“William, what a lovely thought. What is she playing on now?”
“She has a very good electric Yamaha, weighted keys and all, but I know it’s not the same as playing on a real piano. My mom had an old Mason and Hamlin baby grand which, according to the piano tuner, wasn’t worth restoring. Right now it’s in storage along with a lot of other things belonging to my parents that we weren’t ready to part with. Following their death, I sold our family home in Lake Forest, and Georgie and I permanently moved into my condo.”
“Oh, Will….”
“Neither of us felt comfortable living there without our parents. There were just too many memories. She’s never complained about the piano, but in hindsight, I probably should have gotten her a better instrument after the move.”
“Not to worry. I have an idea!” Her eyes began to sparkle as her face took on that mischievous look which he had come to love. Do you have a certain price range in mind?”
“Liz, I’m not concerned about the price. I just want something of quality, a piano that will make Georgie happy and inspire her to practice.”
“I think I know of something. Let me work on it tomorrow morning, and we’ll talk more at dinner.”
“You are the best. What would I do without you? Has it only been a week since Bingley’s party?”
“Yes; seven crazy, busy, wonderful days to be precise.” She beamed.
“Tell me, why is it I have the sudden urge to hold you in my arms and kiss you senseless?”
Her eyes went wide with the thought. “Why, Mr. Darcy … does this mean I can collect on another rain check in the very near future?”
“For certain, Miss Bennet. I’m making a mental note as we speak. Well, I better let you go,” he hesitantly said. “It may feel like the night is young, but my phone says it’s already midnight.”
“Midnight?” Her eyes sparkled, thinking of their first magical kiss.
“Liz?”
“It’s nothing.” She blushed. “I’m glad we got to talk. Goodnight, William. See you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, Liz. Sweet dreams.” He put his fingers to his lips and lightly touched the screen, prompting her to do the same.
“You too, Will.”
Chapter 7
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Friday evening
The Friday night dinner date between William and Elizabeth was filled with great conversation and many stolen kisses. William took his special girl to an out-of-the-way restaurant in the suburbs called Antoinette’s, where the food was excellent and the atmosphere was quiet. A violinist played romantic music in the background, and the couple enjoyed each other’s company until the wee hours of the morning.
Reluctantly returning to Elizabeth’s apartment, the two held hands as they walked into the building and took the elevator to the third floor. After another lingering kiss, William whispered, “Tell me, Liz Bennet, how did I ever manage to live without you?” He lovingly stroked her face.
She bit her lip and shyly smiled. “William, you make my head spin. There’s nothing so very special about me. You’ve just been up in that high-rise office for too long and forgot how to have fun. I’m an ordinary girl from Meryton Heights who loves music and enjoys life. That’s it.”
“That is it. You enjoy life, and you’ve inspired me to try to do the same. As for the ordinary part … not a chance. You are anything but ordinary.” He kissed her again, crushing her to his chest before they parted. “You better get some sleep, Liz. I’ll be here bright and early.”
“Goodnight, William.”
“Goodnight, Liz. Sweet dreams.”
The next day
Even though William and Elizabeth got little sleep, the two were energized to begin their day. Arriving at the Bennet house close to nine in the morning, Elizabeth could see her mother eagerly watching out the window for her newest baker. On entering, she immediately pulled Georgiana into a tight hug. “My sweet child, please come in out of the cold. Kitty and Lydia are in the kitchen making hot chocolate, and Lydia’s friends should be arriving anytime now. Lizzy, you and William go on ahead and leave Georgie to me. She’ll be in good hands.” Mrs. Bennet took her coat and hung it in the hall closet, leaving Georgiana speechless. In addition to the matriarch’s motherly affection, the interior of the Bennet house looked like something out of a storybook. Mrs. Bennet was not only an avid cookie baker, but also a true crafter at heart, filling nearly every corner, nook and cranny in her house with what she called personalized necessities.
Leaving the house, Elizabeth leaned into William, saying, “I do hope you realize that if Georgie shows the slightest interest in any of my mother’s hobbies, your home will never look the same. Mom is more than willing to share her little pleasures in life and will gladly indoctrinate your sister into making things for her favorite charities, as well as your condo.”
“Liz, if sharing in your mother’s hobbies makes Georgie happy, then I’ll look forward to it. She’s missed so much with my parents gone.”
“You’re a good man, William. And … if you happen to have any regrets down the road, I’ll be happy to remind you of what you just said. Let’s see what your decoupage and tatted doilies tolerance level is.” William rolled his eyes in mock protest as the two broke into laughter.
Fifteen minutes later, William and Elizabeth arrived at Mrs. Gardiners’ house. From there they traveled to an address on the south side of Chicago in Hyde Park, near the University of Chicago. The Steinway piano they were going to view belonged to an elderly woman, Mrs. Anna Boynton, who happened to be Madeline Gardiner’s first piano teacher.
“I know both of you will enjoy meeting my old teacher,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “Anna taught many aspiring young professional artists in her day, several of whom have enjoyed long concert careers. The Steinway was built in 1913. I recently played the instrument and found the tone in the upper range to be vibrant and bright while the lower range is deep and resonant. Having taught Georgiana and knowing what type of music she favors, I think this instrument would be ideal for her studies.”
“What’s the price of the piano, if you don’t mind me asking?” William curiously inquired.
“Ah yes, the price. Well, Anna is donating the profits from the sale of the piano to our scholarship fund at the academy and is hoping the instrument will be purchased for one of our students. As to the actual dollar amount, Anna is requesting the purchaser to remit fifteen thousand dollars—the same price she paid to have the instrument restored. After playing the piano, however, I know it’s worth far more. I checked with the technician who did the restoration, and he told me the Steinway could easily sell for thirty-five thousand dollars. If you like the piano, we can arrange another appointment with Anna and bring Georgiana in to try it out before completing the transaction.”
“This sounds very doable, and I look forward to seeing the piano and hearing you play. Mrs. Gardiner, once again, please let me apologize for my foolishness. Your kindness towards my sister is humbling.”
“Mr. Darcy, all of us have made mistakes and hopefully have learned from our shortcomings. Georgiana is a lovely, talented young lady, and I am more than happy to assist both of you.”
“Thank you.”
Mrs. Boynton’s home was well cared for, and the elderly woman had a companion who saw to her needs. Following introductions and a cup of tea, Mrs. Boynton proceeded to interview William about his sister. Aside from Mrs. Gardiner’s recommendation, she wished to know Georgiana’s background and more about her desire to play the piano. Once she was satisfied, she asked Mrs. Gardiner to sit at the keyboard and play a sampling of several styles, allowing William and Elizabeth to hear the versatility of the instrument. As expected, they were thrilled with the sound of the Steinway, and William had no qualms about completing the transaction.
“Mrs. Boynton,” remarked William following Mrs. Gardiner’s demonstration, “your piano is superb, and I would be honored to purchase it on my sister’s behalf. You can rest
assured this instrument will receive a welcoming home.”
Before departing, William and Elizabeth agreed to bring Georgiana to visit Mrs. Boynton on the following Tuesday so she could play the piano herself and meet the elderly woman before finalizing the purchase. Unbeknownst to the others, William also decided he would anonymously donate the full value of the piano to the scholarship fund, following Georgiana’s official acceptance to the academy. In his opinion, she would be gaining far more than an education by playing this piano and attending the academy, and he could not put a price on his sister’s happiness.
~ ♫ ~
By the time William and Elizabeth returned to the Bennet house with pizza, the bakers had been on a sugar-high for quite some time. Mrs. Bennet was definitely in her element, joyfully overseeing the baking and interacting with the energetic teenagers. Elizabeth quietly chuckled to herself and gave William a knowing look as she watched his reaction.
“William!” Georgiana exclaimed. “Just look at how many boxes we put together for the shut-ins at Mrs. Bennet’s church. Plus these are for Mary to take to the VA hospital on Monday! Not to mention these other boxes are for us to take when we go to Michigan. Every box has at least six or seven varieties of cookies. I never dreamed cookie baking could be so much fun!”
“I’m impressed,” Darcy answered sampling one of the cookies on the plate. “This is delicious!” he exclaimed while reaching for another. The plate was filled with everything from traditional sugar cookies to Peppermint Pattie-stuffed chocolate cookies, gingerbread, thumbprint cookies with an assortment of fillings, peanut butter balls and finally oatmeal raisin. “And all of you still have room for pizza?”
“Yes!” was the overwhelming response.
It was at least another hour before the pizza was devoured and Georgiana was ready to leave. Before departing, Mrs. Bennet cornered William to put in yet another request. “William, since the holiday season is practically upon us, I wonder if you and Georgie might be able to join us tomorrow night for a progressive dinner party. It’s nothing too elaborate and only involves a few of my friends from church. We start off at the Longs for Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. From there we all gather at the Phillips’ for Soup and salad. The Mitchells will be serving the Entrée and then we finish here for dessert.” With Mrs. Bennet having discovered William’s interest in her Lizzy, she felt this would be the perfect time to help further their relationship. In Franny Bennet’s mind, food and fellowship was all about love, family and tradition. With the Darcys having very little immediate family in their lives, it was only natural that they now become a part of hers.
As it turned out Mrs. Bennet’s invitation was only the beginning of a very full week. Following the progressive dinner, William invited the younger girls to join him and Elizabeth for an evening at the Chicago Botanic Gardens where they delighted in an old fashioned sleigh ride and a tour of the festival of lights. Then at Georgiana’s suggestion, they all enjoyed one final outing before the week was over. This time it was to Millennium Park for an afternoon of ice-skating followed by dim sum in Chinatown. After all was said and done, the two youngest Bennet girls and Georgiana had bonded as best friends and planned to get together several more times during the holiday break.
“Oh, William,” Georgiana sighed after they dropped the girls off and took Elizabeth home. “This has been one of the best weeks I’ve ever had. The Bennets are like family and I love them all so much. And more importantly … I love you.”
“Georgie.” He squeezed her hand. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
“Of course nothing can compare with my new piano. I keep remembering Mrs. Boynton and how proud she was to have me play it. William, I never dreamed I would have the chance to play such a beautiful instrument. I promise you will never regret buying the piano for me and I shall always treasure it.”
“I know you will. Our mother would have been pleased.”
William couldn’t help smiling as they drove back to his condo. He had wanted this holiday season to be special for Georgiana, and it was. And because he had Elizabeth in his life, this season had also become very special for him.
~ ♫ ~
Elizabeth’s apartment
Friday evening, 22 December
Elizabeth buzzed the front door open as she called through the intercom, “Come on up, William. Maybe you should take the stairs instead of the elevator and burn a few calories since I have enough food to feed an army.”
“Will do—be right there.” This was the first time Elizabeth had invited William to her apartment. As he climbed the stairs, he couldn’t help but remember the Bennet residence where a multitude of crafts and holiday decorations seemed to engulf the entire house. For a brief moment he wondered if Elizabeth was anything like her mother in that respect. Recalling how she had playfully jested about Mrs. Bennet’s obsession, the thought was quickly dismissed. When William got to the top of the stairs, he suddenly stopped, fascinated by the vision which greeted him. There stood Elizabeth wiping her hands on a flour smudged apron. Yet that was not what made him hold his breath. His eyes were immediately drawn to her gorgeous long legs and her ruby-red stiletto heels, tempting him from beneath what appeared to be a very flattering little black dress.
“Don’t mind me,” she said, quickly untying the apron and releasing the clip which held her long hair. “I was just cleaning up after putting an apple pie in the oven. Everything else is pretty much ready to go.”
“Did you say apple pie?” His eyes lit up and without further hesitation, he strode forward and kissed Elizabeth on the cheek before handing her a bouquet of red roses and holding up the bottle of wine he brought for the occasion.
“That I did,” she exclaimed, inhaling deeply.” I love roses! They’re beautiful. Come on in.” She gave him a quick kiss and led him into the living room.
“I can’t remember when I last had homemade apple pie. You definitely know the way to a man’s heart, Miss Bennet.” He made a dramatic gesture clasping his hand to his chest. “Granny Smith?”
“Lodi. They taste way better than Grannies but are only in season for about three weeks in the summer. I always buy a bushel at the farmers’ market and freeze half in case a hungry man with a hollow leg comes along and is in need of an all-American favorite,” she teased. Elizabeth was convinced William had a high metabolism since he could eat circles around her and didn’t seem to have an ounce of fat on his lean, hard body.
William placed the bottle of wine on the table and trailed her into the kitchen where he watched as she took a vase out of the cupboard and readied it for the flowers.
“I could never compete with my mother when it comes to making desserts, but in this case, I’m known as the apple pie queen.”
“Apple pie is one of my all-time favorites, and it smells delicious. So what else have you got planned?”
“Other than the pie, there’s really nothing too fancy on the menu.” She led him back out of the kitchen and placed the flowers in the center of the dining room table. “Jane is considered the gourmet cook in our family and is always searching for a new dish to serve. Her kitchen is loaded with cook books and we rarely eat the same thing twice when we dine at her place. In general, my cooking skills follow the basics, although I do like to experiment with various spices and marinades. In my opinion, cooking is all about flavor.”
“I think I can handle the basics,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her close for a long kiss. “Speaking of flavor,” he said after breaking the kiss, “you taste delicious—apples and cinnamon at their best.”
She licked her lips and smiled. “You should know a good cook always samples her wares as she’s working away in the kitchen. Come on.” She took his hand. “Let me finish showing you around my humble abode while we’re waiting.”
Elizabeth’s one-bedroom apartment wasn’t particularly large, but it was homey. The hardwood floors and baseboards combined with some Cherrywood antiques and a few handmade quilts once belonging to Grandmot
her Bennet gave her place a bit of a country look. She chose light and airy colors, and a scenic watercolor of birch trees lining a winding dirt road hung over the mantelpiece above the gas fireplace.
“I bought the painting from a local artist in Door County, Wisconsin when Char and I went there a couple of years ago. Have you ever been?”
“No, I haven’t. Although I’ve heard it’s a beautiful area to visit, rustic and what-not.”
“It is, even though most villages cater to tourists. I think it’s well worth making the trip at least once to escape the city during the summer. Char and I only went as far north as Sister Bay, but there are interesting places to stop all along the peninsula. I can’t begin to tell you how many eclectic museums and little art galleries we visited, not to mention there are loads of places for hiking as well as water sports if you like that type of thing. Then if you’re looking for unusual gifts, the local shops are awesome. And the food! So delicious. Here, let me show you. I still have a few pictures from our trip.” Elizabeth picked up her phone and began scrolling through her gallery until she found what she was looking for.
“Beautiful!”
“Both of these pictures are from Peninsula State Park. Char and I picnicked there and did some serious hiking before we came home. The park isn’t far from Sister Bay where there is a wonderful music store which carries all sorts of ethnic folk instruments. Look here. This Celtic Folk Harp is one of my favorite finds, and I’m thinking of buying one on my next trip—that is if I can figure out how to get it home. If you remember, my Cavalier is pretty small.”
“How could I forget?” He chuckled. “Do you think you can find a place for it? It’s already pretty cozy in here.”
A Holiday to Remember Page 6