Beginning, Section II
Jump to new as of April 25, 1999
Jump to new as of April 27, 1999
Jump to new as of April 29, 1999
Chapter 15 Posted on Monday, 5 April 1999
Back-Up To Saturday Morning
Upon leaving Wickham's office, the ladies quickly ducked into the restroom. There they changed clothes and arranged the evidence into briefcases. Anyone standing in the lobby of the building would see three young women leaving the building one at a time, not recognizing or acknowledging each other, leaving by different exits, and getting into different cars. No one would ever suspect them of being connected in any way.
At the law offices of Lucas and Bennet, they sorted the evidence. They soon found out how indiscreet Wickham had been.
"Why did he keep records of all this?" Jennie asked incredulously.
"I'm not sure I want to know," replied Charlotte, shuddering.
Mary was going through the audiotapes. "Jennie, you might want to see this," she said, holding out a stack of tapes.
Jennie's face turned pale. "The tapes of my therapy sessions," she whispered. "He really did have them!"
"Jennie, we can scatter those where no one will ever find the pieces," Charlotte assured her.
"Those tapes combined with these journals Wickham kept could probably be grounds for at least civil if not criminal charges," Mary pointed out.
"It's bad enough he recognized my voice this morning. I'd better not suddenly be in possession of these items," Jennie protested.
"Come on, lets get back to the plan," Charlotte said.
The search turned up more than the ladies had dreamed of. To say that Wickham's behavior toward his clients was unethical was a gross understatement. He manipulated, broke confidences, everything that a therapist should not do.
One tape in particular caught their attention. "Here we go, girls!" announced Charlotte victoriously. "Let's see if we can find an address for a Rebecca Norris. We have an interesting package to send her."
"Who's that they're talking about?" asked Jennie.
Charlotte turned up the tape.
"Charles!" Mary cried out. "This explains a lot."
"What's with this crazy chick?" Charlotte asked, disgusted. "She tries to steal Charles away from his wife, she lets herself get seduced by her therapist. She needs some serious help!"
"She needs to be dropped off a cliff," Mary muttered.
They gathered up the items pertaining to Rebecca, which included tapes of the "therapy" along with Wickham's journal in which he boasted of his conquests of Rebecca and several other clients.
"I bet she thinks he's in love with her," said Mary sarcastically.
"I'm not sure she cares," commented Jennie.
Back To Sunday Morning...
Will went to the kitchen to find some breakfast. Rick was already there.
"So, how do you like the little home-wrecker?" Will asked.
"She needs a brain transplant, but man oh man, she's fine. If we need a new plan, I'll be glad to distract her away from Charles."
"Rick! You've got to be kidding!"
"Yeah, I know, it would be hard, but who better than me to make the sacrifice," Rick said, grinning.
"Just wait till you fall in love," Will warned.
"Oh yeah, you never did tell us who the lady is!"
"For the simple reason that I didn't want to get into a discussion with Charles. It's Jane's sister Elizabeth." Will got a sappy look on his face just from saying the name.
"So how does she feel?" Rick asked.
"I think she likes me, but it's moot unless I get the drunken blockhead straightened out."
"Why?"
"I made her a bet. If I get Jane back with Charles, she marries me. If not, she leaves and we don't see each other anymore."
"Will, do me a favor."
"What?"
"Never, ever, ever, criticize anything about my love life again. I could never top that for stupidity."
Before Will could defend himself, Caroline appeared in the room. "Good morning, gorgeous," she said sweetly.
"Right back at you, Carrie," said Rick, pretending he did not know she was addressing Will.
Caroline glared at Rick. He was not nearly rich enough for her.
"Caroline, where's your friend?" Will asked nervously.
"Oh, I don't think she or Charles will be down for a while," Caroline said slyly. "I imagine they had a long night."
Will's eyes widened. He looked at Rick, whose face was expressionless. Even in his horror, he could only think of Elizabeth. She'll hate me! Somehow everything got messed up!
Charles woke up with a splitting headache but pleasant thoughts. Memories of the previous night flooded his mind. Nothing could compare to that. He only wished he had met Rebecca years before.
Ha! I knew they were trying to get me drunk for a reason, but it didn't work, he laughed silently.
He felt her stir beside him. He reached for her. "Hey Becky," he said, opening his eyes.
"I think you can stop calling me that now," Jane drawled, looking her husband straight in the eye.
Part 16 Posted on Tuesday, 6 April 1999
"What are you doing here?" Charles asked. His headache suddenly felt much worse.
"Saving you from your own stupidity," Jane replied calmly.
"But what about last night? Was that really you?"
"I'm your wife. Who else would you be doing those things with?" Jane raised her eyebrows, knowing the truth full well.
"But you had dark hair! I thought you were -- "
"Rebecca? Yes, you made that abundantly clear," Jane interrupted. "I'm an artist. Not knowing what the little twit looked like, I prepared for contingencies." She gestured toward the wig on the floor.
Charles' mind was reeling. "Jane! I just can't believe it! You never acted like that before!" He couldn't help but smile as he remembered her rather uninhibited behavior.
"Well, I hope you enjoyed it," Jane replied. She got up and dressed quickly.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm hungry. I'm getting dressed and going downstairs for some breakfast." And she left the room.
Charles leapt from the bed, threw on his jeans, and followed her out the door.
Darcy was devastated. Apparently nothing had worked out. He had called Jane immediately upon hearing that Caroline and Rebecca were coming to the lake house. She had told him not to worry but to make sure Charles got drunk that night.
"Rick?" he asked pleadingly, hoping his friend would have some answers.
Rick smiled and nodded toward the door where Rebecca stood.
"I don't think we've been introduced," Rebecca said sweetly to Darcy. "I'm Rebecca Norris. You have a lovely place here." She reached out her hand to Darcy languidly.
"William Darcy. And thank you," Will said curtly. "This is Rick Williams."
"Oh, we've met, haven't we, Rick baby?"
Will turned to Rick in horror. "You didn't?"
"No, he didn't," Rebecca answered. "He respects me," she said proudly as she sat down beside Rick.
"A new experience, I'm sure," Will muttered.
"Good morning!" announced Elizabeth, appearing in the room.
Will's entire face lit up. "I didn't know you were here!" he cried happily.
"Miss Bennet! What a -- surprise," Caroline said in forced cheerfulness. She could not help but notice Will's reaction to Elizabeth's presence.
Even the large kitchen was becoming crowded now, and it became more so when Jane walked in, followed by a half-dressed Charles.
"Baby, what's the problem?" Charles was asking his wife. "Everything's fine now, right?"
Jane turned and faced him. "Sure. Everything's fine. For all practical purposes, you cheated on me last night. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. The other person just happened to be different than you thought."
"But why did you do it?"
Everyone stood in silence, watching this little drama unfold before them. Jane did not seem to care that they were being observed. "Because I love you. Because I was hoping that you were only temporarily an imbecile. Because Beth and Alec need a dad. Because I realized that I've been unfair to you by being so reserved all these years."
"So can we go home now?" Charles asked eagerly.
"I can go home. You aren't coming."
Will groaned and hid his face in his hands.
Part 17 Posted on Thursday, 8 April 1999
No one in the room moved. Caroline started to say something, and for once thought better of it.
"What do you mean, I'm not coming?" Charles asked. "I'll admit it, I was wrong about you. I shouldn't have left. I wouldn't have left if you'd done that a long time ago. And I thought you were just a little goody-two-shoes ice queen," he laughed. "But I guess you're a real woman after all -- "
The next sensation Charles encountered was one of extreme pain on the right side of his face. It took him a minute to realize that his sweet wife had slapped him -- very hard.
"The question is, are you a real man?" Jane said. "How dare you talk like that to me, especially in front of other people? You may know how to behave like a male animal, but you've forgotten everything about being a man or a husband.
"You think I'll just pretend that none of this ever happened -- that I'll forget the way you were calling me by another woman's name. It's not going to happen, Charles. Just because your ego is all inflated now doesn't mean anything to me. I have no assurance that this won't happen again the next time you're feeling unfulfilled."
"So what am I supposed to do?" Charles wondered. It had never occurred to him that Jane would not want him back.
"Go find your self-worth in something meaningful. There's a wonderful national organization that builds houses for the homeless. I talked to a friend of mine yesterday who's involved with them. She said they would be overjoyed to have someone volunteer for a three-month term to help with some house-building down in Georgia."
"Georgia? For three months? What about my job?"
"Find a new one this fall. You'll have a lot of opportunities for soul-searching. At least I hope so, because you're not coming back into my life until you have some growth in your life."
The word "until" struck Will. There was still a chance!
"What about our bet?" he finally burst out.
"Did you really think I would marry you after one evening's acquaintance?" Lizzy asked him, grinning.
"Marry him?" Caroline squeaked.
The light bulb came on. "You had this planned all along!" he cried.
"Had what planned? And what's this about a bet?" Charles demanded.
"Let's continue this show after we eat," Rick broke in. "I'll play the role of detective and explain the whole mystery."
The scene was set after breakfast. Rick stood in front of the group. "I always wanted to do this, just like in the movies," he explained.
"Here," he gestured dramatically to Charles, "is a man feeling frustrated with life. He doesn't like his job, he thinks his marriage has gone stale -- no offense, Jane. Such negative thoughts come to the best of us, and Charles could have approached his wife or his friends for help. Instead he goes to the one person who isn't thinking about his best interests."
He paused and then whirled around to face Caroline. "You saw your chance," he accused. "You never liked the Bennets and you wanted Charles' marriage to fail. So you sent him to your accomplice, Dr. Wickham.
"That piece of dirt has been taken care of, I understand. Because of a personal grudge, he manipulated Charles into turning against Will. He used another client to drive a further wedge between Charles and his wife. I can only guess that his motive was to gain control over as many people as possible, hoping eventually to get a chance for attacking the Darcys again.
"Now for the events of this weekend. Will meets Elizabeth and falls in love. He bets her that he can reunite Charles and Jane -- the terms of the bet being marriage. I was dispatched to get Charles away from Caroline and Rebecca.
"However, Charles outsmarted me by inviting them up here. As soon as Will heard this, he suddenly remembered a phone call. I'll admit, it took me a minute, but then I realized it had to be either Elizabeth or Jane that he called. By calling Jane's house, I discovered that I was right -- he had called Jane.
"Jane had instructions for me -- help Will get Charles drunk, and distract Rebecca temporarily.
"So, ten o'clock, Rebecca and Caroline get here. Charles is already pretty much smashed. We get rid of the ladies. I sent Will on up with Charlie and waited. I was right -- Jane and Elizabeth showed up. With me as consultant, they got Jane's disguise in place.
"I then went to Rebecca's room and invited her to come star-gazing with me. I'll admit, the timing was risky. If she had already acted on Jane's idea, the plan was blown. But she was still beautifying herself, so we were safe.
"Now, Rebecca and I had a nice time outside, talking about everything in the world, including the disadvantages of chasing after every man in sight and being a homewrecker. And I think that I managed to convince her that Dr. Wickham is not the best choice of therapist. Is that right?"
Rebecca nodded sheepishly.
"So there you have it. Caroline assumed that Rebecca was with Charles and said as much to Will. Will's been thinking his bet's messed up and so he can't think straight. But only Jane, Elizabeth, and I knew who was seducing Charlie-boy last night. And if you have any working brain cells, Bingley, you'll walk on your knees to Georgia and do whatever this woman wants you to do. A marriage is a terrible thing to waste."
Rick sat down, feeling very pleased with his performance. Charles' conscience finally kicked into gear. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice breaking as though on the verge of tears. "I will do it. I'll do anything for you, Jane."
Jane smiled. "Have a wonderful three months, dear."
Will's mind was still on only one track. "So, Elizabeth, where do we stand now?"
"I guess the bet is not officially settled yet," she said innocently. "Three months should give us time to get to know each other, don't you think?"
Part 18 Posted on Monday, 12 April 1999
Without saying a word, everyone agreed that the party was over after Rick's revelation of all the mysteries. Caroline was eager to leave, wishing to retreat before beginning another assault on Darcy. Rebecca had already transferred her affections from Charles to Rick, who was eager to get away from her at least until she acquired a brain. Jane missed her children. Charles had resigned himself to penance in the South. That left --
Will and Elizabeth.
"What are your plans?" he asked her as they were walking to the cars.
"Well, I have to go back to work tomorrow -- oh no! I forgot I don't have a car!" Elizabeth cried.
Will only had to think for a second before answering. "Would you be opposed to borrowing one?" he offered.
"I suppose not, if I was borrowing one from the speed demon who demolished my own car," she answered sweetly.
"Then you can ride back with me and we'll pick one out for you," Will said, glad for the chance to buy some more time with Elizabeth.
"By the way," Will added, "what is she going to do with him?"
Elizabeth did not have to ask to whom Will was referring. "Charles is going to ride back with Rick. Then Jane will let Mary and Charlotte know to put everything back in order and give Charles his stuff back. Jane wants to stay away from him because she doesn't trust herself."
"She's afraid she'll give in and take him back?" Will guessed hopefully.
"She's afraid she'll push him off the side of the mountain."
Will choked back a laugh. "Remind me never to make you mad after we're married."
Elizabeth turned and faced Will, standing so close to him that they were almost touching. "Are you really still serious about all that?"
Will answered by kissing her gently, which was the last thing Caroline Bingley saw in her rearview mirror as she headed down the mountain.
Part 18 B Posted on Wednesday, 14 April 1999
Elizabeth was pleasantly surprised to discover that Will's kiss was just as thrilling as the first one. Apparently kissing did not follow the law of diminishing returns, she decided, remembering the multitude of seemingly endless kisses on Friday night.
However, a small corner of her brain alerted her to the fact that this was a time when words were necessary. She broke away from the kiss. "Seriously, Will, we need to talk about this," she said.
"Okay, we can talk on the road," Will said as he unlocked the car.
"This is rather awkward to discuss," Elizabeth began after they started down the mountain.
"You want out, don't you? Of the bet, I mean."
"Will, I never would have accepted the bet if I wasn't interested in you." There, I've said it. Lizzy was just old-fashioned enough to feel very self-conscious about telling a man she liked him.
"So the problem is…?"
"The problem? Will, we don't know each other at all. I have to go back home to my job. What are you going to do, come down and throw me over your shoulder in three months?"
A smile played along Darcy's lips as he pondered that interesting image.
"I suppose I'll have to run my company from a phone and a laptop for the summer so I can stay down there and court you properly."
"And where will you stay? Not with me," Lizzy added hastily.
"Of course not, that wouldn't be courting you properly at all. Don't worry about me, Lizzy. Just consider every weekend booked for the summer."
"You're pretty confident, aren't you? What if I have other men in my life?"
"Well, that would require some thought. How would you prefer I dispose of them? Pay them off or beat them up?"
Elizabeth thought of Billy Collins, the only man who had been asking her out lately. "Beat him up, please. I'll even help."
"Just one?" Will asked in feigned shock.
"Just one, and he's a pest. So I guess you win the battle for my time."
"That's good, because I hate losing." And Darcy looked at Elizabeth in such a way that she could not mistake his meaning.
When they arrived at Pemberley, Jennie was waiting for her brother. "How did it go?" she asked.
"I'm not even sure how to answer that," Will admitted. "Charles is banished for three months to think about what a bad boy he's been. Jane might take him back after that."
"She might take him back? Wow, Elizabeth, you Bennets sure know how to turn the tables on people."
"It was a survival skill we learned growing up. I suspect you've already seen Mary's talents at work," Elizabeth guessed.
"Um, yeah. Will, I wanted to talk to you about that. Please make sure you have your digital phone with you at all times for the next week or so," Jennie requested. Upon seeing Will's questioning look she explained nonchalantly, "I may need you to bail me out."
"Bail you out? What for?"
"I'm not quite sure what I could be charged with. Assault with a deadly weapon, grand larceny, maybe fraud. I don't know exactly."
Will was astounded at his little sister. "Why?" was all he could get out.
"It's better that I don't tell you. Then you can say honestly that you don't know anything."
Elizabeth laughed, guessing that this had something to do with Mary, Charlotte, and Dr. Wickham. "Congratulations, Jennie, I think you've become a Bennet."
"Thanks, Elizabeth, now we just have to make you a Darcy," Jennie said and winked.
"Argh! I take it back! You are definitely your brother's sister!"
Jane had picked up her children from her parents' house and returned home to start packing. She was going to move into Lizzy's apartment with Beth and Alec for the summer. That afternoon, Charles came over to say good-bye.
Beth and Alec flung themselves upon their father, whom they had not seen for four days. "Daddy!" they cried.
Jane tried not to be affected by the scene. Charles had always loved his children before he started going loopy.
"I missed you, Daddy," said Beth.
"I missed all of you," Charles said. "But I have to go away again."
"Why?" asked Alec, always ready to use his favorite word.
Charles glanced at Jane, who shook her head as if to say, I'm not going to help you out of this one, buddy. Charles thought a minute, and then said, "You know how we put you in time-out when you've done something you shouldn't?"
The kids nodded. Charles went on, "Well, I have to be in time-out for awhile. And grown-ups' time-out is longer than kids' time-out."
"Longer than a day?" asked Alec.
"I'm afraid so," Charles said. "But I will come back, I promise."
The children were happy, confident that their dad would keep his promise. They hugged him and he left without a word to Jane.
Elizabeth Bennet pulled up to work on Monday morning in a cute little BMW. She walked through the office to her cubicle and suddenly realized that she was the object of smirks and whispers.
"So, what did you do this weekend, Elizabeth?" asked one of her co-workers.
"I had a family emergency," she replied coolly, thinking that they were referring to her missing work on Friday.
"Yeah, sure, like I believe that."
"Why wouldn't you? My sister's husband left her and she needed me up there."
"Check out your desk and see why I don't believe you, and neither does the boss."
Elizabeth ran to her cubicle. There on the desk was an enormous vase of red roses. A college degree was not necessary for her to know where they had come from. Give me a little space, Will Darcy! She read the card:
| Will. |
Elizabeth shook her head. She had definitely met her match.
Chapter 19 Posted on Tuesday, 20 April 1999
Author's Note: I can no longer go without naming cities. Elizabeth is in Memphis. Jane was in Knoxville but is now staying with Lizzy in Memphis. Charles is banished down to deep Georgia, where it's hot!
Elizabeth decided to meet the problem head-on. She walked into Mr. Debourgh's office confidently. "I owe you an explanation about Friday," she began.
"You certainly do, Miss Bennet, unless you no longer wish to continue working here. A matter of life and death usually does not result in flowers sent to the office on Monday morning. That is more indicative of a romantic weekend in my opinion."
Elizabeth mulled this over in her mind. Would he possibly believe that both had occurred simultaneously? Probably not, but she had to go with the truth, well, a version of the truth that Mr. Debourgh would approve. "My brother-in-law left my sister. I had to go up there to keep her from falling apart and to try and reconcile them. While I was there I met one of my brother-in-law's friends, who now thinks he's in love with me. Ergo, the flowers."
"How'd the marriage come out?" Debourgh asked sarcastically.
"She might take him back after he does penance for his crime of infidelity." Elizabeth was not sure that her boss was going for this, so she took a different line. "If you want to fire me, I can just take my latest software idea to the Darcy Corporation. I have some connections."
Debourgh hesitated. The last time Elizabeth Bennet had come up with an idea for new software, stocks had gone up and his annual bonus was quite high. "Fire you? Of course not! I'm glad everything turned out all right." He smiled insincerely before Elizabeth went back to her office.
It was not a pretty sight when Wickham was found on Tuesday morning after an anonymous tip to the Knoxville police. He had been tied to a chair for three days with no food, water, or bathroom. Nothing, in fact, except for those Teletubbies. The officers who discovered him pitied him, for he was very pathetic and told his story so well.
Sure enough, Darcy received a call from Jennie. He thought she sounded rather strange, perhaps from fear at being taken in for questioning. In truth, Jennie was doing a very good job of playing a brainless airhead. Charlotte had chosen a simple defense strategy -- deny everything. Jennie did so with such believability that the police were forced to drop all charges, especially after Mary King denied ever being visited by "Mrs. Wickham." Wickham was defeated. Something about Jennie Darcy's two lawyers seemed familiar, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Darcy was at Lizzy's apartment every evening, visiting with her, Jane, and the kids. Elizabeth noted that Beth and Alec adored him. On Friday night, she allowed Will to take her out for a "real" date.
"You're too quick to agree with me on everything," Elizabeth complained as they returned to her apartment on Friday after dinner. "It makes me think you're just trying to win me over."
"I apologize. I'll try to do better."
"See? There you go again!"
"I wonder where Jane and the kids are?" Will asked, changing the subject, since he already had a plan.
"They went up to my parents' house for a few days. So it's just me and Emma."
"Oh yeah, the furball. I don't see how anyone could have a cat in the house." Will said this with a perfectly straight face, so of course Lizzy thought he was serious.
"How could you say such a thing?" Lizzy cried, picking up the cat. "You'll hurt Emma's feelings!"
"And why on earth did you name her Emma, anyway?" Will was enjoying this.
"Because she's so nosy, just like Emma in the book. Didn't you ever read Jane Austen?"
"No, not a page. It's girl stuff."
"What? Well, you'll just have to read some. Maybe you could start with Pride and Prejudice. I'm named after one of the characters, you know, and for that matter, so are you." Elizabeth was amused as she pondered this.
"And what if I don't?" Darcy said, flopping onto the sofa.
"Then I'll have to do this!" Lizzy said, and she swooped down upon him and began tickling him. She was rewarded for her efforts. Will was very ticklish around his stomach and rib cage. Within a few seconds he was laughing and gasping for breath.
"Okay! Please! I was just trying to argue with you. I love cats, and I've read every word of Pride and Prejudice and I've seen the movie five times! Colin Firth is my idol! I aspire to be like him!"
"I don't believe you." And Lizzy continued tickling him. "I suppose that if that's true, then you named Pemberley yourself just to go along with the whole Darcy thing."
"No, that part's true! I promise! Please STOP!"
And so Lizzy did stop. She moved her hands around to his back and began kissing him.
In between kisses, she murmured, "You know, you're cuter than Colin Firth any day of the week."
Chapter 20 Posted on Wednesday, 21 April 1999
As the weeks passed by after the Bingley and Darcy cases were wrapped up, Charlotte Lucas became more and more restless. One day at lunchtime, she could not take it any longer.
"I'm going out for some pasta. You want any?" Mary asked as she poked her head into Charlotte's office.
"Let's just lock up and eat out today," Charlotte suggested. "I need to vent."
"I'm sick of divorce law," she announced to Mary over the salad. "The situation with Jane and Charles just soured me on the whole thing. I'm afraid -- "
"Afraid of what?" Mary wondered.
"That I'm growing a conscience or something! It just pains me to see marriages breaking up. I find myself wanting to reconcile everyone."
"Do you feel any regret over what we did to George Wickham?"
"No, not at all."
"How about any guilt over lying like dogs to get Jennie Darcy off the hook?"
Charlotte thought a minute. "Not a single pang."
"Do you wish we hadn't mailed Wickham's records to all his clients?"
"Never!"
"Good. Your conscience is safely absent." Mary paused before continuing. "You know, I really enjoyed the Wickham-Darcy incident. All the intrigue, the sneaking, the bending and ignoring of the law, it just gave me such a rush!"
"Me too! I keep wishing for another case like that, but all we get are custody battles."
"Maybe it's time for the Bennet and Lucas team to turn in a different direction."
"Lucas and Bennet."
"Whatever."
"Mom called today," Jane informed Elizabeth when she returned from work.
"Sorry I missed her. What did she say? Anything sensible?"
"Well, I won't bore you with her usual rantings about how I'd better run after Charles or he won't ever come back. And then her quizzing about your love life. By the way, you owe me big for keeping Will Darcy a secret from her all this time. Good grief, Lizzy, don't look like that every time I say his name. You've been dating him for six weeks. When are you going to come back to earth?"
"Hmm -- how about never?" Lizzy suggested.
"And I thought I knew my sister. I have never seen you like this before."
"You've never seen me with Will before." Elizabeth began twirling around the room. Alec demanded to be included on this, so she picked him up and held him horizontally as she spun. This was their "airplane" game.
"Lizzy, your silliness almost made me forget the big news. Mary's moving to New York!"
Elizabeth landed her nephew on the sofa. "New York? What for?"
"We probably should call Mary herself to get the details. But according to Mom, she and Charlotte are going to be private detectives or something. Mom is rather upset about it. She is worried about the depth of that relationship."
Elizabeth caught Jane's meaning clearly and almost choked from laughing. "Mom needs to spend an evening with them watching Harrison Ford movies. That would convince her there's no cause for concern. Those two may have no respect for men, but they certainly have appreciation!"
"Well, you know Mom."
"Unfortunately, I've known her my whole life." The phone rang. "Will!" Lizzy exclaimed excitedly.
Jane shook her head. Her mature, responsible sister had metamorphosed into a giddy teenager.
"So why don't you drink?" Elizabeth asked Will at dinner one night. "I mean, I never acquired a taste for alcohol, plus I'm too stingy to buy it. But what about you?"
Will lowered his head, embarrassed. "It has to do with the reason I haven't dated anyone in so long."
"Well, you may as well tell me. I know just about everything else about you."
"I guess you have heard most of my life story. Okay, my first year in college I got really drunk at a party. And, well, a girl did the same thing to me that Jane did to Charles up at the lake cabin."
Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Just please tell me it wasn't Caroline Bingley."
Will laughed. "I would have killed myself. This girl wasn't that bad. But she was convinced that we were an item because of that incident. Pretty sad for her because I don't even remember what happened. But it disgusted me so much that I decided to stay away from drinking forever and from women until I was ready to get married."
Elizabeth sighed at the integrity of this man. "I'm impressed," she said softly, taking his hand across the table.
Chapter 21 Posted on Saturday, 24 April 1999
"Do roller coasters really make you sick?" Elizabeth asked Darcy incredulously.
They were spending the day at Libertyland. Jane had taken the kids on the carousel, but Lizzy was up for something a little more exciting.
"You have to ride the Zippin Pippin," she insisted. "It's historical. This was Elvis' last public appearance, you know. Just before he died he rented the thing out all night for him and his friends."
"See? Now we know what killed him," Darcy said. "I'll end up throwing up all over you."
"Does that mean you're going? It's not really that wild. It doesn't even go upside down."
"In honor of the King, I guess I will. But don't say I didn't warn you." Will acted as though he was going to his death.
Will did not get sick, however. In fact, the Zippin Pippin was much more enjoyable than he ever could have imagined. They had kissed through the whole ride.
After rejoining Jane and the children, Elizabeth suggested that they all ride something together -- Old Hickory.
"The infamous log ride," said Will. "Every amusement park has one."
"And we can all go together," said Jane. "This will be perfect."
The line was mercifully short, and after a brief wait the group climbed into their log. Beth sat in the front, followed by her mom. Alec was sandwiched between Jane and Lizzy, with Will in the back. Lizzy leaned back against Will and tried to remember how long this ride was. Hopefully very long.
Beth made ghost noises as the log passed through the dark tunnel, frightening Alec. Jane had just managed to comfort him when they began the long ascent up the hill. Then it was Beth's turn to be scared.
"Mommy , I'm going to fall out when we go down," she whined.
"No you won't, baby, I'm here holding on to you," Jane assured her. "And Alec's holding on to me."
"Is Aunt Lizzy holding on to Alec?"
"Yes, sweetheart. And Will's holding on to Aunt Lizzy."
"He's always holding on to Aunt Lizzy," Beth pointed out with her four-year-old bluntness.
"For as long as I can," Will said low enough that only Elizabeth could hear him.
Finally they reached the top of the hill. It seemed like eternity before the log finally pitched downward. They all screamed, as is customary on such rides, until the log landed with a splash in the water.
Elizabeth was disappointed that she did not get wet. The cold water would have felt good in this heat, she thought. When they got out of the log, Alec started giggling. "Will gots wet!" he exclaimed, pointing to Darcy.
Lizzy reflexively turned to look and the air suddenly felt much warmer. Apparently all the water had landed on Will's white t-shirt. Immediately she caught herself before her mouth dropped open.
Stupid, a person would think you've never seen a man's chest before, she admonished herself.
Another voice in her head. countered, I haven't ever seen the chest of a man that I'm in love with, so back off.
That I'm in love with????
Lizzy suddenly felt faint. She put her hand to her head. Will rushed to her side. "Elizabeth, are you okay?"
She couldn't answer. All she could think of was the realization that had hit her with all the force of an atomic bomb. She had fallen in love with Will.
Darcy took her silence as a "no" answer. "Let's go sit somewhere," he insisted. "I'll get you something to drink."
He was so kind, so...perfect. Then why am I so miserable? she wondered.
Because falling in love wasn't part of the deal. This is a game to him. You're taking it too seriously, like a schoolgirl. Grow up, Elizabeth Bennet.
Part 22 Posted on Monday, 26 April 1999
Elizabeth lay in bed that night and pondered her situation, trying to remember how she got into this mess in the first place.
You agreed to base the most serious decision of your life on a gamble, remember?
Elizabeth had never had much luck with men. She intimidated her high school classmates with her intelligence and forceful nature. In college she was too busy pulling a double major and a job. Since then, well, she just had not met anyone. So her concepts about love were still stuck somewhere in the fairy-tale stage, where the handsome prince came and swept the girl off her feet. Will Darcy had been that handsome prince, charming and good-hearted. She had been opportunistic, looking for romance and adventure, no better than Rebecca Norris or Caroline Bingley.
But what about Will? Why did he do such a thing? Elizabeth thought cynically that he must have enjoyed the challenge she presented. She did not throw herself at him, so he used the first means he saw to try and win her. Typical of men used to getting their own way, she thought.
Her thoughts spiraled downward in this negative path. Finally she gave up on sleeping and went into the kitchen for something to eat. She found her sister reading in the living room.
"Jane, what are you doing up?" Elizabeth whispered.
"You don't have to whisper," Jane said. "Beth and Alec can sleep through a tornado. You've caught me at my regular late-night activity."
"But why? When do you sleep?"
"I catch naps here and there." Jane paused. "I miss him the worst at night."
"Oh." Elizabeth felt ashamed for being so thoughtless as to what her sister must be going through. Her problems were insignificant compared to Jane's. "Well, I can't sleep either, so if you want to talk...."
"He's supposed to be back in three weeks. I don't even know what's going to happen then. We'll be starting all over with everything, just like newlyweds, only with two kids."
"You think you'll be taking him back, then?"
"I'm hoping for the best. He's lasted this long down there, so I assume he wants to make this work."
"Jane, you are so good. Just to be willing to forgive him is proof of that."
"That's what happens when you love someone." Jane noticed a flush on Lizzy's face at the mention of the word "love". "Anything you want to tell me, little sis?"
"Only that you're right, and that marriage should be taken more seriously than a casino game. Now go ahead and say 'I told you so'."
"What caused this sudden revelation?" Jane asked.
"I love him," Elizabeth said simply. "I adore him more than I ever thought it possible to adore another human being."
"Well, since you virtually agreed to marry him, being in love isn't the worst thing in the world."
"But it's all a game!" Lizzy said in a tragic voice. "He is just looking for a challenge. If he knew I was taking this to heart, he'd laugh at me."
"Listen to yourself, Lizzy! You say you love and adore this man, and yet you accuse him of deliberately mistreating you and leading you on. If he is really like you say, you should forget about him!"
"But how will I ever know for sure how he feels?"
"I'll put it into gambling terms, since that's what got this all started. You have to call his bluff."
Lizzy called Will at his apartment the next day. "We have to talk," she said. "Can I come over?"
When Lizzy arrived at Will's place, she took a deep breath before beginning. "Jane has come to a decision," she announced. "She isn't taking Charles back."
"What?" Will was stunned.
"She said that she can't ever trust him again, and she'd rather raise the kids alone than with a man she can't trust." Elizabeth looked expectantly at Will, waiting for his reaction.
Will's voice was stony when he finally spoke. "Well, allow me to congratulate you, Miss Bennet. You have won your bet."
"Congratulations to you as well, Mr. Darcy. You have been saved from a most inconvenient marriage." Elizabeth's heart was breaking, but she was determined not to show it.
Darcy spoke without looking at Elizabeth. "I suppose there is no reason left for me to stay here. Perhaps Jane would be interested in this apartment for herself and the children."
"I think they will be staying with me for awhile. Jane does not wish to work full-time while the children are so little. We're going to pool our resources."
"I wish you all the best. Good-bye, Elizabeth."
Hearing Will say her name broke something inside Elizabeth. "It's not true!" she burst out. "I made it all up! Jane wants to take him back. Please forgive me for being such an idiot!" And she ran out of the apartment in tears.
Will caught up to Elizabeth quickly and spun her around to face him. "Why?" he asked quietly.
"To let you out," she answered. "You were taking the game too far. It wasn't fair for you to have to throw your life away just for a stupid bet."
"Elizabeth, I felt my life being thrown away when I heard you congratulating me on being saved from an inconvenient marriage. Don't you know that I would want to marry you even if Jane and Charles Bingley didn't even exist?"
"Do you love me then?" Lizzy asked incredulously.
"More than life," Will promised. "I'll admit that I made the bet just out of infatuation. You might say that I saw potential for being able to fall in love with you. But it didn't take long for that potential to be realized. And all I can ever hope for is that you can love me just a fraction of how much I love you."
"I do love you!" Elizabeth cried, feeling the weight lift as she confessed it to him. "I recognized it yesterday. But I was afraid you were only playing with my mind."
"So you were testing me, were you?" Will asked.
"Yes," Lizzy admitted. "I thought that if you did love me, you would beg me to marry you anyway."
"You forgot to factor in my stubbornness."
"That combined with my pride almost separated us forever. If you had called me Miss Bennet one more time, we would have been lost."
"I'll never call you Miss Bennet again, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth."
"You weren't joking about watching Pride and Prejudice five times, were you?"
"I'm up to seven now," said Will Darcy before kissing his Elizabeth.
Will broke away from the kiss only long enough to ask, "Marry me?"
"Not yet," replied Elizabeth.
"Why not? I think we can safely say that all bets are off."
"I don't want to announce an engagement while Jane's future is still hanging. You can wait three weeks."
"As you wish."
Elizabeth laughed. "I see you've added Princess Bride to your repertoire."
"Of course. You're my princess, and someday you'll be my bride."
"I would call you my Man in Black, but I prefer you in white, I think. Especially in the presence of water."
Darcy sighed. "I'll never understand the female mind. But I look forward to trying to understand yours for the next century or so." And they spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the freedom of discarding the flirtations (for the time being) and telling each other all that they felt in their hearts.
Chapter 23 Posted on Tuesday, 27 April 1999
The package was addressed to Jane Bingley. Elizabeth wondered who would be sending Jane a package that would know where she was staying. It looked as though it might be a book of some sort.
"Jane, you got a present," Elizabeth sang out as she walked through the door.
"Present! Present!" Beth and Alec cried, running into the living room. To them, presents meant toys.
"I don't know what it could be," Jane said as she took the package. She opened it carefully and pulled out a notebook. A piece of paper was attached to the notebook, which Jane read silently:
The director of our program suggested that I write this journal. He's been very helpful, a kind of mentor to me. I owe a lot to him. I'm sending it to you so you can have some idea of what I've learned this summer. Please take it in consideration when making a decision regarding our future. Give the kids a hug for me. I look forward to seeing all of you next week. I love you forever, Jane. Please believe that.Charles
"Jane? What is it?" Elizabeth inquired.
"It's Charles' journal. He wants me to read it." Jane looked at Elizabeth, tears filling her eyes. "He said he loves me, Lizzy."
"Not such a bad thing since you're married to him," Lizzy teased. "I'll take the kids and go see Will. You read that journal."
Jane pored over the journal as though her very existence depended on the contents. Charles' early entries were full of confusion and self-pity. He expressed anger at Jane for forcing him to spend three months building houses. The jealousy he felt toward Will was obvious. This was the Charles that Jane had been dealing with for the several months preceding the incident.
The entries became longer, less complaining, more introspective. Charles began talking about how much he missed Jane, Beth, and Alec. His attitude was more humble and grateful. He described the people they were helping and the poverty they encountered.
By the end of July, Charles was writing every day, sometimes filling several pages. He quoted Scriptures and inspirational passages. He expressed his dreams of beginning again with Jane and the children. He praised Jane's loving nature, integrity, talent, and beauty.
The last entry, dated only a few days previously, consisted simply of a prayer:
Please, God, I know you've forgiven me, but please let her forgive me too. If Jane doesn't take me back, I'll make it somehow. I'll dedicate my life to helping the less fortunate. But please, let my Jane love me. Please, God, please.
As Jane read these words, all the feelings she had bottled up throughout her life broke forth in a torrent of tears. She hugged the book to her heart and cried tears of sorrow for the time they had lost, along with tears of joy for the hope that this book had held out for her. Elizabeth found her later that evening, asleep on the couch with the book in her arms.
Chapter 24 Posted on Tuesday, 27 April 1999
The temperature was a steaming 98 degrees, not counting the infamous Memphis humidity. "I can't wait to get out of this town," Jane muttered to herself. The air conditioning in the apartment was on the blink. Elizabeth had taken the children to Will's apartment to swim. Jane was glad for the quiet, but she hoped that her sister was not spoiling Beth and Alec too much. Actually, their "Uncle Will" is more likely to be the one spoiling them, Jane thought wryly. Come to think of it, when did this "Uncle Will" thing start? Jane shook her head. There would most likely be an engagement announced soon. Elizabeth was trying to play things down for her sake, she knew, but no one could miss the love she saw on those two faces.
Jane's thoughts were racing from one thing to another. At least she knew her reason for agitation. Charles was flying in from Atlanta the next day. He still loved her, as evidenced by the letter and the journal. But would there be awkwardness between them? Would they meet as strangers or as a loving husband and wife? Jane felt as nervous as she had on their first date. She had been debating all week on what to wear to the airport, and had finally decided on her favorite blue sleeveless dress, one that made her feel her prettiest.
Everything was pictured in her mind. She would have the children sitting on each side of her in the airport terminal. They would wait expectantly as the passengers disembarked from the plane. Then as Charles came through the gate, the children would cry out "Daddy!" and jump in his arms. He would hug his children lovingly and then turn to her. Their eyes would lock and then they would both know that all was forgiven and forgotten. He would reach for her, and she would gladly submit to his kiss, oblivious to anyone watching them....
Despite the heat, Jane knew she had to stay busy in order to keep sane. She dug through the closet and found some cut-offs and an old T-shirt that she used to wear while painting. Then, after pulling her hair back in a ponytail, she grabbed a mop and other supplies and began cleaning the apartment furiously. She rationalized her frenzy by telling herself that Elizabeth was too distracted to think of mundane things like keeping her surroundings in order.
An hour later, Jane was scrubbing the bathtub, grimacing as she saw that some dirt had smeared on her arms. It was hard work cleaning away the evidence of two young children living in the apartment. She was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell.
Well, at least if they're selling something or proselytizing, I'll be able to scare them away with how I look, she thought as she headed to the door. She opened the door and her first thought was, What a body!
The man was tanned and muscular, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, his blonde hair bleached almost white by the sun. Jane was torn between shame for noticing his looks and shame for the way she knew she appeared. The man did not speak, and Jane looked at him, curious at his silence. One look in his eyes and everything snapped into place. "Charles?" she whispered, for her voice did not respond to the commands from her brain to speak.
"Who were you expecting?" Charles asked.
Jane could not answer, but only stared at her husband. Had his eyes always been that blue? And what was he doing here anyway?
"Your plane – I thought – tomorrow – oh, Charles!" And Jane fell into his arms.
He led her into the house and held her as if she might disappear if he ever let go. "I thought it less anticipation might result in less awkwardness," he explained. "I wanted to surprise you."
Jane laughed through her tears. "You certainly succeeded," she said as she sniffed. "Look at me! This is not how I wanted to look when we met again."
"You look beautiful," Charles assured her. "I couldn't wait another day when I had the chance to come early."
"And the kids aren't even here to see you! Lizzy took them over to Will's to go swimming."
"Oh! You mean we're all alone here?" Charles said in obviously feigned surprise.
Jane looked at him suspiciously. "You and Will Darcy had this all planned."
"And Lizzy too. I figured it was my turn to trick you. And as much as I love my children and I'm dying to see them, all the way here I could only think of you." He stroked her face and gazed into her eyes lovingly.
"Charles?" Jane began, not knowing quite what to say.
"What, my love?"
She could not come up with any words, and so she did something that the old Jane would never have done. She pulled her husband's face to hers and kissed him deeply and passionately.
"How fast can you pack?" Charles asked several minutes later.
"It depends. For how long?"
"Just one night for now. We can come back tomorrow and get everything else."
"Are we going back to Knoxville?"
"Tonight? No. Ever? I'm not sure yet. But tonight, I have a surprise for you."
"Another one?" Jane asked. "I'm not sure how many more surprises I can handle in one day. Well, as long as this one is as good as the last two have been...."
"The last two? What besides me showing up a day early?"
Jane grinned wickedly as she looked Charles over. "Darling, haven't you seen a mirror lately? What ever did they do to you down there? You've always been a cutie, but now you're just too fine for words."
Charles' eyes widened. "Are you flirting with me, young lady?"
"Can't I flirt with my own husband if I want to? Excuse me, I must pack and change clothes. I can't have you looking better than me."
Will and Elizabeth were having a wonderful time as usual, but their fun was shadowed by concern. Will kept looking at his watch. "He has to be there by now," he said. "I just hope Charles doesn't say anything stupid."
"The bet's over, Will," teased Elizabeth.
"I know, but I do care about them. They're practically family. And these kids need two parents who love each other."
"Can we go for ice cream now?" Beth asked Lizzy.
"After swimming and a carriage ride?" asked Will. "Don't you kids ever get enough?"
"But you promised!" insisted Beth.
Will slapped himself on the forehead. "That's right! I did. Well, how about a huge ice cream sundae? I know just the place," he said, winking at Elizabeth.
Beth and Alec looked around the lobby of the Peabody Hotel, their eyes wide. "This isn't McDonald's!" said Alec. "Where's the ice cream?"
"This way, sir," Will said formally. He led them to Café Expresso, where he ordered ice cream sundaes for everyone. "Now when we're done, we can go wait in the lobby."
"For what?" Beth asked.
"It's a surprise," said Will.
Will, Lizzy, Beth, and Alec were sitting in the lobby watching people go by. Suddenly the children began yelling, "Mommy! Daddy!"
Sure enough, Charles and Jane were at the desk, checking in. The children ran to them, squealing. "What are you doing here?" Charles asked his kids after hugging them thoroughly.
"I had to see this thing through to the end," Will explained. "Tell me, are you two officially okay now?"
Jane smiled, and she looked happier than Elizabeth had ever seen her. "Absolutely, one hundred percent okay forever!" she said, beaming.
Will sighed in relief. "Finally!" he shouted. People were turning to look at him and he said, "Sure everybody, watch the show. I've been waiting to do this for three months." He pulled a box out of his pocket, dropped to one knee, and said, "Elizabeth Bennet, will you marry me?"
Elizabeth's eyes welled up with tears and she nodded. "You know I will!" she said joyfully.
The onlookers applauded, but Elizabeth and Will did not notice.
"I hate to break this up," said Charles, "but you did promise kid duty tonight. Jane and I have plans."
Will forced himself to break away from kissing his new fiancé. "Come on, kids, let's go celebrate!" he said happily. He turned to Charles and Jane and winked. "You two behave yourselves!"
Chapter 25 ~ You Are Mine Posted on Wednesday, 28 April 1999
"I've never been more jealous of Bingley than I am right now," Will complained.
This comment caught Elizabeth off guard. She was deliriously happy, sitting on the sofa with her niece, nephew, and fiancé. They were watching "Anastasia," but Elizabeth could not stop staring at her ring. She was really going to marry Will Darcy, the most wonderful man in the world.
"Do you wish you were in Charles' place right now?" asked Elizabeth, feeling annoyed and threatened.
"Only if you were in Jane's place," Will whispered.
"Will!" Elizabeth's face turned red as she caught his meaning. "Just what are your intentions toward me?"
"To marry you as quickly as possible," Will answered. "And speaking of that, I hope you aren't going to tell me you want a huge wedding that takes a year to plan."
"I was thinking more along the lines of a month," Lizzy admitted. "Long enough for us to gather our families together and for me to get a dress. Then I thought we could book a time in one of the classier Gatlinburg chapels. A very small, sweet, old-fashioned wedding."
Will, remembering the pomp and pageantry of Jane's wedding, asked, "Will your mother go along with that?"
"As long as we promise to put a big announcement in the paper afterward, she'll be happy."
Will breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that his future mother-in-law could be pleased so relatively easily.
Jane woke up the next morning and frantically searched her brain, trying to remember if the previous day's events had been real or a dream. She sighed happily when she opened her eyes and saw her luxurious surrounding. She turned and looked at her husband, who was still sleeping.
He was so beautiful! Jane had always considered Charles to be handsome, but now he was breathtaking. She supposed it to be the result of the summer of outdoor physical labor. And his heart had changed just as much as his outward appearance. He was hers forever. They would never again be divided.
Jane was torn between her desire to kiss her husband and the knowledge that she should not wake him. But Charles was irresistible. She bent over and began planting tiny kisses all over his face, drinking in the feel of his skin on her lips. Finally his eyes opened and he grinned at Jane.
"Are you going to wake me up like this every morning?"
"Hmm – maybe. Or maybe I'll go back to sleep and let you wake me up," Jane teased.
Charles sighed in utter contentment. "Oh, Jane, we're going to have such a wonderful life."
"Of course we will," agreed Jane. "But what are your plans besides never leaving my sight again for the rest of your life?"
"I've been talking to Will. He is interested in starting an effort here in Memphis to make some of the neighborhoods safer by rebuilding parts of the city that have become run-down. He's perfectly willing to make it a charitable effort, but he thinks there is a possibility for some profit in it. And he has asked me to run the operation." Charles' excitement was evident in his voice.
"Charles, that's wonderful! You would be great at that!" Jane became serious. "But you would be working for Will, taking orders from him, dependent on him for your income. Could you handle that?"
Charles thought for a minute before answering. "I understand why you asked that. Let me promise you that I have put all of my jealousy behind me. I would not trade my life now for all the money in the world.
"Will was hesitant to broach the subject with me for that very reason. But the way I see it, he has an entire corporation to run. If he's going to start this project, he needs someone he can trust to be in charge, and he's willing to pay for it. So we're able to help each other. There is one small problem."
"What's that?" Jane asked.
"It would mean we stay here in Memphis."
Jane grimaced. The idea of living in Memphis indefinitely was almost too much. On the other hand, however, Lizzy had assured her that Memphis was quite pleasant in the fall and spring. She decided it was a small sacrifice for the happiness of their family. She smiled. "I guess I can handle it. But I expect to have plenty of time for visiting East Tennessee. You may can take this girl out of the mountains, but you can't take the mountains completely out of the girl."
"I would never try," said Charles.
September 18, 1999
It was a clear, cool afternoon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The leaves were just beginning to turn. Elizabeth breathed in the crisp air, almost euphoric from the weather and from the knowledge that this was her wedding day.
The guest list for the wedding was very small: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Jane and Charles, Beth, Alec, Charlotte, Mary, Georgiana, and Rick Williams. Da' Vamps had threatened all sorts of mayhem for Lizzy's bachelorette party the previous night, but Jane had convinced them to keep things tame. So the five ladies had gone out and played laser tag, followed by Lizzy's last viewing of Pride and Prejudice as a single woman. They all agreed that the movie would have ended much faster if Fitzwilliam Darcy had behaved more like Will Darcy.
Elizabeth was eager to walk down the aisle of the chapel, if for no other reason but so Will could finally see her dress. She had paid an obscene amount of money to a couturier to have a Regency-style wedding dress.
"Lizzy, I don't see why you couldn't get something more exciting," her mother complained while helping her get ready.
"Mother, believe me, Will is going to love this. And that's all that matters."
"Well, it's bad enough that you're practically eloping, you should have found a dress at least that flattered your figure."
"She looks wonderful!" said Jane. "Mother, leave Lizzy alone. She only has this day once."
"Just because I don't have frontage like Jennifer Ehle," Lizzy muttered under her breath. She knew Will would be smitten by the dress. And hopefully by her too, of course.
The time finally came for the wedding to begin. Mr. Bennet came to escort his favorite daughter to meet her husband. "I always thought you would find it too old-fashioned to be given away," he said.
"Not when it's by my favorite dad," Elizabeth said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Shall we go then?"
Elizabeth nodded and began the wondrous journey.
She was surprised to find that she felt no nervousness whatsoever, only an anxiousness to see Will. When she caught sight of him, she almost burst into giggles.
William Darcy was dressed in full Regency costume as well. They looked into each other's eyes and grinned. As soon as Elizabeth was standing beside Will, he said, "Great minds think alike, hmm?"
"Did you know?"
"Not a clue."
The wedding was short, but to Lizzy, the best moments of her life. And as they drove away to a destination unknown to all their friends (for very good reasons), Elizabeth Bennet Darcy was sure that no woman in the entire world could be happier than her.
She was wrong, because back in Memphis, Christine Marie Whelchel (formerly Christine Marie Grace) had just left her own wedding. And she was even happier.
Author's note: Now you know why I gave Lizzy and Will 9/18/99 as their wedding date!b2
Epilogue Posted on Thursday, 29 April 1999
October, 1999
Will and Elizabeth Darcy landed at the Memphis International Airport at 2:30 in the afternoon. Elizabeth was exhausted from the flight, but she was eager to see Jane. They were to spend a few days with the Bingleys while Will met with Charles to set up the new business.
The Bingleys met them at the airport. Hugs and kisses were exchanged all around, and then they traveled back to the small house Charles had rented for his family.
"So how was Europe?" Jane asked Elizabeth as soon as they were alone.
"Oh!" Elizabeth looked confused. "Is that where we went?"
Jane nearly choked. "Lizzy!"
"What?" Elizabeth asked innocently. Then she grinned. "Seriously, everything was wonderful. We went to Derbyshire while we were in the U.K. and visited the church where Will's grandparents got married. It was so romantic! I wish we could have been married there, but we didn't want to wait for everyone to get passports."
"It's so good to see you happy," Jane said. "You and Will are perfect for each other."
"Who would have ever thought it?" Lizzy giggled. "Jane, what are you wearing on your wrists?"
"These?" Jane said, holding up her arms to reveal two small grey bands around her wrists. "It's a form of acupressure. They're supposed to press on a certain nerve to prevent nausea."
Elizabeth looked at her sister quizzically. "Nausea?"
Jane could no longer keep a straight face and she started laughing.
"Jane!" Lizzy shrieked before Jane motioned to her to keep her voice down. "Are you pregnant?" she whispered.
Jane just nodded happily. "Don't say anything, though. I mean, Charles knows, of course, but I haven't been to the doctor yet."
"Oh, Jane, I am so happy for you!" Lizzy winked conspiratorially. "That night at the Peabody, hmmm?"
"Maybe," said Jane. "Or maybe your apartment half an hour before the Peabody." And the sisters hugged and laughed in sheer joy.
"Today, on the Jerry Springer show, women who were betrayed by their therapists!" came the voice of the TV announcer.
"Elizabeth, why are you watching that trash?" Will asked.
"Because I'm brain dead from moving in," Lizzy answered.
A few minutes later, Will heard her shriek.
"What is it?" Will asked, running into the room.
"It's Rebecca -- that girl that was at the lake cabin."
They watched in horror as Rebecca screamed and cursed at George Wickham for seducing and betraying her. Chairs were flying, the audience was cheering, all in all it was not a pretty sight.
"Guess Rick's charms didn't work on her," Will commented. "How sad."
Staten Island, New York
Mary Bennet smiled and worked the crowd at the fancy cocktail party in a fabulous mansion. Only the host of the party, who had hired her, knew that she was there to make sure that one particular person did not try anything sneaky regarding the jewels in the safe.
Mary spotted her target moving down the hall toward the study and began to follow. She had made it a few steps down the hall when suddenly someone grabbed her arm.
"Mary Bennet?"
"That's me. What do you want?" Mary saw a handsome man in his late thirties, dressed quite inappropriately for the occasion in a sport coat and tacky plaid tie.
"You're under arrest for the burglary of the Bennington Office Building. You have the right to remain silent -- "
"Save it, I'm a lawyer. Where's your ID and your warrant?"
The cop shoved a badge and warrant under her nose. "Happy now?"
"Not really, but I'm sure you can understand that, Detective Logan. Let's get this over with."
As they made their way out of the house, the pianist hired to play background music suddenly decided it was time for a bathroom break. She locked herself inside the bathroom and pulled a phone out of her purse. After dialing quickly, she said: "Charlotte, it's Jennie. Mary just got pulled in. If you hurry, you can beat her to the police station. I'll arm-wrestle you for the cop -- he was gorgeous!"
To be continued in a future story, but YWM is finished!
© 1999 Copyright held by the author.