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Reunion
Liam could only stare in shock as Brandon Gardiner tended to his unconscious wife. With remarkable ease, he picked her up and carried her into the other room, setting her upon the couch and calling for someone to bring a cold cloth for her head. Liam followed them, still not believing what he had just seen.
"Who is he, Mother? Why did she react in such a way to him?" Brandon said angrily. "Is he the one who put a bullet in her head and left her to die?"
Liam finally snapped out of his daze. "I'm her brother," he said softly. "This is my sister...this is..." Liam knelt by his sister's feet, staring at her pale face and knowing that the dream he'd put away six years ago had finally come true. Gina was alive. "This is Gina," he finished. And with that, the tears that had threatened to fall finally did, and he wept silently while thanking God for this precious miracle.
She stirred slowly. The first sight she saw was that of her husband and Mrs. Gardiner, and for a moment she thought that perhaps the tall man with the reddish brown hair had been a dream, but then she saw him as well.
Liam. "Liam?" she repeated in a trembling voice.
Liam looked up at her. "Gina."
Her head was hurting, as it had a good deal lately. She found that trying to remember anything about her former life made her head hurt, and therefore she'd stopped thinking about it. Until the nightmares she couldn't remember, and now today.
It was hurting a great deal because she couldn't remember anything more about this man other than what appeared to be his name. And what was that he'd called her? "Gina...is that my name?" she asked. "My actual name?"
The light dimmed in his eyes, and she knew she'd hurt him. It made her feel guilty, because it was already apparent to her that he'd been quite close to her...before.
Liam was hurt, but he tried to hide it as best he could. And he tried to tell himself that of course she couldn't be expected to wake up and remember everything just because she'd remembered his name. That would be too much to hope for...
And besides, it was enough knowing that she was alive. "Yes," he said. "Actually, Gina was your nickname. Georgiana is your actual name."
"Georgiana," she said slowly. "If that is my name, then why..."
"Danielle is your middle name," Liam said. "I can't explain why you clung to it, rather than your first name."
Something dark clouded her eyes, causing her to feel dizzy again, then disappeared. "From our similarity to each other, I presume we're related."
"You're my sister," he said, his voice still shaky. "Oh, God! I--I can't believe it's really you! So many times, I dreamed that you'd actually be alive, that you would come to me and...and...and now you're here."
"Not exactly as you might've imagined," Mrs. Gardiner said with a small smile.
Liam looked into her green eyes, seeing no recognition of anything, not even of the name he'd called her. "No, but it's enough that she's here, and I'm looking at her. Gina--"
"Don't call me that, please," she whispered, the darkness waving again. "Please, don't call me...don't..." She put a hand to her head, and for a moment Liam feared she would faint again. "I'm Danielle."
She didn't notice the black look Brandon gave Liam, the suspicion that he might've had something to do with Danielle's injury still remaining.
Liam knew what the young man was feeling, and he said, "I didn't do this to her. I couldn't have hurt her for the world."
"He didn't," Danielle said weakly.
"How do you know that? Do you remember him?" Brandon asked in as gentle a voice as he could find.
Danielle shook her head. "No, but...I can sense this about him. I..." Something cleared in her mind, and she brightened, her headache fading. "I do remember something, but it must've been from long ago. You and I were in a forest of some sort, and had come to a stream."
A smile had come to Liam's hand. "Our summer home in Maine."
"Yes! You wouldn't let me go swimming because I had no swimming clothes. I was so determined to go out into the water because it was so warm that I ignored you and waded out in my dress...I remember that dress because it was so ugly."
Liam laughed. "Now I remember. You were six at the time, and I was sixteen. Do you remember what happened after you went into the water?"
"You caved in a taught me to swim as best I could. Then..." Just as swiftly as she'd thought it gone, the headache returned.
Liam tried to remember what had happened next, and when he did, Danielle's recurring headache started to make more sense. "Then George Wickham showed up."
With a shriek, Danielle hid herself in the crook of her husband's arm, trying to block out the name she hadn't heard in years. Brandon's eyes met Liam's, and a new understanding reached them.
"Was he a friend of yours?" Brandon asked.
"Don't talk about him! Don't talk about him! He made me promise I wouldn't!" Danielle's muffled voice cried. "He swore he'd kill me!"
Liam touched his sister on the shoulder. Her tear-streaked, terrified face looked at him. "He's already tried to kill you," Liam said. "Just as I suspected he had, along with--"
"--Christie." A look of sheer horror, full of memories, crossed Danielle's face. "Oh, God. I remember what happened after...after you told Christie that you refused to accept responsibility for a child that wasn't yours. That night, she convinced me to come along with her to the train station. She said that she couldn't bear for her brother or sister to be ruined by her shame, but she didn't want to leave New York without someone to say good-bye to. I went, and...and he was waiting there for us."
"Did you know that Christie wasn't George's sister?" Liam asked.
Danielle shook her head. "Not until later. He...he made me get into this car with him and Christie. He stopped when we were far away from the city and tied me up. He then returned to the city and stopped at a bridge. It was nighttime, and the city lights were on. He told her that he wanted to see the lights one last time with her. They went out...and then he pushed her off the bridge. I...I can see her now. She had no time to scream...no time to do anything. She fell into the water and didn't surface."
Brandon looked at his wife with grief-stricken eyes. This, then, was the nightmare which woke her at night, and he'd never had an inkling.
"Did...did they ever find her?" she asked.
"Three days later. It was presumed that you were also dead, and later, two witnesses came forward to say they'd seen the two of you on the bridge. One of you was thrown from it; the other jumped. We just figured...that your body had been caught in the current and swept out to the ocean. Later, I suspected that the witnesses had been paid off and that he'd killed you both that night." Liam wiped tears from his eyes at the memories, then asked, "What happened next?"
"George drove away from the city. I didn't know where we were going, and I didn't care. I knew he was going to kill me because I'd seen him kill Christie. He laughed as we sped down the roads, saying that although Christie hadn't done the trick, he intended to get his share of the Darcy fortune one way or another. He...he stopped in towns at night, and would let me loose, and threatened to kill me if I said anything to anyone. He told me that if I even told anyone my name he'd kill me. He'd say my name over and over again...Gina, Georgiana, Gina, Georgiana...almost as though he were wanting me to say it to someone, so he could kill me."
Mrs. Gardiner was almost in need of the smelling salts her daughter-in-law now held. She could not imagine such a monster in the world, who could've tortured this young woman in such a way.
"I...I felt as though I could protect myself if I stopped thinking of myself as Gina, so I started repeating my middle name in my mind...Danielle. If I couldn't have my first name, then I could at least have my middle one.
"When we reached what I was later told was Pennsylvania, he told me the truth about Christie. He laughed about how gullible she'd been, how eager she'd been to go along with this plan. He said he was even considering using Caroline in his ruse, but--"
"Caroline? Who is Caroline?" Liam asked abruptly, going pale.
"His actual sister. But he didn't use her because he couldn't have gotten rid of her like he did Christie, and then he'd be stuck with a brat he didn't want if things fell through."
Liam felt vaguely sick to his stomach. Caroline was George's sister...he'd worked next to her for months, and all along...He prayed that Elizabeth hadn't followed Catherine's instructions, that he wouldn't have to face Caroline Wickham when he returned to work.
"He intended to ransom me at first, but then I would see him looking at me with a gleam in his eyes that scared me...and one night, he said that instead of giving me back, perhaps he would be better off marrying me and 'giving me a brat' to insure that you wouldn't have the marriage annulled."
Danielle tried to shrink away from her husband's embrace as though she'd done something to wrong him, but Brandon was having none of that and only strengthened his hold on her.
"I...I managed to get away from him before he could do anything. At the place we were staying, there was a woods, and I ran into them, and he followed me, furious, occasionally shooting at me with his gun. I had managed to reach a river when...I..." Danielle shook her head slowly. "That's all I remember, except feeling this pain in my head and then nothing."
"He'd shot you in the head," Liam said. "And you were thrown into the river and later found."
Danielle nodded. "And when I woke up, Mother Gardiner was standing over me, telling me that she was so happy I'd finally woke up. She asked me my name...and all I could focus on was the name I'd clung to during that time with him. So I told her that I thought it might be Danielle. I couldn't seem to remember anything else."
"Until today."
"Yes."
"Do you remember anything else? Our parents or our lives before?"
She shook her head.
"Perhaps seeing them would bring her memories back," Mrs. Gardiner suggested. "After all, look what seeing you did."
Liam's smile was wistful. "I don't know that Gi--that Danielle appreciates my presence much, for it has forced her to remember something she would rather have left forgotten."
"No!" Danielle exclaimed. "No, I am most glad to see you, because now I know what my nightmare has been. If I am unable to remember anything else, I will at least know what I have to fear. And...and I know that I have my brother again. I have a family, even if I cannot remember much of them."
"I do not know if I want you to see our parents."
"Why not?" Brandon asked.
"Well..." Liam couldn't do this to Danielle. He couldn't tell her that her presumed death had torn apart the family, and that George Wickham had been responsible. He could see another emotion in her eyes when she'd told of Christie's death, and that had been guilt. Liam sensed that very soon, she would begin thinking that Christie might've lived if she hadn't gone with her. "It's complicated, and I think Gi--Danielle has had enough for today."
"He's right," Mrs. Gardiner said. "Liam, would you be willing to come back tomorrow at this time, and visit with your sister, and perhaps talk of the good things before this happened?"
"It would be a pleasure, ma'am, but I have to be at work, at De Bourghs'. I wasn't there today because I was visiting a relative and..."
"Work? Fitzwilliam Darcy, what are you doing working...and for one of our de Bourgh relatives?"
Everyone turned to look at Danielle again. Not only had she called him by his correct name, which he hadn't told her, but she'd known that the de Bourghs were relatives.
"I suspect," Liam said, "that I won't be needed to tell her much by this time tomorrow."
In a gesture that had been one of Georgiana Darcy's trademarks, she sat up fully and crossed her arms over her chest. Had she been standing, Liam knew, she would've had her hands on her hips. "You didn't answer my question," she said.
"I have to work because I have no money. And I work at De Bourghs' because it was the only place I could get a job. And our de Bourgh relatives aren't that bad, you know. Catherine is quite nice."
"What do Mom and Dad do now?" she asked. "Do they work there as well?"
Liam sighed. He hadn't wanted to tell her this, but she was leaving him no choice. And the fact that she was calling their parents "Mom and Dad" instead of "Mother and Father," like she did before, was a sign that her locked memory was returning in floodlike fashion.
"No. I was disinherited after your...well, after we thought you were dead. George Wickham told Father that I had fathered Christie's baby and then denied to take responsibility for it, thereby causing Christie to disappear and you with her. He blamed me for your death."
Danielle looked down at the floor. "What about the money you were due to receive anyway?"
"Lost in the crash. I didn't care about finances after you were gone, until I found myself in need of work." Liam cupped her chin in his hands and said, "Don't blame yourself for this, Danielle." This time, there was no stuttering before saying her name. Liam was trying not to upset her any more than he already had, and if she preferred being called Danielle now, then that's what he'd call her.
"I can't help it, Liam."
"Try. I'll come by tomorrow after I get off work and we'll have a good long talk. You can tell me about how you fell in love with Brandon, and I'll tell you about my life since you've been gone." He put his arms around her. "I love you, kid."
"I love you too," she said, holding him in a fierce embrace that neither wanted to release. When he finally stepped away from her, he grasped her hand as though he were afraid to let her go, afraid that if he did she wouldn't be real.
But she was real. And she was alive.
Liam left the Gardiners' with such a feeling of happiness and peace that he felt he could endure anything, including Elizabeth Bennet. After all, what was one pesky new boss compared to all the happiness in the world since he had his sister back again?
But even as he thought of the future with a great deal of gladness, he thought of something else. George Wickham was still alive, and he was out there...and even though he had no way to connect Georgiana Darcy to Danielle Gardiner, something might come out and he could be back to silence her forever.
Liam was determined that that would never happen. He would die before he'd ever let George near those he loved--ever again.
A Truce
Dear Friend,I have been plagued by my conscience all day today, and so I have decided to write this letter so I can explain my position about what happened yesterday. First of all, I'm sorry that I didn't go over to your table and meet you; however, I had good reason.
Tell me, and be frank: who was that lovely young woman you were sitting with when I walked into the cafe? She's a very nice sort, I dare say, the type men fall for, if a bit tall. Still, being tall yourself, I'm sure that didn't bother you. I saw the two of you together and thought that perhaps you had changed your mind about me, and I can't honestly blame you. It's why I didn't join you.
As I said before, I've been feeling dreadful about not staying to meet you, because it occurred to me this morning that the young lady you were with might be nothing more than your sister, or a good friend, or someone you know from work. If that was the case, and you waited for me to show in vain, then my guilt is ten-fold. If, on the other hand, you were merely trifling with me, sir, then please let me know so that I may stop writing you.
I suppose you are wondering what I thought of you, as I did get to see what you looked like. I must say, sir, that I am not displeased. I was afraid that you may be too handsome to tempt me. Yet there you sat, and while you spoke to the young lady at your table, I couldn't help but notice that your eyes were sparkling with green fire. You had a definite look of intelligence, which I greatly value in a man, and also of kindness...
Elizabeth sighed as she reread the rough draft of her letter. She had already sent the final version to him, which he should be receiving today. She supposed that one could not guess her identity from it, although she did try to make herself sound as appealing as she could. She could only imagine how Liam would describe her when he wrote back...if he wrote back.
Nowhere in her letter did she mention the revelations of his last one. Knowing Liam to be a somewhat private man, she felt that perhaps it was for the best if she just kept that part of their communication quiet.
It had been two days since they had planned to meet. Liam had not arrived for either day of work, and something Mrs. De Bourgh told her made her worry. She'd said that Liam had been rather unhappy the first time he'd come to see her (although Mrs. De Bourgh made certain not to mention that she knew the truth), but that yesterday, he'd been in such good spirits that she'd been astounded at the change.
It made no sense to Elizabeth, for she had only sent her letter yesterday, and therefore he could not have received it. She wondered what had caused him to be so happy. After all, she was now the manager of the shop, and she had stood him up for their date. Not that she was thrilled with the latter anymore.
Indeed, in the days since their failed meeting, Elizabeth had thought a great deal about Liam Darcy, and it began to confuse her. Never before had he intruded on her thoughts quite as much as he did after the cafe incident. Elizabeth had thought, considering how rude he'd been to her, that she should have no guilt at all for leaving him there.
Instead, she began to think of those letters. And she thought of the wounded soul who had written them, the soul she'd seen in person only once, the night he'd mentioned his sister. She thought of how her problems with him had started, and even though she knew he'd started them by suggesting that she'd been stealing from the shop, and that he should be the manager, she began to realize something else.
In the beginning, he'd been firm in his belief that women shouldn't work. Later, he'd mentioned to Charlotte that he'd come to admire her tenacity in working and in being able to support her family. He'd told Susan that she was smart enough to be a businesswoman someday. He'd even complimented Caroline once, although she'd treated it like an insult and he had been a bit sarcastic.
It made Elizabeth wonder how much of those compliments he'd paid her two nights ago were what he really felt, when he'd said that a person could learn a great deal from her. About how she was different from the other women he knew who worked. He'd been trying to get her to do something, sure, but surely he'd meant a little bit of it. She hoped so.
She'd fallen in love with the man who'd written those letters, and although she wasn't in love with Liam Darcy, she could at least recognize that she was growing to admire him more.
So she'd sent him a letter, apologizing for not showing up, coming up with a rather handy excuse, and hoping he'd write back soon. For that matter, she hoped he returned to work soon.
Her hopes in that direction were soon in coming, for he returned to work on the third day after their failed meeting with a smile permanently etched on his face, a pleased look in his eye, and an altogether better disposition than she'd ever seen before.
"Good morning, Miss Bennet," he said cheerfully when he arrived and saw her. "I heard that you were promoted while I was gone. Congratulations."
"Thank you," she said. "You're in a good mood today, Mr. Darcy."
"That I am."
"May I inquire what has brought it about?" Hopefully her letter, which if he'd stopped by the post office, he would've received.
Indeed, that was part of his good mood, but not all of it, for Danielle's being alive made everything seem brighter. This evening, in fact, he was taking her to their parents. Although Danielle had talked about him being returned to the family, Liam didn't want to use her in that way and he had little interest in making up with his parents. He'd never been close to his domineering father and cold, distant mother, preferring...well, George when he was younger, and later Gina. He wanted nothing from them, not even money. He would rather remain a poor clerk than take what would be guilt money.
"You may indeed, for the news will soon be out. You remember that I told you about my sister Gina?"
"Yes. You told me she died six years ago." And in greater detail in his heartbreaking letter.
"Well, it turns out that she's been alive all this time."
Elizabeth gasped. "You're kidding."
"No. That's what I thought, that it was all a cruel hoax, but Miss Bennet, it was my sweetest dream, and it was real." Liam's face grew darker when he said, "But she almost died. The man who..." He suddenly remembered that Elizabeth knew none of the story. "She had no memory of her prior life, so a wonderful woman and her late husband took her in. She goes by her middle name of Danielle now, but...that is a small trifle to the fact that she is truly alive."
Elizabeth wished she could give him a great hug and kiss, tell him how thrilled she was that his sister was alive, and ask to meet her. And you could have, too, if you'd bothered to tell him who you were. Instead, Elizabeth just smiled. "I am extremely happy for you, Mr. Darcy. I know how you were affected by your sister's...disappearance."
Liam looked at her with a puzzled look, not certain how she'd known that. "Thank you," he said. "There is another matter, Miss Bennet, which is making me feel good."
"And what is that?"
"Well, it concerns the young lady I was to meet the other day. Do you recall that I was waiting for someone at the cafe when you arrived?"
"Yes. I'd heard that she never showed."
"That's just it, Miss Bennet. She did show, saw us together and thought the worst. She decided not to introduce herself to me."
Elizabeth smiled. "If I caused you any grief, Mr. Darcy, I do apologize, but you were making me so mad that I had to defend myself."
Liam smiled in return. "It's all right."
"Although it does seem to me that if she can be frightened off by something as simple as seeing a plain-Jane like me talking to you--"
"It's not like that at all, Miss Bennet! She thought we were having a private conversation, one she wouldn't dream of interrupting. It was a simple mistake."
"I see. Well, I'm glad to hear you've got things ironed out with her. Going to meet her again?"
"I certainly hope so. But something else about that night has been bothering me, Miss Bennet, and that is what I said to you."
"Oh, well, that's--"
"I realize that we've not been good friends, and I realize that we've had our definite differences of opinion...and we've been downright rude to each other, as we were the other night. But the past few days have taught me that petty jealousies should be put aside and not thought on."
"In other words, you'd like to let bygones be bygones." Elizabeth hid her laughter. He had a way with words, that was for sure.
"Yes. It can only benefit the store if we were to try to be friends, or at least get along. To be completely honest...this is the first store that I've truly enjoyed working in. The other places were frustrating for one reason or another. Did you know that I was forced to quit one job because I was too tall to suit the owner of the place?"
Elizabeth laughed. "I believe I worked there for a week before getting the boot."
"You mean you didn't start off at De Bourghs'?"
"No. I ended up here, which is the important thing."
"Yes. Quite right. Maybe that's the important thing for both of us."
"I think you're right about it being time to settle our differences, Mr. Darcy. I got to thinking about what you'd said, and I realized that giving imitations of people in the locker room was childish. And some of the other things I dare not think about without blushing in shame."
"Well, it wasn't all your fault. I mean, I did contribute to the problem." He extended his hand. "Truce?"
Elizabeth took it. "Truce."
Charlie approached just then, full of news about Jamie and how he was getting most tired of Mrs. Bennet. Liam took the opportunity to look at the window they'd been creating that day, and smiled. He'd noticed that Elizabeth had thought to include a few of the cigarette boxes...which gave him an idea.
"Do you like how it turned out?" Elizabeth asked when she noticed him staring at it.
"Very much so," Liam said. "I was just thinking about those poor old 'Voi che sapete' cigarette boxes."
"Most of them are now broken beyond repair. Caroline threw herself into them deliberately."
"Yes, Catherine told me about her departure from the store." To his great relief. "But there are a few still in good condition?"
"Yes...why? Does your sister like Mozart?"
"No...but my lady friend once mentioned that she was an admirer of his work, so I thought it might be a nice gift to get her for Christmas."
Elizabeth nearly gasped in horror. Indeed, Charlie had a devil of a time trying to control his laughter, for he knew that although Elizabeth liked Mozart, she detested that piece of music and those boxes in particular.
"Oh, I don't know that that's such a good idea, Mr. Darcy. We've gotten a number of complaints about those boxes falling apart." Not exactly true, but she was willing to do anything to get out of receiving that for Christmas.
"Have we? I never heard anything."
"Believe me, we did. Mrs. De Bourgh told me that she wished she hadn't ordered those." Which was true, because she'd taken a bit of a loss on them. "You know, I think that your girlfriend might like a...a..." Bracelet. Necklace. Earrings. Something! "A ring."
Charlie looked at Elizabeth in surprise.
"A ring? You mean an engagement ring?"
Oh Lord, I've managed to get myself into a dilly this time. "Not an engagement ring, exactly, but maybe something symbolic of your love for her. Or...or perhaps you could get her one of those lovely diamond lockets we got in last week. I think that would be a lovely, romantic gift for her."
"Oh, no. That would probably be out of my price range."
"I'd give you a special employee discount."
"I couldn't."
"You know, Mr. Darcy, besides being a nice ornament, a locket is a rather special thing for a man to give a woman. You can give her a small picture or yourself to put in it, so she always has you close to her heart...you could even have it engraved somewhere with a special message of love, just for her."
Liam smiled. "Miss Bennet, I had no idea you could be the romantic type. It's a nice side to you. But just the same, I think I'll get her the cigarette box. It's more within my price range, and I wouldn't feel right taking a special discount."
Just then, Billy arrived with Charlotte on his arm, with Susan trailing behind them, looking at Billy with disgust. Elizabeth decided to open the doors and prepare for another business day.
And Now, the Villains
George Wickham looked at the newspaper in disgust. The front page screamed:
So they'd finally caught up to Georgiana. And here George had thought she was dead that day down by the river. God knew she should've been, all that blood streaming from the wound in her head. According to the doctor quoted in the article, the wound had been superficial and what had nearly killed her was not the wound itself, but the blood loss and exposure at the time of discovery.
Instead, she was alive and well, having been returned to the bosom of her parents. The article stated that "Miss Darcy does not, at this time, recall the events which led to her near-fatal shooting."
Like hell she didn't, he thought, or why else would he be mentioned in the next paragraph? "Police suspect that George Wickham, a friend of the family's, may have been behind the incident, and are now seeking his whereabouts. He is wanted for questioning in connection to this incident and the fatal drowning of Christie Carrington, age 20, which occurred within the same time frame."
How would they have known anything about Christie if Gina hadn't told them? Christie's death, he knew, had been ruled a suicide. He'd paid well to insure that it was, although it had turned out to be money unwisely spent. Convinced that Gina was dead, Mr. Darcy had disowned his son and fired his son's friend.
There was a picture to go with the article. It was Gina, all right, right down to that dimple in her chin. The picture, which had apparently been taken the night before, showed her with her parents.
But oddly enough, not with Liam. George puzzled about that for a while, since the moment he saw the article the rage and envy against his friend had risen, and he'd assumed that Liam had made up with his family. George reread the article, and saw only one mention of him. "Fitzwilliam Darcy, brother of the found heiress, was unavailable for comment."
The door opened and shut rather quickly. George looked up to see his sister shaking snow from the lapels of her coat. "Did you read the papers?" she asked. "I thought you told me that Christie had killed Gina Darcy."
"I thought she had as well."
Caroline looked at her brother. She had no doubt that he was involved in this incident up to his deep blue eyes, although she'd never had an inkling that he would actually be capable of murder. It made her feel a bit sick inside to realize that he'd been so callous as to kill that young girl.
She would've been even more sick had she known the complete truth about it.
But George was still her brother, and she had to protect him. He wouldn't have had to resort to murder had it not been for that wretched Darcy family not giving him what he was owed. She would still have a job at De Bourghs' if Liam had shown a slight bit of sense and been interested in her rather than in Elizabeth Bennet. She still planned to have her revenge. She just didn't know how.
"Then why do the police wish to question you about it?"
"I have no idea, Caroline. I suppose the Darcy family is trying to make things worse for me. Not that I care. I plan on leaving this God-forsaken town soon enough."
"Me, too," Caroline said. "Bad enough that Liam Darcy rejected me, but for someone such as Elizabeth Bennet!"
"What are you talking about?" George asked, for since his reunion with his sister the day after she was fired, he'd paid little attention to her tales of woe.
"He was interested in this tall, plain, coarse young woman. I tried to turn his attention to me, because I knew he had money somewhere, but he would have nothing of it. Indeed, he rejected me in a most brutal manner."
George was used to Caroline's exaggerations and knew that Liam had likely told her the truth--that he would never inherit anything from his parents. Or at least, at that time he hadn't been due to inherit. Things had probably changed now.
"What did you say her name was?" George asked.
"Elizabeth Bennet."
George's brow wrinkled and he looked at his sister. "Bennet? Do you know if she's any relation to a girl named Lydia?"
"I don't know. She could be. I've heard her talk to her brother-in-law Charlie on a number of occasions about her sisters, and I think she might've mentioned the name Lydia."
George laughed. The laughter continued for a good two minutes before Caroline became frustrated at not knowing what he was laughing about. "What's so funny?" she finally asked.
"This is rife with irony, my dear sister," he said. "Lydia Bennet is the name of that girl I've been seeing. You know, the dimwitted girl with the nice body. The one who snuck us into her sister's place one afternoon--it didn't hurt that her sister's landlady owed me a favor--so we could be alone. The one who doesn't want her parents to know about me."
"And you think she's Elizabeth's sister?"
"I do. And Elizabeth is the woman Liam Darcy is interested in. Isn't this delightful?"
"I don't see how."
"It's quite simple. I made a fatal mistake six years ago when I kidnapped Gina. I didn't gain her trust, so I was forced to make her feel like a hostage, and I didn't blindfold her so she couldn't see what happened to Christie."
"So?"
"So...this time, it's going to be so much simpler to carry this off. You see, that flighty brat thinks she's in love with me. She thinks I love her. I've even been silly enough to mention marriage, but she's afraid of angering her mother."
"You're thinking of abducting Lydia and holding her for ransom?"
"Yes."
"But George, I don't know that Liam and Elizabeth are close enough for him to care whether or not her sister is kidnapped."
"It doesn't matter. I know Liam. If he even suspects that I've got an 'innocent' victim, he'll do anything I say to make sure that what happened to Gina doesn't happen to someone else. And it'll only give him more incentive if that victim happens to be the sister of the woman you think he's in love with."
Caroline was beginning to see the merits of such a plan. "It could work," she said. "Only Liam has no money."
George scoffed. "Please. The only reason he was disinherited was because of what I said to his father, which led to the belief that he was the reason Gina took off and died. I'm sure they've patched up their differences and Liam has money. Even if he doesn't, I would think that Gina would be more than willing to come up with the money to save someone. Or perhaps I could try to get ransom out of both of them."
"I wouldn't get too greedy," Caroline said. "Just one lump sum. It would make things so much easier." There was something that bothered her. "But George, I don't want there to be any killing."
George looked at her. He knew that she was aware of the truth--that he'd killed Christie and almost killed Gina.
"I don't understand why it was necessary for you to do it last time, but surely it won't be necessary this time. All you would need to do is string the girl along until we get the money, then disappear and leave her on her own. Don't give her an idea of where you might be going."
George decided to say nothing except, "All right. We'll have no killing. What happened to Gina was an accident, anyway. I didn't mean to shoot her. I only wanted to stop her from getting away, and I accidentally hit her in the head."
Caroline didn't quite believe that. "So, when shall we do this?"
George grinned, his sense of timing impeccable. "Christmas Eve. We shall be a pair of Scrooges come next Christmas, which would make all this wonderfully symbolic, don't you think?"
Caroline laughed. "Only you, my dear brother, could come up with something such as that. Christmas Eve, then."
And with that, brother and sister hugged to seal the plot.
Christmas Eve
Elizabeth unlocked the doors early the morning of Christmas Eve, eager for the day to begin...and eager for it to draw to a close.
And just a little bit nervous.
She'd once again agreed to meet Liam, again at Bleeker's Cafe, at 8 pm. She was excited because she would finally get to tell him who she was, but at the same time, she was nervous that he might become furious with her for not telling him the last time, when she must've known who he was. Despite their far more pleasant working relationship lately, she knew that something such as this could change things immensely. Still, she was excited. It would be a relief for him to finally know, and it would be up to him whether or not they pursued a social relationship.
She'd even splurged and bought him a Christmas gift--another somewhat loud, utterly inappropriate-for-work tie. She believed it would suit him quite well, as well as letting him know that she had liked his other tie. The only wrinkle in all of this was that she knew what he planned to give her.
She didn't want that stupid cigarette box. She would like the locket she'd mentioned, but she could understand if it was too expensive for him, even with the discount. She'd been surprised to hear that he was a man of his word regarding his parents and their money. They'd been more than willing to forgive their son and assuage their guilt by throwing money at him. Liam had accepted their apologies but refused the money and the gifts they sent him. It confused them, he'd mentioned to her, because they couldn't picture a world without luxury.
"As for me," he'd added, "I think I've become accustomed to the simple life."
"You mean you'd be willing to work here forever?" she asked him.
"Not necessarily. In fact, my father's mentioned that if I am so enamoured of working for my money, he could get me an entry-level position in one of his businesses. I'm considering it...as long as I can be assured that he won't be putting some poor person out of a job to do it."
Elizabeth couldn't help but admire him. She'd read so much of his spoiled lifestyle before the crash, and seen a great deal of his arrogance in their early days, that the man standing before her was almost a complete mystery. Or perhaps he'd been there all along, and had been lurking behind the rest of it.
Elizabeth ushered all the other employees into the store, but Billy stayed behind to wait for the new delivery boy. Although Elizabeth was more than satisfied with the newcomer's abilities, Billy, for some reason she didn't want to delve into, was not.
"Take it easy on him, okay?" she told him. "And remember that not so long ago, you were in his position."
Billy hated being reminded of that, but what could he say in retaliation? She was the boss, after all.
The tall, slightly gawky young man appeared a few minutes later, trudging to work with his bicycle. Although he was only seventeen, it was clear that he had great potential, in business as well as in looks. He was a handsome boy, and would be an extremely attractive man once he grew into his bony frame. A job such as this delivery job would speed that process along by giving him coordination and muscle tone.
Billy's main problem, had he bothered to tell Elizabeth, was that this boy did his job almost too well. He was quicker than Billy, who had thought himself the fastest delivery boy in the city. And if the telephone calls specifically asking for that "nice Fitzwilliam boy" to deliver packages for them were any indication, he was popular with the customers as well.
"You're almost late, Richard," Billy said, looking at his watch. In actuality, the boy was on time and he knew it. But he'd become accustomed to this particular employee giving him a hard time, and said nothing.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Collins." Richard Fitzwilliam walked toward the shop, hoping to get in and warm himself for a few minutes before he was back on the streets, making deliveries in the cold.
"Just a moment, Richard! We need to have a talk."
Richard almost groaned. All he wanted was to warm up--was that too much to ask? "Yes, Mr. Collins?"
"You realize that today is Christmas Eve, and therefore we're going to be busier than we are at any other time of the year."
"Yes."
"And you realize that you're going to have to be going through some heavy traffic today, and that with the weather as bad as it is, there could be trouble."
"Of course. I've prepared for that, sir."
"Make sure that you're swift and alert today. And try not to mix up packages like you did before."
That had been only on Richard's first day of work, and no other. "Yes, sir."
Billy looked at the young man suspiciously, looking for signs of dissent and ingratitude. "Am I asking too much?"
"No, sir!"
"Good."
Elizabeth poked her head out the door and frowned at Billy. "For heaven's sake, Billy, that poor boy is probably freezing. Let him come inside and warm up before we send him out. We have coffee in the back, Richard."
"Thank you, ma'am," Richard said politely, walking toward the door and flashing her a grateful smile.
Billy went back inside the shop, muttering to Elizabeth, "I only wanted to be sure he knew how important today was going to be."
"I'm sure he understands without being told, Billy. Could you do me a favor?"
"Sure!" Billy snapped to attention, always wanting to be of service to his boss.
"In the back room, on the top shelf, are some black bags like the ones in the window. Caroline rather thoughtlessly left them up there, and I want them out. It's likely that we'll sell out of them, as they're a popular item, but I don't want to have customers waiting twenty minutes while we get them down later."
And off Billy went to get the bags. He asked his "sweet Charlotte" if she could help him out, and Charlotte went along with him.
Elizabeth shook her head. She wished that the world weren't as it was, that Charlotte didn't see marriage as a way of escaping her demanding parents. She wished that Charlotte didn't see herself as being plain and dull. She wished that Charlotte hadn't come to tell her the other day that Billy had proposed marriage, and that she was seriously considering it.
But those were thoughts that could be put aside for the time being. She had another idea, and she wanted the other employees to help out. "Everyone, I have an idea," she said in a loud voice. Billy and Charlotte appeared from the stock room. The others came from the locker room, holding cups of coffee. "I was thinking that perhaps we should get Mrs. De Bourgh a Christmas gift."
"That's a wonderful idea," Liam said.
"Absolutely," Susan said. "How about if we get her a little Christmas tree for her hospital room? I know that should cheer her up immensely."
"That sounds good," Charlotte agreed. "And perhaps she'd like a good book or two."
"She mentioned the other day that she wouldn't mind reading Thackeray," Liam added.
"Those are all good ideas. Liam, the book store next door should have that, and we've got tiny little Christmas trees from one of the windows we did last year. But I was thinking of something more special than that."
"Such as?" Charlie asked.
"An empty-looking store and cash register full of money. I think that would be the perfect gift."
They were all in agreement that they would try to make this day the best in years. Liam went over to buy the book Mrs. De Bourgh had mentioned she wanted to read, while Charlotte, Susan, and Elizabeth decorated a small Christmas tree. Elizabeth wrote a small note, telling Mrs. De Bourgh that they wished she had a merry Christmas and told of their plans for business that day. All the employees signed the note, even Richard, who was asked to deliver the package to the hospital.
Feeling happier than she had in a long time, Elizabeth looked over the store to make sure everything was in place before she opened the doors.
Liam was in the process of arranging the counter display when Charlie approached him. "Do you need any help, Charlie?" Liam asked.
"Well, actually, you might be able to help. Elizabeth told me that you bought one of those 'Voi che sapete' cigarette boxes, the only one that really works properly."
Liam smiled sheepishly. "That I did. It's going to be a present to my girlfriend." Liam had been so thrilled when she suggested that they meet again that he'd gone ahead and bought the box.
"Oh! Your girlfriend...I didn't know you had one."
"Well, it's sort of a recent thing, you know."
"Is it serious?"
"Very."
"Oh, well, then...never mind."
Liam looked up from his display to smile. "Was there any reason in particular that you wanted one as well? I never thought you were particularly enamoured of them."
"Well, it's not for me. It was going to be a gift for my mother-in-law, but if you're going to give it to a serious girlfriend, then forget the whole thing."
Liam had the feeling he was missing something to this conversation. "Your mother-in-law, you say? Can't you get her something else?"
"No, not really. You see, I don't like her. She's annoying and smothering and she's been driving my poor Jane positively batty. I didn't like her before Jane had the baby, and it's just gotten worse. But I do have to get her a Christmas gift because Jane insisted, so I thought that as long as I have to buy her something it might as well be something she's not going use or like."
Liam paused from his work. He knew the boxes hadn't sold well, but he'd always thought them rather charming.
"It's a bit of a steep price to pay to make my mother-in-law mad, but it would be worth it...oh." Charlie stopped talking as though he'd just remembered something. "I'm sorry, Liam. I forgot that you always liked those boxes."
"Charlie, wait. Could you be honest with me?"
"Sure."
"Do you think that perhaps a cigarette box might be the wrong idea? I mean, this is a young woman who...well, may not appreciate it."
Charlie wanted to laugh. Instead, he managed to keep a straight face and say, "Did you perhaps have something else in mind?"
Liam glanced down at his counter display. There sat the lovely little diamond lockets Elizabeth Bennet had mentioned a couple of weeks ago. The diamond was tiny, but visible, and although he wouldn't have time to have it engraved just the idea of a locket might be romantic enough to get by. "What would you say to the idea of...well, perhaps...a locket?"
"You mean like one of those?" Charlie pointed down to the lockets.
"Yes."
"I think that's the most romantic thing I've heard. I mean, you buy that and give your girlfriend a miniature picture of you that she can wear close to her heart...and she won't need music coming from a box because she'll hear it in her mind. I think it's a wonderful idea. I might even get one of those for Jane."
Liam slowly nodded his head. "Thanks for the advice, Charlie."
Charlie walked away and headed right for Elizabeth's office. He opened the door and said, "Lisa? You'll be getting the locket instead of a cigarette box."
Elizabeth took one phone call during the course of the day, and that was from her sister Lydia. Once again, her sister begged her to cover for her because she was going out with that fabulous boyfriend of hers.
"You'll have to let me meet him sometime," Elizabeth said. "I mean, you go on and on about this guy and I have yet to meet him."
"I didn't think you'd care," Lydia replied. "You've never really cared about what goes on in my life."
"I do care, Lydia. And all I want is to meet him."
"Perhaps you will soon. We've been talking about getting married, and I think tonight's the night he's going to propose. But first, he said he wants me to meet his sister."
"Why would you want to do that?"
"I don't know. I guess he's really close to his sister, that's all."
"What did you say this guy's name was again?"
"George--sorry, Elizabeth, I have to go now. He's waiting and we've got to go or we'll be late to the show. Bye! Don't forget to tell Mom and Dad that I'm with you!"
Elizabeth heard the phone click and sighed. How utterly Lydia not to mention his last name. She set the phone back on the desk and decided it was time to help out up front. From the sounds of business, it was beginning to pick up.
She looked inside the shop window, thrilled beyond belief at how well things seemed to be going. The shop was filled with customers. The employees were darting here and there, selling things at what would normally seem an alarming rate. At this pace, she thought, there might be nothing left in the store by closing.
"Mrs. De Bourgh?"
Catherine turned to look at the police officer who patrolled this part of town. She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Andrew," she said.
"Merry Christmas. When did you get out of the hospital?"
"Just this past hour."
"Are you sure you should be here? I mean, after collapsing from exhaustion, I would think this the last place you would want to be."
"Oh, Andrew, how could I not come by here? This shop is in my blood. Anyway, the doctor said I could stop by only if I didn't work, and I don't plan on it. I'll only be here for a quick visit and then I'll be heading home."
Although home was currently a newly-furnished apartment, it felt more like home than her grand place on Fifth Avenue ever had.
Since being in the hospital, Catherine had had all her belongings moved from the house into the apartment she'd arranged to lease. She'd contacted a lawyer about a divorce, and although Alfred was protesting the fact that she intended to take De Bourghs' and its income away from him, he had no legal basis to complain, as he'd sold it to her. Catherine had contacted Hannah to inform her of what was going on, but Hannah had been less interested in the fact that her parents were divorcing than in what it might mean for her holidays. Hannah wanted to stay with friends, and Catherine decided that it might be best if she did just that.
The realization that she was going to be alone for Christmas for the first time since she'd married Alfred had struck just that morning. Catherine had felt the depression settle over her again, until she received the small package from the shop. The little tree, with the heavy volume of Thackeray and the lovely note signed by all the employees (although who Richard Fitzwilliam could be escaped her) had lifted her spirits. She may not have her actual family close by, but she did have her employees, who were like family to her.
"Well, just be sure that you do take it easy...and have a merry Christmas," Andrew said.
"Thank you."
Catherine stared into the shop again. She couldn't believe how busy it was. She decided to go in after all, to see if there were anything light that she could do to help out. After all, it would never do for her employees to return home frazzled and exhausted on Christmas Eve.
Elizabeth locked the door behind the last customer to a small round of applause from the employees. Catherine de Bourgh laughed out loud. "It is a relief, is it not?" she asked.
"You can say that again," Liam said.
"How did we do, Charlotte?" Catherine asked, looking at the young woman who had been steadily tallying their sales for the evening. She added one more figure, the last sale, then answered.
"Ten thousand, four hundred and fifty-two dollars...and seventy-two cents."
There was a louder applause and cheer for that number, their highest total of the year easily and by far surpassing previous totals since the Depression hit.
"That's wonderful," Catherine said. "Everyone, you did a marvelous job today. I'm proud of all of you. You know...when I arrived earlier today, I was feeling a little sorry for myself...but now, I feel so good and I have all of you to thank. When I received your gift at the hospital, along with your note, I was so touched that you cared. And how could I stay there after that, when the best doctors could be found here in Liam and Charlie, and the best nurses in Elizabeth, Susan, and Charlotte?"
There was a hastily-cleared throat from Billy, wanting to know where his praise was.
"Oh...Billy. You know what I think of you." There was just enough sarcasm in the statement to cause one or two of the employees to cough in an attempt to cover laughter. "I wanted to tell you that although we've had our problems this year, I'm glad you've stuck by the store. And that said...I have a surprise for all of you!"
In her hands she held out envelopes...with a Christmas bonus inside. She handed each one out, and when she came to Charlie, she paused.
"Charlie, you know that I've been rough on you in the past...and I've insulted you quite a bit."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I hope that when you see your bonus, you know that I didn't really mean most of it."
"Thank you, Mrs. De Bourgh."
Catherine smiled at all of her employees. "Well, I think we can just leave redecorating the windows until after the holiday. I want all of you to..." She stopped, looking at Richard. "I'm sorry...I didn't realize that we had someone new here. What's your name, young man?"
Richard, flustered but pleased by the attention, smiled bashfully. "Richard, ma'am."
"He's a good boy," Billy said sparingly.
Catherine walked over to the counter and pulled out a bill from the register. She handed it to Richard. "I'm sorry I didn't have something for you before."
"Thank you, ma'am!" Before Richard could put the bill away, Billy had grabbed it out of his hand and looked at the amount.
"Too much," Billy mumbled, handing it back.
"As I was saying, I want all of you to enjoy your holiday, so I'll see you on Monday."
With loud chattering and cheer, the employees prepared to leave. Catherine waited and watched as one by one, they left. She asked Elizabeth if she were doing anything in particular that evening, but Elizabeth said she had a date.
Catherine grinned and remembered that Liam had mentioned he had a meeting with his friend.
One by one, the employees left the store. Catherine, who had been hoping that she would be invited to spend the evening with one of them, asked what plans each had. Billy and Charlotte were having dinner at her home, so he could meet her parents. Susan was spending the evening with her sister Frances. Charlie and Jane were spending an evening with family only, he'd mentioned, instead of having a big party. Liam was wrapping his friend's Christmas gift, and Elizabeth was waiting for him to finish.
Richard was the last of the others to leave, and he stopped to say something. "Mrs. De Bourgh, I just wanted to thank you for the lovely Christmas gift you gave me. It was extremely generous of you, especially since I've only been working here a short time."
"You're quite welcome...what did you say your name was again?"
"Richard."
"Yes, of course. You should hurry home and give that money to your mother so it doesn't get wasted."
"Oh, my family doesn't live here, ma'am."
"They don't?"
"No. They live in Albany."
"You mean you're all by yourself on Christmas Eve?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Catherine smiled. "I can't have an employee of mine spending the evening alone. We'll have dinner together, and you can tell me all about your family."
"I...thank you, ma'am."
Catherine called for a taxi, and the two headed for New York's finest restaurant for Christmas dinner.
Alone, Together
Elizabeth walked into the locker room to find Liam wrapping up his gift to her. She smiled. Charlie had turned out to be right...he was giving her the locket instead of the cigarette box.
Honestly, he hadn't needed to spend the money. She would've been happy with just about anything as long as it wasn't that cigarette box.
Liam looked up the moment he heard her come in. "I'll only be another minute or so, Miss Bennet," he said.
"Take all the time you need," she replied. "I see you took my advice and bought a locket."
"Yeah, well...I had someone point out that perhaps a cigarette box wasn't quite the thing."
Elizabeth took a narrow package out of her locker. It wasn't wrapped. "Could I get your opinion on something, Mr. Darcy?" she asked.
"Sure."
"Do you like this tie?" Elizabeth opened the box to show him the tie.
Liam looked at it and smiled. It was black with wide green stripes. "It's nice...who is it for?"
"It's for my boyfriend."
Liam was taken aback. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."
Elizabeth nodded. "I do. I know that it might seem hard for you to believe that a man might actually find me attractive..."
"On the contrary, Miss Bennet, I can see why any man would find you attractive. Any man of sense, that is. I realize that most people would see your height and dismiss you for that, but sensible men would see your compassion and your love of children and your intelligence."
"Really?"
"Yes. You know, when I first started working here...there was a time when I found you quite appealing."
Elizabeth blushed. "You didn't need to say that."
"No, it's true. In the beginning, you bewitched me."
"Then all that changed when we stopped getting along," she said.
"Partially. But part of it was also that I got to know my girlfriend, and I devoted all my attention to her." Liam finished wrapping the package and headed for his locker to get out his coat. "Is it serious?"
"Very."
"Do you think he might marry you?"
"We haven't...talked marriage yet, but I have every hope that perhaps this time next year we'll be married. I don't intend to quit my job, though."
"I didn't think you would. And who knows? Perhaps this time next year, we'll both be married."
"You never know."
"I'm not saying that I'll definitely be married, but it's a distinct possibility."
"Actually, I think in your case it'll definitely happen."
Liam turned to face her. "How do you know that?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about that. Your girlfriend came to see me." Elizabeth smiled. She realized that this was a bit cruel to do, but she did need to get a little of her own back for his attitude toward her at the cafe last time. He'd certainly understand it, and he'd probably consider it a fine joke...eventually.
"She what?"
"She came to see me, and she was rather upset. You really shouldn't have told her who I was. She called me all sorts of dreadful names before I was able to set her straight about our relationship."
Liam frowned. "That doesn't sound like her at all."
"Oh, you don't need to worry. Once we got things straightened out, she was a pleasant sort."
Relieved that it had only been jealousy, he was now dying to know more about her. "Did she strike you as being rather intelligent? Witty? What did she look like?"
"All these questions...I didn't have a chance to hear about the intelligence, or the wit, but she did seem a bit depressed."
"Depressed? Why?"
"Well, she mentioned that she'd recently been fired from her job." Not a lie, but not exactly the truth. "She asked me how much you made, and when I told her, she was a bit worried. But then I mentioned that you were likely to get a bonus and a raise, and she felt much better."
Liam frowned. "This is so confusing...it really doesn't seem to match with the girl I've gotten to know through our letters."
"Oh...don't worry about that. I think she's just worried about the fact that it's tough to find a job these days. I mean, other than that, and...well, she was a bit short. I'd say about five feet tall. But if you were to choose between us, I mean, there would be no comparison. If I were a man, I'd take a person like Eunice Popkin over me any day."
Liam sat in a chair. "That's her name?"
"It's the one she gave to me."
"I just can't believe it..."
"The name bothers you?"
"No...no. I don't care about that. But this person you're describing just seems so wrong...I don't understand. She wrote such beautiful letters to me. Now I wonder if maybe she didn't just copy them out of a book. Maybe she did. One time, I thought her letter sounded an awful lot like Elizabeth Barrett Browning."
Elizabeth had indeed once quoted Browning, but she'd told him she was doing so. He just didn't remember that part.
He looked so unhappy. "And here I thought that she was everything I had come to want...and now I see the truth."
Elizabeth realized that this had been a bad idea. She should've just told him that she was the woman he was supposed to meet. "I'm sorry to be telling you this. I wish I didn't have to. You know...if I had known that you were interested in me, I might've responded. I did think you were attractive when we met, but then...well, there's no need to rehash the past. If we'd gotten together, perhaps we wouldn't have argued over your ties, we would've argued over how to decorate our apartment."
Liam sighed. "I almost wish we could. But...now we have to go. You've got a date, and so do I."
"Mr. Darcy...how about this? At eight o'clock, instead of Miss Popkin showing up, I'll show up."
"Please, Miss Bennet, I appreciate your efforts."
"And I'll say, my dear, darling Liam, take your key, open your post office box, take me out of my envelope and kiss me in front of everyone here at Bleeker's Cafe."
"Miss Bennet--" Liam stopped. What had she said? Bleeker's Cafe? How had she known where he was supposed to meet...
He looked into her eyes, dark, twinkling with suppressed humor...and then he noticed what she was holding in her hand.
A carnation.
It was her. It had been Elizabeth Bennet all this time who had been writing him those letters, who had been the woman he was supposed to meet at the cafe...and who he had subsequently insulted enough to cause her to take off without telling him who she was.
"Dear Friend," she murmured.
"You...it was you?"
She nodded. "Are you mad at me, for all of this?"
Liam thought for a moment. "I should be. I should be so upset that you were mean enough to string me along with this Popkin character...but I know why you did it." He smiled. "It's okay."
Elizabeth smiled. Liam had noticed it a couple of times before, but never before had it affected him in such a way...she had a beautiful smile.
"Well, now I know who was behind my buying that locket."
"You really didn't have to do it. I would've taken the cigarette box."
"You wouldn't have liked it. I would've felt bad."
"Did you really like that tie?" she asked.
He nodded. "It's brighter than the one I wore that day, though."
"It's okay. This place needs a little more color."
He laughed, very gently took her chin in his hands, and before she had time to blink he was kissing her.
She'd never been kissed before, and it was a heady feeling. Almost as though she were floating or something.
There was a rustling at the front door as it was being unlocked, but neither of them heard it as the kiss deepened.
"I think I left it back here." The door to the locker room opened and in walked Catherine with Richard, who had accidentally left his gloves behind. The two stood spellbound by the sight of Elizabeth and Liam in an embrace. Catherine coughed discreetly and the two almost jumped away from each other.
"Good evening, Miss Bennet, Liam."
Elizabeth was blushing, but Liam only looked amused. "Good evening, Catherine."
"We're just here to pick up some gloves. I take it the two of you were just leaving?"
"We were going to," Liam said.
"Good. And congratulations...to both of you."
Once Catherine and Richard were gone, Elizabeth frowned at the door they'd walked out of. "That's strange. She didn't seem at all surprised that we were here."
"Catherine knew I was meeting someone."
"Yeah, but how did she know..." Elizabeth paused, realizing that she'd talked about him often enough to be overheard by their boss, and Catherine was smart enough to figure out the pieces. "She's crafty."
"That's why she made this shop a success when the other shops failed," Liam said. "Where should we go?"
Elizabeth smiled. "I don't care, as long as we're together."
He kissed her again before they left the shop, on their way to Bleeker's Cafe for their first official date together.