by Aimée Avery
Chapter 12
Elizabeth stood in the shower, hoping the water would energize her, or at least wash away her silly actions of the day before. It seemed possible. At the party, hadn’t William acted as if nothing had happened? He held her hand, refilled her glass, introduced her to everyone, stood closely next to her, led her across the room with his hand on the small of her back. She closed her eyes under the spray of water and remembered him kissing her temple and cheek. It was as if the hell of the day and their argument turned into the bright sunshine and happiness of heaven in the blink of an eye.
She hadn’t been sure what to expect after the guests left. Georgiana left just before the company’s arrival. She was off with friends for a few days in Paris, and Elizabeth would be alone with William. Elizabeth was by no means frightened of William, but she knew he would not be happy when he learned of her trip to the States, and the fact her plane was the first out of London Heathrow the next morning. And happy, he was not. His anger returned, along with such a look of sadness and hurt that made Elizabeth want to curl up and die.
What pained her the most, and what she was now trying to understand, was his acceptance of it all.
“Right, then,” he had said. “If you’re leaving early in the morning, we should get to sleep. It’s already quite late.” He proceeded to the en suite, quickly showered and returned to the bedroom in the pajama bottoms he rarely wore. He climbed into bed and turned off his bedside lamp.
Elizabeth managed to wash her face and pull on one of William’s T-shirts and a pair of his boxers she’d confiscated months previously. He was already snoring when she climbed into bed, where she lay awake until it was time to get up and get ready to leave for the airport.
Making sure not to wake William, Elizabeth slipped from the bed and tiptoed into the en suite, closed the door and stepped into the shower, where she now stood, not making any headway in her contemplations. Deciding that the water wasn’t about to give her the answers, she turned off the tap, stepped out and dried herself. She quickly dressed, picked up and hung her towel, then quietly opened the door into the room with the slumbering William.
“Do you want some coffee before we’re off to Heathrow?” A fully dressed William asked, holding out a cup with steam wafting up from the brew.
“You’re up!” Elizabeth exclaimed with surprise.
“Of course. Did you think I would make you take the tube?” His question was voiced in a clipped, business-like manner.
“Um… I didn’t expect you to…”
“Of course you didn’t. I assume you have a bag already packed?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth said meekly. She wanted to cry. He was still angry, obviously. Angry enough that he was going to make sure she arrived at the airport and departed out of his life. “It’s in the guest room.”
“Ah,” he said and placed the coffee cup down on a table. He made a nodding gesture toward the cup and then left, going toward the guest room.
Elizabeth blinked back her tears and watched through the doorway as he found her bag and made his way with it down the stairs. She silently took a couple of steps toward the cup, picked it up reverently and touched every place on it she knew he had. She felt a damp spot along the rim of the mug and knew he had taken a sip from there. She placed her lips on the same spot and took a sip… a kiss goodbye.
The drive to the airport was relatively short. It was a Saturday, early in the morning, and they were out before anyone else had decided to get up, let alone drive on the roads. Will held the door open for her to get in and get out, but there had been no conversation in between. He walked her into the terminal and up to the check-in counter, where he upgraded her ticket to first class, ignoring all of her protests. Carrying her bag to the end of the security queue, he handed it to her, bent and kissed her cheek.
“Try to get some sleep on the plane, Elizabeth,” he stated, then pushed her into the roped maze leading to the security check.
She walked to the x-ray machine and placed her bag, shoes and liquids on the conveyor belt and looked back to the beginning of the queue. William stood watching with an expressionless face. She turned and walked through the metal detector, and then collected her belongings on the other side of the x-ray. She looked back out at the queue. William remained there, watching her. She dropped her shoes to the ground and slipped into them and ventured a look at William again. He was still there, but this time he looked upset. He was blinking rapidly, and she saw his mouth move forming the silent words… I love you.
A woman bumped into Elizabeth, causing her to turn toward the intrusion. But in the couple of seconds that Elizabeth’s attention had been diverted, William turned away and was heading toward an open lift door. Elizabeth watched as he made it in just before the doors closed.
~ • ~
It had been five days since Elizabeth had left England, and no one at work, home or anywhere else, for that matter, would dare approach or talk to William. Any employee who crossed his path earned his wrath. Even Georgiana gave up trying to bring her brother out of his grump, and decided it might be best if she spent time with her friends and colleagues.
Richard and Caroline refused to give up. Both having experienced the pain of heartbreak, they knew it would be best if they could tire him out, so he could at least sleep.
“Richard, you need to take him out and get him talking,” Caroline prodded her husband. “It’s the only way for him to feel better. He needs to get it out.”
“I’m afraid I might have to get him drunk to do that. Even then, I’m not sure he will want to talk about it.” Richard shook his head. He had never seen his cousin in such a state. Even the deaths of his parents hadn’t sent him down this low.
“Elizabeth Bennet is his favorite subject. There is no way he will be able to keep quiet forever. But the sooner he starts talking, the better he will feel.”
“I wish she would just come home. He needs to talk to her!” Richard said with a touch of anger.
“He does. But there was no way he would have forced a conversation about their relationship on her while she was studying or waiting for her oral examination.” Caroline said as she eased herself into a chair. “And poor Elizabeth! She has always loved the big oaf. I knew that the first time I saw her. She was fifteen and totally in love with him. It was easy to see, but I don’t think she confided it to anyone. I know she hated me with a passion, just because I was there with him.”
“I hated him with a passion then too!” Richard growled. “But then again, that was the point, wasn’t it?” He smiled and kissed Caroline’s cheek as he ran his hand across her abdomen.
“I wanted you to be so jealous that you would come and take me home!” Caroline smiled at Richard and stroked his face with her fingers.
“Is that why you avoid seeing Elizabeth again? Because she disliked you so?”
Caroline looked down and nodded. “She was so young and pretty, smart and vivacious, athletic and brave. Everyone loved her, and she loved everyone. But me. You know I don’t handle that well. My parents were never happy with me. I suppose the fact that I was an accident that happened when they were wanting to get divorced might have aided that.”
“Yes, well, your father demanding to name you after his favorite mistress wasn’t exactly a glowing inducement for your mother.” Richard added.
“Yeah, that and my mother wanted to abort me, but my father wouldn’t allow it. Then he had to go and die, and mum married into that idiotic Younge family.”
“But I always loved you, and I still love you, and I will always love you,” said Richard, who was now down on his knees in front of his wife.
“And that is why you are the perfect person to take William out and get him talking!”
‘You worked that. I don’t know how you did, but you did!” Richard smiled.
“Yes. That’s why I’m so perfect for you. You have yet to figure me out all the way. We’ll have many, many years where you will never be bored.” Caroline smiled an
d hugged her husband. “Now go and get him talking.”
~ • ~
Elizabeth’s family was slightly surprised to find out she had returned, but didn’t question her. She managed to convince them she was quiet because she was tired from the stress of the oral exam and then the flight, but after a couple of days of keeping up a happy front, her reserves were draining rapidly.
Charlotte, knowing Elizabeth, decided to take her out shopping and, perhaps, work out what was bothering her friend. After spending the morning going to various craft stores and card shops, trying to get a handle on early wedding preparations, Charlotte drove Elizabeth to the mall and one of the trendy restaurants that had taken up residence in the indoor garden wing.
“Lizzy?” Charlotte spoke over her menu.
“Hmm,” Elizabeth hummed while hiding behind hers.
“What’s going on?”
“What are you talking about, Char?”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Elizabeth! What are you doing here?”
“Eating lunch with you, Charlotte. Remember? You asked me out for lunch and shopping.
Charlotte stared at Elizabeth with an all-knowing look until Elizabeth could no longer hold her eye. Charlotte knew that whatever was bothering Elizabeth, she wasn’t about to say a word about it. They had been friends too long for Charlotte not to understand that when Elizabeth didn’t speak, no amount of coercion would exact any confession.
“Fine. Let’s order then. You can advise me about shoes. After we eat, we can go look at them.” Charlotte changed the subject. Damned if she wasn’t going to at least have a good time. Happy Elizabeth or no.
“Shoes for what?” Elizabeth asked, happy to be onto something else, something that didn’t remind her of William.
“To go with my wedding dress. I have already picked out my dress, but I need shoes. Will you help?”
“Of course,” Elizabeth answered with a smile, and the two slipped into their easy conversation of old as they ate.
After lunch, the two traversed the mall and ended up at a boutique of fine shoes.
“I love this shop,” Charlotte said. “It’s like a candy store of footwear.”
“You’re telling me!” Elizabeth answered in shocked awe and regard. “This is a woman pirate’s buried treasure!”
“Oh, Lizzy! You have to see these over here! I was in last week and saw them, and you came to mind right away.”
“Oh my God!” Elizabeth picked up a pair of ballerina-style leather shoes. “The leather is as soft as cotton!”
A saleswoman joined the duo and spoke up, “The leather has been tanned and cured in Italy. The style is popular, and most have been wearing them with floor-length formals. They are very pretty, comfortable and keep your feet from getting too tired… especially if you aren’t used to wearing heels.”
Elizabeth laughed, “Then they are perfect for me! I hate wearing heels!” She turned them about and looked at the price. They were expensive, but she needed something to help her mood. “I always wanted ballerina slippers when I was a little girl. I used to call them princess shoes because all the picture books used to have drawings of princesses wearing them.
The saleswoman smiled at Elizabeth.
“Then I moved to England and found out the royals wear regular shoes, just like the rest of us.” Elizabeth smiled back, pulled out her credit card and said, “I’ll get them!”
Charlotte was pleased to see a bright smile on Elizabeth’s face, and she forgot about her own task at the shoe shore.
As they were waiting for the saleswoman to bag Elizabeth’s purchase, Lizzy slipped her wallet back into her purse and stared off to the side of the store. Her fatigue caught up with her and her mind cleared. A whistling sound roared in her ears and everything went dark.
“Miss? Miss?” The sales lady tried to get Elizabeth’s attention to hand her the shopping bag.
Charlotte stayed the woman by taking the bag, and then she lightly touched Elizabeth’s arm.
Elizabeth spun quickly to face Charlotte, her eyes wide and her face pale.
“I need to go home. Please, Charlotte! I have to go home!” Elizabeth exclaimed. Charlotte nodded and the two quickly crossed the mall.
Charlotte drove as fast as she dared. Whatever Elizabeth had seen, it wasn’t a happy vision, and Charlotte wanted to make it to the Bennets to find out what was wrong.
~ • ~
After several hours at a pub, Richard managed to get William talking. He let William go on and on until the drink made the slur of William’s words too difficult to understand, then Richard piled him into the car and drove him home.
After helping William up the stairs and pulling the shoes from his feet, Richard covered his cousin and placed a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of water next to the bed. Richard’s only hope was that Elizabeth would come home soon. Paracetamol would only dull the severity of the hangover, and the same held true of talking. Only Elizabeth Bennet could cure the pain in his cousin’s heart.
William lay on his bed and listened as Richard called his wife on his mobile and walked down the hall, then down the stairs and finally out of the house. The alcohol made William feel tired, but his heart hurt with so much loneliness, there was no way he was going to go to sleep. He rolled over and his face met Elizabeth’s pillow. It smelled like her hair – sweet and fresh. He pulled the pillow close and hugged it hard. For the first time since he grew past three feet tall, William Darcy bawled like a baby.
Chapter 13
Charlotte willed her car to go faster, only to be thwarted by a traffic light turning red. As they sat at the light, Charlotte drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and turned toward Elizabeth, and worried more as she saw her friend sitting with her hands clutching her purse and shopping bag as if they were lifelines. Elizabeth’s constant “I have to go home!” was almost a trance-like utterance, and Charlotte thought perhaps she should just run the light.
The signal changed before Charlotte could put her foot down on the accelerator, and she sighed as she urged the car to speed up again. As the vehicle rolled into the Bennets’ driveway, she watched as Elizabeth flew from the car before it had come to a complete stop and ran into the house, still clutching her bags. Charlotte followed after turning off the engine. What she found when she entered the house only confused her.
Elizabeth stood in the middle of the kitchen, her whole body shaking, and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and Lydia staring at her as if she had lost her mind.
“Gee, Charlotte! What did you do to Lizzy?” Lydia snorted.
“She had a vi…, er she said she had to come home.” Charlotte shrugged.
Elizabeth nodded and said through her tears, “Daddy, please! I have to go home!”
“You are home, stupid!” Lydia clucked.
“Lydia!” Mrs. Bennet scolded her youngest, then turned to Elizabeth. In her softest motherly voice said, “What happened, Lizzy?”
“I… I… s-saw h-him! H-he… H-he…” Elizabeth couldn’t go on and broke into sobs as she wrapped her arms around her middle, her bags slapping against her body.
“Charlotte, what happened? Who did she see?” Mr. Bennet inquired.
“Um, well…” Charlotte struggled with what to say. It was one thing to tell complete strangers in a pub that Elizabeth “saw” things, but her parents? When still very young, Elizabeth had made Charlotte promise never to tell anyone about the psychic dreams. And though Charlotte let the “secret” slip from her lips on occasion, it could always be explained as a goofy story to liven up a party or group. No one really paid much attention to the validity of it.
“Charlotte, please!” Mr. Bennet implored her.
She looked over at Elizabeth and then each person in the room. She returned her eyes back to Elizabeth and said, “I don’t know whom she saw, but she zoned out and saw something. When she came out of it, she was pale and demanded to come home. I thought she meant here.”
>
“Zoned out? Ha! What a joke! Lizzy’s been zoned out her whole life!” Lydia snickered.
“Lydia! Shush! This doesn’t concern you! Lizzy is having a hard enough time of it,” Mrs. Bennet said to her youngest.
“Lizzy? Hard time? That’s a laugh! I have a wayward husband who is demanding a divorce, and a crying, eighteen month-old brat. I don’t see how she has it hard.”
“Lydia!” Mrs. Bennet cried with her hand pointing at her mouthy daughter. “You purposefully got yourself pregnant, thinking being a military wife was ‘so cool,’ and as for your daughter… she spends more time with your father and me than she does with you! Thank goodness you’ve had your tubes tied!”
“H-how did you know that?” Lydia interjected, but it seemed to have no effect on Mrs. Bennet’s tirade.
“Lizzy will be a much more loving parent to her five children than you are to Sunni Delight!”
“Huh?” Lydia said as Mr. Bennet whispered to his wife, “I thought you said six?”
“I told you, Tom! It’s a surprise!” Mrs. Bennet shook her head at her husband.
“Oh, yes. That’s right,” Tom Bennet nodded. “Fanny, maybe you should take Lizzy upstairs. Charlotte, would you like a soda pop, or maybe some tea?”
“Daddy! Please!” Elizabeth said imploringly. “I have to go home!
Tom Bennet went to his daughter, kissed her forehead and said, “You shall, sweetie. You go on up with your mother, and I’ll get Charlotte something and then make some calls. All right?”