Within mere minutes, she was dressed, gratified that she had kept her waxing appointment the day before when the skirt slid over smooth calves. Her makeup consisted of blush highlighting her cheekbones, mascara on her dark lashes, and the reddest lipstick known to mankind. But her hair…she growled at the mirror.
There were many options for waist-length tresses. However, most of them took a long time and more arms than she had. Finally, she decided to keep it simple so twisted it into a chignon.
She felt like she had been holding her breath the whole time she changed. Stepping back to get a good look at the overall package, she gasped. Earrings! How could she have forgotten! Digging through her jewelry box, she found the rubies her grandmother had given her when she had graduated high school. She loved those earrings and the memory of the delightful woman who had given them to her.
“No diamonds for you, Lizzy-dear. You need gems full of life and fire.” Grandmother Bennet had been the best storyteller a little girl could have ever wanted. From the time she was little, Elizabeth wanted to grow up to be just like her Nana.
Dumping the contents of her purse onto the bed, she separated her wallet, keys, lipstick, and an embroidered hankie, also a gift from her Nana, and stuffed them into a small clutch.She was ready.
As she walked down the hallway, it occurred to her to wonder about Darcy. Why a date? Certainly, she had been secretly hoping for several weeks that he was as interested in her as she was in him.
There! I admitted it to myself. I am interested…in much more than a date, to be honest. The thought stopped her in her tracks. Her legs were rubbery, causing her to lean against the wall. She wanted more than a date? Really? Her hand flew to her mouth. Oh, yes. REALLY! If only she knew if Darcy was on the same page.
She was delighted with his reaction when he saw her. Mouth gaping open was an attractive look when you know it is you who caused it.
“I am ready.” When he still didn’t speak, she twirled, holding her arms out as that lovely “worth-every-penny” dress spun with her. She felt lovely from her head to her toes.
He cleared his throat. “You look…”
“Tolerable?” It came out before she could stop it, then giggled as he sputtered.
“Not at all. You are beautiful, Elizabeth. Knock-me-out-with-a-feather gorgeous.” He kissed the knuckles of her hand, and she almost swooned on the spot. “We have reservations so had best be going.”
Reservations? They would not be dining in Meryton because there wasn’t a restaurant in town where you didn’t walk in and take whatever table was available. She was impressed.
He had classical music playing from his car stereo. His spicy aftershave wafted to her. The stage was set for romance…and maybe promises. She hoped.
“Did you want to talk about Gianna?” Her brain had almost ceased to function with the atmospheric conditions inside the vehicle. Elizabeth wanted to slap herself for her stupidity. Rarely was she inarticulate. However, it had to be admitted that rarely had she been romanced, so her cloudy confusion was to be understood.
“We can, if you would like. Did you have something you thought I needed to know?” He appeared to be having the same struggle with communication.
“Yes, thank you.” His sister was a safe and easy subject. “Earlier, you had asked for suggestions for something to mark her turning thirteen, and I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. What would I have wanted to make that occasion memorable? A charm bracelet.”
“A charm bracelet?” he repeated to himself.
“Yes, you could start with a charm of the number thirteen and add a charm for each of the memories you have made these past few weeks. You could have a seashell, hiking boots, a bicycle, a go-cart…there’s a whole list of items you could choose as reminders that could be attached.”
He pondered for a bit before he added, “We would need to find a sleeping dog if possible. The bracelet wouldn’t be complete without one.”
“A Lying Dog do you mean?” Elizabeth chuckled.
“I think your idea is brilliant. I could purchase her one each year I have her at home, and we could fill it with new memories of that year.” His smile was dazzling. “What a marvelous idea, Elizabeth. I will automatically know what to purchase and won’t have the stress of fretting over what to get her. This is a gift to me as well.”
She couldn’t look away from him. The tension was gone and his attention, while on the road, was also on her. Elizabeth wanted to touch him, to feel her hand held in his, their fingers entwined.
No sooner had she thought it than he reached over and squeezed her fingers. Possibly, it had not been his intent, but she could not prevent her hand from flipping over so her palm was against his. Her eyes roved his face—checking his reaction. He glanced at her, then his fingers separated, working themselves between hers.
She sighed.
They remained bound together until he needed to turn the car into the parking lot of the restaurant. When Darcy turned the key, the music faded into the background.
“Thank you, Elizabeth. You have been a blessing to me in many ways this summer. I cherish the tender care you have shown my sister, and I cherish…”
A loud knocking sounded on the driver side window, interrupting him when Elizabeth had desperately wanted to hear him finish his thought. Feelings of anger and resentment rushed through her and she decided then and there to use the pointy toes of her stilettos to give a swift kick to whoever it was who disrupted them. (Even though there were no pointy toes on her shoes, although the heel was sharp!)
“I am here, Darcy.”
Caroline Bingley?
“Pardon me, Elizabeth.” Darcy, irritation radiating from him, unsnapped his seatbelt and opened the door. Standing with the door between him and Caroline, he inquired, “What are you doing here?”
Elizabeth could hear his frustration. Apparently, Caroline could not.
“I saw the note you left by the telephone with the restaurant, the time, and the movie schedule. I automatically knew you intended for me to see it so changed my plans to meet you here.” The red-headed witch had the nerve to put her hand on his lapel. “You could have just asked, you know. I wouldn’t have had to ask Charlie for the car.”
Curious at how Darcy would respond, Elizabeth leaned over the console to better hear.
“You misunderstood my intentions, Caroline.” Darcy looked down inside the car. Caroline’s eyes followed. Elizabeth quickly sat back in the seat and pretended she had not been eavesdropping. “I have a date.”
“Her?” Disdain dripped off Caroline’s tongue. “Why would you go out with her? You said you didn’t think she was pretty. I know you have allowed your sister to become her friend, although I warned you repeatedly that it would come to no good. Oh!” Caroline must have had an epiphany. “You are taking her to dinner in repayment for services rendered before you and Gianna return to New York. Never mind.” Evidently her explanation soothed her ego at being overlooked. “This is a duty date. Please ignore me and go on about your plans. I will see you later when you get home, Darcy.”
With that said, Charlie’s sister spun around and returned to her car. Skidding the tires as she pulled away from the restaurant, she was gone as rapidly as she had arrived.
Darcy made no move to deny Caroline’s claims that his intentions were far from romance.
“A duty date?” Elizabeth was crushed. She wanted to be transported home in her flannel pajamas scarfing down a pint or two of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia drenched in chocolate syrup. No, she would tilt her head back and squirt the sauce directly down her throat. She would watch The Notebook and sob until she used a whole box of tissues. She would order take out and…
“Elizabeth, I do not know what you are thinking, but I hope you give no credence to what Caroline said. She was wrong.” He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair, pulling it back from his forehead until his eyebrows lifted.“I sincerely regret that she overheard my foolish criticism of you at the
pizza parlor the night we met. As I said before, I never should have said what I did because it was not true.”
Elizabeth paused for a few breaths before she replied, hoping he would continue. He did not and her heart broke. A lone tear trickled down her cheek and dropped to her hands folded on her lap. She sucked in a breath. She was in love with Will Darcy! She could no longer deny it. She bawled.A pity date.
EIGHT
Darcy ran into the restaurant to cancel the reservations, then he took her home. Elizabeth’s hankie was soaked though. He reached across her to open the glove compartment and hand her a bunch of napkins, apologizing for not having a handkerchief of his own. She was angry with herself for acting like a baby. She was mad at Caroline Bingley for ruining her first real date with Darcy. And she was mad at Darcy on principle—although she was arguing between her mind and heart about whether or not he was responsible for her misery. Her heart was winning, which made the hurt even worse.
He brought the car to a stop in front of her apartment, turning off the engine and the music. The silence was heavy and felt uncomfortable.
“This is not how I envisioned this night, and I am truly sorry Caroline interrupted us.” Darcy rubbed his face with his palms. Then he slammed them on the steering wheel. “Blast her!”
Elizabeth jumped.
“I cannot believe she thought this was about her.” Elizabeth had no doubt he was disgusted. His tone was sharp. “I wanted so badly for…” His phone blared a jackhammer ringtone. “What is this?” Darcy looked at his phone, then back at her. “Pardon me, please. It’s late in New York. I can’t imagine why my contractor is calling.”
Elizabeth waved towards his phone for him to accept the call. Another delay would not make any difference at that point. Her inclination was to slink out of the car while he discussed plumbing or whatever emergency was taking place at the Darcy home, but she would not be rude. Instead, she made an effort to regulate her breathing. She was ashamed of her tears—mortified at displaying her broken heart, exposing her deepest emotions to a man who was merely trying to thank her, rather than woo her.
“Oh, good Lord!” Darcy put his hand to his lips, as if attempting to catch the words and put them back. “How did this happen?”
When he reached for his chest, Elizabeth put the concerns of her throbbing heart aside as she worried for his own. She could not help herself. Reaching over, she turned towards him and put her hand on his shoulder. He immediately covered it with his, pressing her palm into his jacket, holding her there.
Darcy’s head dropped back on the headrest and his eyes squeezed shut as soon as the call ended. Even in the twilight, she could see his skin had turned a pasty white.
“Will? Can I help?” Her voice was a whisper.
“Yes. Yes, you can.” He moved so quickly, his head dipping towards hers, tilting just right. It was not until she felt his lips on her own that she comprehended his intent.
Fireworks were like wet matches in comparison to the sheer joy that lit her soul. Possibly something along the lines of a nuclear explosion would better describe the impact of his touch. His lips were soft and firm at the same time. He tasted like minty toothpaste. Elizabeth knew in that mili-second that she was addicted to his caress.
She kissed him back, pouring her heart into that small joining of their flesh. Her hands clutched his forearms, keeping him close, as his palms caressed her face. They kissed again and again and again, their ragged breathing filling the car’s interior with sound.
By then, she was in his arms, draped uncomfortably across the console, the gear shift pressing into her side. He pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. Elizabeth was euphoric at seeing he was as affected as she.
“I need to leave. There was a fire at my house. The damage is extensive. I don’t know when I can come back. If it takes too long, Gianna will be back in school, and I will need to remain in New York.” He kissed her again as each word wedged into the broken crevice of her being. “I am sorry, Elizabeth. So very sorry our evening was ruined.”
Evening? He was leaving? Her life was in ruins, and he fretted about a few hours of dinner and a movie?
“No, do not worry about me. I will be fine.” She loathed that word. She sincerely doubted she would ever be “fine” again. At that point, she could no longer deny that their feelings were unequal. A niggling doubt and the fact that she had nothing to lose, though, caused her to ask, “Your kiss…it was…you were…” She cleared her throat. “You kissed me as an apology? Only as an apology? And a goodbye?”
He kissed her again—hungrily. Eventually, they needed oxygen. “No,” he whispered against her lips. “The words were the apology and a goodbye. The kiss…the kisses, they are from my heart to yours, Elizabeth.”
“They are?” Excitement replaced fear. Unparalleled joy doubled up its fist and knocked sorrow into the stratosphere. “Me too.”
Again, he rested his forehead against hers. “I need to leave.”
“I know.” His emergency was real. She sat back in her seat and unfastened her seatbelt. Waiting until he opened Elizabeth’s door and walked her to her apartment, she again spoke. “This has been the best summer ever. When matters settle down in New York, please call.” Did she sound desperate? Probably. She didn’t care now that she knew he had feelings for her. She would beg if needed.
His next few words showed she had no need to grovel. Just before kissing her for the last time before he drove off, he whispered, “I love you, Elizabeth Bennet. I will be back to get you.”
“You will?” She loved the sparkle in his eyes.
“I will.” There was absolute certainty in his words. His gaze never wavered. “Pack your bags and buy a wedding dress, my lady.”
“A wedding dress?” A sudden numbness hit her and her knees wobbled slightly. When he got down on one knee, a lightning bolt shot through her, keeping her erect.
“I planned to ask you at dinner. I wanted to romance you so you would accept me. We had a corner table where the lights were soft and romantic. Our table had roses I had delivered earlier this evening.” He dropped his chin in frustration. “I even wrote down how I would propose to you, Elizabeth, and Caroline Bingley ruined it,” he growled. “I will never forgive her.”
“You were going to propose?” Had she heard him correctly?
“Absolutely, I was going to propose, and I still will. We have the evening’s twilight instead of soft candlelight. We have the smells of summer instead of roses. So, I believe we will have to make do.” He held her hands. “Will you be my bride? Will you marry Gianna and me so we can be a family forever? Will you make me the happiest man alive by accepting my hand? Say you will, Elizabeth. Please?”
Her heart melted into a puddle at his feet. As an author, she had a wealth of words available to choose from and a reputation for being articulate. As a writer of Regency-period romance, she could take a ten-word sentence and draw it out to one hundred. Yet, “I will” was all that came to mind.
He stood and grabbed her around the waist in one smooth move, spinning her until they were both dizzy. “You will? You said you will?”
“Yes. I will marry you,” she clarified between his expressions of tender affection.
Setting her back down on her feet, he reminded her, “Then buy that dress. If you aren’t ready when I return I will have no qualms about tossing you over my shoulder and flying to Las Vegas, do you understand?”
“Yes.” She put her hand on his lapel and gently pushed. He stepped back.
“I love it when you say ‘yes’, Lizzy Bennet.” His broad grin filled his face as he backed up some more.
“You called me, Lizzy.” Easily, she returned his smile. “That’s the first time.”
“I did. And it is the first time I’ve ever told a woman I love her, too.” By then, he was almost to the car. “I love you. Now, buy that dress.”
“First thing tomorrow.”
“Music to my ears.” He opened the car door and put one foot i
nside. “Do not change your mind, okay?”
“Yes, Will.” Elizabeth blew him a kiss.
He caught it and put his fist over his heart. “Bye, love.”
“Goodbye.” Raising her hand to wave, he drove off. Don’t change your mind, Will.
When she closed the door behind him, she leaned back against the wood and let her eyes drift closed. She was going to marry Will Darcy. She was going to marry Will Darcy! She was going…
A pounding at the door interrupted her sweet musings. Looking out the peep hole, she was surprised to see Will. Throwing the door open, she practically jumped into his open arms.
“You came back!” Okay, so it wasn’t the smartest thing she ever said. Elizabeth could not care. She was in his embrace, right where she wanted to be.
“Remember when you called me a bonehead and I over-confidently explained I certainly was not?” Elizabeth nodded. “Well, dear woman, I have proof that I am certifiable because I cannot believe I forgot something this important.” Digging in his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small box.
Every morsel of oxygen left her body. Quivers and shivers sped up her spine when he again dropped to one knee. When the box popped open, Elizabeth knew she had been wrong. Now, all her air was gone as the beauty of the ring completely took her breath away.
“Do you like it?”
She heard his uncertainty.
“Like it? It’s perfect!” Elizabeth found out she could squeal, cry, whisper, and kiss at the same time as she properly thanked the man who was making dreams she was unaware she had, come true. “I love you, Will.”
“I love you too, my Lizzy. Think of me every time you look at this token of my love and affection for you.” With one last kiss, he was gone.
***
Kicking off her shoes, she sat on the edge of her bed. She was half overwhelmed with his proposal and half tortured that he had to leave. She would miss Gianna as well. Flopping backwards, she thought of all she needed to do. They had shopped so much for Gianna over the past five weeks that the idea of shopping for herself felt odd. But, shop she would. Giggling to herself, she threw her hands over her head. She had a wedding dress to buy. She was getting married.
Something: Old, New, Later, True: A Pride & Prejudice Collection Page 12