainly wouldn't run in the opposite direction so quickly and so often.
"You do know that many of his business associates are going to be out there, don't you? Aren't you dressed a bit casually?"
"Caroline, it's a barbecue for goodness sakes! Do you want me to be wearing sequins and heels?" Elizabeth asked in exasperation.
It was then that her eyes actually adjusted to the orange and she noticed Caroline was wearing exactly that. The urge to laugh finally won over and Caroline strode off in a huff. Shaking her head at the disappearing sequined tube top and black mini-skirt, Elizabeth entered the kitchen where Will was getting the meat ready to be taken outside to the grill. He looked up when she entered.
"You look nice," he commented with a smile, taking notice of her red tank top, white Capri pants, and red flip-flops.
"Are you sure I shouldn't go upstairs and root through my closet until I find my ball gown?"
Looking at her as if she was crazy, Will asked, "Do you even have a ball gown?"
"Of course not, but that's beside the point," Elizabeth grinned. "I have been told that I will disgrace you in front of your family and friends by prancing around dressed like this."
Lifting an eyebrow, Will smirked. "Oh, really...Could this certain person possibly be dressed like a sparkly pumpkin tonight?"
"Oh, so you do know who I'm talking about," Elizabeth grinned. "Need any help?"
"After all you've done today, you deserve to just sit down and relax!"
"Will," Elizabeth whined, "can we please not get into this again?"
"Is it a sin for a man to want his future wife to have some time for herself? For as much as you do, Elizabeth, you deserve it."
Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth grabbed one of the chocolate chip cookies she had made that morning. "There is no way you are going to hire a maid. I'm sorry, but my mother raised us to take care of our household. It's a matter of pride for the Bennet women."
"What about that cookie?" Will asked, just as Elizabeth took a bite.
"What about it?" she asked with her mouth full, hoping Caroline was eavesdropping around the corner.
"If it's such a matter of pride, don't you think you should be the one baking them?"
She snorted. "I did."
It was Will's turn to snort. "Right...as if I'm going to believe that one."
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't understand why you have this concept in your head that I can't cook."
"Easy. Since I have known you, I have not actually seen you cook one meal for yourself. You have ordered pizza, you have grabbed frozen things from the freezer, or we've gone out. If it hadn't been for your sister bringing over food today, we would have been in a lot of trouble!"
"But I..." Elizabeth stopped, shook her head again, and grinned. "Well, if that's the way you want to think, I won't try to change your mind."
"Good," he laughed, smacking her hand as she reached for another cookie. "You have such a sweet tooth, my dear."
"Worried I'm going to get fat and ugly?"
Will gave her a sidelong glance. "As if that would matter! I'm horrified; do you really think I'm that fickle?"
"I guess I'll just have to thank God for my high metabolism," Elizabeth laughed as the doorbell rang.
Hands full with two plates of raw chicken and hamburger, Will looked at Elizabeth expectantly. "Would you mind getting the door while I take these out to the grill?"
Will was startled by the grip on his arm, preventing him from exiting the kitchen. Turning around, he saw that the hand belonged to Elizabeth and she looked a little white around the gills. In fact, she looked quite nervous. Nervous? Elizabeth? The two words didn't even belong in the same sentence together!
"What is the matter?"
"Don't you think you should be getting the door...I mean, it's probably your family, right?"
Will shrugged. "It might be. It could be yours, too." Turning once again to go out the door, Will called out over his shoulder, "If it's my cousin will you tell him to grab a beer and come out back to help, please?"
Hearing no response, Will stopped and spun around to face Elizabeth. She actually had a napkin in her hand that she looked to be crumbling unconsciously. What was she doing?
"Elizabeth? Are you sure you're all right?"
After a few moments of silence, Will took a few steps toward her.
"Elizabeth? Are you-"
"No!" came the outburst. "No, I'm not okay at all. Will, what if your family hates my guts?"
He almost dropped the plates in his hands he was so surprised.
"What?"
"Don't look at me like that. It could happen, you know. Am I going to embarrass you?"
Will had put down the plates and closed the distance between the two of them in a matter of seconds.
"Exactly what do you mean by that?"
Refusing to look at him in the eyes, Elizabeth turned her gaze to his sandals. She had never noticed how nice his toes were before.
"Elizabeth..." Will prodded.
"I'm going to feel so out of place. I'm too opinionated, I'm rather obstinate, I don't always have the best manners-"
"You're also kind and personable and cheerful. People are drawn to you, Elizabeth, and don't even try to deny that fact."
Shaking her head, Elizabeth went on as if she hadn't even heard him. "I don't know anything about being rich and famous. I'm sure to say something ridiculous! Your family is going to think that, not only did I coerce you into marriage, but I'm an idiot. I just know it."
"This is really bothering you, isn't it?" Will asked, as he tilted her chin up with one finger.
Looking in her eyes gave him all the answer he needed. Doubt had clouded over, making them seem even darker than usual. Where had these feelings of self-doubt come from? He had never noticed them before.
"Elizabeth," he said softly, "no one in my family is going to think you're an idiot." He gave her a half smile as his hand went up to cup one side of her face, gently pushing some stray hairs behind her ear.
"Even if they did, it wouldn't make a difference to me. If they don't notice the beautiful, charming, and intelligent woman that I see...then they must be blind."
Elizabeth could hardly breathe. His eyes were so intense she did not even begin to try and look away. The touch on her cheek was feather-light, yet, she was so aware of his presence that even the slightest movement gave her goose bumps. Finally, his words actually registered in her mind. At about the same time, the realization that the very hand that was now cupping her cheek had just a few minutes before been touching raw meat hit her.
"I hope you washed your hands," she said softly, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Without removing the offending hand, he shook his head.
"I might have wiped them on a towel or something," he laughed.
"That," Elizabeth told him, never breaking his gaze, "is disgusting."
"Is it?" he murmured with a soft smile, his dark eyes gazing at her with intensity as he lowered his head.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and waited expectantly, her heart catapulting in her chest. This was it. This was the moment she knew had been coming ever since the night in front of Busch Stadium. Honestly, it was the moment she had been waiting for since that night.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," a deep male voice intruded behind them.
Startled, the two instantly broke apart, Elizabeth turning red out of embarrassment and Will turning red out of anger. He knew that voice. He knew it very well.
"Richard," he acknowledged with a glower, "impeccable timing as always."
"Hey, blame it on Charles. He finally let me in."
The man laughed, gave Will a smack on the back, and walked over to pump Elizabeth's hand with eagerness. Grudgingly, Darcy introduced the man as his cousin Richard Fitzwilliam. With this new knowledge, Elizabeth grinned back.
"I've heard a lot about you, Richard. It's good to finally meet you."
Richard Fitzwilliam was not exactly a handsome man, Elizabeth decided. Not quite as tall as Will and much lighter, she would never have guessed they were related. Because of his height, Will's build was more lean and subtle-though impressive in it's own right-than his cousin's, who looked like he worked out at least twice a day. Yes, Richard wasn't really that handsome-until he smiled. His whole face lit up then, blue eyes crinkling in the corners. Richard Fitzwilliam was a man who knew how to make himself comfortable in others presence and within minutes, Elizabeth's fear of her acceptance was forgotten. Noticing this, Will reluctantly decided that Richard's presence was for the best.
"Now," Richard told Will, "I want to see my favorite little cousin."
"Georgiana will be down soon, Rich."
"Not Georgiana, Will-though please don't tell her that she's been demoted." He turned towards Elizabeth. "Where's Leah?"
Elizabeth grinned and pointed to the baby monitor sitting on the kitchen counter. "I just put her down for her nap. She'll be up in a couple of hours."
Guests began trickling in after Richard's entrance and Elizabeth was back to her normal self-smiling, personable, and friendly. In almost every sense of the word, she was the epitome of a good hostess. She had charmed Richard's parents within five minutes of conversation and it often took less for most of his work associates or clients. He had lost count of how many times people had complimented his fiancée or ribbed him about how he could keep such a catch. Will heartily agreed with all of their statements as he kept watch of Elizabeth's actions from behind the grill.
It was there where his cousin found him.
"It's almost disgusting, you know," Richard stated, sipping his beer.
Forcing himself to focus on the conversation, Will tore his eyes away from Elizabeth.
"What is?"
"This hero worship you seem to be exhibiting toward your intended."
Will debated whether to glare or grin at the arrogant relative next to him, but the smile won out. Richard was someone Will had always been completely truthful with and this was a situation where he needed to start being truthful.
"Is it really that obvious?" He asked as he flipped the burgers.
Richard grinned and took another swig from his bottle. Something obviously seemed rather funny to him by the amount of snorting going on. Of course, Richard would always deny that he made any noise of the kind.
"Stop snorting," Will muttered, ready to dump the entire bottle of ketchup on his head. So much for being truthful and having a great psychological discussion, he thought.
Sensing the change in his cousin, Richard threw his arm around Will's shoulders and tried to keep the grin off his face.
"Even on the phone, Will, I could tell that you thought Elizabeth was special. Now actually seeing you interacting with her proves me right."
"She is, Rich. She's so special that it is going to be a waste of her time marrying me."
Richard regarded his cousin for a few minutes before he went on. "What about all your recommendations?"
"What? My money?" he scoffed. "Trust me; Elizabeth is not impressed by it at all. Nor is she impressed by my company or my stature..."
"What about your football career?" Richard wondered aloud.
A grin pulled on Will's mouth. "At the moment, she's not even aware of it."
They were both silent for a few minutes. "You're right," Richard stated. "What do you have to recommend to her?"
He expected an outburst of how Will loved Leah and could take care of the family. Perhaps how while his friends had been content with going out with as many beautiful women as they possibly could, Will's only goal had been to find someone he could settle down with and start a family. Instead, he saw Will complacently shrug. Wow...his cousin had it bad.
Richard was about to speak again, when the entrance of two people broke through his thoughts. It was a graceful young woman on the arm of a portly, greasy, and balding man.
"Who is that?" He asked, pointing in their general direction.
Will looked up and noted the two with a look of confusion on his face. It certainly looked like Charlotte, but Will couldn't believe she was on the arm of that cretin. Without even answering, he handed the grill flipper to his cousin and walked over to Elizabeth's side. She was engrossed in a conversation with Will's uncle and a business associate and hadn't noticed the entrance yet.
Will took her hand to alert her to the fact that he was standing right next to her and then leaned down to her ear so that only she could hear what he was about to say.
"Elizabeth, you must promise me you won't overreact."
She looked up at him in confusion. "What?"
"Just promise me," he whispered, aware that everyone in their circle was watching them with smiles on their faces.
"All right, I promise."
"Look over by the swimming pool," he muttered, waiting expectantly for the reaction.
It was immediate. Elizabeth stiffened, her eyes shooting daggers toward the slime ball. As she opened her mouth, Will squeezed her hand and gave her a knowing look.
"Don't forget. You promised me."
Elizabeth took a deep breath and then smiled at the people watching them intently. If she seemed conscious of the stares, she did not let on.
"If you would excuse me, Will has just alerted me that Leah has woken up."
Then, still holding his hand, she dragged him into the house. Noticing Caroline and another older woman conversing in soft tones, Elizabeth quickly pulled him up the stairs. However, it wasn't fast enough for Will to miss just who the lady was. Aunt Catherine. Maybe it was possible he could hide in Leah's room all night. The response was instant. As soon as they hit the top of the stairs, Elizabeth blew up.
"How could she do this? How could she demean herself in that way? It's too disgusting to even think about!"
"Maybe," Will ventured to say, "she does like him."
He should have known it was a stupid thing to say. By the transfer of her glare, Will knew she now had it in for him, as well. Honestly, it didn't have him worried at all. She just looked so cute when she was mad. Elizabeth stepped forward, backing him up against a wall. With one finger, she poked him hard in the chest.
"There is no way that Charlotte likes him. She simply doesn't think she has a chance with any other man." Elizabeth made some sound that was between a strangle and a scream. "I can't believe she's doing this! She knows she is dating one of the stupidest men in America and yet she..." She had to trail off she was so angry.
Will had been staring at her through the whole outburst. There was just something about Elizabeth when she was mad. It could be the way her eyes grew even darker and menacing or the way her skin would start turning a soft red, but he really just couldn't help himself. Grabbing her abruptly by the shoulders, he kissed her.
Elizabeth stiffened at first, obviously taken by surprise. Within in a few mere seconds, however, he felt her arms around his neck and she was kissing him back. It took Will several more seconds to realize that Elizabeth had backed him straight into the doorknob of the bathroom door, which was now poking him in the back. It went completely out of his mind, however, the moment Elizabeth tightened her grip.
She felt so perfect, so right in his arms. Will had never been the kind of guy to just move on from woman to woman while he was dating. He was always looking for the one for him and dating random women didn't appeal much. Now after holding Elizabeth like this, he knew he would never want to hold another woman in the same way. Will started and pulled away from Elizabeth, wanting to look directly into her eyes. Did that mean love? He knew that his feelings for her had been building up since the first moment he met her. Gazing into her dark eyes, he was forced to admit to himself that Elizabeth was the one for him.
While he had been staring, however, it had also given the time for Elizabeth to think. Gradually, the haze that had clouded over her mind began to clear and she noticed that her arms were still entwined around Will's neck. Quickly removing them, she touched her lips, realizing what they had just been doing. What had she been doing? As much as she wanted him to do exactly what he had done, she was just not ready.
Backing a few steps, face flushed, feeling as if she had somehow led him on, Elizabeth whispered, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, Will."
Not giving him the chance to stop her, she turned and flew down the steps. It did not register in Will's mind that she had just run away from him after their first kiss until she was halfway down the stairs. It should have been a blow to his ego...or, more importantly, his heart. Instead, he recognized the pure fear in Elizabeth's eyes. She had always exhibited signs that she feared becoming to close to a man. Was that it? Or was it something else? Shaking his head, Will went into Leah's room to check on her. Soon, he promised himself. Soon he would get to the bottom of Elizabeth's problem.
"Oh, yes, you are adorable, sweetheart. I think you know that already, don't you?" Richard cooed, tickling the bottom of one little foot. "Can you say hi to your Uncle Richard?"
Leah perched in his arms, Will raised an eyebrow. "Uncle?"
"Well, second-cousin-once-removed sounds so impersonal," he explained, grinning like a fool as Leah giggled at his funny face. "You're going to have some trouble in about fifteen years, Will. This girl is definitely a charmer!"
Seeing the look of horror that passed over his cousin's face, Richard let out a large belly laugh, which startled Leah into tears. Turning in Will's arms, she clung to his neck, burying her teary face into his polo.
"Nice one, Rich. You've only known her for a few minutes and already made her cry," Will chuckled, gently patting Leah's back.
"She's probably touchy because she just got up from her nap." Richard pointed across the yard towards the washer game. "Who is that?"
Glancing up for a second, between murmuring to Leah, Will sighted two players who were closely acquainted to Elizabeth.
"A couple of Cardinal players it looks like."
"Isn't that Jim Edmonds over there?" he asked, nodding towards a group conversing with each other.
"Yeah, that's Jimmy. He has quite the soft spot for Elizabeth."
"And isn't that Albert Pujols?"
Will nodded nonchalantly. "He's a great guy. His kids are adorable, too." He nodded in the general direction of the pool where Richard saw a bunch of kids wading in the shallow end.
"Think he's going to be MVP this year?"
Will laughed. "Trust me. I don't get into that...not with Elizabeth as my fiancée."
"I can't believe this. Don't you get jealous?"
Shaking his head, Will tried to pull Leah from his neck. She had a habit of pinching the vulnerable skin right under one's chin. "Jealous? Of the players? Most of them are married and Elizabeth only sees them in a working relationship, anyway." Leah was now poking him in the eye. Turning her around to the front, Will bounced her a few times until she was content observing the party around her.
"Actually, Will, I meant aren't you jealous because she gets to hang around with all these guys? I mean, come on! Pujols was the Rookie of the Year."
"Oh." Will shrugged and tried to keep control of the squirming ten-month old in his arms. "I get to meet them, too. Actually, they all wanted to meet me to make sure I met their approval, I think."
Richard took another drink of his beer as he looked around the yard. Suddenly he froze and then turned to Will slowly.
"Uh, Will?"
"Hmm," he murmured, too enthralled in his game of tickle-Leah's-feet-until-she-squeals, one of their personal favorites, to really pay attention to his cousin.
"Do you realize that Aunt Catherine has cornered Elizabeth over by the hamburgers?"
Immediately, Will's head popped up, his eyes instantly landing upon the two women. He could only make out the back of Elizabeth, but she was in her defensive stance and he knew without a doubt she would punch his aunt if she crossed the line. Without thinking, he handed Leah over to Richard and began to make his way towards the altercation. As he came within hearing range of their conversation-his aunt was definitely not trying to be discreet-he stopped and listened.
"Miss Bennet," his aunt spit out, "You certainly must know why I have pulled you off into the corner like this. Do not pretend ignorance!"
Will felt the dread coming on slowly, as he listened to the way his aunt addressed Elizabeth. He wanted to walk right up to his aunt and tell her where she could put her opinions, but Elizabeth wouldn't take kindly to that. He knew she could handle his aunt; he just didn't want her to have to. Not to mention a small part of him wanted to hear what Elizabeth would say.
"Honestly, Ms. de Bourgh, I have no idea. I only hope it will be a quick conversation, as there are many other things I would rather be doing at the moment."
"Please, Miss Bennet, do not trifle with me. I have often been praised for the frankness of my character and it will not desert me now."
"I would certainly hope not, ma'am," Elizabeth muttered, causing Will to grin and hold back a chuckle.
"I was told by a certain Mr. Collins, a man of excellent character that you have seemingly refused on numerous occasions, that you have forced my nephew-my own nephew-Fitzwilliam George Darcy, into marriage, using your feminine wiles and allurements, no doubt. Well, I will not have it! I refuse to accept that he marries so beneath himself and I will make sure that he breaks your engagement within the week!"
Will heard Elizabeth's tone of voice change, and he could only image her with one eyebrow up and arms folded angrily across her chest. "If you believe this to be possible, Ms. de Bourgh, if you believe you have this much persuasion and control over your nephew, I'm surprised that you have even brought it up to me. Why not just approach him?"
Aunt Catherine's eyes narrowed as she directed her gaze on Elizabeth's face.
"I want to hear you agree with me, Miss Bennet."
Elizabeth gave out a laugh. "This you will never get from me."
"You must at least admit that you have drawn him into this marriage wrongly. You must!"
"You will get no such confession from me, Ms. de Bourgh. If you want to learn the particulars of our relationship, perhaps you should question your nephew."
"Let me make this clear, Miss Bennet," Aunt Catherine sputtered out each word. "Your engagement to my nephew must be dissolved immediately. In a moment of weakness, drawn to you by what ever tricks you used on him, he must have proposed. This cannot be. He is already engaged to my charge, Anne. What do you say to that?"
"All I can say then is this: if you claim to have so much power over his decisions, why am I the one wearing the ring? Why is it that he felt free in promising himself to me?"
Will wanted to cheer. When his aunt had brought up Anne, Will had a hard time containing his groan. Aunt Catherine had never quite gotten over his rejection for Anne-or hers for him. He heard her hesitate before she went on.
"Their engagement is quite peculiar. It is more of an arrangement, you see. From their childhoods, William's mother and I had planned their union. Are you prepared to come between the wishes of his mother and aunt to fulfill your spiteful and selfish desires, my dear?"
"I am not prepared to do anything, ma'am. Your nephew has chosen me for his wife. If he felt himself free enough to offer me marriage, then I do not believe I have come between anyone."
"Obstinate girl! Do you know what you are suggesting? My nephew was born from the highest blood and destined to marry within his class. You will be an embarrassment to him and the family. It is preposterous to think he will be marrying so far out of his realm!"
Stiffening, Will remembered Elizabeth's insecurities before the guests had arrived. He only hoped that through the kindness of most his family, she had begun to feel the acceptance they were willingly offering. He breathed a sigh of relief as she heard his answer.
"I do not consider him marrying me out of his realm. He was born of a respectable family; I am the daughter of a respectable man. I do not see how we are anything but equals."
"Yes, I know about your father. He had the beginnings of becoming acceptable, but he lost the chance! What is he now? A high school baseball coach? Deplorable, Miss Bennet, absolutely deplorable."
"If Will does not object to my father's occupation, then you have nothing."
"Admit to me, once and for all, that you entrapped my nephew into this marriage! You cannot honestly believe that he is in love with you."
Will felt his heart stop beating as Elizabeth hesitated.
"You are right. I do not know if he does or not."
He heard his aunt breathe a sigh of relief. Will balled his fists, not sure whether it was anger or disappointment that filled him.
"And will you now promise to break off the engagement yourself?"
"I will not promise anything of the sort."
Will felt his smile grow as he saw his aunt's rage grow.
"How dare you? You openly admit that my nephew does not love you and yet you will not do what is best for him-for yourself! Unless..." her beady eyes narrowed, "you cannot tell me that you are in love with him."
Once again, Will felt his heartbeat freeze. Eyes wide, unable to breathe, he waited to hear her answer.
"It is not in my character to confide in those who are completely unconnected with me. I am sorry, Ms. de Bourgh, but I am going to have to insist to return to the party." Seeing her turn to leave, Will quickly jumped back into the shadows. When Elizabeth did not pass, however, he chanced looking out at them. His aunt had grabbed her arm, preventing her from retreating.
"Is this your final answer? You unfeeling, hateful girl! Do you know that you will be bringing disgrace upon him in the highest degree?"
"You know my decisions. Kindly let go of my arm."
Pulling her arm out of the older woman's grip, Elizabeth turned.
"Do not think I don't know about you and your family, Miss Bennet! I have heard all about your sister's sinful relationship with George Wickham. I know it all! Do not think I am not aware that the baby you love so much isn't anything but his bastard child."
Seeing the rage in her eyes before she turned back to face his aunt, Will almost stepped out to intervene.
"That is enough," Elizabeth said in such a low, controlled voice, that even his aunt was taken aback. "If you care to slander me or my family any longer, you may leave this house instantly. You will not be welcome here again if you do."
"This is what you have to say for yourself? This is all you can say?"
"I have said quite enough, even for you Ms. de Bourgh."
Aunt Catherine sniffed and pulled her purse over her shoulder. "Fine, I am leaving. I give no regard to your mother, Miss Bennet, you deserve nothing of the sort. Depend upon me contacting my nephew this week."
"You go ahead and do that. I believe I would like to hear his opinion on the matter."
With those words, Elizabeth stalked away, leaving Will with more hope than he had ever thought possible. Elizabeth had not admitted to his aunt that she loved him, but she had not denied it, either. He knew she was outspoken enough to slander him to all his relations if she felt so inclined. A goofy smile on his face, he watched as Elizabeth stalked the Collins creature. Her revenge face was on and, truthfully, once Collins noticed, he looked rather uneasy, even a little afraid. Will was not concerned with his fiancées murderous intentions, however. He had stumbled upon a startling, yet wonderful revelation. It was possible, it was very possible, that Elizabeth Bennet truly was in love with him.
St. Louis, next Friday
"All right, and now, Miss Mary Bennet will walk out. Slow...slowly, dear. Yes, that's it!"
Elizabeth, standing in the narthex, outside of the sanctuary, rolled her eyes. If this wedding coordinator kept it up, Elizabeth would be strangling herself before she even made it down the aisle. Elopement...elopement was sounding so wonderful at the moment.
"Lizzy, please, could you pay attention?"
Grabbing her older sister by the arms, Elizabeth said, "Jane, we still have time to get out of here! I need to check the score anyway. I can't believe you wouldn't even let me bring my phone or pager."
"Stop pouting, Elizabeth! You know why I didn't let you. Bernie would be calling every inning to give you updates...just like you asked him to."
"So what if I did? Don't I deserve to know what's going on with my team?"
Jane rolled her eyes and could not contain a little of her anger from showing through. Grabbing her younger sister by the arm, she dragged her into the women's bathroom. Elizabeth had been completely surprised by it all, considering the fact that it was so out of Jane's character.
"Ouch," she stated, realizing that Jane really had hurt her arm.
"What's the deal, Lizzy?"
Staring up at her sister, Elizabeth was mystified to see angry sparks in her eyes. She had seen Jane mad a few times, but her anger had never once been directed towards her. It took her a few moments to get over the shock and respond.
"What are you talking about? I'm fine."
Jane crossed her arms across her chest, narrowed her eyes, and stood waiting. "I don't think so. Tell me what your problem is."
"Really, Jane," Elizabeth started, making her way towards the door, "I have no problem...except for the fact that you are holding me hostage in the bathroom."
Within seconds, with a speed so fast Elizabeth hadn't even seen her move, Jane was standing in front of the door, preventing Elizabeth's exit. What in the world had come over her sister?
"Elizabeth, I've had enough of you tonight. You have been incredibly rude and horribly inconsiderate to everyone around you-but especially Will."
"I have not! Jane, I can't believe you are saying things like that. I'm here, aren't I? That should be enough for all of you."
If Jane's glare was any indication, it was the wrong thing to say.
"Tell me, Lizzy, what did you say about the wedding planner?"
Elizabeth couldn't help but grin. "Hey, it's not my fault she looks like an anteater."
"And what did you say when the florist showed you your bouquet?"
"What?"
"Do the words 'That is the ugliest shade of yellow I've ever seen before' ring a bell?"
Elizabeth shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I didn't like it."
"Perhaps you should have gone with Will when he picked out all the arrangements then. What did you say to Pastor Matt when he told you that your wedding plans were wonderful?"
"I...I simply said that...money could buy everything," Elizabeth trailed off.
"You also alluded to the fact that you had no hand in them and were forced to succumb to whatever Will wanted? Is that about right?"
Feeling about two inches tall, Elizabeth let out a sigh and worked up the courage to look her sister in the eye. It was true, all of it. She had said that the wedding planner looked like an anteater, but the woman hadn't been around, at least. All right, truthfully, the flowers were not ugly but she was just so overwhelmed with all that Will had done, she needed to say something and the insult had popped out.
"Do you have an explanation for yourself, miss?"
Elizabeth looked up and tried to give her best smile, but Jane would have none of it.
"It's nothing, Jane. I'm just in a bad mood."
Cocking an eyebrow, her older sister actually smirked at her. "That's not going to work. I'm your sister, remember? The truth, please, Elizabeth Grace."
Scowling at the use of her first and middle name, Elizabeth took a deep breath and continued on.
"I wasn't lying, actually, Jane. I am in a bad mood," she paused and then stated quickly, "Somehow George got my cell phone number and gave me a call this afternoon."
Jane's demeanor changed in an instant. Within seconds, she had entrapped Elizabeth in a comforting hug. "What did he say?"
"Nothing that can be repeated to any normal ears," Seeing her sister's frightened look, Elizabeth amended herself, "Don't worry Jane, it was just his usual threats. I'm used to it by now, but I guess it did put a damper on my mood today."
Jane was looking at her as if she did not believe a word that was coming out of her sister's mouth, which was rather observant of her, considering the fact that she shouldn't. George had been more offensive and obnoxious than usual earlier and several threats had made her very scared. Elizabeth quickly tried to change the subject to prevent more interrogations.
"It's all okay, though. It's not like Will was around. I wouldn't want to have spoiled his night because of my mood."
At Jane's pointed look, Elizabeth groaned.
"He was?"
Jane nodded slowly.
Banging her head repeatedly against the door seemed to be the best remedy Elizabeth could think of. There was a chance she could knock herself out and have to make a trip to the Emergency Room instead of making a trip down the aisle and see the hurt in Will's eyes. She had never meant for him to hear the comments!
"I guess you're just going to have to apologize to him, Lizzy. He was pretty upset, even if he tried to cover it up."
"He did?"
Jane nodded again. "He just grinned and told the people next to him some lie about you finalizing most of the arrangements."
Elizabeth wanted to melt into a puddle on the bathroom floor. "How could I do this? I am a horrible person. And on the day before our wedding...I wouldn't blame him if he jilts me at the altar!"
"Lizzy, you and I both know he would never do that, so I suggest you simply go through the rehearsal and then have a serious talk with him later. As in, Will needs to know everything." Her hint was not lost on Elizabeth, who had closed her eyes and was leaning against the bathroom wall.
Before she could respond, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Ace? Are you in there?"
She couldn't help but feeling relief at the fact that it was her father and not Will outside of the door.
"Yes, coming, daddy," she stated, as she opened the door and walked out, Jane following.
"I thought you were backing out on me early," Thomas grinned, holding his arm out for her to take.
"Of course not, daddy! I'm just getting it out of my system now instead of tomorrow."
Her father laughed heartily, obviously not realizing how much of a jerk his own daughter really was. No matter what Wickham had done, Elizabeth should not let it have gotten the better of her. She was as accustomed to George butting into her life as she was at firing in an inside fastball. It was a given and she needed to remember not to let him get to her.
It was just that Elizabeth had let the pressure get a hold of her. With wedding jitters on top of Wickham, it had become too much. She knew better, of course. In situations where the pressure got to hard to take, friends had often teased about duct-taping her mouth shut. Teammates and coaches knew that when it was a close game in the late innings, they were supposed to ignore what ever came out of her mouth. Someone was going to have to clue Will in. It was probably going to have to be her.
Following her father, who was half-dragging her, Elizabeth stopped at the doors of the sanctuary, peering down the aisle at Will. Catching her eye, he grinned at her. That was a good sign at least. Jane quickly made her way to the front of the church, smiling directly at Charles, Elizabeth noticed.
"All right, now Mr. Bennet please escort the bride down the aisle," the anteater said softly from behind them. "Remember, dear, slow and graceful."
Elizabeth held back a snort. She would gladly walk slowly but she wasn't sure if grace was an ability she possessed. Thomas was walking unhurriedly down the aisle, but much too fast for his daughter. They were already halfway there and Will's face was becoming clearer. She all but dug in her heels.
"Daddy, I think we need to go slower," she whispered fiercely, trying not to make eye contact with Will.
"Ace, this isn't supposed to take three years." Her dad grinned.
"If we walk slower..." Elizabeth paused, grasping at straws, "it'll take more time to get there. Then there's more time together as father and daughter, without a stupid husband getting in the way."
She wanted to eat her words as she saw the look on his face change. Elizabeth simply needed to keep her mouth closed at all times. Her father smiled at her sadly and she actually saw his eyes tear up.
"Are you going to make me give my Father speech a day early?"
Elizabeth shook her head and smiled, until she realized where she was.
"I thought you'd run out on me," Will stated, holding out his hand for her.
Blushing at the look in his eyes, one that told her he actually had been worried, Elizabeth smiled at him. Turning to look at her pastor, the rehearsal began. Elizabeth found that her job in the ceremony was relatively easy. Mostly, she stood and only repeated words. It was the rest of them that had to worry about where to stand and when to sing and when to hand the rings. Of course, none of them were going to pledge their entire life and love away to one person, either.
"...And then I will say 'You may now kiss the bride.'" Pastor Matt grinned, "I suppose you two don't need any extra practice on that, though, do you?"
The audience around them broke into chuckles, while Elizabeth turned red thinking of the one and only kiss they had ever shared-or more, she was thinking of her reaction to it. Feeling a reassuring squeeze of her hand, Elizabeth looked up at Will's face. He gave her a smile and she read the pure understanding in his face.
Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "Don't be embarrassed, Elizabeth. It wasn't very long and you did run away, but that was the best kiss I've had in my lifetime."
Frowning, Elizabeth looked up into his eyes. "Don't humor me, Will."
With a smile on his face, he shrugged and placed a short kiss on her lips.
"Good. Then I'll say, 'May I present to you the new Mr. and Mrs. Darcy' and then you'll make your way down the aisle. Easy enough?" Pastor Matt asked with a grin.
Elizabeth looked pointedly at him, "I think I might be able to handle it."
"Excellent. Are we ready for tomorrow then?"
It was a rhetorical question, but Elizabeth couldn't help answering as people began to file out of the church.
"No."
"Excuse me?"
Will, who was still holding her hand, had halted her in the middle of the aisle. At his look, Elizabeth quickly realized that she had thought aloud. Goodness! What else was she going to do to him tonight?
"Uh...I didn't mean for you to hear that."
Will chuckled. "I guess not." Silence hit them then as Elizabeth stared down at her shoes and Will pondered the top of her head. He finally broke the silence.
"You look beautiful tonight, Elizabeth. Did I tell you that yet?"
Instantly her head was up, eyes gauging his face for a betrayal of his teasing. Instead, she found his expression completely serious, his eyes searching her features thoroughly. Blushing under his gaze, Elizabeth reverted back to humor to change the sudden seriousness of their situation.
"Yeah, well, it's probably because this is the first time you've seen me in a skirt," she said with a smile.
"No, I don't think that's it," Will drawled out slowly, as he let his gaze drop down to her exposed and rather shapely legs, "but now that you mention it..."
He laughed loudly when Elizabeth smacked him on the arm. "We're in church for goodness sakes! Stop looking at my legs." Peering down self-consciously, she continued, "Anyway, it's not like this skirt is indecent; it does go down almost to my knee."
Walking around her in a slow circle while rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Will spoke, "Yes, we'll have to do something about that, won't we? How about after we're married you have to wear a skirt everyday and the absolute length would be..." He paused as he stared at her skirt. Reaching down, he touched mid-thigh, "...right there."
"I don't think so, mister. I don't like skirts. If you haven't noticed, I don't wear them very often."
"Good point," Will conceded with a nod, "Anyway, you work with lots of men. I wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea. You're not fair game."
By this time, Elizabeth was laughing. "I'm not anyone's game, Will."
He made a non-committal grunt, took her hand, and walked her to his car. The parking lot was nearly empty since, besides Pastor Matt, they were the last ones to leave for the restaurant. After opening the door for her, Will got in and said, "I guess we better hurry. We don't want to be late for our own rehearsal dinner."
Elizabeth was in agreement until she realized what that meant. Gripping a door handle with all her might, she closed her eyes as he sped out of the church lot, making a sharp right turn going at least fifty miles an hour. "We're not in that much of a hurry!"
The mood was silent for awhile as Will was concentrating on the road and Elizabeth was concentrated on sending prayers up to heaven for their safety. Finally, Will broke the silence and spoke.
"Elizabeth-"
"I'm sorry, Will. I didn't mean any of it," Elizabeth interrupted him quickly.
"What?"
"I was just...just apologizing. I mean, isn't that what you were going to-to bring up?"
"Well, actually I was going to say that I would pick Leah up from Bernie and Maggie's."
"Oh." Elizabeth paused, "That's okay, I can get her. He's my colleague after all."
Shrugging, Will agreed. Silence again. Elizabeth glanced out of the corner of her eye at Will and was surprised to see the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"What are you smiling at?" She wondered, turning towards him in the seat, and then stated bluntly, "Weren't you mad at me?"
"Mad at you? For what?" Will asked, with a bit too much innocence.
"For...well, you know! For saying what I did."
"What you said? I don't exactly remember what it was, could you remind me?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "If you weren't driving, I would smack you."
Laughing, Will turned to look at her for a few moments. "Look, Elizabeth, it's okay. I was pretty angry for a minute or two, but then I realized I needed to let it go. I mean, it was you."
With a grin, he switched his gaze back to the road. Pondering his comment for awhile, Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak. She closed it and then hurried on, "Should I be insulted by that last part?"
Will laughed and shook his head. "What I mean is that I know you well enough not take everything you say to heart. I think you were a little nervous and everyone knows that you kind of just...spout off when you're nervous."
Blinking a few times, Elizabeth was speechless. "Oh...well, I..."
"Did you think I wouldn't realize that?"
Not responding, Elizabeth turned back forward. All right, so Will was more observant than she had given him credit for. That was a good thing...only it was a little disconcerting to have someone reading her so well. She took a deep breath and went on.
"Anyway, though, I still want to apologize. No matter if you understand or not, I was horribly rude to you. Please believe me when I say I am extremely appreciative of everything you've done to put this wedding together."
Will smiled as he pulled into the restaurant and parked. "I know."
"You do? Oh...well, good." Elizabeth paused. "Can I ask you something?"
Getting out of the car, he walked around to open the door for her. "Of course; ask away, sweetheart."
Completely missing the endearment, Elizabeth forged ahead. "Why did you look so worried this evening? I mean, when I finally came down the aisle you just looked a little...concerned."
Taking her hand in his, Will began escorting towards the front door. "Actually, Elizabeth, I'm glad you brought that up. I wanted to have a little talk with you."
Elizabeth nodded and followed him without protest until he bypassed the front door and went around the side of the building to the back. Her objection died on her lips, however, when she got a look at her surroundings. Soft lights accented a beautiful garden, where a few tables and chairs had been set up.
"Nice, huh?" Will grinned.
"I'll say! I didn't even know this was back here." Elizabeth turned around to see him grinning at her.
"Miss Bennet, would you take a turn around the garden with me?" he asked gallantly, offering her his arm.
Laughing, Elizabeth asked, "Where did you hear that?"
"I think I saw it on one of the many movies Ana has made me watch," he told her as she slipped her hand into his.
Will was content to stroll through the garden hand in hand, but Elizabeth had other ideas. After a few minutes of silence, she stopped them and turned to look at him.
"You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?"
Smiling softly at her, Will tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers softly linger on her neck. "Did I?"
Elizabeth knew she was staring at him and she desperately wanted to turn her eyes away, but she absolutely could not make herself. He was looking at her so earnestly, with such caring, with such love showing on his face. Smiling dreamily up at him, she felt him begin to play with the hair at her shoulders, twisting it through his fingers.
Gazing down at her, Will easily saw Elizabeth's emotions play across her eyes. Touching her hair and holding his breath, he simply waited for the moment she would pull away. It didn't take long.
As Elizabeth was smiling up at him, the clouds that had settled around her head disappeared and her thoughts returned. Love? Looking at Will, the soft and deep brown eyes turned a yellowish-green, the brown curls straightened, and the gentle smile turned into a vindictive sneer. Closing her eyes, Elizabeth recoiled away from the tender touch. She could not do this. Ready to turn around and run, she was caught by surprise when Will grabbed her gently, but firmly, by the arms and would not let go.
"Will, get off of me!"
His grip didn't hurt, but it was certainly strong enough that struggle would not break it. A look of pure determination settled upon his features, mixing with hints of compassion. Jane's words came back to haunt her: Will needs to know everything. Well, Will couldn't know everything and that was that. Elizabeth cared about him too much to let his opinion of her sink so low.
"Elizabeth," Will started, his voice soft and calming, "do you think we could sit down and talk about this?"
The word no was on the tip of her tongue, but by the look on Will's face, he wouldn't take no for an answer. Letting out a deep breath and allowing her body to go slack, she nodded and allowed him to lead her to a small bench in a secluded area of the garden. Once she had sat down, Will settled in next to her, swallowing up any extra space with his tall frame. Taking her hands in his, he seemed content to stare into her eyes until she had calmed.
"Elizabeth, we're getting married tomorrow."
Waiting for him to finish, Elizabeth sighed in exasperation when he grinned idiotically and ceased to talk. Rolling her eyes, she stated sarcastically, "Really? We are? So that's what the white dress is for."
Smiling, his dimple out in full force, Will said, "There you are. Now I'm ready to begin our discussion. The real Elizabeth Bennet is back."
Lifting an eyebrow, Elizabeth contemplated pulling her hands away from his. As if anticipating this, his grip on her hands strengthened momentarily.
"You asked me why I looked worried when you walked down the aisle this evening. The simple answer is that I was worried." Continuing before he could break in, "No, not that you weren't going to walk down the aisle, that's not it at all."
Frowning, annoyed that he again read her mind, Elizabeth crossed her arms across her chest and waited impatiently for him to continue. If this was an example of their communication, their future did not look good.
"I was worried because I could tell there was something worrying you. Even though you might not realize it, I feel like I know you pretty well. All afternoon you've been practically reticent and then you were so distracted tonight..."
"Well, did you use your mind-reading powers and figure out why?" she all but barked at him.
Looking away from him, she was surprised at his silence. Ever so subtly, Elizabeth glanced at him quickly. Will was slouched comfortably with one arm extended behind her and his legs stretched out in front of him. He was the perfect picture of a man at ease and the large smile on his face didn't diminish the look. It made her angry. Why should she have to be so uptight when he seemed to find her worriment a joke?
"Do you think something is funny, Mr. Darcy?" she asked coolly.
At his faint chuckle, Elizabeth threw her penetrating gaze on him. Immediately, his laughing ceased, but the sparkle in his eyes was obviously not under his own control.
"No, Elizabeth, I do not think something is funny. You just amuse me."
Narrowing her eyes, she felt her hot anger begin to boil. Fitzwilliam Darcy was the only man who could infuriate her this much! Caught up in her anger, Elizabeth failed to see the look of admiration Darcy was bestowing upon her or notice the way his fingers were drawing circles on her arm.
"Oh, I amuse you, do I? Well, I'm so glad that I can be of service to you, sir," she cried out, crossing her arms across her chest again and staring straight forward.
Suddenly, Elizabeth found herself staring directly at Will, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly. He was still smiling, but this time she could not read the look in his eyes.
"Elizabeth?" he asked with a smile.
"Y-yes?" she wondered breathlessly, feeling suffocated at being so close to him.
"Would you please shut up?"
Before she could respond, before the words had even formed in her head, Will was kissing her. It was nothing like the innocent, chaste kisses they had bestowed on each other for appearance sake; this kiss was much more intense, much more fervent. Will, of course, was doing this on purpose. He had seen the change in her eyes a few moments ago and he wanted to make sure Elizabeth knew that he was who he was and was not to be confused for some demon from her past.
When he finally pulled away, out of necessity for oxygen, Elizabeth found herself on his lap with her hands crushed to his chest. Breathing heavily, it took her a few moments to come back to reality. The moment she did, Will was grinning down at her.
"Hi there," he said softly, with an endearing smile.
Within moments Elizabeth eyes widened and she attempted to leap off his lap. Holding her tightly, Will simply grinned at her struggles. This of course infuriated her even more, which she was surprised to learn was possible. Smacking his arm, Elizabeth began to threaten.
"Fitzwilliam George Darcy! Let go of me this instant!"
Laughing, Will suddenly released her arms and she went tumbling. As she lay on the ground, Elizabeth gave a prayer of thanks that her skirt went to her knees. Glancing quickly, she gave a sigh of relief to see that she had not inadvertently revealed any extra skin. Sitting up, she shot Will her death glare.
"Hey, don't get mad at me! You said to let go of you," he laughed, as he reached down and all but scooped her back onto the bench.
"Yes, but you're the one who...the one who..." she sputtered as she tried to repair her hair.
"Kissed you?" he filled in helpfully, receiving a glare for his effort.
"Hardly! You all but mauled me, mister."
This adamant statement caused another peal of laughter from Will. "Mauled you? That was hardly mauling you. After all, I didn't pull you onto my lap, Elizabeth. You got there by yourself."
Blushing a bright red, Elizabeth harrumphed and crossed her arms across her chest for a third time.
"I hardly think that is relevant to our discussion, Will," she spit out, as severely as she could.
Suppressing his smile, Will crossed his arms and forced his face into seriousness as well.
"Please accept my apologies, ma'am. I'm ready to be serious now."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes in exasperation, but Will caught the smile she quickly hid. Gazing at him with one eyebrow lifted and that impertinent look on her face, it took all of Will's inner power not to grab her and maul her again. Smiling at the thought, he tuned himself into Elizabeth's tirade.
"Look, Will, let's get one thing straight. You cannot just...just grab me and kiss me any time you feel like it!"
Smiling, Will cupped her face in his hands and proved her wrong. Apparently Elizabeth was getting more accustomed to him kissing her as she was quickly able to push him away.
"Could we be serious here? If I can recall, we were having a rather serious and adult conversation a few minutes ago."
"Were we?" Will asked, stretching his arm behind her again.
"Yes, we were."
Pausing for a moment, Will smiled, and then spoke.
"Really, our conversation is pretty simple. I said that you were obviously worried about something, which in turn made me worry about you. All you have to do now is tell me exactly what made you so nervous."
Elizabeth stiffened involuntarily at his last request. Taking a deep breath and holding it, she forced her body to relax. Hoping he hadn't noticed, she looked up at Will. Immediately, by the worried gaze in his eyes, she realized that he had noticed all right.
Will had indeed felt her muscles tense up and he saw the look of fear that crossed over her face. It was the same look from a few moments ago and he recognized it as the same look that flashed across her features every so often. It was so fleeting that someone who did not study her as often as he did would never have noticed.
Automatically, he took her hands in his and gave them an encouraging squeeze. Still, she sat stonily and did not turn to look at him. After a few moments of staring at her profile, Will gently put two fingers under her chin and turned her to face him. Surprise hit him as he noticed her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
"Elizabeth," he began softly, "do you trust me?"
She took in a deep breath and gave him a wobbly smile. "Will...I-it's very hard for me to trust anyone anymore."
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and then cupping her cheek, he looked earnestly into her eyes. "I understand that, Elizabeth. But do you trust me?"
Staring down at their intertwined hands, Elizabeth thought about his words. Certain memories popped into her mind, such as Will rocking Leah to sleep, and Will hugging his sister, and Will holding doors for her, reaching the cups on the top shelf for her, and listening to her whine on anything from the bullpen to the offense to her rickety chair at work. Looking up quickly, she stated, "I-I guess I do trust you, Will."
Instantly Will's face lit up with his smile. He didn't look relieved, and when she peered into his eyes, she realized that he had known the whole time. Still, her answer had obviously made him happy. Elizabeth couldn't tear her eyes away from him-when he smiled like that she could have sworn he was the best-looking man there ever was. Her thoughts were interrupted as Will kissed her hands and looked into her eyes.
"I'm glad, Elizabeth. I promise you that I will try my very hardest never to break that trust."
As she nodded, Elizabeth knew that Will understood how much her trusting him cost her. He didn't know her history, but he knew that she didn't give her trust to just anyone; she couldn't-it had been broken in too painful of a way.
"Elizabeth?" he asked softly and she raised her eyes to meet his again. "Will you please tell me?"
Staring at his deep, dark eyes, she felt herself getting lost and knew that she could not deny his request. Swallowing her tears down, Elizabeth took a deep breath and went forward.
"This afternoon...I got a call on my cell phone that-well, it-it upset me." Elizabeth closed her eyes as the voice came to her. No matter how many times she had told herself to ignore whatever George Wickham said, somehow he always was able to strike a tender nerve. As Will put his hands on her shoulders, Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at him. George's voice dropped away as Will smiled softly at her.
"How did it upset you?" he prodded gently.
Swallowing again, Elizabeth forced herself to get control. Tears were something she had sworn off. They did nothing to help and only showed how weak she really was.
"The person who called...He-what he said..."
She felt the grip on her shoulders tighten as she saw Will's jaw clench.
"Elizabeth...who called you?" Will said, the tension obvious in his voice.
Shaking her head, Elizabeth told herself to speak, but it didn't help. Finally, Will placed his hands on each side of her face.
"You can tell me."
Nodding, Elizabeth spoke.
"George Wickham."
As soon as the words escaped from her lips, Elizabeth flinched, waiting for Will to blow up-at George, at her...anyone. After closing her eyes for several moments and not hearing anything of the sort, Elizabeth carefully opened them and looked up.
Taking note of his clenched jaw, clenched fists, and the anger gleaming in his eyes, Elizabeth knew he was keeping his emotions bottled inside. After a few tense moments, Will visibly relaxed himself.
"How did he get your number?"
Immediately, Elizabeth jumped to the conclusion that Will somehow blamed her for the contact. She didn't know how George got her number...and she didn't see how it mattered-unless Will thought she was somehow responsible.
"How would I know?" she spit out. "I certainly didn't ask him to call."
After all but yelling these comments, Elizabeth turned away from Will.
"Hey," he said, immediately turning her back to face him. "I was not accusing you, Elizabeth. I was just wondering how he would have gotten your cell phone number. I know you don't hand it out very often."
"If I've learned anything from George Wickham it's that he's very resourceful. He finds ways," Elizabeth stated scornfully.
Surprised at the sudden grin that lit Will's face, Elizabeth gave him a quizzical look. He chuckled at her query.
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something."
The lift of her eyebrow told him to go on.
"If you met George Wickham in a dark alley, I'd put money on you."
Expecting her to get a laugh from his mental image, Will was amazed to see her flinch. Biting her lower lip so hard he was surprised she didn't draw blood, Elizabeth turned away from him.
"Elizabeth..." he began, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. When she tensed at his touch, he became even more concerned. "Can you tell me what is wrong?"
After a few moments of silence, Will implored again. "Please, Elizabeth..."
Taking a deep and shuddering breath, Elizabeth looked at him, her heart in her eyes. He saw the pain etched in them clearly, with vulnerability plainly written on her face.
"Will, I-"
"There you two are! We were beginning to lose hope of finding you!"
Will never took his eyes off Elizabeth's face as he heard Jane and whom he assumed was Charles coming closer. Elizabeth gave him a small smile and he noticed a brief look of relief pass over her features. When she stood up, she was back to her normal self.
"I'm sorry, Jane. Will brought me back here and it is just so beautiful we must have lost track of time."
"We came to find you because I don't think I can hold back any longer. Do you think you'd mind coming in, Elizabeth? They have the buffet ready and I am on the brink of starvation," Charles smiled, holding his arm out gallantly for Elizabeth.
Laughing, she conceded. "Anything for your stomach, Charles dear."
Jane began to walk after them, a teasing smile on her face, until she noticed that Will had not followed. In fact, he was still sitting on the bench with a thoughtful look on his face.
"I have a sinking feeling I interrupted something," she said to him contritely.
Glancing up as if realizing she was still there for the first time, Will sighed and then smiled.
"Who knows? It could have been vitally important...or she could have been about to tell me she doesn't like the style of my haircut."
Jane smiled. "You sound a little frustrated."
Will shook his head ruefully. "Do I? I don't mean to be, but..."
"My sister can be quite close-lipped when she wants to be?"
Laughing, Will answered, "That's exactly it."
Jane sat down on the bench next to him and gave him a smile.
"Will, I can't tell you anything Elizabeth won't, you know."
He nodded his head. "I know that."
Jane placed her hand over his in a sisterly fashion. "I've observed Elizabeth with you, Will. She trusts you; I know she does. The day will come when she opens up to you...but until then, you will just have to live without the truth. Pushing her will only drive her farther away."
Will grinned wryly. "Yeah, I think I've already figured that out."
They both looked up to see Charles beckoning at them wildly. "We better go," Jane stated, standing up. "Charles has already eaten every dinner roll at the table and was eyeing that chicken rather ravenously."
Will stopped Jane from going. "Thank you," he said simply.
Jane smiled at him. "Just take care of her."
Watching her retreating back, Will whispered, "I will."