Section I, Next Section
Posted on Friday, 27 July 2001
It couldn't be. No! It had to be wrong. But there it was right before her in her hands. Even the doctor confirmed it to be true. Elizabeth Bennet's world seemed to come crashing down before her eyes. It was true. Her fears had been confirmed. She was pregnant.
"Hello, Jane Bennet's office, Jane Bennet speaking. How may I help you?"
"J-J-Jane? I need to talk to you tonight. It's important."
"Lizzy? Are you all right?"
"Yes -no- I don't know. Will you come over?"
"Of course. "I'll be there at your apartment as soon as I get out of work, so around 7:30. Okay?"
Later that night
Lizzy nervously paced around her living room. How was she going to tell Jane? Not to mention the rest of her family. The doorbell shook Lizzy out of her thoughts. She walked over to the door, took a deep breath and opened the door. The sisters instantly embraced each other.
"Lizzy! You look awful, are you sick?" asked Jane.
"I feel sick, but I'm perfectly fine. It's normal," replied Lizzy.
"Normal? How can being sick be normal?"
"Jane, I have something to tell you. Please don't make this harder than it already is, and please don't think ill of me. Promise?"
"I promise I'll try."
Lizzy and Jane moved over to the couch and sat down, but Lizzy stood up and began to pace again. She suddenly stopped and turned to face her worried sister.
"Jane, I'm almost 2 1/2 months pregnant."
Dead silence. Jane just sat there with wide eyes and a shocked expression. Her younger sister was pregnant. Her younger sister who wanted to wait until she was married. Impossible! But it had to be true. Lizzy couldn't be joking because she obviously looked sick and distressed. And she was going to be an aunt! It was a couple of minutes before she spoke.
"Oh Lizzy, I don't know what to say! I'm shocked."
"Just as I suspected. You're not mad or think ill of me do you, Jane?" questioned Lizzy.
"No, no! Of course not! You're my sister and I will be with you by your side. I will not abandon you, especially at a time like this."
"Oh Jane! I knew I could count on you," Lizzy said as she gave her oldest sister a hug.
"Do you mind if I ask who the father is?"
Lizzy took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let it out slowly before she said, "William Darcy is the father."
"No! You have got to be kidding. This can't be true. I know you two. You practically hate each other." Jane said, still in a state of shock.
"I know, I know. But it's true. I'm not lying. I wish I were," Lizzy replied with a pouty look while she finally sat down.
"How did this all happen if I may ask?"
"Charlotte's birthday party. We were drunk and things just went on from there."
"Lizzy, don't tell me that you drink now. I know you, you don't even like the smell of beer!"
"I don't. Someone must have spiked the punch. I don't recall any booze being at the party. Anyhow, all that I remember was that nasty Bill Collins [shudder and a roll of the eyes] was making a move on me. Will came over pretending to be my date. I couldn't just leave him after that, so I was stuck with him the whole night. I thought that maybe we could get to know each other better and be civil. Anyway, we had some punch, got drunk, somehow managed to walk home, and then it, well, happened. That part is all a blur. I do remember kissing him at one point. Oh, Jane! I am such a mess," Lizzy began to cry.
Jane hugged her sister and said, "Does he know?"
"No. You're the only one. Besides, like he would care anyway. He's been off with your Charles doing business as always. He probably won't even come back soon. I haven't seen him since that night. He called me the next day saying that he had business overseas and that he would be gone for a while. He wasn't sure, but he said that he would call me which he never did. He didn't even come back with Bing."
"Well, Charles did say that Will was extremely busy."
"Yeah, busy enough not to call me back," Lizzy said with pain in her voice.
"Lizzy, I'm sure he meant to call you. Besides, I thought you didn't like him. Don't tell me you have feelings for him?"
"I'm not sure Jane. I haven't been sure for the past four months."
"What do you mean?" questioned Jane with a quizzical look on her face.
"I always thought that he was cute, but his attitude was a big turn-off. But once I got to know him, I realized that he wasn't such a jerk and a conceited rich snob. I know I haven't been around much because of my job, but from what I've noticed, he's giving, considerate, a gentleman, friendly, and is willing to help those in need. I thought it was all for show, but I can tell he means what he's doing. I was confused even before the party," Lizzy dreamily replied.
"Do you like him?"
"Not anymore! I thought that maybe I could get to know him better, and I was really happy when he came to my 'rescue.' But now, I'd rather not think about him. Let's drop the subject."
"You're right. Oh Lizzy, I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt. Charles is going to be ecstatic when I tell him he's going to be an uncle. You don't mind do you?"
"No, I don't mind. But please don't tell him who the father is. Just tell him that he'll find out in time."
"I promise Lizzy. But what about the rest of the family? Are you going to tell them?"
"Yes . . . eventually. Kit's suppose to come over tomorrow before she heads home. She's finishing her finals today."
"Which reminds me, when is the baby due? You are going to keep it right?"
"Of course!. I can't imagine killing something so precious as a baby. It's due somewhere in December. I'm not sure on the exact date yet."
"I'd better get going. I told Charles that I wouldn't be long. I'll see you later. Take care Lizzy."
The Next Day
Catharine Bennet jumped out of the car and walked over to her sister's apartment in Annapolis, Maryland. She loved hanging in her sister's apartment which was about 30 miles away from her when she didn't feel like staying in the dorm. Not just that the place looked nice and had a awesome view of the water from the window, but she liked how Lizzy decorated the place with the black and white, and sometimes colored, photos she had taken while on assignment. Kit thought that her sister had the best job in the world: a freelance photographer who made good money and who could work whenever she wanted to.
So many people who knew the Bennets said that she looked like a combination of both her eldest sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. Ever since she got out of high school and away from her sister Lydia's influence, she had met other friends and had Jane and Lizzy to watch over her. Kit considered them her two best friends ever since all three of them became closer once she entered Georgetown University 3 years ago. When they had time, all three of them, and sometimes Charles, would hang out in downtown Georgetown to shop of eat. Since Jane was already married, Kit was a little bit closer to Lizzy. She was going to stay with Lizzy for a week before she drove home to Norfolk, Virginia. That way, she could watch her one of her roommates, Mariah Lucas, graduate.
"Lizzy! I'm here," Kit said as she knocked on the door.
Kit heard Lizzy run over to the door, quickly unlocked and opened the door, and then head straight for the bathroom. Kit stepped into the apartment just in time to hear Lizzy close the bathroom door and throw up. This startled Kit and worried her. She walked over to the bathroom and knocked.
"Lizzy, are you all right? Do you need some food, water, medicine?"
"I'll just be a sec Kit. Don't worry, I'm fine."
The toilet flushed, the sink was turned on, and a couple minutes later, Lizzy emerged looking a little sick and woozy. Kit grabbed Lizzy's arm and led her over to the coach and let her sit down.
"You're sick aren't you?" questioned Kit.
"I'm fine. I promise you. I'll be all right. It'll pass," Lizzy assured her sister.
"I sure hope so cause I don't want you dying on me while I'm staying in your apartment. Then Mom will have a real cow and blame it on me cause I didn't take care of you while I was here."
"Kit, there's something that I've got to tell you. It's really important."
"Oh, please don't tell me that you are dying. I hope not," Kit said panicking.
Lizzy laughed and said, "No, no, not at all. Nothing like that. Though, it does pertain to my health. Be prepared for the shock of your life."
"What, you're growing another arm or something rather?" Kit joked. "I knew it!"
Lizzy laughed again. Her and Kit always joked around. It was fun having someone to joke with since Jane wasn't much of a joker.
"Seriously, Kit. I mean it. I wanted to tell you that I'm almost 2 1/2 months pregnant."
"Whoa there!" Kit shouted as she stood up straight as a rocket. "That is the shock of my life," she said sitting back down beside her sister again.
"I hope that doesn't change your view of me, Kit. It just goes to show that getting drunk isn't good for you physically and emotionally."
"Drunk? You? My sister who won't even drink? Pssh! Now I think you're on crack."
"I am not on crack. Someone spiked the punch at Charlotte's party. I got drunk, did it with Wi . . . 'Mr. Nameless,' and got pregnant. I just hope you're not drinking or doing any of that drug stuff. Take it from me, it'll mess up your life."
"Trust me, I'm not. Like you, I don't like the smell of alcohol or smoke. And besides, I'm asthmatic. I practically can't breath when I inhale all that second-hand smoke. And, to make you feel better, yes, I do feel a little weird that you're pregnant before you're married and with no boyfriend. My view point has changed. However, it's still the same and a little more. You're still my favorite sis, and I see you as a strong and independent woman who can overcome any obstacle and raise a baby by herself. I give you props for that," Kit said with a smile before she gave Lizzy a giant hug.
"Thanks. I needed that. Well, at least I know that you and Jane are on my side. Now it's all a matter of me telling the rest of the family."
"Good luck with that one. Does anybody else know?"
"Charles does."
"Um, Liz, um-ah, who's the dad?"
"Georgiana's brother. And you can't tell her, okay? Please promise me that you won't tell anybody, not a soul at all. Promise me, Kit, please," Lizzy pleaded.
"I promise you," a shocked Kitty replied. "Wow. I can't believe it. That's a big shock! But don't worry, I won't tell a soul, not even Georgie. You know what, why don't I stay with you for the rest of the summer? That way I can keep an eye on you . . . and be near Richard. Besides, who wants to go home?"
Lizzy did tell the rest of her family. Mrs. Bennet freaked out because her daughter was unmarried and would now push away eligible men because she had a baby in tow. Mr. Bennet was shocked indeed and a bit disappointed in his favorite daughter. But that however wouldn't stop him from taking care of his little girl. Mary was overseas busy studying Fordyce's Sermons and couldn't be reached. When Lydia found out, she thought that it was funny that her "goody-two-shoe" sister was pregnant because Lizzy pulled something that she would do, but she was also excited that she was going to be an aunt. Her Uncle Edward and Aunt Madeline had the same feelings as her father. It seemed that all was not a loss. Just maybe, things wouldn't be as bad as Lizzy thought. It was now all a matter of telling William Darcy that he was the father of her unborn child.
A couple of weeks later on the way home from London, England
It seemed like forever, but everything was done. All important businesses had been taken care of. It felt good to be finally free of all that work. Taking care of the family businesses in England and France were very stressful, but it had to be done. The good thing about being head of the family business was that his employees could take care of running the business and he could enjoy himself now and then. This time, though, William Darcy had to work on an important merger in London and make sure that a business deal in Burgundy, France happened. Not only that, but he had to make sure that both his businesses were running smoothly. All that had been accomplished in almost three months. With all that out of the way, he would now have time to be with his sister.
It felt good to be going back home, but home was where she was. He tried to push her out of his memory so he could concentrate. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. He just didn't get it. He said that he would call back and he did. She wasn't there so he left a message, but she never called back. Maybe it was all a big mistake. He knew that they had accidentally both been drunk, but that night with her had seemed like heaven. He had fun getting to know her better, and he didn't mind being stuck with her during the whole party. He couldn't stand seeing nasty Bill Collins [hack, cough, choke] hitting on Elizabeth Bennet. Then again, it wasn't like he owned her or anything. Sure, they didn't get along most of the time, well, all the time, but he still admired her.
Elizabeth Bennet was probably one of the first women who wasn't after his money, business, land, or name. She was an independent woman, feisty, stubborn, kind, caring, funny, strong-willed, and most definitely not a priss like that Caroline Bingley-thing [shudder]. But of all those traits, it was her chocolate brown eyes that always caught his attention. The way glistened in the sun and how he would get lost looking into her eyes. That always made him warm inside. William thought that maybe, after that night, that they would be able to push aside their hate for each other and what happened, and work things out and try to be friends. Now he had no hope. It was obvious that she really did hate him and thought that their little encounter was a big mistake. In her opinion, he was nothing but a rich, conceited snob who only cared about nothing but his position in life and his sister.
"What went wrong between us?" Darcy thought as he stared out of his private jet window. "We were on friendly terms at Charlotte's party. She was probably being nice to me cause I got her away from Collins. And of course we were getting drunk. How could I be so foolish to even think that maybe we could work things out? Good one Darce."
"Excuse me sir, but we're about to land," the co-pilot of Darcy's personal jet said to him.
"Huh? Oh, um, thank you Robert," Darcy replied snapping out of his thoughts. "Here goes nothing. Boy, will Georgie be surprised to see me."
Baltimore, Maryland
"Georgiana?" Darcy shouted as soon as he entered the house? "Mrs. Reynolds, have you seen my sister?"
"Sir, you're home early! She's jet skiing in the river sir."
"Thank you. I could use a little swim. I wanted to surprise you all by coming home a week early."
And with that, he kissed Mrs. Reynolds on the cheek and ran upstairs to change into his swimming trunks. If there was one thing he loved about coming home after a business trip, it was to his house to swim in the Patuxent River behind the house. He and his sister loved to do all kinds of water sports. From his window, he could tell that his sister had a few friends along with her. One of them was his best friend Charles Bingley.
Once Darcy neared the river, he noticed that Bing was driving his boat. The woman jet skiing was probably his wife Jane. His sister was on a jet ski with someone he couldn't make out. He figured it was most likely Georgie's roommate Kit Bennet. Whoa, if two Bennet sisters were here, then that would mean that Lizzy had to be here. Darcy did a quick scan of the river twice, but he didn't see anyone else out on the river that could possibly be Lizzy. At least he wouldn't have to deal with her just yet. He just wanted to enjoy himself in the company of his sister and friends, especially since they weren't expecting him just yet.
Seeing that there was a couple of extra jet skis docked, Darcy got on one and made his way out onto the river unnoticed. He caught up to his sister and her friend, who was indeed Kit Bennet, from behind and scared them half to death that they fell off the jet ski.
"Georgiana Victoria Darcy! What is the meaning of this?" Darcy said in the most angriest voice that he could muster. "Who gave you permission to use the jet skis? And what is Bing doing driving my boat?"
Georgiana was too busy laughing with Kit that she did not notice another jet ski pull up to them while they sat in the middle of the lake. She just assumed that it was a neighbor that was just passing by. Upon hearing her brother's voice bellow at her, she turned around. Just seeing him there surprised her and she screamed, leaning too far and falling over, dragging Kit in with her. As soon as she surfaced, she heard her brother laughing at her.
"William Jamieson Darcy! Don't you ever sneak up on me like that again!" Georgiana sputtered as she bobbed up and down in the water and at the same time splashing her brother.
William just laughed for a while before he said, "Good afternoon ladies. I take you enjoyed your little dip in the water?"
"What are you doing here? I thought you were suppose to come next week."
"That's what you thought, but I just wanted to surprise you all. I lied."
"I hope you're not mad at us for using the skis William," Kit said as Georgiana was helping her back onto the jet ski.
"Of course not, Kit. I don't mind at all. Just trying to give you two girls a hard time. Come on, it's summer. Enjoy yourselves."
"William!" Kit suddenly realized. "Oh no, Lizzy! She's going to freak when she finds out that he's here. This is not good."
At that moment, Bingley pulled over to where the little party was going on. From what he had seen, it looked like some annoying neighbor was harassing his sister-in-law and her friend.
"What's going on he . . . Darcy? My word, man. You gave me a fright a moment ago. I thought you were some punk trying to harass the girls. What the heck are you doing here?"
"Bing, Jane," he greeted. "I came in this afternoon, and when I saw that you were all having fun out here in the water without me, I decided to join you guys."
Nobody noticed, but Jane seemed to pale a bit. What was he doing here? He never told them that he was coming back so soon. This was not good. It meant that now Lizzy would have to face him face-to-face. Jane looked at Kit who also had a worried look and just shrugged her shoulders. As the afternoon carried on, both girls forgot about their sister and Darcy. They, like everyone else, were having too much fun being in the water. They were getting a little hungry, so Darcy insisted that he would go up to the house and bring back some snacks for them to munch on since it would be awhile before dinner.
Elsewhere in the world, Lizzy woke up from her nap in the hammock and decided to sit on the dock and wade. As much as she wanted to wakeboard, she was feeling a little bit sick, but not as much as before. And besides, she didn't want to risk anything with the baby. She hoped that she could wave Bing down and ride with him in the boat or take the boat for a spin. Lizzy got out from the hammock and slowly made her way down to the dock. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a pair of hands reached up out of the water and grabbed the dock, pushing it's owner's body out of the water. To her shock and surprised, there stood a dripping wet, half-naked William Darcy.
"William!"
"Lizzy!" Darcy said while running his hands through his wet hair.
They stood there staring at each other in shock. It was like time stopped. Darcy couldn't take his eyes off of her glistening chocolate eyes. Lizzy couldn't take her eyes off his wet, muscular body and handsome face.
Finally breaking the silence, Darcy said, "Um, excuse me. I need to get some snacks."
As he walked by her, Lizzy didn't even move an inch. She was still in a state of shock. As Darcy made his way back up to the house drying himself, she turned around and watched. She felt like crying. She was able to wave Bing over and climbed in the boat and sat by Jane.
"I'm a bit tired gals. Why don't you two take the boat?"
"Sure Charles. Besides, I need to talk with Lizzy," Jane said.
Once they were far enough from the bank, Jane stopped the boat and looked at her sobbing sister.
"Oh Lizzy! I did not know that he was coming home today. I didn't even know that he was coming at all. Georgiana was the only one who knew that he was coming home, but she thought he was coming next week. If I had known, I would have never persuaded you to come here with us. It's all my fault."
"No Jane," Lizzy said as she wiped her eyes. "It's not your fault. Nobody knew about this. And I'm glad that I came because I got to hang with my sisters and my friends, not to mention rest outside in the fresh air. But noooo, he had to come here unannounced and ruin everything."
"Did you guys say anything when you saw each other?"
"No. Well, he said, 'Excuse me. I need to get some snacks.' That was all that he said. And we stared at each other for who knows how long," an exasperated Lizzy replied. "I don't know what to do. I can't even face the men himself without breaking down. I promised myself that I would be careful and not allow myself to get hurt by another man after George cheated on me. I keep telling myself that Will means nothing to me, but when I saw him . . ."
Jane hugged her sister tightly and said, "I'm sorry things had to happen this way, hun. But I know you. You are a strong person, Lizzy. I know that you can face William. You are going to tell him right? He does have a right to know that he is the father of your baby."
"I will tell him . . . eventually. I just need some time to gather myself and think about the whole situation."
"When's eventually?" questioned Jane. "Please don't wait until it's to late. It's probably better if you do it now. Don't give me that look Lizzy. I don't mean now, now. I mean soon."
"I promise I will."
"I hope William's presence doesn't stop you from coming to our one year anniversary party will it?"
"Are you kidding? And miss out on my sister's wedding anniversary party? I wouldn't miss if for the world," Lizzy smiled, momentarily returning to her normal self.
Darcy's View
Darcy looked right into her eyes. They glistened and danced in the sun, mesmerizing him. What was she doing in house? Of course, Georgiana must have invited her along with her sisters and Bing. Truthfully, he was glad to see her, but he couldn't find the right words to say. All he could say was, "Excuse me. I need to get some snacks." Feeling like a complete idiot, he grabbed his towel and sauntered off towards the house. Once inside, he leaned against the counter to compose himself. There was something different about her. She looked a little fatter. Yet, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She still did look great in shorts and a tank top though. He was still in a state of shock in just seeing her to notice.
Mrs. Reynolds voice brought him back to earth. Remembering what he came inside for, he and Mrs. Reynolds put together a tray full of snacks to munch on. Together, they both brought out the snacks and lemonade. All this while, Darcy was still in shock. He didn't know what to do or how to act. Should he be nice? Or should he just ignore her like she didn't even exist. That would be too hard to do, and he knew that. He finally concluded that he would be civil when he had too, but hopefully he wouldn't have to deal with her yet. He wasn't ready.
That whole afternoon, both Lizzy and Darcy were able to succeed in avoiding each other where possible. But knowing that the other one was there was still and thinking ill of each other was hard for both. Lizzy was also successful in hiding the fact that she was pregnant by draping a towel around her. She couldn't tell Darcy just yet.
Jane and Bingley's wedding anniversary
"Why, Eliza dahling, you sure look like you put on some weight there," Caroline Bingley said, patting Lizzy's stomach.
"Yeah," thought Lizzy, "if you only knew why and who the father is."
Already annoyed with this woman, Lizzy politely took Caroline's hand and moved it away from her, smiled, wiggled Caroline's nose, and said sarcastically, "Yes I have, but not as much as your nose has."
This comment shocked Caroline who touched her nose with both hands before running out of the room and towards the bathroom.
"Serves her right, that conniving little two-faced . . ."
"Ah, Ms. Bennet. Would you do me the honor of this dance?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Lizzy turned around to decline and came face-to-face with the man she least expected to ask her: William Darcy. He somehow managed to gather his courage and ask her, thinking that maybe they could work out their problem and at least be on civil terms.
Being polite, yet angry at him to have the nerves to ask her to dance after he never called back, she declined.
"I'm sorry Mr. Darcy, but I cannot. Any other time, maybe, but right now I'm not feeling to well. I have a slight headache. If you will excuse me." And that was the truth.
This left Darcy speechless and hurt. He really wanted to mend their relationship, if you could call it that. He decided to follow her out to the terrace.
"Lizzy, you can't avoid me for long. We have to talk."
"Yes, you're right. We do have to talk. I have something very important to tell you," Lizzy said with courage rising in her voice.
"All right, go right ahead." He could sense that she was uncomfortable. All he wanted to do was hug her.
"I . . . I'm . . . I'm, ah . . .," she stammered as he approached her slowly, closing the gap between them. Lizzy closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath before proceeding. "Will, I'm 2 1/2 months pregnant . . . with our child," she said before turning around, trying to avoid his gaze.
Darcy felt like he had just been hit with a 100 foot wave. Did she just say what he thought she just said?
"What? What did you say?" Darcy asked softly.
"Oh, you heard what I said. I said that I'm pregnant, okay?" She was obviously frustrated.
"Is, um, is it mine? I mean, are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," Lizzy shouted as she turned around. "Do you think I'm some kind of whore who goes around sleeping with every man I can get a hold of? I can't believe you, you bastard! You are the only man that I have slept with and it was the biggest mistake I have ever made."
Lizzy slapped Darcy as hard as she could on the cheek, which was really hard considering that she did workout. This caused him to hang his head in pain.
[Gasp] "I'm sorry Will, here let me see that. I'll make it feel better."
"Huh?"
As soon as Darcy straightened up and looked at Lizzy, her fist connected with his face, hitting him right below the left eye and causing him to stumble and trip on his own feet.
"Screw you!" Lizzy shouted as she stormed inside.
Darcy got up on his feet and followed her inside. Before he got anywhere, Caroline approached him and gave him a hug.
"My poor baby! Who did this to you?"
Darcy grabbed her hands and gruffly said, "Don't touch me Caroline!" And angrily walked off towards the kitchen to get some ice for his face.
"Jane, I'm sorry, but I can't stay here any longer," Lizzy said with tears streaming down her face.
"What's the matter Lizzy? What happened?"
"It's Will. I told him, and we got in a fight. I'm terribly sorry. I have to get going."
Jane hugged her sister. "I understand. Besides, you could use some rest."
The next day
Darcy felt awful. He looked awful. The left side of his face was red and swollen. His head hurt and he was tired from barely getting any sleep last night from being in pain and crying about being a father. He knew what he said was wrong, but he just wanted to make sure that he wasn't falling into some trap that involved his money. But then again, why would Lizzy want to do something like that? She wasn't the type who wanted money and power. No. She had to be telling the truth. He could tell she was by the way she looked when he asked her that awful question. Today he would head over to her apartment and apologize and maybe be able to work things out and talk like civil humans.
Lizzy's house
"Lizzy? There you are. I just wanted to tell you that my boyfriend is coming over to pick me up. I hope you don't mind. He's on leave from the naval academy."
"Of course I don't mind Richard coming over. He's such a nice guy. You finally got your man in 'regimentals' I see. I bet Lydia must be mad because of that, huh?"
"Oh well, to bad for her. I know she's streaming in jealousy. Sucks for her," Kit shrugged.
"Catherine Nerissa Bennet! Don't talk like that about your sister."
"Well, you know it's true."
"Yeah, your right," Lizzy sighed. [Doorbell] "Ooop! I guess that's him. You want me to get the door?"
"Yes, please. I'm not done with myself," Kit shouted as she made her way towards the bathroom.
"Why Richard Fitzwilliam. You never looked so strapping in your life with that uniform on," Lizzy said as she gave him a big hug in the doorway.
"That's 'Colonel Fitzwilliam' madam. And these are for you," Richard said as he handed her some daisies, kissed her on the cheek, and said as he closed the door behind him, "Now where is that lovely sister of yours?"
"Oh, she's in the . . ."
"I'm right here!" Kit sang as she came out from the hallway. "What's this? My sister gets daisies, and I get . . ."
"Red roses," Richard replied with a smile as he took the flowers out from behind his back.
"Isn't he wonderful Lizzy? Flowers for the both of us," Kit said as she threw her arms around Richard and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek."
"Okay you two, enough. Now get out of here and have some fun. Oh, and ah, Richard? Make sure you have her back by 9 o'clock."
"9 o'clock? Lizzy, I'm almost twenty-one."
"I know, that's why I'm just kidding. Not get out of here before I have to kick both of you out. Literally!"
William's house
Things were not as planned. So first Lizzy doesn't call him back after he left a message. Second, they ignored each other when she was at his house. Then she punched him in the face, and now this. It explained why she never called him back. She was dating his cousin Richard Fitzwilliam!
"How could I have been so dumb enough to think that after one night together, Lizzy would have feelings for me? We were both drunk for crying out loud!" Darcy shouted to no one in particular.
"Today was obviously not a good day to talk. I'll talk to her tomorrow. Hopefully straighten things out and work some kind of solution out."
What Darcy didn't know was that Richard was there to see Kitty. He had seen Lizzy hug Richard and receive flowers from him as well. What he didn't see was that not all the flowers were for her. Darcy had enough and left before he could hear Richard ask for Kit.
The next afternoon
"Hi Kit. Um, is your sister here? I need to talk to her."
"Oh . . . . . . . She's um, um-ah . . .," Kit mumbled as she stared right at Darcy's face. She didn't think it would look that bad from what Lizzy had told her.
"Yes, I know. My face is a mess and it looks like a dogs a$$. Can I please talk to your sister?"
"I don't know William. I don't think she wants to see you right now. I'm really sorry."
"Well, can you tell her that I stopped by and wanted to talk to her at least?"
"Sure, anytime . . . Richard! What are you doing here?" Kit screamed as she jumped on Richard.
"I came by to surprise you. I hope you don't mind. I wanted to take you out to dinner. Hey, Will. Nice face. Georgiana throw a fit?" Richard joked.
"Richard! What are you doing here? And no, Georgiana did not throw a fit. It just so happens that Kit's sister did this to me two days ago. It's good to see you again, " Darcy said as he pointed to his face and shook his cousin's hand.
"I am here to go on a date with my girl, Ms. Catherine Bennett," Richard said proudly.
"She's your girlfriend?"
"Yeah, for the past six months. Where have you been? Business again?"
"Sort of. But you never told me."
"I thought you knew. Oh well, you know now. Come on Kit, we'll be late for our . . . well, we're going to miss something special. And don't worry about what you're wearing. It doesn't matter. "
"Okay. By the way, how do you two know each other?"
"We're cousins," the both replied simultaneously.
"Really. Hey Liz, I'm leaving now."
"Oh, okay. Have fun . . .you two," Lizzy said slowly as she spotted a beat up Darcy at the door. Looking at her worried sister, Lizzy quickly said, "I'll be fine. You better get going. You two don't want to be late."
While this was going on, Darcy felt like a total and complete idiot. He had forgotten that Kit was staying with her sister for summer. The thought of Kit and Richard being together never crossed his mind. But the flowers? What had he seen? Knowing Richard, he was a complete gentleman, especially with his military training. He probably brought flower for the both of them. Typical Richard. Darcy felt like slapping himself.
As soon as she shut the door Lizzy said questioningly, "What are you doing here?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. I just wanted to talk to you if that's all right. Actually, I came over to apologize first. Look, I'm really sorry about the other night. I had no right to question you like that. I greatly apologize for insulting you like that as well. I didn't think you would take it like that."
"Yeah, well I did. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I shouldn't have lost my temper and slapped you . . . and punched you in the eye," Lizzy replied with an apologetic look on her face. "I thought about it, and you had every right to ask me if you were the father. You probably don't want to be suckered into some kind of trap. Trust me. I'm not trying to trap you . I just figured you had a right to know that you were going to be a daddy. How's your face?"
"It hurts, but not as much as yesterday. I feel and look like a freak with half his face messed up," Darcy said as he and Lizzy took a seat on the couch.
Lizzy looked like an angel as she let a short laugh escape from her. No wonder, she was glowing. And cranky, moody, and sick. Her being pregnant explained it all.
"Now I know why Caroline said what she said last night about you," he continued.
"You heard?"
"Yeah. That was a good comeback. I always thought her nose looked to long," Darcy smiled.
Were they actually being civil with each other? They weren't fighting, they were actually joking around. Both Lizzy and Darcy surprised themselves by being at ease in the other person's presence.
After a slight pause, Lizzy continued. "About the baby and us, Will. I am planning on keeping the baby. I want you to know that I am capable of taking care of the baby by myself. Kit and Jane said that they would help me, and even my family said that they would be there to help and support me should I need it. I'm giving you a choice. You can be here for the baby, or you don't have to at all. I don't want you to be here just because you feel obligated to. I'd rather not have you here if you feel that way."
"Of course I want to be here for the baby," Darcy said as he moved closer to Lizzy and took her hands in his. "And for you. Yes, I do feel obligated because I am partially responsible for this child. But, I am the father and I want to be there with you all the way. I want to be there when you eat all those nasty food and have bad mood swings. I want to be there when we go to those breathing classes. I want to be there when the baby is born. I don't want to miss out on any of these things. Besides, I'm not one of those cheap, sleazy guys who just walk out in situations like ours. I want to be a part of this," Darcy finished with sincerity and love in his voice.
Emotions swept right through Lizzy. She didn't know what to say. She had been hoping that Darcy would be willing to be there for the baby if not her. And after Jane's party, she wasn't sure if he wanted to be a part of this. But he wanted to be a part of this. He wanted to be there for the baby and for her. But why her? Did he care for her? It was all to confusing. Trying to hold back tears, Lizzy suddenly hugged Darcy.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," Darcy said as he hugged her back, not wanting to let go of her or the moment. "I know we're not in the best of terms between us, but I'm sure we can work something out. I hope you don't mind if I ask you if we should move in together or what."
"Truthfully, I never even thought about that. The thought of it never crossed my mind. We're not even married or together, but I suppose it is the only logical thing to do if you are to be a part of this. I never thought that this would be that complicated," Lizzy said as she stood up and put her hands on her head.
"Do you need some time to think about it? I'm not in a hurry. Take all the time you need. I don't want you to feel rushed into this."
"Thanks Will. I was just about to ask you for some time to think about it."
"Then it's settled. Call me when you've decided. Thanks for talking," Darcy said as he kissed her on the cheek.
As Darcy shut the door behind him, Lizzy touched the place on her cheek where he had kissed her. He had said that he was willing to be a part of this. They didn't even fight about it, and he apologized for insulting her two nights ago. Maybe she was wrong about him after all. She wasn't sure what to think about him. He was so gentleman-like today, charming, and caring. No, she couldn't be falling for him. He was just being man about the whole situation. There was no way that he had feelings for her. A wave of emotion swept through her, and Lizzy began to cry. Stupid hormones.
Later that night
"Oh Richard, I had a wonderful time. So much for those reservations of yours. But, I did enjoy having a moonlit picnic by the river," Kitty said as she kissed him.
"All my pleasure. I'm not sure when I can have another leave from the academy. I've got to keep those "Pleebs"* in line, and we have a lot of training to do. But I'll be sure to e-mail or call you, okay?"
"Yes sir, Colonel," Kitty saluted and gave him another kiss before he had to leave.
As soon as Richard was out of sight, Kit entered the apartment and saw her sister sitting out in the balcony with Jane, enjoying the fresh air.
"Hey Jane. Lizzy? Are you all right?"
"Huh? Oh, hey, you're back. Yeah, I'm fine."
"So, how did you enjoy your picnic?" Jane asked.
"It was amazing. It was just us two, by the river, and under the moonlight. He had a blanket and a basket filled with food. Oh yeah, and candles. So romantic. And the sunset was just heavenly. How'd things go with you and William? It looks like you've been crying. You didn't hit him again, did you ?"
"No, no," Lizzy laughed. "Nothing like that at all. Things actually went pretty well. I have been crying, probably from all that emotion and stuff."
"So? How'd it go? Did you two come to an understanding or something cause I really hate seeing my sister and my best friend's brother fighting."
"Yes we did. Will said that he wanted to be a part of this with me. I was just thinking about our living situation."
"Oh yeah," Kitty said as she slumped in a chair next to her sisters.
"Will said that he could either move in here with me, or I could move in with him. But it's going to feel so weird living with him in the same house seeing as we're not even an item or anything like that."
"Yeah, but you two are expecting parents is what you are. If he is going to be in this with you, it's best that you two live together. Ha, that's going to be interesting since you two don't even get along," Kitty joked.
"Now Kitty, don't make things seem worse than they already are," Jane reprimanded. "Besides, you're sister hasn't made a final decision yet. But Kitty's right. It's probably best for the baby and yourselves if you live together."
[sigh] "You're right. I was leaning towards living together with Will anyway, though I'm probably going to hate it. At least I can move out or kick him out if I really can't stand him. I just can't decide where to stay. "
After a moment of silence, Kit exclaimed, "I know! How about you move in with William, and then Georgie and I can move in here. Now you know I've always wanted to live in this apartment, and Georgie and I have always wanted to live off campus. With Mariah gone, we can do it now since she wanted to stay on campus. And besides," she said mischievously, " I'll be even closer to Richard."
"Sounds good to me. At least the girls can watch and take care of the place for you Lizzy. What do you think?" Jane queried.
"You didn't tell Georgiana, did you Kit? Please say you didn't."
"I promise you I didn't. But what do you think?"
I'm not sure . . . but since you insist Kit, I'll do it for you . . . and the baby," Lizzy smiled. "All I have to do is tell Will."
"Hey, you know what? I'm going over to Georgie's house tomorrow. Why don't you come with me?"
"Sure, whatever, but not a word to Georgiana, you got that?. I'm going to bed. I'll see you two later."
"Night, Lizzy," Jane and Kitty said in unison.
"Shouldn't you be with your husband," Kit asked, pretending to be annoyed.
"For your information, yes. And that is why I'm leaving, so you better give me a hug now or you're going to regret it."
"Good-night Jane. I'll see you later. Tell Charles 'hi' for me."
* Pleebs is the nickname for the new freshmen at the Naval Academy
The next morning
"No, Jane. I don't know if I can go through with this. I have no idea what I was thinking last night. To move in with a man who hurt me. I really don't think I can do it. I just can't. How can I live with a man whom I thought maybe had feelings for me after one night doing it while drunk? He said that he would call and he never did."
"Lizzy, I know how you feel. But think of the baby. William can't help take care of you and the baby like he said he would unless he is there with you. He can't just come over everyday to help you. He might as well stay with you. At least stay with him until the baby's born. Then you can work something out."
"Come on Lizzy, get off the phone. I told Georgie we would be there at 10:00 and it's almost 10:00. Let's go!" Kit shouted from the front door.
"I'm sorry Jane, but Kit's yelling at me to get off the phone so we can go to Wi . . . Georgiana's. I guess I'll just stick to the plan," Lizzy said, a bit annoyed.
"You know Lizzy, you can always back out anytime that you're there. You're a strong girl. You can deal with William. Call me, okay? Love yah, bye," Jane said before hanging up.
"Bye. I'm coming Kit. Hold your horses."
The drive to the Darcy abode was a fretful one. Now that she was feeling better health wise, Lizzy could think straight now. She knew that she was in a big mess, and there was nothing she could really do about it. She never thought that her life would be turned upside down by something so small and innocent. She kept reminding herself that what she was doing was for the baby alone. Hopefully there was a way to avoid Darcy as much as possible when she moved in with him.
"We're here Lizzy."
"We are? That was awfully fast, Kit? Where you speeding?"
"No. You were oblivious during the whole drive. You obviously weren't paying attention. Come on. Let's go."
[sigh] "Yeah, let's go and get this over with," Lizzy thought.
"Hey Kit. At little late, aren't we? Hi, Liz. What are you doing here? If you're looking for Will, he's not here right now. He went shopping for groceries, and Mrs. Reynolds is on vacation," Georgiana said as she led her guests into the house.
"Peachy," Lizzy said under her breath.
"Excuse me, did you say something?"
"Um, ah, no. Not at all Georgiana."
"Okay. Come on Kit. I've been dying to get in the water I hope you've changed already."
"Of course girl. Race you to the dock," Kitty shouted as she ran out the door, already taking her shirt off to reveal her bikini top.
"Don't mind me! I'll sit here in the kitchen and eat some funky, nasty food," Lizzy shouted to no one in particular. "Come to think about it, I could use a little snack right now. Okay, William Darcy, what kind of grub do you have in your house?"
"The best grub in the world. Why don't you sit down and I'll whip something up for you," a voice spoke out of nowhere.
"Will! You startled me. I wasn't expecting you back so soon," Lizzy said as she turned around.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I thought you heard me open the door. Look, I need to get the other groceries from the car, and then I'll make you something. How does that sound?"
"You don't have to do that," Lizzy said a little uneasily. "I'm sure I can make something myself. Thank you."
"Sure, help yourself," Darcy said a bit hurt but hiding it really well. "I'll, um, be back."
"Why is he being so nice to me? Lizzy thought to herself as she was searching through the grocery bags for something to eat. "A cheese omelet sounds good to me."
"Hey, where do you keep your skillet? Lizzy asked without turning around as Darcy came back in with the last of the grocery bags.
"Oh, they're that cabinet at the top. There's a stool over there. What are you cooking?"
"Cheese omelets. Want one?"
"Sure. I'm surprised it's not something funky and weird," Darcy said as he was washing his hands.
"Hey, I'm not in that stage yet, though I am kind of scared of what I am going to be eating eventually."
Lizzy was still searching for the skillet when Darcy finished washing his hands. He turned around and caught sight of Lizzy's body, still showing off it's curves and her slender legs. He could tell that she was obviously starting to show signs of being pregnant. As soon as Lizzy found what she was looking for, turned around in time to catch Darcy staring at her. She herself couldn't take her eyes off of him, but she forced herself to.
"Will? You're dripping water on the floor?"
"Huh? What?" Darcy said as he looked at his hands. "Oh, right. Um, I'll wipe it up. By the way, what brings you here? Did you make up your mind already?"
"As a matter of fact. I did and that is why I am here in the first place."
"Oh. Do you need help with the food?"
"Yeah, can you get me the grated cheese I saw in the fridge? And the butter, milk and eggs? Thanks."
Within a couple of minutes, Lizzy finished making two cheese omelets for the both of them. Seeing how nice the weather was, Will suggested that they eat outside on the patio.
"This is delicious. Wow! You're a good cook."
"Thanks. Jane taught me how to cook this since I always wanted something good that was easy and fast to cook," Lizzy smiled.
"So, what's your decision on living arrangements?" Darcy asked, changing the subject.
"Oh yeah. Well, I talked to Kit about it and she suggested that I could live with you this coming year while she and Georgiana stay in my apartment since Mariah is not their roommate anymore. She told me that her and your sister have always wanted to live off campus, but Mariah wanted to stay in the dorm, and now that she's graduated, they're free to do so. And by staying in my apartment, they can be off-campus and watching my place at the same time. It's perfectly fine with me. What do you think?"
"Well, I think that it's a good idea. It's fine with me too. . . oh no!"
"Now what?"
"Georgiana! I haven't told her yet that you're pregnant and I'm the father-to-be," cried Darcy running his hands through his hair. "I guess we're going to have to tell her."
"You're right. How do you think she's going to take the news?"
"She'll probably be excited by the idea of being an aunt. I'm not really sure. Well, speak of the devil, here they come. Do you want me to tell her?"
"She is your sister. Go for it."
"Hey girls," Darcy said as Kitty and Georgiana came into the house dripping wet. "Enjoying yourselves?"
"You bet. Can you hand us the towels over there so we can dry off? Thanks," Georgiana said while her and Kitty stood in the doorway.
"Um, Georgiana, Will and I have something to tell you about. Kit already knows about what we're going to say," Lizzy said as she finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher.
"I do? Oh, I remember now. Never mind," said Kitty.
"Really. What is it?"
"Well, Georgiana, come this, um . . .," Darcy looked blankly at Lizzy, asking for help.
"December," Lizzy finished for him.
"December, you are going to be . . . well, um, truthfully, you and Kit are going to be aunts," Darcy said uneasily, not knowing what reaction to expect from Georgiana.
"What do you think Georgie?" a nervous Kitty asked a shocked Georgiana.
"Wow, I, wow. We're going to be aunts Kit, can you believe it?" Georgiana started screaming, jumping, and hugging Kitty. "Whoa, aunts as in aunt, aunt? You mean to tell me that . . .?"
"Yes. I'm 2 1/2 months pregnant, and your brother is the father," Lizzy nodded uneasily
"Oh," a surprised Georgiana mustered.
"And that's not all too," Darcy continued. "Lizzy and I have talked over it, and we have decided that she is going to move in here with me to make things a little easier for the both of us. As for you and Kit, the both of you can move into Lizzy's apartment so you can take care of the place while she's here. It was actually Kit's idea."
"We can actually live off campus now that Mariah is gone. What do you think? It's going to be so cool!," an excited Kitty chimed in.
"Aaaahhh!" Georgiana screamed as she jumped on her brother to give him a hug. "This is awesome. Not only am I . . . are we going to be aunts, but we're going to be living off campus! I can't believe it. Aaaahhh!"
"Okay, okay," Darcy said as he tried to remove his sister off from him. "Now that it is settled, why don't you two go back out and enjoy yourselves. Your wasting your summer screaming in this house. Now."
"Girls, before you go, please do not tell anyone that I'm pregnant for the moment. I don't want rumors going around just yet. Promise me."
"Yes sir, Captain sir! And we promise you Lizzy." the girls said in unison as the saluted him and then raced back to the dock to discuss what had just happened.
"Women. I mean girls, I mean those two . . . I . . . never mind," Darcy said uneasily when he saw Lizzy arch her eyebrows at him. "So, when do you plan on moving in?"
"Whenever is convenient for you. I'm not working at the moment, so I can move in whenever."
"How come your not working?"
"Cause I have decided not to do so. I've been busy traveling and taking pictures the last six months, I figured it was time to take a break, not to mention that now I'm . . . I'm pregnant. So until the baby is born, I'm not planning on working. I don't think traveling will be good for the baby. I could maybe do some local stuff. Who knows? We'll see."
"Oh. Well then, ah, how does this week sound? Give you some time to get your stuff together, pack . . ."
"Sure. Sounds good to me."
"Would you mind if I helped?"
"I don't mind at all. Feel free to stop by anytime."
Later in the week
"Well, that's it. Everything is packed, thanks to Kit, Jane, Georgiana, and Will," Lizzy thought. "I just have one more box to take out to the car."
Lizzy moved over to the last box the same time that Darcy did. Both reached down at the same time causing Darcy to place his hands on top of hers. At that moment, they both looked up at each other, feeling the electricity pass through their hands. Darcy was speechless; Lizzy could feel her heart pounding.
"I'm sorry," they said at the same time, never taking their eyes or hands off each other.
"Hey guys, are there anymore boxes to be taken down?" Kits voice rang through the apartment.
"No. Will has the last one," Lizzy said as she moved away from Darcy and towards the door, not even looking back at him.
As Darcy headed out to the car to load the last box, Lizzy got a glass of water and sat down. What had she felt? Will was being so nice to her that it confused her. Maybe he was just being nice because he felt sorry for getting her pregnant. Maybe he was just being nice just because she was pregnant. There was no way that he was being nice because he actually cared for her. Sure, it seemed like it, but Lizzy had her doubts. She didn't want to get her hopes up. She was being very cautious in her feelings towards Will. She was tired of being hurt by men. To her, men were a curse.
Out by the car, Darcy loaded the last box, his thoughts on what had just happened. He wanted to reach out and touch her cheek. Truthfully, he wanted to kiss her. It didn't matter that she hadn't called him back. He cared too much about her to push her out of his mind. And now she was carrying his child and staying with him. He promised himself that he would take the utmost care of her, even if he had to spoil her. He had to show her that he cared about other people, and that he wasn't the conceited snob that she took him for.
"Will," Georgiana said, interrupting his thoughts, "Kit and I have finished moving our things into the apartment already. We're ready to go back home and help you guys unload."
"Okay then, let's get going."
Mrs. Reynolds was delighted, in fact, that another little Darcy would be on it's way into the world soon. She loved taking care of babies and it had been awhile since she had taken care of Georgiana. She knew that Lizzy wasn't one to trap a man with money by being pregnant. Living together and seeing each other everyday was definitely weird for both Lizzy and Darcy. At first, they tried to avoid each other as much as possible. But as the days turned into weeks, they couldn't avoid each other for long. Lizzy was inevitably getting fatter and needed help with certain things. They also had to go shopping together for things for the baby and for the baby room. People would stare because they thought that they were a perfect couple, not knowing that they weren't even together.
Every now and then, Jane, Kit, Charles, and Georgiana would stop by to check on the "couple." When Charles found out that Darcy was the father, he was happy for the both of them. He knew that they weren't the best of friends, but the fact that they knew each other and had the same close friends made him happy. He secretly wished that the two would get together. Even before the whole baby episode, it had always been his wish. He thought that they were a perfect couple. What made him most happy was that he was going to be an uncle. That was what was mainly on his mind. The rest of Lizzy's family had come to visit a few times as well. When her mother found out that Darcy was the father of the baby, she was extremely excited. She thought this was a good way for Lizzy to catch herself a rich man. This of course made Lizzy mad because she had no intentions of doing that. Her father, uncle, and aunt were pleased to see that Darcy was treating her like a queen.
True to his promise, Darcy spoiled her rotten. He would do anything to make her comfortable, even if that meant turning on the air conditioning full blast and making her disgusting food combinations . Lizzy was actually impressed that Darcy could cook as well. Occasionally he would take her out to dinner. She told him that he didn't need to watch over her 24/7. He knew that was true, but he didn't want to anything to happen to her or the baby. Even though he didn't like it, he let Lizzy go out on her usual evening walk. Most of the time, he would accompany her if he wasn't too busy doing business. Business had always been his number two priority, and now that Lizzy was in away part of his family, she was he number one concern. If he had to, he would stop his teleconference to get Lizzy something that she needed. Lizzy didn't like interrupting his business, but Darcy was always willing to put it aside. He also canceled other important meetings to accompany her to breathing classes and doctor appointments. He wanted to be involved as much as possible, and he didn't want to miss a minute.
"Well, Will and Elizabeth," Doctor Murray said to them during one of her check-ups, " Would you like to know the sex of the baby?"
"Yes," Darcy said the same time Lizzy said no. "Um, never mind, no."
"I want it to be a surprise. Surprise me. I hope you don't mind Will."
"No, it's no problem at all. If that's what you want," he said a little bit disappointed.
"Okay then, I promise you that I will not tell you the sex of the baby. But I can tell you now that you have a perfectly healthy baby growing inside of you. There is nothing to worry about. I can tell that Will has been taking care of you very well."
"Yes, sometimes too much that it gets annoying," Lizzy teased as Darcy smiled.
"Well, here's the picture of the ultrasound for you two to keep.
"Wow," Darcy said in amazement as he looked at the picture. There was his baby.
"It's kicking. Do you want to feel it?"
"I, um-ah, I . . ."
"It's all right, it's not going to hurt. And besides, it's not like you haven't touched me before."
Seeing that she was teasing him again, Darcy smiled. Lizzy took his hand in hers and placed it on her bulging stomach. As soon as Darcy felt the kicking, his eyes widen and he broke out into an enormous grin. Lizzy just smiled.
"Hey, I'm going to go to the bathroom before we leave. I won't be long," Darcy said as headed for the door.
"Ms. Bennett," Dr. Murray said as soon as Darcy was out the door, "I have some good news for you. I wasn't sure if I should just let it be a surprise or if I should tell you. Would you permit me to tell you?"
"As long as it has nothing to do with the sex of the baby."
"You're going to have twins."
"Twins!? That's wonderful. Oh, please don't tell Will about this. I want this to be a surprise for him. I know he hates surprises, especially since he found out that I was pregnant which was a big surprise," Lizzy teased once again.
"I thought that you had a right to know first and keep it a secret if you wanted to. This will be our little secret.
"Thank you Dr. Murray."
As everyday went by, Darcy could help but think that he was the most lucky man in the world. He was going to be a father supposedly on December 22 which was in four days. The mother of his unborn child was the most beautiful and lively women he had ever met that was not after his money, power, or name. He couldn't help but fall in love with her everyday. It was hard for him because he wanted to be with her, to hold her and kiss her. There were times when he felt that he would be going crazy because he was so close to her yet so far.
Lizzy was experiencing similar feelings. She wanted to be with him, but she knew that it would never work out. She thought that once the baby was born and growing up, Will would return back to his business. At least they could be friends. That's what it seemed like right now. It almost seemed as if they had been long time friends. Both were glad that they had been able to push their past behind them and become friends. They were always laughing, teasing and smiling. And Darcy took great care of her. He was a real gentleman. But Lizzy was still scared of giving her heart to someone. She thought that George was most likely the one for her. After that incident, she promised herself she would not fall for any man whatsoever for a long time. Unfortunately for her, she was having a hard time keeping that promise.
Before the both of them knew it, it was already December and the baby, or should I say babies, would be due any day.
"Lizzy? What's the matter? Nothing's wrong, is there? Talk to me," a worried Darcy asked.
"I'm FAT!"
Darcy laughed. "Of course your fat. You're pregnant. What did you expect?"
"Oh, shut-up," Lizzy smiled. He was right. "Stupid mood swings and hormones."
"Liz," Darcy said softly. He never called her that and it sent shivers throughout Lizzy's body. "I'm being honest when I say that I could not help falling in love with you these past seven months. Now that I have a child on the way, all I need is a wife to make the picture complete. Please say that you will marry me, please say that you want to spend the rest of your life as my wife. Will you marry me?"
Lizzy was in a state of utter shock she couldn't speak. The father of her child was asking her to marry him, not only to complete the family, but because he loved her.
Darcy continued, "This way my Aunt Catherine won't be so extremely shocked and angry at the both of us if we were engaged. She thinks it's utterly shameful for an unengaged or unmarried couple to have a child. "
This snapped Lizzy out of the moment. "I can't believe you have the nerve to ask me to marry you just so you can please your Aunt Catherine. I should have known that you would have said anything to get me to marry you. All you think about is yourself. Don't . . .don't even . . .don't even talk to me you pig."
"No, Lizzy! Wait! That's not what I meant. You don't understand."
"Oh, I perfectly understand what you meant." By now Lizzy was furious at herself and at Darcy. "No need for you to waste your breath trying to explain something I already kno . . .aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"
"Lizzy, what's the matter?" Darcy asked as he rushed to her side.
"Aaaaaahhhhhh, the babies! I think it's time."
Not catching that Lizzy just said babies instead of baby, Darcy helped her downstairs. He was in too much a state of shock and panic to register what she had just said.
"Mrs. Reynolds! It's time. Lizzy's going into labor."
Mrs. Reynolds grabbed Lizzy's already packed overnight bag and brought it out to the car while Darcy helped Lizzy into the car. As soon as she was in, he ran over the driver's side and jumped in.
"Be sure to call Georgie and Kit, and Jane and Charles. Tell them that we're on our way to the hospital and that Lizzy is going into labor."
"Yes sir, Mr. Darcy. I'm sure everything will be fine."