by Wendi Sotis
Her father laid his hand on her arm. “Did you take photos of your adventures, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth was surprised when she felt a bit of fear as she met his gaze. Would he tell her how he managed his stunt? “My... adventures?”
Her father chuckled. “Judging by the stack of bills on my desk, it seems you had an exciting few days while we were away.” He looked around, assuring that nobody else was paying attention to them before speaking again in a tone quiet enough that only she could hear. “I would have rather been here with you and the contractors than floating around the ocean on a cruise ship.”
“Oh, I thought you meant...” She hesitated. “Dad, your prank nearly scared me half to death.”
“You didn’t tell me about a prank when you returned to the dorm, Lizzy.” Jane looked at her father. “What did you do this time, Dad?”
“Prank?” Her father’s confused frown was convincing, making Elizabeth wonder how long he had practiced the expression. “How could I have played a practical joke while I was away?”
“I haven’t been able to figure it out. It must have taken a lot of scheming—I’ll give you that.”
His expression remained serious. “Truly, Lizzy, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Her breath caught as she stared at him. Whenever he had instigated a prank in the past, he had claimed responsibility immediately. Why wasn’t he taking credit for this stunt. Could it all be true? “You didn’t set up the trunk so it would fall over?”
Mr. Bennet’s eyes opened wider, and he cleared his throat. “It has your name on it?”
Elizabeth shifted her gaze several times from her father to her sister and then nodded.
Her father began to chuckle nervously. “I moved some things around when I went upstairs to get the luggage. Perhaps I left it in a precarious position, and after a while, it fell.” He patted her hand. “I’m sorry to have frightened you, Lizzy. It was not intentional.” He winked at her.
Elizabeth understood his final gesture as an admittance of guilt. Her father had set up the hoax, after all. The letter was false... there was no gypsy blessing. She was surprised as a feeling of great disappointment welled up within her.
After dinner, Elizabeth and Jane drove the sixty miles to their dorm rooms at Longbourn University. Once she was again distracted by her normal, hectic routine of attending classes and working as an architectural intern at her aunt and uncle’s firm, Elizabeth almost forgot about the trunk, the letter, and the drawing.
Almost.
Chapter 1
~One month later – Longbourn University
The sounds of feminine giggling bounced off the buildings surrounding William Darcy on three sides. He looked around and then rolled his eyes. The courtyard had practically filled up with college-aged girls, half of whom were staring at him. A group of female co-eds strutted toward him, smiling flirtatiously. He nodded slightly in greeting. One of the girls winked at him and licked her lips. He quickly averted his gaze and had to stop himself from rolling his eyes again.
Internally, he cursed the magazine that had plastered his face on their cover last month after voting him Bachelor of the Year. I should’ve asked Anne to meet me at my car.
“William!”
William blinked and refocused, surprised to find the voice of his old friend Anne coming from the lovely, vibrant creature walking toward him, waving at him from across the courtyard outside her dorm building.
“Anne?”
Even though Anne de Bourgh could afford the best of the best designer clothes, to her mother’s frustration, she always had worn bulky sweaters and long, baggy skirts. It seemed to him that she did her best to cover every inch of skin possible. He had assumed she had been hiding what she thought of as a lack of figure since she was surrounded by socialites of their class who had paid tens of thousands of dollars or more to attain what they viewed as the perfect body. In his opinion, their judgment was deficient.
William raised his eyebrows. Obviously, that had not been the reason Anne had kept herself hidden. She was lovely.
Over the past few months, he had noticed a slow change in her emails, texts, and the way she spoke on the phone, but seeing Anne behave this way in public was astonishing. Ever since they were children, Anne de Bourgh had been painfully shy, always trying to blend into the background. It was something they had in common, though he had learned to put on a mask to be sociable when he had to, which got him through many business meetings, parties, and charity events. Few people knew the real Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Shocking him further, Anne greeted him with a hug. “Will, it’s so good to see you! I’m so glad you had business in the area and could spare a weekend to visit.”
“Anne?” he repeated.
Anne laughed as she pulled away. “Yes, it’s me! Oh, I know, I know… but it is me. I told you I had made some new friends, and they’re doing me a lot of good.”
They decided where they would go for dinner and began to walk toward the parking lot. After a few minutes of silence, William looked over at Anne again. “You look wonderful.”
“Don’t act so shocked!” Anne’s tone was one of feigned insult. She giggled when he reddened. “I was only teasing, Will. Believe me, I do understand. My suitemates—Charlotte, Jane, and Lizzy—gave me a ‘make-over’ shortly after they arrived at Longbourn University in August. Charlotte cut my hair, and they gave me tips on how to apply a little make-up the right way.” Anne turned her head away, he assumed to hide a blush. “When they finally let me look in the mirror, my reflection surprised even me. As for the clothes—Jane aspires to be a fashion designer, and she is very talented. Since Charlotte, Lizzy, and I are so dissimilar in body type, we are the guinea pigs for some of her designs. As compensation, we get to keep the clothes she makes for us as long as we model them for her classes. It’s too bad your visit wasn’t scheduled for next week; we’re going to put on a small fashion show.”
“But…” He searched for a way to express his thoughts without offending her. “You are going to get up in front of a group of people you don’t know?”
“Yes! I dare anyone to live with Lizzy for six months and not have some of her self-confidence rub off on them! She has a certain way about her...” Anne shook her head. “You’ve got to meet her to understand. But I told you about most of this already. Don’t you ever pay attention to my emails or phone calls?”
“You’ll have to forgive me, Anne. I have never even met Lizzy or Jane, and I’ve had just a couple of things on my mind lately other than your roommates.” Frowning, he motioned toward a very plain-looking car and opened the passenger door for her.
“You’re kidding! You rented this?”
“It was the safest one they had.”
Once he settled into the driver’s seat, Anne said, “I can just picture you standing at the rental counter with your laptop open, searching the Internet for the latest safety ratings on the list of available cars.” She tried not to smile at his grimace. “Did you check the VIN number histories for accidents, too?”
William stiffened, uncomfortable that she had taken the joke too far. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her bite her lip.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
William nodded. “It’s my fault. Nobody should have to be so careful with their words around me. You’d think I’d have gotten used to it by now.”
Anne directed him out of the maze of campus streets and parking lots. Once they reached the open road, she asked, “How’s Georgiana doing?”
William’s expression darkened. “It has been two years since the accident.” He shook his head. “My sister has healed physically, but she’s still so withdrawn. I thought by now she would have stopped blaming herself for living when our parents didn’t…” his voice trailed off. He didn’t want to talk about this subject any further just now.
“I’m sorry. Would it be okay if I came to visit her during spring break?”
“Georgie woul
d love that, and so would I. Thanks.”
She nodded. “How’s everything at Darcy Construction going?”
“At least I have good news in that part of my life. Exactly as my father predicted, the local Native American tribe is expected to win the support necessary from New York State and local officials to build a casino. The area will be growing quickly, and new residents will need a place to live. Monday, I’m meeting with the architectural firm that I’m almost positive will be working on Lambton Village. Though it may take a while before we begin construction, my father’s dream community will be realized—and you’ll have to put up with seeing me more often.”
“It’s been your dream, too.” Anne smiled. “That’s wonderful, William! But if you take too long to start, I might not be here. Don’t faint, but I’ve finally made a decision about a major.”
“Again?”
“This time, I’m absolutely sure. I always treated my fascination with a microscope and biology as a hobby, but I’m taking it up to the next level. I am going to be a microbiology technologist, helping doctors find the correct medications to prescribe for their patients.”
“That sounds...” He hesitated. “Well, it sounds... good.”
“Just good?”
“To be honest, Anne, I think you should do something with your photography.”
“But, that’s only a hobby.”
“Last year, you said microscopes were a hobby.”
Anne huffed out a breath and crossed her arms over her waist.
William seemed to become lost in thought for a couple of minutes. After practically growing up together, he knew Anne would not interrupt his train of thought. “Jane and Lizzy are sisters who won scholarships, correct?”
“Ah, so you were paying attention to at least some of what I’ve told you.” Anne chuckled. “Yes. Lizzy is three years younger than Jane. Lizzy graduated high school early like you did. I keep forgetting she’s seventeen because she seems at least as old as her sister.”
“If Jane is three years older, why did she enter college at the same time as Elizabeth?”
“Well, Jane had some difficulties in school because of a hearing problem. Unfortunately, it wasn’t diagnosed until she had been left back. It took her a little while to get used to her hearing aids, but once she did, she did great at school.”
William raised his eyebrows. “Sounds a lot like what happened to my friend Charles Bingley.”
She cocked her head to the side. “You know, now that you mentioned Charles, I think they would make a great couple.”
He knitted his brow. “You think they’d go well together because they both have a hearing loss?”
“Of course not, Will. That wouldn’t give them enough in common to be a good couple. It’s their personalities. They’d be perfect together.”
Glancing at Anne, he could see the matchmaking wheels turning in her mind. William cleared his throat to remind Anne that he was there.
“Oh, sorry. Mama was in Paris for the holidays, so I went to Jane and Lizzy’s house before my visit with the Fitzwilliams. It was very different living in the midst of a large family after being an only child. I really like their father and brother, but their sister and mother are a little...” Anne wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know...strange.”
Anne pointed to a side street and directed William to park the car. Once they were seated in the restaurant, William continued their conversation. “I’m sorry your visit didn’t go well.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to give you that impression. I had a lot of fun. Their younger sister, Lydia, is kind of an airhead and the biggest flirt I’ve ever met—I don’t remember ever hearing so much about boys in my life. Their mother spent her time either telling me every intimate detail of the lives of people I don’t know or had just met, or trying to set me up on dates with men from the area. She reminded me a little of my mother in a way, listing each man’s earning potential, and pushing them at me.” Anne laughed. “I guess it comes with the territory—being in my mid-twenties with no boyfriend in sight, with ‘student’ my only career path up until now. Lizzy joked that if her mother found out that I have money, she would push her brother Tom at me, even though he is so much younger than I am. He is Lizzy’s twin.”
William’s eyebrows rose high up on his forehead. “I would feel much more comfortable if you had your own apartment instead of sharing a dorm room with strangers.”
“Living with strangers has done me nothing but good. You know that my mother would leave me with a nanny whenever she went away on one of her monthly trips, always too worried that I’d become ill to take me with her. Even after the doctor told her my immune system was stronger than it was when I was little, it continued the same way—I think it had become a habit for her. The only places I was allowed to go were to visit the Fitzwilliams and your family. Then, once she allowed me to be around people, she only let me near people she thought worthy of notice.”
William nodded. “She’s like that in business, too. It’s not easy having her on the board when she only wants us to take on clients who have her idea of the right kind of reputation.”
“I’ve never told anyone this before.” Anne spoke hesitantly. “I was so shy that when I was with the super-self-confident socialites my mother insisted I hang out with, all I’d do was just sit there and listen. The few times I did find the courage to speak, they ridiculed me. I tried reading the gossip columns, but even then, I still couldn’t exchange years’ worth of gossip like they did. It was all about people I’d never even met. I read up on cities all over the world that they had mentioned visiting and watched movies and TV programs about them, but it didn’t help. Instead of trying to find a topic that I was interested in or help me to find a way to belong to their little clique, when they thought I couldn’t hear them, they’d laugh at what I’d said. Those girls tolerated my company because of the size of my bank account and my family name, and that’s it. Much of what they said was nasty and cruel. Even thinking of them now, I still can’t figure out why my mother considers those people superior.” She shook her head and glanced around the restaurant. “That’s why I wanted to meet all kinds of people, not just the ones my mother decided were the ‘right kind,’ and I asked your parents and the Fitzwilliams to back me up when I decided to go away to college. With all the money my family has donated to my father’s alma mater, by selecting Longbourn University, I had my pick of dorms and chose one that provides a private bedroom for each student, with a shared common room.
“It took years—and yes, I’ve been exposed to a few girls who were not very nice or ‘good role model’ material—but look at me, Will. When I first left home, I never thought I’d be able to speak above a whisper, let alone model my friend’s designs. I feel like I’m a different person. People listen to what I have to say and take me seriously now, and not just because I’m a de Bourgh.”
“When will I meet your new suitemates?” William wanted to assess the girls she was living with, hoping they wouldn’t take advantage of Anne the way so many people had tried to use him through the years. The Darcy protectiveness had just kicked in.
“It will have to be on your next visit. Jane and Lizzy went home this weekend. If you don’t trust my opinion of them, ask Richard. I’ll send some photos of the three of us and Charlotte by email. You do remember what Charlotte Lucas looks like, don’t you?”
William nodded and took a sip of coffee.
Anne continued. “She asked if she could join us for dinner, you know, but I told her I wanted you all to myself. She’s got a crush on you.”
William stiffened and cleared his throat. “Charlotte is a nice girl, but between Georgiana and work, I don’t have time…”
“Relax, Will. It’s not a serious crush—she just thinks you are about the hottest man alive.”
William replied with nervous laughter.
Conversation ceased as the waiter delivered their salads. After a minute, William feigned innocence and prodded. “A few minute
s ago you mentioned that you had no boyfriend?”
Anne smirked. “Well, I had no boyfriend at the time I was visiting there.”
“Richard told me he visited you here for Valentine’s Day weekend.”
Anne’s face lit up expectantly. “And?”
William chuckled. “It seems you’ve finally done it, Anne. Whenever he talks about you, he’s overcome by such a sappy look, it’s absolutely sickening!”
“Excellent!” She beamed with happiness.
~%~
After he dropped her off at her dorm, Anne set about emailing the photos of her roommates, but refrained from adding any information, eager to see how he would react. In her opinion, William and Lizzy were perfect for each other. There was no doubt in her mind that William would be interested in Lizzy from the first moment he saw her.
She’d wait a while before letting them meet in person—until Lizzy turned eighteen—because Anne knew that once they met, they’d both fall hard. Of all people, Anne understood what it was like to fall in love and have to wait years before there was any hope of being with that person, as had happened with her and Richard. Well... her, anyway. Richard’s noticing her was much more recent.
On the other hand, it couldn’t hurt to plant the seed by sending him photos of her with her friends every once in a while. After all, she’d already started showing Lizzy plenty of pictures of William.
~%~
William returned to his hotel room and set his laptop on the counter in the kitchenette. While it booted up, he tried to decide which variety of flavored coffee pods provided by the hotel he should try this time around. What happened to coffee-flavored coffee? He expected to make his way through all the flavors—as long as they were caffeinated. If he’d be busy with Anne during the day, it was pretty much guaranteed he’d get little sleep if he wanted to catch up on work this weekend.
Monday’s upcoming visit to the future site of Lambton Village with a prospective architect was one that William had a good feeling about. He had specific ideas for Lambton Village, and up until now, nobody else he had spoken to was on the same page as he was. Surprisingly, when he described the hospital over the phone to Edward Gardiner, within a few days, Gardiner had emailed him a rough sketch of almost exactly what he had already envisioned. William hoped Gardiner’s staff would do the same for all of the buildings he had planned, especially his own residence, for which he was even more demanding in his specifications.