A Holiday to Remember

by Jennifer Redlarczyk

  “Uh, yes, I suppose.” She sounded a little uncertain.

  “Liz, I think now would be a good time to put in our request with the trio. Can I get you anything to drink while I’m at it?”

  “Some cold seltzer water with lemon would be great.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  ~ ♫ ~

  William was happy to leave behind any conversation concerning Caroline Bingley, and after talking with Skip for a few minutes, he went on to the bar for drinks. As he was leaving a tip for the bartender, Richard appeared at his side.

  “Tell me, how is it you managed to corner the market with the Lady in Red out on the dance floor? For a guy who seldom dances, you sure cut some pretty mean moves.”

  “Richard, it’s not my fault you never stuck with the lessons. Elizabeth Bennet is an amazing partner.” He couldn’t help but smile as he looked over in her direction.

  “I suppose I can always fall back on the box-step, or if they play one of those electric slides, I should be able to follow along. Hopefully, she’ll cut me a little slack.”

  “Please….” William rolled his eyes.

  “Uh … I hate to say it, but it looks like Caroline is on the loose, or to put it more accurately, is loose. Gad, I wonder how many of those margaritas she’s had tonight. The woman can barely walk a straight line.

  “Let’s go. I don’t trust her around Liz.”

  As soon as Caroline reached Elizabeth, Jane and Bingley, she started mouthing off. “Eliza Bennet,” she slurred. “How dare you monopolize William Darcy on the dance floor? He’s with me tonight, and I insist you back off.” She pointed an unsteady finger at Elizabeth, who was stunned by Caroline’s outburst.

  “Caroline,” Charles interrupted, taking her arm. “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink. How about we go to the kitchen and get you some strong coffee?”

  “Let go of me, Charles,” she hissed. Jerking her arm out of his grasp, she started to lose her balance and accidently sloshed her frozen margarita down the front of Elizabeth’s dress, causing her to cry out in alarm.

  “Caroline, look what you’ve done!” Charles nearly yelled. “Jane, please take Liz to the bathroom, and Caro, you are coming with me!”

  “I’m not going anywhere—I’ve done nothing wrong!”

  Just then, William and Richard reached the group, adding to the confusion. Seeing William, Caroline railed against him by spouting a series of obscenities and slanderous language before Charles could again take his sister in hand and forcibly escort her to the kitchen with Richard’s help.

  ~ ♫ ~

  The Bathroom

  “Lizzy, I can’t believe what happened out there. One minute we were all having such a nice time and the next….”

  “Jane, Caroline is what happened. Ugh! You have no idea how disgusting this sticky bra feels!” exclaimed Elizabeth as she dropped the shoulder straps of her dress and tried to wiggle free of the cold, wet clingy fabric. “I hate to say it, but I’m afraid this dress is ruined, not to mention Charlotte’s bra.”

  “Here, let me help.” The two women gingerly pulled the sticky cups from Elizabeth’s breasts and dropped the bra into the sink where Jane started washing off the goo in warm water. “Lizzy, you go ahead and take a shower. I’ll see what I can do about the dress once I finish up with the bra.”

  “Thanks, Sis. What would I do without you?” Elizabeth wrapped her long hair into a bath towel, pulled off her shoes and panties, and stepped into a nice hot shower.

  A few minutes later Jane called out, “Lizzy, the bra is pretty hopeless and the dress isn’t looking much better. Should I see if Caroline has something you can borrow?”

  “Over my dead body, Jane Bennet! I’ll go naked under my coat if I have to.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Jane continued to work on the dress. “Maybe I can scrounge up something from one of the servers. Too bad this had to happen. It’s not quite midnight, and the party seems like it might go on for a while.”

  Elizabeth stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. “At dinner, Richard told me Caroline is obsessed with William, but I never expected this. Accident or not, the woman has been giving me the evil eye all evening. I don’t understand it. Up until a few hours ago, William and I weren’t even speaking.”

  “That may be, but the two of you sure made up for it on the dance floor.”

  Elizabeth blushed. “He really is a great dancer. Aside from Caroline ruining my dress, I never expected to have such a good time tonight.”

  “Cheer up. Maybe he’ll ask you out.”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged.

  “What do you think?” Jane held up the dress.

  “No way! Please see what you can find. At this point, I’m desperate.”

  Jane hugged her sister. “I’ll be right back. Keep the door locked.”

  “Don’t worry about that. You’re the only person here with an admission ticket.”

  Ten minutes later Jane returned with a waiter’s jacket and Elizabeth’s coat and bag. “Lizzy, it’s me. You can unlock the door now.”

  “Thank goodness. What did you find?” Jane held up the jacket. “It looks a little big, but I’ll manage. My crazy faux fur is so long it’ll hide just about anything.”

  “William was waiting in the hall. He feels really bad about what happened. I gave him your keys so he could bring your car around. It started snowing.”

  “William?” She blushed. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “Don’t be. He likes you.”

  “You really think so?”

  “I do.”

  “I hope so.” She shyly smiled. “Now let me see what I can do with this jacket.” Elizabeth put on the server’s coat while Jane rolled up the dress and stuffed it into her bag, along with the soggy bra.

  “Good luck with this mess when you get home.”

  “Thanks, I’ll need it,” said Elizabeth wrapping her coat tightly about her body and firmly tying the belt in place so her lack of clothing wouldn’t show. “I guess this is the best I can do, so let’s get the heck out of Dodge before something else happens to me tonight!” The two sisters hugged and Jane opened the door. No one seemed to pay much attention as they made their way to the foyer where William was anxiously waiting. As soon as he saw the two women, he immediately stepped forward and took Elizabeth’s hand.

  “Don’t worry, Jane, I’ll make sure Liz gets off okay.”

  “Thanks, William. Call me tomorrow, Lizzy. Love you!”

  “Love you too.”

  ~ ♫ ~

  Outside

  “William, thank you so much for getting my car. I had no idea it was snowing, and here I thought it was supposed to be a clear night.”

  “Hopefully, it’s only a little lake effect snow and won’t last long. Let me help you down the stairs—they’re pretty slippery.”

  “Wow! You can say that again. I can barely keep my balance in these heels.” William snuggly wrapped his arm around Elizabeth in her fluffy coat as she gripped his free hand.

  “Charles will have to get these stairs salted before anyone else leaves the party.”

  “Well, at least I’ve got plenty of padding if we fall.” She tightly clung to his arm as they continued to slowly take the stairs one at a time.

  William chuckled. “This is some coat. I feel like I’m hugging a stuffed animal with you tucked under my arm.”

  “It’s faux fur, you know. Jane being on the verge of a hard-core vegan insisted I get it a couple of years back, and with our Chicago winters, I’m so glad I did.”

  “I completely understand.” He opened the door for Elizabeth, helping her into the car. Leaning over the doorframe he continued, “My mom was a vegetarian and supported several grass roots animal rights groups. To this day, Georgie insists on having a healthy supply of faux fur in her closet.” A gust of wind blew the snow right past William’s body causing Elizabeth to shiver.

  “I’m sorry—I’
ll shut the door,” he apologized. “Would you care if I joined you for a few minutes?”

  “Please do! Come on in and warm up.”

  William closed her door and went to the passenger’s side. Opening the door, he dusted off some of the snow and just missed bumping his head on the frame as he ducked and adjusted the seat for his long legs. “Whew, I made it.”

  “Sorry, I guess the Cavalier wasn’t exactly made for a tall fellow like you,” she teased, turning on the dome light.

  “Yes, the hazards of the Darcy genes have been known to play havoc on my body in confined places.” He chuckled.

  “I’ve actually had this car since college, but I haven’t had the heart to part with it yet. It’s kind of like having an old friend.”

  “I know what you mean. It’s easy to get attached to things when they hold fond memories.”

  “Still, I wouldn’t mind having a newer car, especially with Bluetooth technology. Jane has it in her car, and it’s so convenient when driving around the city.”

  “Liz….” William reached for her hand. “I’m so sorry about the way Caroline acted and what she did to your dress. I hope it’s not ruined.”

  “It probably is, but don’t worry. It was rented and fully insured.

  “Rented?”

  “Rented! And truthfully, I don’t even feel guilty since they sent me the wrong dress to begin with.”

  “The wrong dress?” He still looked puzzled.

  “My friend Charlotte Lucas says it’s all the rage now. You rent a dress you could never afford to buy and select something new whenever a special occasion comes along. Charlotte is very practical in that way. If you and Georgie are able to visit the academy next week, I’ll introduce her to you.”

  “I look forward to meeting her.”

  “Char teaches ballet there, and my younger sister, Kitty, says she’s an outstanding instructor. Kitty and two other students from our school are members of the student company with the Joffrey Ballet and were chosen to perform in several of the Nutcracker Matinees at the Auditorium Theatre this season.”

  “What a coincidence. I took Georgie to see a Sunday matinee right after Thanksgiving.”

  “Then you would have seen my sister, although members of the flowers corps tend to look pretty much the same. Kitty is also a junior, and I could easily arrange for her to be excused from class and serve as a student ambassador when you tour the academy. I’m sure Georgie would enjoy meeting someone in her grade.”

  “I agree. I can’t imagine my sister not being receptive to the idea of the school. May I call you tomorrow after we talk?”

  “Absolutely! And if Georgie has any questions for me, feel free to put her on the phone. I’d be happy to speak with her. William, don’t worry. I know this will work out.” She squeezed his hand.

  “I hope so.” He paused. “There is one other thing. I overheard what Caroline said before your dress was ruined, and I wanted you to know I was not her date tonight. We are not together nor have we ever been.”

  “I never got that impression. In fact, I can easily sympathize with your plight as I have one Billy Collins, an IT guy from my school who thinks he has a similar claim on me. Unlike Caroline, however, he would never dream of spilling a drink down the front of my dress.” She chuckled. “It seems he would rather talk me to death with computer jargon.”

  “Billy Collins?” he guardedly asked.

  “Yes, and you’ll get a chance to meet him first hand at the Foundation Gala. He’ll be acting as my sound man for the choir that night.”

  “So … you’re not bringing a date to the party?” He unconsciously frowned, waiting for her answer.

  “No. I figured I’d be too busy with the Vocalteens performing, plus earlier tonight, Skip Evans asked if I would do a set with the band. All things considered, I probably wouldn’t make a very good date.”

  “Well….” He sheepishly smiled. “I tend to disagree. Actually, Miss Bennet, I was thinking you might make the perfect date for me. After all, we never did get to dance our tango. Would you care if I was your escort?”

  “Does this mean you’re asking me out, Mr. Darcy?”

  “It does.”

  “Thank you, I accept.” She beamed causing him to smile in return.

  “I think you’ll really enjoy the gala, and don’t worry about being with your choir or singing with the band—we’ll work it out as we go along.”

  “I can hardly wait.”

  “I’m glad.” William momentarily checked the time on her dashboard and reluctantly said, “Well, I suppose I better let you get home. It’s already midnight.”

  “Midnight?” She unconsciously swallowed and looked helplessly into his baby blues unable to say any more. When he reached over and caressed her cheek with his fingertips, Elizabeth couldn’t help but tilt her face into his touch. Seconds later, he leaned in, placing a long soft kiss on her lips.

  “That was nice,” he whispered before pulling back. “Drive carefully—the roads could be slippery.” She nodded, still caught up in the magic of their kiss.

  “Promise you’ll either text or call me as soon as you get home, okay?

  “I promise.”

  “Goodnight, Liz. Drive carefully.”

  “I will. Goodnight, William.”

  ~ ♫ ~

  The drive home from Bingley’s party was slow-going with the blustery lake-effect snow increasing and taking over every inch of the roadways. This was the first heavy snow of the season, and as far as Elizabeth could tell, the city had yet to get out the snowplows and salt trucks. She sighed in relief when she didn’t get stuck on the side streets after finally reaching Meryton Heights. Although she kept a pair of tennis shoes on the back seat of her car, the thought of trudging through the snow or having to dig out of a drift was not appealing, especially considering she was wearing little more than her faux fur.

  Elizabeth assumed William was frantic with worry because he had sent her three texts which she didn’t dare answer while driving on such treacherous roads. Nor did she want to pull over in order to respond for fear of getting stuck. All of Illinois had strict laws about not texting or talking on cell phones while driving, and it wasn’t until two hours later, parked in the lot across from her apartment, that she was finally able to return his call.

  “Liz, where are you?” William immediately answered when he saw her number light up his phone.

  “I just now got home, and I’m still sitting in my car. The driving was horrid. And with the falling temperatures and the way the wind is blowing, everything is turning into a sheet of ice.” She could hear William groan in the background.

  “Thank God you’re alright. I was so worried when you didn’t answer any of my texts. I could kick myself for not taking you home in my car. A four-wheel-drive would have been much safer on the roads than your little Cavalier.”

  “I can’t argue with that. Thankfully, the traffic was light, but as usual, Chicago Streets and Sanitation are way behind schedule. With the ice and drifting snow, I barely made it into the parking lot. I’m just now putting on my sneakers so I can get out of the car and navigate my way across the street.”

  “If this keeps up, would you like me to come by tomorrow and help dig you out?”

  “Don’t worry. We have an arrangement with an industrious teenager in my building who is always looking for some extra spending money. He’ll be out bright and early clearing the walk, and I’ll ask him to take care of my car. How was your drive home?”

  “With the threat of heavy snow, the party broke up shortly after you left. I was planning to spend the night in Winnetka, but with Caroline’s earlier behavior, I decided to take my chances and head back to the city. Once I got to Lake Shore Drive, it wasn’t so bad. Unlike your route home, the Outer Drive had been plowed and salted.”

  “That was lucky.”

  “Well … I guess I better let you go so you can get into your apartment and warm up. Liz?”

  “Yes?”

&nb
sp; “I’m glad we were able to patch things up between us. I still feel bad about what happened over the summer, and I hope I’ll be able to apologize to your aunt in person.”

  “In that case, Mr. Darcy, I might happen to have one little idea simmering on the back burner which would accommodate your wish.”

  “Oh?”

  “Let me see what I can do in the morning, and we’ll talk further after you speak with Georgie.”

  “I’d appreciate it. Liz, be careful crossing the street. Just take your time. I wouldn’t want you to slip and fall on the ice.”

  “Not a chance. I’ll be taking baby steps, and if I happen to slip, at least I have my faux fur to break the fall.”

  “Good. I’ll call you in the morning. Sweet dreams.”

  “Sweet dreams to you, too, William.”

  Chapter 5

  The Magic Of Music

  Elizabeth’s Apartment

  Saturday, 9 December

  Late morning

  Elizabeth sat at her computer drinking a cup of hot chocolate while making a few minor adjustments to the instrumental parts for the Vocalteen medley. Rehearsals for the December Showcase had been going well, and everyone was looking forward to Thursday night’s performance. Hoping William and Georgiana would be able to attend, she eagerly awaited his call. A broad smile graced her lips when she remembered how caring he had been after her fiasco with Caroline. And then there was his tender kiss. “William,” she sighed. What was it about him that pulled at her heartstrings?

  Moments later, Elizabeth’s phone chimed. Seeing it was William and that he was using a live phone chat feature, she quickly released the clip from her hair and sat up straight, hoping to look presentable. Thank goodness she wasn’t working in her pajamas, which was often the case on Saturday.

  “Good morning, William! How’s everything? Have you been able to speak with Georgie yet?”

  “Yes, we had a nice long talk, and she’s very excited about visiting the academy next week.”