Beginning, Previous Section, Section VIII, Next Section

Chapter Twenty

Posted on Thursday, 25 September 2003

The smell of cinnamon awakened Elizabeth. Feeling a little disoriented for a few minutes, she shoved her sleep-mussed hair behind her ears and glanced around at her surroundings. The lilac room immediately greeted her. Groaning, Elizabeth flung herself back onto the bed. The room was way too cheerful for her liking at nine-thirty in the morning.

As if she had some sixth sense that told her exactly when Elizabeth awoke, Mrs. Reynolds knocked on the door.

"Are you hungry, dear? I've got pancakes, waffles, bacon, and cinnamon rolls ready."

Elizabeth smiled into her pillow. One would think Mrs. Reynolds was cooking for an army.

"Yes, Mrs. Reynolds, I'll be right there."

Standing up, she glanced at herself in the mirror. It was a scary sight. Her curly hair was in complete disarray, she could only get her eyelids halfway open, and her pajamas were wrinkled. Shrugging, Elizabeth stepped out of the room and padded her way into the dining room.

To her surprise and mortification, Philip was sitting at the table chatting with Mrs. Reynolds and drinking a cup of coffee. When both turned to look at her, she knew that she was blushing. Shrugging once again, she went and sat down next to the young man.

"Good morning, Philip," she said with a yawn and then smiled at the boy.

"Good morning to you, Mrs. Darcy," he said, a smile on his lips. "I can tell you had a good night's sleep."

Laughing and suddenly feeling relaxed despite the chauffeur's presence, Elizabeth nodded her head. "What gave it away? Oh, thank you, Mrs. Reynolds," Elizabeth added when she put a plate full of food in front of her. "Philip, would you mind calling me Elizabeth?"

Smiling, Philip shook his head. "I wouldn't mind at all. As long as you only call me Philip and not 'boy' or 'kid.'"

Elizabeth shook her head and prayed quickly before she began to eat. She knew exactly to whom Philip was referring.

"Since we're getting re-acquainted here, would you call me Helen, Elizabeth?"

"But Will calls you..."

"William has called me Mrs. R since he was three years old. I don't think he'll ever change. But it would be so nice if you would call me Helen."

"Then consider it done, Helen," Elizabeth stated before she stuffed a bite of pancake into her mouth. When she was halfway through her meal and feeling extremely stuffed, Elizabeth suddenly looked up at Philip. "Are you waiting for me?"

"Yes."

"The boy was sitting out in the car, but I made him come in and eat a decent breakfast," Mrs. Reynolds explained, giving Philip a motherly smile.

"Oh, Philip, I didn't know. I'll hurry, I promise." Fork poised at her mouth, Elizabeth stopped and then smiled. "Unless you get paid by the hour?"

Philip laughed. "No, I don't, but please don't worry about the time. I don't want to rush you. Mrs. Reynolds' meals are meant to be savored."

Nodding, Elizabeth had to agree. The rest of her meal was spent at a leisurely rate with the three of them talking as if they were old friends. Elizabeth learned all about Philip's future plans and she certainly heard quite a bit about his girlfriend. Mrs. Reynolds and Philip talked about working for Will, laughing at his extreme punctuality. The two asked Elizabeth to explain her job to them, which led to an intense discussion of baseball-at least between Philip and Elizabeth. Mrs. Reynolds sat and listened with a smile on her lips. Philip was an American League man and Elizabeth was definitely a National Leaguer.

"The designated hitter has ruined baseball."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Elizabeth."

"Think about how many situations the DH eliminates. The sacrifice bunt, the squeeze play-"

"And it makes the game that much more exciting. Who wants to see a sacrifice bunt?"

"Oh, you baseball new-ager," Elizabeth stated with obvious disgust. "Let's not take all the purity out of baseball!"

"I'm just putting in a little more excitement. Just face it-the American League could kick the NL's butt any day."

"At least in the NL we don't have any affiliation with the Yankees," Elizabeth said with her eyebrows raised as she took a sip of tea.

Philip was silent for a moment. "That is true," he acknowledged.

"George Steinbrenner is the human equivalent of the devil."

With those last words of wisdom, Elizabeth wiped her mouth with a napkin, thanked Helen for the meal, and stood up. Trying to hurry, Elizabeth managed to shower and dress in just under forty-five minutes. Thankful that it wasn't Will that was waiting for her, since she had told Philip she'd only take twenty, Elizabeth grabbed everything she needed for the Derby and met Philip at the front door.

"Let's go," she announced with a smile.

Philip smiled back and opened the door for Elizabeth. "You think Edmonds is going to win tonight?"

Smiling arrogantly, Elizabeth winked. "Of course. I am throwing for him, after all."

Will was not exactly having a productive day at work. It should have been. After all, he hadn't been in the main offices for about a month. He should have been diligently checking all of their operations. But today he just didn't have the concentration for it. Instead, it was much easier to sit back in his chair and daydream.

This was how Elizabeth found him. She had knocked twice, but when she received no answer simply turned the knob and opened the door. Will was leaning back in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, a far-away look on his face. He looked absolutely adorable.

"There's a call for you on line one, Mr. Darcy," she called out with a smile.

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. R I will..." Trailing off, Will's eyes narrowed upon his wife's face. "Funny, very funny."

"You know," Elizabeth started, walking towards his desk, "you had me fooled. Here I thought you were this ultra busy CEO."

Before Will could respond, the phone on his desk rang. Giving her a See-I-Told-You-So look, he dropped his feet to the floor and answered the phone.

"William Darcy." He paused and then his eyes shifted up to Elizabeth's face momentarily before looking away quickly. "Yes, thank you. Very efficient. Arrived safely." The eyes were on her again. "I'm relieved that you got the deal taken care of. That should improve our stocks, huh?" Chuckling, he said good-bye and quickly hung up the phone.

Elizabeth's eyebrow was up. "That was Philip, wasn't it?"

"Yes. John Phillips. He just finished a very important deal."

"Ha. As in getting me safely to your building?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Will stated, getting out from his chair and pouring himself a glass of water. "Would you like something to drink?"

When he turned around, Elizabeth was grinning at him from his chair. "You have a very big office here," she remarked, glancing around at the elegant and spacious décor. It didn't really strike her as an office; it seemed a little too comfortable.

"I suppose that's what you get for owning everything, hmm?"

"Let's not get arrogant, William." Elizabeth was spinning in his chair. "This has got some maneuvers."

Opening up a drawer, she began to shuffle around through the contents of his completely organized desk. Frowning at the way she was fiddling around with his arrangements, Will walked closer to get a look at what exactly she was doing. It didn't help. All he could see was her bent head.

"What are you doing, Elizabeth?"

"You'll see," she grinned, shutting the drawer quickly and putting on an innocent face.

Cocking an eyebrow at her, he was interrupted by the ring of the phone.

"I take back my words," Elizabeth said as she reached for the phone. "Perhaps you really are busy."

Will was walking towards his desk, but Elizabeth answered the phone before he could stop her. Rocking back on his heels, he crossed his arms across his chest, and waited.

"Elizabeth Darcy." Elizabeth paused and then a large grin spread across her face. "Why, hello, Mr. Phillips. I am having a wonderful day; and how are you?"

Grimacing, yet not being able to keep the smile off his face, Will reached from behind and grabbed the phone out of his wife's hands. If he were to judge by the impertinent look on her face, she was completely ready to make an absolute fool of him.

"Hello, John. Good afternoon." With one hand, he pulled Elizabeth out of his chair, sat back down, and pulled her onto his lap. He would be surprised if John hadn't heard his wife's gasp on the other end of the line. Suppressing a chuckle, he leaned back and then reached around Elizabeth to grab a pen. "Mrs. R isn't here today, but I'll jot it down for her." Writing a date down on a handy pad of paper, Will nodded, inadvertently knocking Elizabeth's head at the same time.

As Elizabeth glared up at him while rubbing the offending spot, Will couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, sorry, John. No, I wasn't laughing at you. Okay. I will see you tomorrow."

As soon as he had hung the phone up, Elizabeth nearly growled at him.

"How am I supposed to pitch with a headache?"

"That's what impertinence will get you," he teased with a smile, filing the date and time John had told him in his head.

"What will it get you?"

"A knock across the head," Will stated, thinking they were still continuing the mock-argument. He was not looking at Elizabeth, so he didn't see her face change, but he immediately felt the stiffening of her muscles.

"I don't think that's very funny," she said softly and seriously, her dark eyes locking with his.

Will felt himself nodding almost immediately. There was something about his wife's expression he didn't want to contradict. Pain momentarily reflected behind her solemn gaze. "You're right, Elizabeth. It wasn't funny." Once he saw her relax-or more like when he felt her body unwind-Will smiled tentatively. "Do you need some Advil?"

Smiling, Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I was just being dramatic." Standing up, Elizabeth walked around his desk and towards the door. "Are you coming?"

Lifting his eyebrows questioningly, Elizabeth answered his silent query. "I really want to see the boss at work."

"Of course, Mrs. Darcy. Let me just clip these notes together."

Her laugh should have tipped him off. Her quick retreat should have been another clue. Instead, he innocently opened his top drawer and reached into the paper clip compartment.

"Elizabeth!"

Outside his office, Elizabeth turned to the young man sitting at the desk, obviously replacing Helen for the day. Winking conspiratorially at him, she nodded towards her husband's office.

"Linking the paper clips. Gets them every time."

The mood at U. S. Cellular Field was one of childish excitement-and Elizabeth was no exception. On the way to the park, she had been all but bouncing off the walls. Will had chosen to drive but had immediately regretted his decision. His wife absolutely talked his ear off. If he had to hear one more time how Edmonds loved any type of pitch up and how, even though she should be more loyal to Jim, she really felt that Albert Pujols would give the competition the best run for their money, he might break down into tears. Perhaps if Philip had driven he could have moved into the passenger seat and closed the sound proof partition. He had to give her some credit; Elizabeth Darcy sure knew how to drive a man crazy.

"Why are you so excited for this one? Haven't you covered the All-Star Game before?" His tone was a little sharper than he intended, so he gave her a smile. Elizabeth hardly noticed.

"Of course I have. But last year I did television work, which is never as fun. It's just an awesome experience-interviewing all the players, the coaches, and all the old-timers that come back to watch." Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at her husband. "Aren't you excited?"

"Oh, of course I am!" Will stated with fake enthusiasm. While he wasn't exactly as excited as his wife, he did get an enjoyment over watching hers. Elizabeth was practically floating out of the car.

The first person she saw diminished her excitement by quite a bit. Then she saw the person with him and she about fell over.

"What the heck is she doing here?"

Will, who was glancing around him and trying to figure out where they were supposed to go, looked up in surprise at the sound of Elizabeth's growl. Looking past his wife, he suddenly knew exactly what had angered her so much. Mumbling under his breath, he jogged quickly to catch up with her and caught her arm in a steely grip.

"They're holding hands!" she stated with disgust, "I think I'm going to be ill."

It was at that moment that Bill Collins spotted them. Grabbing the woman at his side, he hurriedly waddled toward the two.

"Oh...sick," Elizabeth groaned, turning her face into Will's shoulder, "the sweat is dripping off of him."

Pinching her, Will whispered furiously in her ear, "Stand up, Elizabeth, unless you want to insult them."

Nodding her head that she had heard him, Elizabeth straightened and gave the two her brightest (albeit fake) smile. "Charlotte, Bill, good evening. Char, I didn't know that you were going to be here."

Looking very hesitant, Charlotte stated softly, "I didn't want to tell you. I knew what your reaction would be."

Seeing the two silent women in front of him who were desperately trying not to look at each other, Will took a deep breath and braced himself. "Collins," he said, trying to hide his distaste of the man, "how about you show me where I can get a bottle of water?"

"A bottle of water?" Elizabeth asked quizzically.

"Yes. A bottle of water." Will turned towards the shorter and rounder man. "Collins?"

Immediately the man began to grovel. "Of course, Mr. Darcy. Anything for you."

Will gave Elizabeth a pointed look before he headed off behind Collins, trying to stay at least two paces behind. Under ordinary circumstances, Elizabeth would have found his situation humorous. Somehow, though, when she was faced with the fact that her best friend was dating Bill Collins (she had to repress her shudder), nothing seemed very humorous.

Grabbing her friend by the arm, Elizabeth dragged Charlotte into a hallway where she could explode in privacy. "What are you doing with him, Charlotte?" With each word, her voice had gotten louder and higher. "Why are you here with that...that...toad?"

In all their years of friendship she had never seen Charlotte Lucas angry. She was easy-going and had an acerbic wit that rolled off her tongue, but she was not an angry person. As she looked up at her friend now, Elizabeth had to admit that Charlotte looked pretty pissed.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but we can't all marry handsome millionaires now, can we?"

The bite in her voice took Elizabeth aback. It wasn't like Charlotte to throw things in Elizabeth's face. "Charlotte, you know that has nothing to do with this conversation. You know that Collins is an idiot! You know that there's somebody out there that's better for you. Please-"

"Elizabeth, stop it!" Charlotte interrupted. "Men have never showed me any interest whatsoever and you are quite aware of that fact. Is it so hard to think that a man would? Is it really so hard for you to believe that Bill might be attracted to me?"

"Sure, he might be attracted to the position you can get him on the paper!" Elizabeth muttered without thinking. Looking up quickly, Elizabeth expected to see anger on her face. The hurt she recognized was not what she was prepared for. "Hey, Char, I'm sorry. I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Elizabeth. Bill Collins may not be the man you have always dreamed of marrying...and frankly, he might not be mine, either. But he respects me and he protects me and he likes me."

"But Charlotte," Elizabeth whispered, "you shouldn't have to settle for that."

Smiling sadly, her friend shook her head and placed her hand on Elizabeth's arm. "I'm not settling, Elizabeth. I take what I can get. And right now that is Bill."

With those last words, Charlotte walked out of the hall and left Elizabeth to dwell on how her first ten minutes at the All-Star game were completely soured. Wasn't taking what you could get the same thing as settling? Perhaps not in Charlotte's mind since her idea of what she could get was obviously rather low. Bill Collins and Charlotte...It was going to take her a long time to get used to them! The clearing of a throat brought her back to reality.

Elizabeth glanced up at Will and smiled dejectedly. "I think I just ruined a friendship."

Putting his arm around her shoulders, Will gave a squeeze. "You have to think of it from Charlotte's perspective."

"That's impossible! All I can think about are his sweaty, clammy hands..." Elizabeth had to trail off and Will was thankful she had. "I can't believe Charlotte would lower herself like this! And why didn't she tell me this at the wedding?" A sudden thought struck Elizabeth. "Wait, she didn't bring him to the wedding! It must be a fairly new relationship."

Will shook his head and smiled. "I would say it was more of Charlotte trying to avoid a situation like this on a day when generally brides are supposed to be happy."

Elizabeth was silent. "I guess you're right. At least I can be thankful for that."

"Look, Elizabeth," Will started, leading her out of the hallway, "the truth is you're only thinking of yourself in this situation." Hearing her gasp of outrage, Will hurried on. "For example, just because Bill Collins would not be...uh...your first choice to date doesn't mean other women wouldn't like him. He's not exactly handsome or charming, but he's dependable and considerate...and not unkind. Some women appreciate those characteristics more than anything else."

The words Will was saying were starting to make sense. She knew Charlotte. All Charlotte had ever wanted in a man was someone she could rely on, someone to be there for her. She didn't need to have great philosophical discussions, be on the same intellectual level, or perhaps even love her husband. Charlotte Lucas was looking for a man exactly like Bill Collins. Elizabeth had just not ever expected for Charlotte's man to be so sweaty.

"I guess you're right..." she conceded reluctantly.

"And you know, not everyone might have agreed with your decision to marry me."

Elizabeth was so surprised at his statement that she halted and Will was forced to stop walking. "What are you talking about?"

"I bet there was at least one person at our wedding who felt you were making the wrong decision. After all, it was rather last minute and we haven't known each other for that long."

Apparently Will Darcy was the voice of reason. It was an unsettling feeling to know that she was married to that voice-especially when she knew she could be quite unreasonable at times. Will seemed to approach every situation with a rational mind. And Elizabeth had just proved that she faced every situation with a decidedly irrational mind. She was pondering if she even had a rational mind when Will interrupted her. "There's Jim."

Smiling at the centerfielder, Elizabeth grabbed Will's hand and dragged him over to the group of reporters. Edmonds was in the middle of an interview, but gave Elizabeth a wink and Will a nod.

"Jim, do you think it is possible that your regular swing might be damaged tonight? After all, you're going to be taking every pitch and swinging for the fences."

The All-Star beamed his California smile and shook his head. "I'd be surprised if I hit any. I'd be surprised if I won." Jim shrugged. "You just never know what's gonna happen. It's all about who you get to throw for you."*

"Does that put some pressure on you?" Will whispered in Elizabeth's ear. She smacked him on the arm and told him to be quiet.

Soon after, the interview was over and Elizabeth, Will, and Edmonds went to find the rest of the Cardinal All-Stars. While Elizabeth was trying to discuss strategy, Edmonds was ignoring her and talking about how excited he was going to be when thirty-six year old Woody Williams pitched in his first ever All-Star game. Elizabeth had the audacity to glare at him, but Jim laughed.

"Lighten up, Elizabeth. It's the Home Run Derby. I didn't even want to do it, but I knew I should represent my team."

"Then why even have me throw for you?"

Edmonds laughed again. "Don't get all angry on me, Elizabeth. You know I'm as competitive as the next guy."

Listening to his words, Elizabeth nodded her agreement and then smiled. "I wonder if a woman has ever thrown for a major league event before."

Will met Jim's eyes over Elizabeth's head and the two smiled. Elizabeth didn't exactly try to cause a stir-and it wasn't like she did things to prove any sort of political point-but she did like going up against men. Smiling, Will realized it was probably because she tended to kick male butt. His smile grew wider as he thought about playing football against his wife. Except in this case he had a feeling he knew which side the butt kicking would belong to.

"You probably are the first and I'm probably going to be taking a lot of ribbing because of it." Jim paused and jabbed Elizabeth in the ribs. "So make sure-"

"I know, I know..."Elizabeth finished, rolling her eyes. "Throw the ball up."

Nodding with satisfaction, Edmonds gave Elizabeth a pound on the back and walked into the National League's locker room. Glancing around, Elizabeth sighed and then took Will's hand. "I guess I should probably do some work. Do you want to come with me while I interview?"

Will shrugged and smiled down at his wife. "I don't care. I'll tag along and make sure those guys see that new ring on your left hand."

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth saw Oakland's Barry Zito and those rolling eyes lit up. "Oh boy, I've got to interview him. Poor guy."

"Huh?"

Shaking her head in sympathy, she explained. "The commission decided at the last minute that he was going to be replaced by Roger Clemens." Seeing Will's look of confusion, Elizabeth answered before he could ask the question. "He wasn't told until he had already arrived."

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. His karma must be all messed up now." Laughing at her own joke, Elizabeth waved at the pitcher and made her way over to where he was standing.

For the next hour Will dutifully followed his wife around as she laughed and joked with nearly every All-Star. He was thankful that some of the guys that he was already acquainted with kept their mouths shut and did little more than give him a grin. It would not be much to explain to his wife how he knew a bunch of professional athletes. The questions would inevitably come. No doubt he'd have to reveal his football career and then she would probably explode. And he was also thankful that Elizabeth could act so well. He was amazed to see her completely civil and even nice to those players he knew she hated. It wouldn't have been much fun to pull her away from the likes of a Barry Bonds after the insults had sunk in.

It was during the middle of Elizabeth's interview with Eric Gagne, the closer of the Los Angeles Dodgers, that a flash of orange caught Will's eye. Distractedly, he looked over in the direction of the bright color, but saw nothing. He was then caught completely unaware when a voice shrieked out, "William!"

At the loud shout, both the closer and Elizabeth-along with nearly all the people that were within a half mile radius-stopped and turned to look. Elizabeth immediately picked out the source. "Oh God."

Feeling exactly the same way, Will rolled his eyes at his wife. It had been bad enough having Collins drooling all over him, but Caroline Bingley would make the evening even worse. In fact, there was no way he was going to take it. When he had told Caroline in no uncertain terms that she was not allowed to attend the wedding and in fact needed to leave him alone, she had slunk off to Chicago to pout. Never being so frank with her before, he had assumed she was out of his life for good. Apparently he was wrong.

"What are you doing here, Caroline?" he asked tersely, grabbing Elizabeth's hand and trying not to appear too angry. He could already see several baseball players looking at the two with some interest and it wouldn't be good for Elizabeth's rep to make a scene. Not that Caroline, with her microscopic orange halter dress, didn't make a scene by herself anyway.

"How absolutely amazing to see you here, William," she stated in a singsong voice, prancing closer to him and completely ignoring Elizabeth. "I thought you were on your honeymoon." Caroline finally turned to look at his wife, giving Elizabeth a look that told her she was less important than the gum that was now stuck to her high-heeled carrot-colored sandal. The fact that Caroline was not aware she had stepped in the gum was quite a delight for Elizabeth and she had to snort to keep her laughter back. Shooting her a dirty look over her obviously unladylike behavior, Caroline continued. "I should have known you would have followed your...wife," she all but spat out the word, "wherever she wanted you to go. Even to this dirty and..." Suddenly seeing the players around her, she trailed off, smiled, and batted her eyes.

Will was not impressed. "What are you doing here?" he repeated again in monotone.

Caroline shrugged and then smiled at Gagne, obviously not noticing the pitcher was having a hard time holding back his own laughter. "I was invited."

"Really?"

"Yes. Maybe you haven't heard, although I'm sure your wife has...what with her little job here."

Turning to look at his wife, Will saw that Elizabeth was absolutely clueless about what Caroline was prattling on about. Sighing, he held back his smile as he saw the twinkle in his wife's eyes and kept a severe look on his face. "Yes, well, I'm afraid my wife has no idea what you are talking about, Caroline."

Caroline turned to shoot a smug look at Elizabeth. "Surely, Eliza, you have heard about Kenny and me?"

Will was shaking his head, trying to figure out how to get rid of the blonde, when Elizabeth's burst of laughter startled him. Looking down, he heard her whisper the name Kenny and laugh again.

"Kenny as in Lofton? Kenny Lofton?" Elizabeth asked again.

Caroline, not sure how to react to her laughter, nodded her head and smiled. "I met him when his team came to play the Bears and he immediately fell in love with me."

"The Cubs," Will muttered over his wife's loud and continuous laughter. "Cubs are baseball, Bears are football."

"Oh, pooh. Does it really matter?" Caroline was eyeing Elizabeth as she spoke. "Oh, there he is! Kenny! Kenny, over here!"

Elizabeth had to bite her lip and grip Will's hand with all the strength she had-quite considerable, actually, Will realized as he winced in pain-to stop her snickering. The outfielder spotted Caroline, walked over to her, and then noticed Elizabeth. Immediately his countenance changed and Will was surprised to see a snarling glare surface. Within just a few moments, however, he had definitely decided he didn't appreciate the look Lofton was giving his wife. Just as he was about to make his displeasure known, Elizabeth spoke.

"Hello, Kenny," she said in her sweetest voice. "Good luck in the game tomorrow."

Eyeing her warily and then giving Will a calculating glance, the rather skinny outfielder nodded and then grabbed Caroline's hand. Apparently he didn't want to mess with all six-foot-four inches of William Darcy-a very good decision on his part-though he continued to glower at Elizabeth. "Come on, let's go."

"But I want to introduce you to- "

"We're leaving." His words were final and Caroline smiled, waved daintily at the two, and then suctioned herself to Lofton's side. As the two walked away, Elizabeth couldn't resist. "Watch out for those inside fastballs, Kenny!" Pausing momentarily, the two continued on, Caroline shooting a confused look over her shoulder.

"What was that all about?"

Smiling up at her husband, Elizabeth shrugged and then laughed again. "I wrote a scathing article on him when we were playing the Giants in the NLCS last year. He was batting leadoff and Morris threw an inside fastball that went up on him. It was several feet away from Lofton but he overreacted and almost caused a fight. Whiny, overpaid, little..." Trailing off, Elizabeth grinned at Eric Gagne, who was still standing at her side. "Thanks, Eric. I think I've entertained you enough." Once the reliever had gone and Elizabeth had led Will to a more private location, her questions burst forth. "Where has she been? Why wasn't she at the wedding? Didn't I invite her? Did you uninvite her?"

His eyes squinting in contemplation, Will finally answered. "I don't know, in Chicago, I assume. I told her she could not come. Yes, you did. Of course I did."

"Why did you do that?"

Looking at her as if she had grown another nose, Will stated, "Because I didn't want her there." When he saw that his wife was not satisfied, Will sighed and then spoke. "Caroline has always had some twisted infatuation with me-or with my money, I should say. Ever since I have known her, she had this insane idea in her head that we were going to get married. She had already been rude to you and had gone behind our backs at the engagement party to talk with my aunt and I decided enough was enough. That day was very special and I didn't want Caroline butting in and ruining it."

It was a long explanation, but Elizabeth followed until the end, even nodding at a few points. She was smiling. "She would have made the day interesting, that's for sure. Although I would have liked to see what shade of orange she deems appropriate for a wedding."

Will and Elizabeth were laughing together when a player poked his head around the corner and told her Edmonds was looking for her. Nodding at the man, Elizabeth turned back to Will. "Are you going to be okay without me?"

Grinning, Will teased. "I think I just might make it."

"What are you going to do?"

"Whither away and die, probably." At her look, Will laughed and then shrugged. "I'm going to go and talk to some friends of mine."

Elizabeth was confused by his answer, but several players were calling out to her and so she quickly said goodbye. Watching her retreating back, Will smiled and went in search of a former teammate he had seen. Training camp would be starting soon and he was interested in hearing the wide receiver's take on the upcoming season. He just had to make sure Elizabeth didn't catch him. The annoying questions would never stop then.

"That's your wife?" Will tore his eyes away from Elizabeth and turned to take in Jeff's grin. "She's hot."

Rolling his eyes, Will allowed himself to laugh. "You haven't changed, Jeff."

Laughing himself, the wide receiver nodded. "I know. You were always yelling at me for stuff like that."

Shrugging, Will answered. "You were a rookie. I was the quarterback. It was my job."

"I love how you conveniently forget that you were also a rookie at the time. A good rookie-a much better rookie than I-but still a rookie."

Will was smiling at the memory. "That was a fun year, wasn't it?"

"Losing in the playoffs was not, but yeah...the rest of the season was." Jeff quieted for a moment as Will turned his attention back to his very attractive wife. (He didn't blame him, of course. If he was married and his wife looked like that he would definitely not ever-)

"I miss it sometimes." Will's quiet words cut through his musings.

"I would imagine you would, Darcy. You were good."

"No, it's more than that. It was being on a team...being involved, supported..." Will looked up and smiled. "And throwing a few touchdown passes wasn't too bad, either."

"Yeah, well, you threw more than a few, buddy." Jeff was silent for a moment as he watched Elizabeth Darcy throw just a few warm-up pitches and then smile at Edmonds. "Have you ever thought about getting back involved?"

Jeff had thought that nothing would distract Darcy now that he was staring at his wife, but apparently, his words had. "What do you mean?"

"I always thought you'd make one heck of a coach." He could see the surprise on his friend's face, but Jeff was speaking the truth. He shrugged. "You'd certainly get that team feeling back."

The ex-quarterback was silent for a few moments as he watched the left-hander hit one over the opposite field fence. It didn't even register in his mind that he should have been cheering. When he finally looked at his friend again, Jeff noted a different look on his face. Contentment. Happiness. It had been some time since William Darcy's face had reflected any such emotions and they were so foreign, Jeff hardly recognized them.

"I don't need that anymore, Jeff. I hated it when I had to quit football. I didn't want to take over dad's business. Playing football was the one way I could keep myself away from everything besides the gridiron." Will paused and turned to see his friend hanging on his every word. Not even the next two home runs broke his concentration. "But now...now with Elizabeth and Leah, I've got something more than a football team could ever replace. It's like I finally belong somewhere." Seeing the look on Jeff's face, Will had to chuckle at himself. "I sound like an idiot, don't I?"

Immediately, Jeff shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. You have just made me realize that I have made football my entire life. And all of a sudden I'm feeling a little sorry about that."

The two were silent as Edmonds' next two hits also went over the fence. "How many is that?" Jeff suddenly asked. He certainly hadn't been paying attention, but Will was quick to reply. "Five."

Just as the word was out of his mouth, Elizabeth threw the ball up and Edmonds cranked it into right field. Will realized he was smiling. If he wasn't careful, he was going to start scaring his friend. Jeff had only known him pre-Elizabeth and that was a time when smiling had been a rare commodity. It was funny how things had changed since he'd met her. Now he found himself smiling at absolutely nothing.

"So you told me why you really married Elizabeth, but I don't think you told me the truth."

"Oh yeah?" Will asked, his eyes still on his wife. She was smiling and yelling something out to Edmonds.

"You didn't tell me that you're in love with her."

Chuckling, Will turned to Jeff. "I figured that was obvious."

To everyone but her. Again, Will just couldn't help smiling. Not for long. You have to tell her, Darcy. Tell her soon.

Will had expected Elizabeth to be ecstatic. Edmonds had hit eight bombs and advanced to the second round. Even though he had not made it past that level, Albert Pujols had made it to the finals and had even tied the Derby record with fourteen home runs in one round. It wasn't too bad for his first try. Instead of a big smile, Elizabeth was frowning, those adorable lines prominent between her eyebrows.

"What's the matter?" Will had grabbed Elizabeth and brought her close to his side. She didn't smile or push away. Something was definitely troubling her.

"Edmonds hurt himself. He won't admit it to me, but I could tell. His swings were off in the second round."

"Is he going to play tomorrow?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Most likely. It's Edmonds. If only I had noticed...I would have thrown him some pitches he didn't have a chance hitting..." Elizabeth trailed off as she noticed Jeff standing behind Will. "Another adoring fan, Will?"

Jeff laughed and it was then that Will remembered he was even still with him. What did it say for him that as soon as he saw Elizabeth everything and everyone else was completely forgotten? Well, there was no getting around it this time. Thankfully, Elizabeth didn't cover football.

"Elizabeth, this is a friend of mine, Jeff Bradley." Will turned to Jeff. "Jeff, this is Elizabeth."

As the two were shaking hands, Elizabeth froze mid-smile to stare. "You play for the Bears, don't you?"

Jeff laughed once again, glad that Will had told him Elizabeth had no idea of her husband's football career. Will was trying to look nonchalant, wondering if his wife knew every professional athlete. "You are right. I do play for the Bears."

"What a coincidence. And how do you know Mr. Bradley, Will?"

If it hadn't been for the innocent and curious look on his wife's face, Will would have thought Elizabeth was being sarcastic. Shaking his head slowly, Will answered. "From my years in Chicago, of course." It wasn't technically a lie. After all, he did know Jeff from his year with the Bears.

"Mm-hmm...Well, it was nice to meet you Jeff." Glancing at Will, Elizabeth said, "I shouldn't be too much longer. I've got to talk to Pujols and Jim. Are you going to wait here?"

At Will's nod, Elizabeth smiled, waved at both of them and then headed in the Cardinals' general direction.

"I think she's on to you."

"What?"

"I think she knows you played in the NFL."

Will laughed and slung his arm around his friend. "Trust me, Jeff. Elizabeth has no clue. You sticking around? Can I buy you a drink?"

"Aw, it'll be just like old times. Except that you'll be paying."

Shaking his head at Jeff's infectious grin, Will laughed. "I always did!"

The night was actually relaxing for the amount of people that were around. Elizabeth, lured to the hotel bar by several players, invited Will and Jeff to stay and accompany her.

"Isn't that nice, Jeff?" Will teased, putting his arm around Elizabeth and kissing her forehead. "My wife's asking me if I would like to stay. Should I say no?"

Jeff shrugged. "Why not? I'll be here to protect Elizabeth from all the big, bad, and very attractive men that might be lurking about."

Will gave Jeff a friendly shove. "You're the only one I'm worried about."

"You think I would make a move on your wife?" Jeff feigned anger, but then grinned. "And I always knew I was attractive, but your telling me means more than you'll ever know."

Will rolled his eyes as Jeff grabbed Elizabeth's hand and hurried her away. By the way Elizabeth was laughing, he wasn't in too much of a hurry. Will had a feeling they would be hanging around Jeff all night. When Scott Rolen, the Cardinals third baseman, stopped Will he had no problem talking about the differences in his second year on the All-Star team, Elizabeth, and the latest book Scott had read.

By the time he had caught up with Elizabeth, she had a drink in her hand and was in the middle of an intense discussion with several managers. Smiling to himself, he ordered a beer while he waited for her to finish. Glancing around, he saw Jeff flirting with a table full of young and pretty women, which was no surprise. That was Jeff. Their teammates had always laughed at the two friends and polar opposites. Jeff could charm anyone in less time than it took most people to tie their shoe, while Will had stood stiffly on the outskirts of any party, completely uncomfortable.

"Enjoying yourself?" Turning quickly to his right, Will wished he hadn't. Orange that bright should be outlawed and as soon as he got back to St. Louis he was going to call his senator and suggest it. As it was now, he could barely see...except for a few orange stars here and there.

"Where's your wife?"

"Where's Kenny?" Will struggled to regain his eyesight.

If he had been able to see he would have observed Caroline pout very unattractively. "He went to use the restroom."

"Well, Elizabeth's over that way," he stated, pointing with his beer bottle, vaguely seeing her slight form.

"Chatting with those old men. How lovely."

"They're not old, Caroline, and they also happen to be three of the most successful managers in the last five years."

Unimpressed, Caroline took a sip of her water and admired her perfectly manicured fingernails. Surely Will would notice her fingernails! The poor dear, having to live with that Bennet girl; she had probably never had her nails done before in her life. In fact, if she had, she had probably just broken them playing point guard or whatever it was she did.

"Is she ignoring you?"

"No, but I certainly know of someone who...err, never mind." Will took a drink from his bottle and stared straight in front of him, sending Elizabeth silent mind messages to come and rescue him. Whether she had intercepted them or had just seen the look of pure torture on his face, Elizabeth suddenly appeared at his side.

"Hey, Will. Where's Jeff?" Elizabeth had to bite her lip to keep from laughing when she saw the relieved look her husband sent her.

"Off flirting."

"Yes, he implied that he would. He also said you wouldn't approve." From the gleam in her eyes, Will knew she was teasing.

"Who is Jeff?"

Husband and wife simultaneously swung their glances toward the unwanted woman in their midst. "A friend of mine."

An idea suddenly hit Elizabeth. "He's very attractive, Caroline, and I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

Caroline sniffed and looked down her rather long nose at Elizabeth. "And what makes you think I would take your advice?"

Feeling Will tense at her side, Elizabeth placed a calming hand on top of his and then smiled at Caroline. "Didn't I mention he plays for the Bears?"

"Another baseball player? I am already sick of them!" Caroline shouted.

"I would be a little quieter when you say something like that," Will muttered under his breath, not even bothering to correct her.

"Yes, but he is a very good player, Caroline. Just got a new contract if I remember correctly." Leaning over, she whispered a few words in Caroline's ear. Will was amused at the way her eyes instantly lit up. Glancing over in the direction Elizabeth had pointed, Caroline pulled out a compact to check her smudge-proof lipstick. Closing the mirror with a snap, she gave the two a wave.

"I think I see someone I know over that way..." Caroline turned and hurried towards the unsuspecting wide receiver.

"You know," Elizabeth observed as they watched Caroline 'accidentally' bump into Jeff, "I think they would make a cute couple." A wicked grin crept across her face. "She'd certainly never have to color-coordinate."

Will was about to question his wife when a blue and orange Bears pennant caught his eye. Laughing along with his wife, Will did have to ask what exactly she had whispered in Caroline's ears.

"What's the going rate for a fifth year wide receiver? About four million?"

Will laughed again before planting a kiss right on her lips; he really just couldn't help himself. To his amazement, Elizabeth just smiled at him and did not protest, before pulling him over to meet some friends of hers. The discussions were interesting and not entirely about baseball-although his dear wife could not help but put her two cents into everything. Will smirked as Elizabeth lectured a certain player on his wayward post-game activities, explained to a pitcher the art of reading a fastball, and talked literature with Scott Rolen. It was only when her cell phone rang that she stopped. Pulling the small device from her purse, she stared at it for a few moments before turning to smile at Will.

"You push this button, right?" Rolling his eyes, Will pushed the correct button for her and waited patiently while she answered the phone.

"Hello, Jane. Prompt as always." Elizabeth gave a smile to those around her, took Will's hand, and led him into a quiet hallway. "And how is my girl?" Jane's answer must have been positive because a smile broke on Elizabeth's face. Glancing up at him, Elizabeth told Will, "She's almost crawling."

Will smiled but could not help but feel a sudden pang of jealousy. "Tell Jane to make sure she does not actually crawl until we get home." By the abrupt look on Elizabeth's face, it was obvious that the thought had not occurred to her until he said it.

"Jane, do you think she could hold off crawling until Thursday?" The conversation continued on for a few moments as Elizabeth answered Jane's questions about the All-Star Game festivities. Once she was finished, Will tapped his wife on the shoulder and asked if he could speak with Charles. "Why do you think he would still be there? It's near eleven, you know," Elizabeth whispered as she covered up the mouthpiece.

Will just smiled and held out his hand for the phone. To Elizabeth's surprise, Charles was still there and was more than willing to talk to his friend. She was even more surprised when Will gave her a gentle push back towards her friends.

Will did not even wait for his friend to give him a proper greeting. "Any word, Charles?"

Sighing, Charles decided not to beat around the bush. Will was obviously feeling just a bit direct tonight. "No word. He's slippery."

"You don't have to tell me that," Will muttered as he rubbed his hand across his forehead. "Where did we last find him?"

"Romancing some foreign heiress, I believe."

"God help her." Will paused, trying to school the hope out of his voice. "Do you think he'll make it to the court date?"

Charles hesitated. Will could picture him at this very moment-pacing, his eyes wide, and mouth opening and then shutting. "When it comes to you, Will, Wickham seems to have an unparalleled drive to hurt and damage. Yes, I think he will most certainly make this court date."

Closing his eyes against the rage that was threatening to spill over, Will nodded his head slowly. "And in this case I think he has an extra incentive."

"What do you mean?"

Sighing, Will again rubbed his forehead in an absent manner. "She hasn't told me all of it, but Elizabeth has a past with Wickham."

"Well, of course she does. He's the father of her niece."

"No, Charles, deeper than that. He did a real number on her."

His friend hesitated once more. "And she hasn't told you anything?"

"Oh, a few confusing statements here and there. Not enough for me to understand. It would be too much to hope that Jane may have explained anything at all to you?"

"Janie can be very close-mouthed about her sister. I always wondered about it before, but if what you say is true, it makes a little more sense."

"Charles..." Will started, before his voice broke and he had to swallow. "I think we have to prepare ourselves for more than just a love affair gone wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"It has come to my attention on several occasions that Elizabeth and Ana act very similarly."

"Oh, God." Charles muttered to himself for a few moments before he spoke to Will. "Are you going to try and talk to her?"

Will paused. "No...no, I don't think so. She has to tell me herself. If I want this relationship to work, she's going to have to start trusting me with the truth."

"Force worked with Ana," Charles reminded softly.

"Ana's different. I love my sister."

"And you don't love Elizabeth?" Charles tone was bordering on scoff and anger.

"Of course I do. And you know it. But you see, Ana knew I loved her and I knew she loved me back. Elizabeth and I seem to be having some problems in that area." Will paused. "I can't risk pushing her away anymore than she's already distanced herself."

"I guess that's true." Charles blew out a breath. "What do I say? Good luck."

"Oh, I'm going to need much more than luck. I think you can start praying."

Charles chuckled. "Done."

A steady and strong knock awoke Elizabeth from a very deep and exhaustive sleep. Squinting her eyes and yawning at the same time, she glanced at the clock. Sitting up in bed suddenly and muttering an expletive as she noticed it was past noon, Elizabeth heard a chuckle from the other side of the door.

"Will! Get in here!" Pushing several locks of hair behind her ears, Elizabeth put on her best stern and reproachful look. Her husband entered the room, looking refreshed and very handsome in his business suit, a huge smile on his face.

"You called, milady?"

The eyebrow went up. "Do you think you could tell me who turned my alarm off? I had planned on getting up at eight."

"Well, your plans changed." Ignoring her scowl, Will sat down on the bed next to her and continued to smile. "Sweetheart, you were up until all hours of the night finishing the All-Star articles-they were very good, by the way. I couldn't even tell your bias for the National League. There was no sense in you getting up early and being tired all day. Anyway, my plans were for the afternoon, anyway."

Crossing her arms on her chest, Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "What plans?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out. Now get dressed." Standing up, Will gave a pointed look towards the dresser and made his way to the door. "I'd like to be ready to leave in half an hour. Think you can be ready by then?"

Rolling her eyes, but smiling, Elizabeth mock-saluted him before he shut the door. She was ready in exactly twenty-nine minutes. Joining him in the foyer, Will smiled at her rare punctuality. He had changed into shorts and a t-shirt, but still looked just as good as he did in his less casual clothes.

"So that was quite an exciting game last night, wasn't it?" Will asked as he grabbed Elizabeth's hand and led her out of the apartment.

Elizabeth was smiling. "It was great. I can't believe that the NL pulled it off in the end...a late inning grand slam. Incredible..." She trailed off and glanced at Will, as they both waited for the elevator. "You didn't mind coming back early? I tried to hurry, but-"

"It was my choice. I had an early meeting this morning so I left right after I talked to you." Will smiled down at her. "I'm just glad you got back safely."

"Oh, Philip made sure of that, although he was a little disappointed at the American League loss."

Will laughed as they walked out onto the street. "And I'm sure you didn't rub it in or anything like that?"

"Who me?" Elizabeth grinned devilishly. "What did I have to rub in? The best league won and he knew it."

The rest of the afternoon was spent hitting the best parts of Chicago, a tour only a native could give. Will took her to Chipotle for lunch-a restaurant with gigantic, but delicious burritos-they walked leisurely through the Art Institute, viewed the traveling baseball exhibit at the Field Museum, and then ate dinner at a famous Chicago pizza joint. By dusk, Elizabeth was very full and very tired. Walking to the lake shore, Elizabeth was happy to sit down on a dock and gaze at the expanse of Lake Michigan.

"Do you have any other plans in store?" she teased as Will settled himself beside her.

Smiling, he shrugged his shoulders, but took her hand. "Have you enjoyed my plans?"

"They were very nice. I guess Chicago does have more going for it than two baseball teams."

Will laughed and nodded. "Yes, it does." A silence came between the two, but it was a comfortable silence as each stared at the waves lapping at the base of the dock. So many times Will had sat in a spot similar to this one; a quiet, secluded space where he had room to think. The thoughts at that time, however, had been anything but happy. He had been a cynical, angry young man and his thoughts were equally cynical and angry.

Turning his head to the side, Will watched Elizabeth. She was beautiful with a contented smile on her face, her eyes closed, and the breeze gently blowing her hair out of its ponytail. Mrs. R had always told him that someday he would find that one woman who would be able to change his perspective on life. He hadn't believed it then, but he believed it now. Elizabeth, with her crazy ideas and her infectious laughter, had helped him find his old self inside his mourning, dark, and stoic façade. The lightheartedness that had died when his mother did returned the moment he had walked into Elizabeth's apartment that first night. How could he not love the woman who had done all that for him?

"Could we go over there?" Elizabeth's voice broke through Will's musings and he looked up to see her pointing in the general direction of Navy Pier. The sun had set and darkness had set in, making the glow of the Pier even more enticing.

"Of course. It will probably be crowded, though."

Elizabeth smiled. "That's okay. I want to ride the Ferris wheel, though!"

Laughing at her childish exuberance, Will stood and then pulled Elizabeth up next to him. "Let's go."

The Pier was crowded for a Wednesday night-the after-effects of the World Series, no doubt-and Will helped guide Elizabeth towards the popular ride. As he paid and they waited in line, he could not help but smile at his wife's giddy chatter. One would have thought she had never seen such a thing as a Ferris wheel before in her life.

"Have you been on this before?" Elizabeth wanted to know as the attendant helped her into the seat.

"With Ana a few times," he answered, settling down next to her. "I hope you aren't afraid of heights. We're going to be stuck at the top when the seats are getting emptied."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I won't be scared."

She had sounded adamant, but Will grinned when he felt Elizabeth grab his hand as soon as the ride started. Actually, she wasn't just grabbing it, she was squeezing the heck out of it.

"Wow. We do get pretty high," Elizabeth commented, a slight fear lacing her words. Once he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, some of the tension left and Elizabeth was able to relax. She had just gotten used to the gentle rocking of the seats when the wheel slowed and stopped. Just as Will had predicted, they were nearly at the very top. Closing her eyes quickly, she all but squeaked, "Oh no. I don't think I can look."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't."

"You'll wish you did...It's quite a view."

"How can you be afraid of landing in an airplane but you can be so calm about this?" Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth slowly let the air out and opened her eyes at the same time. The sight of the lighted Chicago skyline left her breathlessly in awe and her fear was forgotten. Twinkling lights shone at her, reflecting the energy that was the city. Smiling, Elizabeth felt as if she could see Will's apartment. "It's beautiful," she muttered on a sigh.

Will had to agree, but was taking in a much different and much more precious sight. The lights of the city were no comparison to the lights in Elizabeth's eyes-the way they brightened as she took the whole view in and the way they twinkled and crinkled around the corners as she began to smile.

"Yes," Will stated softly, "you are beautiful."

Elizabeth was oblivious to his statement as the city skyline still drew her attention. "Look, is that Wrigley?" Pointing towards the south, the complete opposite side of the city, she inadvertently slid closer to Will during her question.

"You are so very beautiful."

Will knew the exact moment she understood. Elizabeth stilled-her muscles seemed to freeze and even her breathing was so shallow it appeared as if she had stopped. Will smiled. He had expected such a reaction-but there was no stopping him now. Without touching her, but in a voice that was as much a caress as his hands ever could be, Will spoke.

"Elizabeth, look at me."

His soft breath gently stroked her cheek, causing her heart to stop also. There was no way she was looking at him. No way. She knew what he was going to say: the three words she had been dreading.

"Elizabeth, look at me," he repeated gently.

She shook her head, turning her back to him and willing herself to stop trembling. Her fear was strong and she knew Will could sense it.

"I want to look at you when I say this, sweetheart. Please turn around."

Again, Elizabeth shook her head so vehemently some of her tightly bound hair escaped from her ponytail.

"Should I say it to your back then?" he asked slowly, his warm breath on her neck causing shivers to run through her body. Involuntary shivers that she wanted to stop. This could not be happening! Tears mercilessly filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. It was no use to cry. After all, Will might believe he felt something at this moment, but it would pass. Repeating this as a mantra to herself, Elizabeth turned towards her husband.

The look in his eyes shook her. So kind, so gentle...as if he understood the feelings racing through her head and heart at that very moment. Eyes that seemed to look straight into her soul...eyes that somehow had become a part of her soul.

"I love you, Elizabeth Darcy."

Her world crumbled. "No, you don't!" she cried without thinking, without realizing how those words would a hurt a man who had just made himself absolutely vulnerable.

To her surprise, Will chuckled, grinning wryly. "Not exactly the response a man hopes for from the woman he's just declared his love to."

"Will," she burst in, quickly, her voice breaking, her eyes shifting away from his handsome face, "you don't love me-you can't love me."

Cupping her face gently in his large hands, Will smiled softly. "Oh, but I do, Elizabeth. I love you."

It was harder to stop the tears this time. "No, you-"

"Stop telling me what I feel, Elizabeth, and listen to what I'm saying." The words were said softly, but with a steel-like edge. Will was absolutely serious.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed, her face still resting in his hands. "Was it something I did? I never meant to make you fall in love with me."

Will chuckled as he traced his fingers along her jaw line. His touch was so gentle it almost did Elizabeth in. She wanted to bury her face in his chest and cry all those tears she had locked inside her for the last two years. "You didn't do anything but be you. And you are very loveable."

"No."

"Yes. Would you like me to list off the reasons I love you?" Will asked and then continued on, ignoring the wild shaking of her head. "First I love your smile. It can be pure joy or pure tease. And your eyes...they're so beautiful and expressive-I can tell exactly what you are thinking just by looking at them. Then there's the compassion and caring you practically live and breathe. I love watching you interact with people. You have a beautiful laugh. You radiate intelligence. I love the way you hold onto the car door handle when I'm making a turn. I love how you slide down the hallway in your socks. I love-"

Finally Elizabeth could not listen anymore. "I'm not any of those things! I'm selfish, Will. I only think of myself. And I'm weak...so very weak." She turned her head away at the last announcement, feeling the familiar shame running through her.

"You are not selfish. And you are not weak."

Elizabeth was silent for a few moments, staring out at the Chicago skyline but not even noticing its beauty anymore. "I wish you hadn't fallen in love with me, Will. I have bad hang-ups about relationships."

"Such as?"

"Not ever wanting to be in one ever again," she replied quickly and with bitterness. "Don't love me, Will. You're just going to end up hurt..."

Will put one finger under her chin and lifted her head until her tear-brightened eyes were looking straight at him. "I know you've been hurt, Elizabeth. I know that you think you can't ever love me but-"

"Oh no," she broke in without thinking, "not that. Not you. Please don't ever think it's you. In fact, I..."

She trailed off into silence but Will was not going to let it go this time. "You what?"

"I wish I had met you first."

The heartbreak in her soft words almost tore Will apart. The urge to beat the man who had hurt her was so strong he felt his hands clenching into fists. How could she call herself weak? The woman could hold herself together like none he'd ever known. But just once he wished she'd let him carry some of her pain.

"Sweetheart, what did he do to hurt you this much?" He used the pronoun, but in his mind Will was sure who the he was. And he had a good idea what he might have done. Ana had much the same reaction after Will had gotten Wickham out of her life. Still, he would wait for Elizabeth to tell him. It didn't appear as if she was going to tonight.

"I...It wasn't him, it was me..." Elizabeth trailed off, pressed her lips shut tightly, and stared down at her hands.

"It's okay," Will said gently, enfolding Elizabeth in his arms and pulling her close to his chest. "You don't have to tell me now." When he felt her still shaking, he began rubbing her arms. It was then that the ride started moving again. Elizabeth didn't even notice. After a few moments he held her at arm's length so he could look her in the face.

Her eyes were sad. And full of desperation. She was willing him to understand. Smiling, Will kissed her temple and then pulled away when their car was at the bottom and the attendant was waiting for them to depart. Without saying a word, Will took Elizabeth's hand in his own and cut his way through the crowd until they were at the very end of the pier. Leading her to a private bench, Will sat Elizabeth down and then settled next to her.

"Will...what's going to change?" Elizabeth whispered her words softly, gazing out into the darkness.

"Nothing. Nothing will change." Seeing the incredulous look Elizabeth was giving him, Will put his arm around Elizabeth and squeezed her shoulder. "I realized I was in love with you the day we were married, Elizabeth, but I'm positive I had been for awhile. Did anything change during that time?"

Elizabeth shrugged but did not speak.

"I'm not going to be any different than I was before." Will chuckled. "I'm not going to expect you to gaze at me lovingly or let me jump into bed with you any chance I get-not that I would mind, Elizabeth." Looking down, he saw a hint of a smile on her lips. "I'll wait until you tell me you love me."

Swallowing slowly, Elizabeth forced herself to look into her husband's eyes. "But what if I...Will, I don't want to hurt you, but-What if I never fall in love with you?"

Pulling her smaller frame toward his, Will leaned back against the bench, content to hold the woman of his dreams in his arms and sit under the stars. "I don't think that will be a problem, Elizabeth." Waiting until her eyes were watching his expectantly, Will whispered, "I think you already have."

Continued in Next Section