Beginning, Previous Section, Section III
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Nora's eyes narrowed. "Have you always been this odd?"
"Yes...I have," Edward replied, with a smile that warmed Nora's heart.
Nora smiled. "Good then. As for my feelings. Well you'll have to explain a few things first. Are you really odd or are you that normal person that has been lurking in your office when I usually see you?"
"I thought you liked normal people. Like William."
"William's not that normal."
"To answer your question, I am indeed odd. I am very sorry, I have tried to suit you..."
"But you suit me as you are," she said.
He blushed. "So I take it you do like me?"
"Perhaps my feelings are bit stronger than that?" Nora mused.
"Oh really" he said, coming around the desk, and approaching her.
She let him take her hands, and smiled. She felt as if her heart was being tickled. "But you have a lot of explaining to do! What right had you to believe my being with Robert?"
"You did spend a lot of time with him. Before he arrived, my mother and I thought I actually had a good chance with you. But once Robert started working here, you spent all your time with him. And I may have jumped to a few irrational conclusions, but it was only out of love for you."
"You have an odd way of showing your love, Edward Ferrars. And what about Lucy?"
"Ah, Lucy. Please say you were at least a bit jealous of her?"
"I didn't know who you were. I met Lucy first, and assumed you to be like her."
"Oh dear, I never thought about it that way."
"Well you were engaged to her. You had no right to love me."
"Oh yes I did. I didn't love Lucy."
"But you were engaged..."
"Oh well I'm not sure how that came about. You see, one day, (the day after the zoo newspaper picnic) Lucy came to me and showed me a ring she told me I had bought for her and reminded me we were engaged. As odd things happen in the zoo, I confirmed and let it be."
"But didn't you feel trapped?"
"Oh Lucy would have let me go eventually."
"But you were engaged for more than four years!"
"Well I didn't really realize I could break it off with her until I did."
"Edward," she scolded.
"Nora, I love you. You can shape me to be whomever you want. You can tell me what to do. But whatever you do, do not tell me to stop loving you." And he punctuated his declaration with a kiss that was shockingly not normal.
"You don't kiss normally either."
"How so?"
"It tickles my toes."
"Well then I guess we're doing it right."
"And you will marry me, right?" Nora asked.
"But of course," he kissed her again.
"Nora is engaged," Elly said to Ema the next day, somewhat hesitantly.
Ema's tea cup, an heirloom for three generations now, clanged dangerously as she set the china down in a hurry. "Oh really?" she asked of Elly, as they drank tea in Hartfield's gardens.
"She called me an hour ago, as I was getting ready to come over here, deliriously happy and laughing and informed me of it. I'm sorry..."
"I'm happy for her. All people as elegant as Nora deserve happiness," she paused. Then changed the subject. "And Annie Eliot and Frederick are together at last?"
"Yes. Frederick has returned to Boston."
"And what about Annie? She teaches in Pittsburgh, does she not?"
"She's already talking about taking a job in the pharmaceutical industry again, close to Boston."
"That's wonderful," Ema said, trying to muster enough happiness. She was still in shock. Nora Dashwood engaged? To George? It was only natural, she supposed. They'd spent a lot of time together in the last few days, and some people fell in love that quickly...
Her thoughts were interrupted as Elly greeted the subject of her thoughts. "Hello George!"
Ema smiled and automatically said, "Congratulations."
George, confused, accepted her compliments, and sat down to tea with the ladies.
"We have not seen you around Hartfield. You promised us a dinner last night and did not oblige us, though we can guess your reasons why..." Ema teased. "How is Nora?"
"She is very ecstatic," he answered.
Ema got up, and walked to the edge of the patio.
"And is your fiancée now somewhere about so we may be able to congratulate her?" Elly asked, courteously.
"Um, I'm sorry, fiancée?"
"Nora..." Elly specified, looking over to Ema, who remained by her flowers.
Ema turned, "You don't have to act all ignorant; don't worry, she's already told us."
"You mean, Edward Ferrars's fiancée...didn't you know? She's marrying Edward Ferrars..."
Ema felt the floor pulled from beneath her and she sank into a chair.
"Who's Edward Ferrars?" Elly wondered aloud.
"Then you are not engaged?" Ema asked.
"No, I am not..."
Elly, thinking it'd be a good time to leave them alone, quickly made excuses, "I think I'll go ask for more cake."
Speechless, Ema sat in shock. Not engaged? "You put me through hell, George Knightley!" she said as tears of relief appeared out of nowhere on her cheeks.
He hadn't seen her cry since she was four, and had broken her leg while ice skating one winter. She looked...incredible. "Ema, dear. I don't know what has been happening the past few days...Frederick and you seem to be quite close..."
"Frederick is engaged...to Annie..." she said.
"Oh, I'm sorry..." he knelt down beside her. "Don't worry...Freddie's not worth crying over..."
"It's not him, you dolt! It's you!"
"Ema, is that true?"
"Yes!"
"Ema...I...Had I had a less active profession, I should never have been so blind to your affections. The last few days, my behavior has been very wrong. But I convinced myself you felt only friendship for me, and it was my heart alone that needed to be nursed. But now that I am at liberty to do so, I will profess that my heart is, and always will be yours."
Ema could not reply.
George laughed. "I've finally rendered you speechless, have I?"
Too happy for words, she threw herself into his arms, and closed her eyes, letting his words wrap them up together. "I love you, you know..." she said conversationally.
"Well now I do..." he said. "You're a very mean and secretive creature, Ema."
"Well I'm sorry..." she teased.
"Don't be...don't ever be sorry for being yourself," he said in all seriousness. "I love you as you are, and as you always will be."
"It's about time you learned that, dear."
"Oh, I'm going to miss you," Nora said to her friend, with a hug.
"Yes, I'll miss you too..." Elly said.
"It was nice to meet you, Edward," she held out her hand.
Edward took it, and kissed it. "Very nice to meet you too, Elly."
Nora and Edward stood next to each other, arms about each other's waists as Elly turned to William.
"It was nice to see you again, Elyse."
"Yes, it was nice seeing you again too, William."
"So..."
"So..."
Elly shifted awkwardly. "You could always call me Elly..."
He half-smiled and said, "No, you're always Elyse to me..."
"Well, um, all right then. Ema," she turned to her friend.
Ema kissed George one more time.
"Nora, it's been a pleasure," she said. And it was.
Nora shook hand with Ema. "I hope you come back soon..."
"Don't worry, I will," Ema said, winking at her fiancée.
A few months later, George Knightley helped his fiancée pack her things up in boxes, ready to ship them back to England, where they would live together in happy isolation in their home Donwell Abbey, after they got married.
"Ema?" he called out down the halls. "I don't see why you packed up all these things to come to America when you were just as quickly going to leave..."
Ema entered the room, and kissed her fiancé on the cheek. "I had no idea when I was moving here that I'd be moving back in six months."
"And how is Elyse taking this?"
"William's been keeping her busy enough not to think about it too much."
"Ah yes, he's here for these two weeks, isn't he?"
"Yes. They are to drive up for Annie and Frederick's wedding together. You do remember that it's next weekend, right?"
"But of course...so what is Elly going to do?"
"I think William may convince her to move to London as well!"
George's eyes sparkled with pleasure. "Oh really?"
"Yes. After all, all her friends are there," Ema said. "And I'm sure we'd all be much happier if she came."
"And if she chooses not to?"
"Then she'll find a new suitemate? But I'm sure William can convince her to come to London with us..."
"No?"
"No," she replied.
"But..."
"Yes, I do feel horribly that Ema will be leaving me, and I know I'm on my own. But I love New York very much. This is my city..." Tell me you love me, tell me you don't want to be without me... But it was too much to ask. After all, they'd just met again a little over three months ago. And this was the first time since she'd left England that she'd seen him. There certainly wasn't enough time to fall in love, but, Elly suspected, she had.
William looked at the pretty young woman, who sat across from him, and tried to pretend that she was not half so lovely as he thought he was. "You insist upon it?"
"Yes. I've been happy without Ema before. I can be happy now."
William wanted to tell her he loved her. And that she ought to come to London for him. But that was madness. They didn't know each other that well. No, not really.
"You won't even consider it?"
"I did, and I have made my decision. It didn't take that long to make," she said.
End of discussion.
Author's note: Yay! It's done! Many thanks to my readers, I appreciated reading all your comments. And infinitely more thanks to Margaret D, who again pushed me to complete this story, and very painstakingly helped me edit this thing.
"You look beautiful, Ema."
"Thank you, Edward."
"And I might add that you still do know how to dance rather well..."
"Thank you..."
"Excuse me, but I'd like to dance with my wife..." George Knightley interrupted the two.
Ema laughed. "I'm sorry, but my husband is a rather jealous man."
Edward smiled and pleasantly relinquished his position in search for his bride. Ah, there she was, talking with William Darcy, Elyse Bennet and Charles Bingley.
"There you are, darling," he whispered from behind into her ear and kissed her on the neck, putting his arms around the front of her waist.
Nora laughed, happy that her husband had returned.
"Congratulations, you two," Charles said. "Though I must say Jane and I were more than surprised to hear of the engagement. Perhaps we could hear a story later?"
"Perhaps," Nora smiled.
Elly laughed brightly, and William managed to stifle his. "You'll have to hear this story..."
"And what about you two?" Jane asked, happily.
The two stopped smiling. "Um," Elly blushed. "Us two? There's nothing..." she shifted uncomfortably.
"Nothing at all," William confirmed.
A year later, Elyse Bennet sighed as she entered Metropolitan Opera House, very much alone.
She thought she saw a familiar profile. "William!" She cried, running towards him, straight into his arms. "Has it been over a year since we last met?"
"And who is this?"
Elly jumped back to look at the pretty brunette on William's arm. "Um, hello. I'm Elyse Bennet."
"Elly, do you remember Lydia de Bourgh, my cousin?"
"Third cousin once removed," Lydia whispered.
"Um, nice to meet you."
"Her mother insisted that I escort Lydia here; you see, Lydia has never seen the Ring."
"Oh," Elly said. "And do you like Wagner?" she asked Lydia.
"Oh no, but I love New York."
Elly stood back, as the crowd hushed around them in shock. Ah, the Wagnerians... Elly thought.
"Are you here with anyone, Elyse?"
"Um, no. But one of my friends said that life could not be lived until one had seen the entire Ring Cycle."
"Spoken as a true Wagnerian," William smiled.
"Well, I guess I'll get going..." she said. "I'm in the family circle...I have a few stairs to climb..."
As she left, she heard Lydia say, "The family circle?"
Heathrow was a mess. As usual.
Elly sighed as she finally got out of customs.
"Elyse Bennet, I really wish you'd move to London."
"Ema!" she cried out, and went to her friend. "My, you're looking pregnant!"
Ema laughed gleefully. "Isn't it grand? Come on, let's get going."
"And how has everyone been? I haven't been here in two years."
"Well, Jane and Charles have a one-year-old boy, named William, as he was the means of uniting them. Nora and Edward have been happy as ever. They managed to agree on a house and Nora insisted on a somewhat normal color, so it is yellow. Annie and Frederick visited us last year, and they're happily settled in Boston. Annie got a position at MIT."
"That's wonderful. She always loved to teach...I haven't seen those two for ages. And how is William?" she asked.
"Ah William. He's trapped. Lady de Bourgh has been very de Bourghish lately, and William's feeling quite frazzled."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"She's expecting him to propose to her daughter any day now..."
"Oh..." Elly said.
Her vacation was fun, but she hesitated to board the plane once more. "And when will we see you again this time?" Nora reproached her.
"I don't know..." Elly answered.
"I'm sorry William couldn't join us..."
"I understand. Germany can't wait..."
"Goodbye, Elly."
"Goodbye, Nora. Ema," she nodded to her friend.
As Elly entered the gate, Ema sighed and looked at Nora. "It isn't looking very good. Somehow I don't think she'll want to come back any time soon..."
Nora looked after her. "No, I don't think she will." Everyone's been moving on...but her...
"William you cad!"
William looked up from the pile of papers on his desk.
"You couldn't come home even a day earlier?" Charles said.
"Why?"
"Didn't you know? Elyse Bennet made a trip here."
"Is she still around?" William looked up, not particularly interested.
"No, she left yesterday."
"Then it is unfortunate I missed her."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"I am sorry?"
"Have a heart, William! She missed you, you know!"
"And I missed her. But that doesn't change the fact that I couldn't see her."
"William..."
"I have a conference to attend."
It was entirely impossible. She was in New York, and he was in London. There was no way he could get here to properly court her, and yet as days passed, months passed, she wished he could.
Elly sighed, playing around with her keyboard. "eeeeeeeeeeee" she mindlessly typed.
"Elly?"
"Yes, Kitty?" she asked of her new suitemate. Marianne Dartwood, her old one, had gotten married in the last two weeks.
"You have some visitors."
"Um, sure I'll be there..." Elly stood, and went to the living room.
"Annie! Frederick!" she smiled as she burrowed herself in their arms.
"We decided to visit," Annie touched Elly's cheek. They had decided to do so yesterday at about mid afternoon, when they received a distressed phone call from Jane. "Elly's lonely..."
William Darcy, you idiot! Annie's fist clenched. "We're here to sweep you off for an evening of enjoyment."
"What to you say to the New York Philharmonic?" Frederick said.
"Um, sure. Let me get ready...I'll only take a few minutes..." she turned around, wandering back into her room.
"Jane is right..." Annie said to Frederick.
"Where is Elyse? Ema is asking for her," George said.
"She said she'd be here by now," Nora looked at her watch nervously. "I knew we should have sent someone to pick her up. William blatantly refused."
George muttered. "What's been wrong with him lately? Walks around with a stick up his-"
"Hello everyone I'm so sorry I'm late! What else do you expect at Heathrow?!" Elyse Bennet entered the waiting room of the hospital. "How is she? Did she have the baby yet?"
"She's fine. She's been asking for you, though," George said.
"I'd like to see her, then."
"You can't avoid her forever," Charles asserted the next morning.
"I can try."
"You're just afraid of falling for her."
Or maybe I've already done so...
"Come to dinner with all of us tonight. It'll be a wonderful opportunity to meet up with everyone again. Annie and Frederick are flying in this afternoon, and Ema just got out of the hospital today, and is ready to celebrate already..."
"I'll call them up some other time," William said, as he grabbed his briefcase, and exited the office. "If you'll excuse me, Nora has finally written her book and would like to meet with me."
The house that Edward and Nora Ferrars bought in the outskirts of London was brimming with activity as William pulled his car up.
"What's going on?" he asked, as Edward pulled open the door.
"Nora and some friends are decorating for her colleague Harriet Smith's bridal shower tomorrow."
"Harriet?"
"She's-" Edward started to describe the reporter but stopped when he saw that his guest was not paying attention anymore. He was watching the woman who was shining silverware in the next room.
Nora looked at her husband fondly, and they nodded. Nora approached William. "I have my book ready for you."
"I thought she was staying with the Knightleys..."
"Well, you thought wrong," Nora said, simply, and took William's arm, shoving him into the room with her.
"Elly, look who we found."
Elly looked up, and almost let herself jump out of her chair, but instead gave a half-smile and elegantly held out her hand. "William. Always a pleasure."
He took it, and shook it, mesmerized by her fingers, wondering if they were, in fact, real. She was real, and the way his hands trembled now, well that was real too.
"William came over with a contract for my book," Nora happily said.
"Yes, and I remembered some conditions that I forgot to include. Could I use the dining room to write them in?" William asked.
"By all means."
William seated himself at the dining room table, while Edward joined Elly by the silverware, ready to give her support. They silvered in silence, until Edward met his wife's disapproving glare through the kitchen doorway. Interfere! Interfere!
"So, my wife's newest book is a satire on the romance of unrequited love," Edward said casually.
"Is it?" Elly asked. "I thought it was to be a collection of her essays," she said, confused.
"No, all about love. Unrequited love," Edward said. His wife would kill him. "We've had an argument though."
"Oh?" Elly asked, prepared to be entertained by one of Edward's diatribes.
"She claims that a man forgets about a woman faster than a woman about a man. Persuade me into believing that, Miss Elly, as I'm sure you're an expert."
Elly paused in her silvering.
"As you are a romance writer, that is," Edward hastily completed.
"A woman's heart is never her own. Try as she might to rationalize, once a woman feels for someone, she is going to feel that way for him for a very long time."
"And are you sure this time is longer than a man spends?"
"Yes, positive," she said, silencing the argument.
"But surely, you concede that a man still loves a woman as deeply as she loves him, that his love is constant, and unwavering." Edward looked to William, who seemed too intent in his operations to even eavesdrop.
"I do, but have seen very little evidence of it. But in the noblest of love..."
They proceeded to polish in silence.
Edward sighed. He did his best, and boy was his wife going to get it later.
"There, done with the terms," William said. "Nora, please get in here and put your name on this pretty paper so that I feel I have accomplished something, even though I've been away from my office all morning."
Nora laughed as she entered the dining room once more, glaring at her husband. That's the best you could do? "Here you go..." she signed her name with a flourish without reading the contract. "Are you going to be at dinner at Donwell tonight?"
William shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know yet."
"Please, do come..." Nora pressed her friend.
"It depends on some circumstances which are now beyond my control."
Nora looked at him, confused. "Is anything wrong, William?"
"No, nothing. I guess I'll get going now. Nice to see you again, Elyse."
"Always."
He turned to leave, and Elly sighed with relief as Nora said to Edward, "Come into the kitchen, I'd like to ask some favors of you."
Edward frowned. "Save me if I'm not back in five minutes..."
Once Nora and Edward had left the room, she looked up to see William come back in. "Sorry, I guess I forgot some papers..." he said, shuffling through them. Their eyes met as he dropped the folded sheet on the floor. "Good-bye, Elyse."
"Good-bye."
He left the room, and Elly ducked underneath the table to pick up the piece of paper.
She heard the strain of argument in the other room between Edward and Nora. "How was I supposed to know he wouldn't eavesdrop?" Edward was saying.
Assuming it was safe, she went to the window, and read it.
I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you with a heart very much yours, ever since you stole it from me three years ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. For you alone I dream of--Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes?--I would have waited forever for you, waited until you came here to stay, to court you properly. I had not waited more than an hour in your presence, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice, when they would be lost on others.--Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, inW. D.
I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your friend's house this evening.
Elly dropped the letter. "Oh my..."
Nora, in the next room, heard the clang of silverware.
"Elly?" she went through the doorway. "Are you all right?"
"I must find William!"
"He's probably on his way back to the office, but I'm sure you can call his secretary and leave a message."
"No, not for this..." Elly said, running towards the door. "I must find him, I must..." she said, as she pushed the door open.
"Elly where are you going? His building is quite a distance to walk!" Edward cried out after her.
But she didn't need to walk three steps before she was caught up in the arms of William Darcy, who was nervously waiting outside on the front porch.
"Oh thank you!" he whispered into her hair, over and over.
Elly remained in his embrace, taking him in. Her William.
"Aren't they cute?" Edward said to his wife, putting his arm around her waist as they watched the couple kiss.
Lydia de Bourgh was indeed very let down to find out that her future as a happily married socialite was endangered, but soon recovered as she met the very handsome George Wickham.
Lucy Steele, as a matter of fact, did indeed catch John Willoughby's eye again, and managed to keep it, until he saw the next blonde.
As for Carolyn, she didn't not marry. Thank god.
But we shall not dwell on them. Suffice to say, the wishes, the hopes, the confidence, and the predictions of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony, were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union of Elly, who did indeed move to England, and her Mr. Darcy.