Most Ardently
Page 10
“Please call me Santa, Elizabeth,” he winked.
“Wait, what? How do you know my name? Elinor, did you set this up?” Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide with suspicion.
Elinor held up her hands in defense. “No, I swear this isn’t a setup.”
“Ladies, please, no bickering,” Santa interjected, and he turned to Elinor and smiled, “Promise to be nice and I’ll grant your wish.”
Elinor interjected, “I promise, so Santa, I’d like for my friend, Lizzy here to find a good man and stop being a bah humbug on our trip. Can you please make that come true?”
Santa laughed, “Of course, I can.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “That will happen when pigs fly home.”
Santa let out a sigh. “Your bickering is really dampening my Christmas Spirit. I have very little time, and I have to make sure my workshop is in tip-top shape and on time for delivering presents.”
Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. “Please, excuse us, we don’t want to take up any more of your time.” She said as she went to grab Elinor to walk away.
“Not so fast, I have something for you Elizabeth Bennet,” he said, and he pulled out a box and Elizabeth stared at the box.
“Elinor, you definitely set this up, he knows my last name!” Elizabeth grew furious at this silly game.
Elinor shrugged. “No, I didn’t. See he is Santa. He knows your name, and he knows you’re on the naughty list too. I don’t see why he’s giving you a present. You don’t deserve it the way you’ve been acting.”
“Ladies! Elinor Lucas, Elizabeth has had a rough year, and she’s not on the naughty list, but you will be soon if you don’t stop giving her grief.”
Elinor stepped back. “I’ve been good to get out of her funk because someone has to keep it real. If I don’t who will?”
“There is a difference between being a good friend and being a pain in the behind, Elinor.” Santa winked.
“Wow, Santa you tell her,” Elizabeth laughed.
“As for you, young lady,” Santa turned to Elizabeth, “You need to find the Christmas Spirit again. Your light has darkened, and your love light has dimmed. Christmas isn’t about presents, it’s about being present in the moment, and loving your fellow man, and being there and enjoying each other’s company.”
Elizabeth knit her eyebrows together. “Isn’t it actually about the birth of Jesus?”
“Well, yes, but when you look into it, didn’t Jesus say love thy neighbor? And he was born to save mankind,” Santa stated.
“Woah, Woah, Woah, Santa, slow your roll. We don’t need a ‘Jesus’ lesson here,” Elinor interrupted.
“Elle, it’s okay, let Santa finish. I’m intrigued to what he has to say.”
“Thank you, Lizzy,” Santa winked, “Without getting Biblical on you, because I know that makes Elinor uncomfortable; all I’m trying to say is, that there is magic during the Christmas season, and I want you to embrace that again. It won’t be under your tree, but it just might be found in a companion, a friend, or a lover, possibly. And for all that is Holy, please enjoy your trip here.”
“Okay, well that makes some sense. Sounds like a greeting card or a Hallmark movie line,” Elinor interrupted.
Santa interjected, “Well Elinor with that attitude I’m not going to leave the present that I have for you under your Christmas tree this year. Elizabeth definitely deserves this present. It is a key to her happiness.”
“But Santa I thought you said nothing under the Christmas tree would bring me joy this year,” Elizabeth said.
“Well, what girl can’t resist jewelry? I mean give me a little sparkle in your life so I’m here to provide that tiny spark of joy that I hope your necklace will bring you.” With that Santa went on his way.
“Well, that was interesting,” Elizabeth said.
“Tell me about it, Lizzy, I don’t know what was up with that Santa. Maybe he drank a little too much eggnog,” Elinor said making the drinking motion.
“Well, I’ve had enough of this little shopping area. Do you want to go to Chatsworth? Elizabeth asked.
“Well, I do declare, I thought you’d never ask,” Elinor said in a Southern accent.
“You’re a dork, but seriously Elinor. Are you going to keep this up? I’m just going to get a return ticket home and just leave you here.”
“You wouldn’t leave me, you’re secretly having way too much fun and you love my company,” Elinor stated.
“Sure, whatever you say,” Elizabeth laughed.
As if magically reading Elizabeth’s mind a cab showed up.
“I wish this happened in New York. I mean psychic cabs would be fantastic!” Elinor laughed.
“I know right, psychic cabs would be revolutionary,” Elizabeth quipped back.
They both hopped into the cab, and the cabbie asked, “Where to, ladies?”
“Wow, that burst my bubble. You’re supposed to be psychic. I mean you just showed up as if you read our minds,” Elinor pouted.
“That would cost extra,” the cabbie deadpanned.
“Pay her no mind,” Elizabeth said. “We want to go to Chatsworth House, please.”
“Your wish is my command,” the cab driver nodded, and they sprinted off to Chatsworth House.
As they approached Chatsworth House, Elizabeth surveyed the grounds. She was in awe of the vision before her—it as if she were transported to a fairy winter wonderland. Excitement rose up in her chest, despite her earlier encounter at Masson Mills. Once inside Chatsworth House, her breath was knocked right out of her lungs. It was a spectacle that filled her heart and spirit with whimsy. She was entranced by the elaborate paintings on the walls and the massive Christmas tree standing at least 20 feet tall towering over the guests who were just as entranced as she was.
She really wanted to spend time by herself, and all the more reason because there was a tour going on. She insisted that Elinor go with the tour and that she would go on her own. Elizabeth didn’t feel like peopling and wanted to enjoy Chatsworth on her own. To be perfectly honest with herself, she wanted an opportunity to breathe and decompress from her encounter with Santa and the strange occurrences at the bed-and-breakfast. It was a little too weird for her and she was wondering if she was suffering from a mental breakdown.
Elinor tried to protest with Elizabeth. “You can learn a lot from this tour Lizzy why don’t you come with us, so you don’t get lost.”
“No, that’s okay.” Elizabeth smiled. I’d rather get lost.
Elinor went off with the tour group in Elizabeth was alone finally with her thoughts again she couldn’t wrap her mind around the events that occurred on the plane and in her hotel room. She couldn’t tell Elinor that a handsome specter was haunting her. She would think she was nuts. Elizabeth meandered through the exhibit of Christmas decorations and display and she made her way toward a beautiful library. A sign stated no visitors allowed—but a strange tug pulled at her. She looked around to see if anyone was around. Finding that the coast was clear she entered the library like a ninja. The Beast’s library has nothing on this, she mused. She walked over to the bookshelves as if a trance. It was an impulse throughout her body—one that she couldn’t fight. It was like every fiber of her being was being called and pulled by marionette strings. Once over at the books, she began to examine each title of the shelves. She noticed a book on the shelf, and she went over to touch the spine of the book. It was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. How fitting Elizabeth thought. The story of my life—but instead of being haunted by the Ghost of Christmas present and past and future I’m being haunted by Mr. Darcy.
She normally wouldn’t pick up the books from old libraries but something in her body tingled, and she felt impulsive, so she placed her finger on the spine of the book and pulled it down, and then the showcase separated revealing a secret passageway. Well, this isn’t weird at all. Her curiosity got the best of her and she went up the spiral staircase. The stairway was dark and dusty; she walked up to the
winding staircase and found herself on the second level of the library. Chills ran down her spine as a gust of wind pushed by her. Which was indeed odd because there were no windows in the library.
“Hello, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth spun around the sea the source of The Voice. It was Darcy. She was startled and moved close to the edge of the railing. If she moved another inch—she would have fallen over to her death.
Thankfully, she was saved by Darcy. “Careful, my dove, I do not need you to die on my watch—”
Her mouth gaped open, speechless. She found her voice and gritted out. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I saw that you were all alone, and I wanted to spend some time with you, we keep getting interrupted.”
“I’m not sure if I want to go gallivanting around with a ghost, especially a handsome one. I’m perfectly fine being alone and you not bothering me.”
He placed his hands against his chest as if he were shot, his eyes full of sorrow. “You don’t mean that do you?”
Elizabeth snorted “Yes I do.”
Darcy ignored her sarcasm and stared at the necklace around her neck. “Where did you get that from?
“I received it from Father Christmas. Why do you ask? Are you jealous that I have a Suitor?”
“Aren’t you a little too old to believe in Father Christmas and no, why would I be jealous?”
The necklace began to glow, and Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide with shock. “What is going on?”
Without a word Darcy reached out and touched her necklace, there was a loud noise ZAP and Darcy recoiled back.
The necklace opened to reveal two pictures. Darcy approached and his jaw dropped. “That is, you and I—I mean my wife Elizabeth. You said you came across this from Father Christmas?”
“Yes, this makes no sense when I received it. I was unable to open it.”
“This is witchcraft. This has to be this make no sense at all.”
“This keeps on getting more ridiculous with every passing moment with you, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth scoffed.
“I understand what you mean; however, we should make the best of it,” Darcy stated.
“The best of it? What do you mean Mr. Darcy? How am I supposed to enjoy being haunted by you while on vacation?” Elizabeth snorted.
“Well, it is the holiday season, and we are given a beautiful gift here,” Darcy said.
“Do you mean the necklace?” Elizabeth asked.
Darcy ran his fingers through his hair. “I suppose so. You do look like my wife; there must be a reason why he gave you this necklace,” Darcy stated.
“I’m not really quite sure why Santa gave me this necklace, he did say it was the key to my happiness,” Elizabeth began. “No, he couldn’t mean my happiness was you?”
“I suppose that could be one reason why Father Christmas gave it to you and why it opened in my presence,” Darcy added.
Elizabeth let out a sigh of frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s not like I can ask him myself. I mean he just presented this to me and here you are and you opened it. It makes no sense whatsoever. None of this does. Perhaps, I’m having a stroke? Or I’m in a coma and I never did land and was in a plane crash. That would explain everything happening so far.”
“Why do you always assume you’re either dreaming or dead Miss Bennet? Can you not take anything at face value?”
“No, Mr. Darcy—I can’t because logically none of this makes sense at all. Sure I’ve heard of people being haunted before but this all is some sort of unrealistic fantasy that probably my brain is making up while I lie in a hospital bed attached to a heart monitor.” Elizabeth nearly shouted. Frustration rose up within her belly and she could feel the tiny veins under her eye twitch—which only happened when she was stressed out and about to lose her cool. She wanted this nonsense to stop and end now.
She couldn’t take it any longer and she burst out “Tell me, Mr. Darcy, don’t you have better things to do than to harass me? Don’t you have some unfinished business to attend to from your past life?”
“Well, it would seem you are my unfinished business Miss Bennet—why else would it be you who can see me and you who has attracted my spirit?”
“I doubt luck has anything to do with it.” Elizabeth huffed.
“Christmas magic perhaps?”
“Wait—how do you know about Christmas? Was it a thing when you were alive?”
“Why would I not know about Christmas?” Darcy asked.
“I apologize. I’m not a history buff, and I don’t know how you celebrated in the 1800s. I wasn’t exactly there, you know.”
“We celebrated Christmas with festivities and traditions. I enjoyed many festive balls, dinner parties, and parlor games.”
“That’s all very interesting, but what do you know of the spirit of Christmas? Do you know the meaning of Christmas?”
“Surely you already know the answer. Are you asking me because you’re unsure of what Christmas means to you?”
“Perhaps, I’ve lost the spirit and meaning, and I need a little guidance.”
“Well, then, perhaps I can guide you. Christmas is about family, charity, goodwill, peace, and happiness.”
“I haven’t felt peace and happiness in a very long time,” she replied.
He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. “Why is that, my dove? What has saddened your heart?”
She looked down at her hand in his and looked into his deep chocolate eyes. She let out a sigh. “Life happened. I lost someone I loved, and I haven’t been the same since.”
“My dove, we all lose someone. I lost you when I died,” he said.
“You lost me? Why do you insist that I’m your Elizabeth?”
“I can see her in your eyes, and I can sense her here,” he placed his other hand over Elizabeth’s heart.
“This is legitimately insane; you’re trying to tell me I’m a reincarnation of your wife? Elizabeth Bennet, a fictional character?”
“There is nothing fictional about her. She was as real as you are,” he replied.
She pulled away from him and turned away from him. “I always thought I belonged in another era; from the dreams I’ve been having.”
“Your dreams must be visions of your other lifetime with me, my dove.”
She spun around and jabbed his chest with her finger. “Stop it right there—Don’t sweet talk me. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation right now. I want to know the meaning of all of this and why am I trying to have a civil conversation, anyway? This is legit insane.”
“I concur, what is insane is your inability to believe in the paranormal and that you and I belong to one another.”
“First off, ghost dude, I belong to no man and secondly I’m a very sound and reasonable woman who believes in nothing but science and proof.”
“Well, answer me this then—are you positive that air exists if it cannot be seen?”
“Well, yes, that is a given because I can breathe it and I’m still alive.”
“Then why can you not be certain of Christmas magic and us being brought together beyond any power we can see?”
“Well, because that is far-fetched and there are no solid facts to prove this.”
“Yet, you believe that air exists when you cannot see it.”
“I don’t have time for this—I just want to be left alone.” Elizabeth gritted out.
Without her noticing it Mr. Darcy inched up closer to her. She could feel his surprisingly warm breath on her cheek, and he whispered softly in her ear, “You are blessed to be living right now, you should never take what happens to you as an inconvenience or for granted. What I would not give to be living and breathing as we speak. I only long for you to realize that things are out of our control and our belief systems occur every day. Who are we to deny all of the wonderful and miraculous things that happen beyond the naked eye? Are we to be selfish and believe nothing exists beyond our mere existence on earth?”
Fingertips brushed away her tears, and she shuddered at the intimacy she felt.
“I can hear your thoughts and my heart goes out to you. I pray that you find that faith and trust again. I pray that I can bring that to you just by merely showing up and I am truly sorry if you see me as an inconvenience and that I am haunting you.”
“If you weren’t handsome, I would hit you and just walk away,” Elizabeth stated.
“I believe it is my lucky day that I am handsome.” Darcy winked.
“You sure do know how to deflect the situation, Mr. Darcy, with your charm and wit. It’s very disconcerting when I want to know how you can read my thoughts.”
“I just have that way with women.”
“I thought you were the strong and silent type, well that’s what I’ve read, anyway.”
Mr. Darcy stepped back, aghast, “What do you mean, read about me?”
“You are a literary figment of imagination, Mr. Darcy. You’ve been in the movies. Several men have portrayed you, but they have nothing on you.”
I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with this man. I think I was better off going on that tour with Elinor.
“There you go again with this. Did you forget that I could read your thoughts? Should I be offended that you don’t want to be in my presence? Am I that ghastly?” Darcy asked.
Panic rose in Elizabeth’s chest. She wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. The longer she stood near him the more at ease she became and the more she began to believe that this could be real. She was beginning to accept that she was being haunted by the spirit of Mr. Darcy, who shouldn’t have been a living person, to begin with.
“From the look on your face Elizabeth I can tell I’m wearing you down.” Darcy smiled.
“You’re impossible actually,” Elizabeth threw up her hands in despair.
“I am charming, to say the least,” Mr. Darcy countered.