Section I, Next Section
Part 1
"Derbylinc International... Would you mind holding the line?"
Elizabeth waited, a little annoyed at the muzak and occasional recorded reassurance that the call was, in fact, important. If her concerns for Georgia were less real she may have hung up, but she'd unsuccessfully tried to ring the home a number of times, so ringing the father at work seemed the next logical option.
She doodled on her note pad as the length of her wait increased whilst she thought about the excruciatingly shy young lady who had recently enrolled in Longford High, and wondered how a girl who seemed to have so much going for her, could be so insecure.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," the impersonal voice on the other end of the phone finally cut in, interrupting her musings. "How may I help you?"
"I'd like to speak to Mr William Darcy please."
"Mr Darcy doesn't take calls, I'll transfer you through to his secretary."
Without further ado Elizabeth found herself waiting on another line, but this time not for very long.
"Good afternoon, Mrs Margaret Reynolds speaking," an older voice answered in a mild and pleasant sounding Scottish accent.
"Good afternoon Mrs Reynolds," Elizabeth replied. "I'm Elizabeth Bennet, Georgia Darcy's Year Advisor at school. Would it be possible to have a few words with Mr Darcy?"
"I'm sorry Elizabeth, but he's at a meeting out of the office for the rest of the day, but I am expecting him to phone in a little later. If you'd like to leave a message I'll be sure to pass it on."
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that very much," Elizabeth responded, feeling that at least she was getting a little closer to contacting the elusive Mr Darcy. "I was hoping Mr Darcy might be able to call into the school sometime this week. There are a few matters concerning Georgia I'd like to discuss with him."
"I'm sure he'll make seeing you a priority, but he has an extremely busy schedule at the moment, " Mrs Reynolds replied. "It might be helpful if you let me know the times you'd be available for such a conference."
"Certainly, I'm free each lunch hour, between one and one fifty, I have my release hours between nine and twelve Thursday mornings, and I'm usually at the school at least until six every evening but Wednesday."
"That's fine Elizabeth. I'm sure Mr Darcy will get back to you shortly."
It was less than an hour later that Elizabeth received a call from Mrs Reynolds, scheduling in an appointment at 5 p.m. the following afternoon. Elizabeth was a little disappointed that she'd been unable to speak to Mr Darcy himself. Usually a few moments on the phone gave her an insight into what to expect from the parents, and how to approach such conferences, but in this case she'd be going in with nothing more than an impression that Mr Darcy was very busy, and held a rather significant position. This was just enough to make her feel a little uneasy.
~/~
William Darcy approached the school's front desk just before five, and let the School Assistant, who was obviously preparing to leave for the day, know that he was to see a Ms Bennet.
"I'm sure she'll be along any minute now," the woman assured him, not bothering to ring or page as she continued her packing up. "Please take a seat."
Darcy felt a little put out as he stepped back from the counter. Georgia had been at the school for less than three weeks, and he hadn't expected any difficulties. He'd only placed her in the State school system as an interim measure after withdrawing her from Rosing's Grammar School. This school was just a stop gap solution while he investigated which would be the most suitable private school in which to place Georgia after the recent fiasco at Rosings. Frankly he'd had rather enough of pushy teachers telling him what he should be doing in regard to Georgia, and this was the last place he wanted to be.
He looked up as he heard someone enter the foyer, hoping it would be Ms Bennet. He wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible, but this girl was quite obviously not old enough to be a year advisor. He looked levelly at the attractive young lady, whilst feeling ill-used at being kept waiting by the teacher who'd summoned him.
The young lady cast her eyes around the room, only giving him a cursory glance.
"Sandra, will you be here for much longer?" she asked of the woman behind the counter.
"About 10 more minutes Liz," Sandra replied
"I'm expecting a Mr Darcy for an appointment. Can you give me a call in the staff room if he arrives before you leave?"
"He's here already," Sandra answered, indicating the man who was just getting to his feet.
"Oh... Mr Darcy?" Elizabeth questioned, some confusion evident in her tone. "I'm Elizabeth Bennet - would you like to come though to the interview lounge?"
'Lounge' was definitely a misnomer Darcy thought, as he cast his eye around the small room with only three functional chairs and a low table on which Georgia's file sat. He was struck by the difference in setting to that of Mrs de Bourgh's imposing office at Rosing's Grammar.
"I'm sorry Mr Darcy," she said as she indicated for him to take one of the seats. " I was expecting someone older. You're obviously not Georgia's father."
"No I'm her brother, and guardian," Darcy answered shortly, "and I'm afraid that I too was expecting to talk with someone senior. I am not used to dealing with junior members of staff."
His exasperation had only increased upon seeing Elizabeth's age. Having Mrs de Bourgh lecturing him on how to bring up Georgia was bad enough, but at least she had a reputation and experience behind her. Now to be called to the school by this mere girl, was a bit much. He'd quite had his fill of school offices and pushy, patronising advice.
Elizabeth was a little taken aback by the disapproval she could read in his eyes. She felt a flash of resentment toward him before reminding herself that this was about Georgia, and that was what she needed to focus on. It wasn't the girl's fault that she had a rude and disdainful brother, who despite what his secretary said about his priorities, obviously resented having to take time out of his important work schedule for the sake of his sister.
Meanwhile Darcy was repressing a desire to just immediately withdraw his sister from this school. It was only the fact that he'd not yet had time to properly consider his enquiries into which respected school would be most appropriate for Georgia, that made him hesitate. He'd been struggling with the possibility that the best school might require her being sent away to board, and he wanted to put off such a momentous decision until he was absolutely sure.
Georgia had been through enough with school lately, and he was angry that she was not even going to be allowed her short stay at Longford High without officious interference from teaching staff. Quite frankly he was offended that in such a short time, they'd managed to find something in Georgia, of which to be critical; and he looked coldly at Ms Bennet.
"Georgia is serious and diligent in her studies," he stated by way of defence to the young teacher's unvoiced criticism. "and I have real difficulty in imagining that she has been defiant or disruptive in any way."
Elizabeth looked across at him, her surprise masking her not very cordial feelings toward this arrogant man, who'd so wrongly presumed to know her reasons for concern over Georgia. If he'd only deigned to return her call himself, she could have told him that Georgia was not in trouble.
"Nor can I Mr Darcy," she answered in a calm voice which belied her actual feelings toward him. "Her behaviour is exactly what it should be, and her work is of a very high standard - remarkably high - particularly given the stresses involved in changing schools. You have a very talented younger sister Mr Darcy."
The man sitting opposite her seemed momentarily disconcerted, but he did not completely lose the hardness of his expression.
"My reason for wanting to talk with you Mr Darcy," she continued levelly, "was my concern for the social aspects of her change of schools. She's been here for almost three weeks now and I'm a little worried that she hasn't seemed to form any new friendships... She's obviously of a reserved nature, and I know that breaking into a new environment can be difficult, so I was actually hoping that you might have some insights or suggestions that could help us facilitate a happier adjustment to our school... I thought it best to act now, as I don't like the idea of her isolation becoming entrenched, or of her feeling uncomfortable or displaced here."
Darcy immediately regretted his earlier terseness and swallowed an ill-natured wish to reply that it didn't matter, because Georgia would not be there for long - besides - it did matter; if Ms Bennet felt concern over Georgia feeling unhappy or displaced, Darcy felt it tenfold. He was incredibly protective of his little sister, and the highest priority in his life was her happiness.
"I'm sorry Ms Bennet, I seem to owe you an apology. Georgia and I've had some rather negative experiences associated with her schooling lately, and I'm afraid I came in rather defensively."
With your bulldozer approach it's no wonder your experiences were negative, Elizabeth thought to herself. She hated it when parents chose to see the school as an adversary rather than a partner, in the concerns of a child.
"So Georgia's here due to difficulties in her former school?" Elizabeth asked, hoping her enquiries would not set off his defensive reaction again. "Do you think this is contributing to her insecurities in settling here, or is she typically this shy?"
"Yes... no... I mean yes..." Darcy searched for the words to convey what Georgia was going through, without giving away the specifics of the situation. The memory of the 'incident' involving Georgia was still painful to him, and Rosings Grammar's reaction still caused him raw anger. "What I am trying to say is that though she's naturally shy, I've no doubt she's feeling more than her share of insecurity at this time. She's recently had her trust betrayed in a significant way, and I'm not at all surprised at her retreating into a protective shell."
"Has she talked to you about how she's feeling here?"
"I ask about it, and all I get are relatively noncommittal comments like 'fine', and 'okay' before she hides herself away in her room. I'm not sure whether I should be pumping her for more information, or whether it's best to just leave things alone for the moment."
"Well that doesn't sound like atypical teenage behaviour to me." Elizabeth responded. "You're probably right to give her a bit of space, particularly if she's just been through a difficult situation - support's great, but pressure can be counter-productive. Does she have any good friends that she talks things through with?"
"No!" Darcy answered sharply, quickly losing any ground that his apology and sensitivity toward Georgia, had gained him in Elizabeth's eyes.
Elizabeth looked at him levelly, not willing to allow her personal opinion of this man to interfere with her professional responsibilities.
"Well Mr Darcy, I have some examples of work that Georgia has turned in since beginning here, if you'd like to look through them. I thought you might be interested in seeing how well she's performing academically. Then I'd hoped to run some ideas past you, regarding her becoming more settled socially. I'd truly appreciate your input on the best way forward, for both our school and Georgia.
Darcy noted that cold formality had returned to her tone, and could have kicked himself for reverting to his earlier terseness. This girl did not deserve his ill temper.
He made every effort toward self control for the remainder of the interview, and found it not at all difficult as he began to appreciate Elizabeth's sensitivity toward Georgia, and her intelligent approach in quest of some solutions. Rather than being annoyed at Elizabeth's 'interference' he began to feel somewhat relieved by the sharing of concern.
In so many ways the time since the death of his parents had been terribly isolating. To suddenly become the sole carer of a grieving 11-year-old, when only 23 and grieving yourself, had not been an easy lot in life. The difference in priorities and responsibilities between Darcy and those who had been his friends, was stark, and though they had not intentionally abandoned their friendships, the different demands on their lives had inevitably pulled them in divergent directions.
On top of looking after Georgia's concerns, he'd also been thrown in at the deep end of his father's business, leaving him with little time for the social life that someone of his age and eligibility might normally expect to enjoy. The few women with whom he'd begun relationships had soon tired of sharing his attention with Georgia, so apart from the occasional guilt call from an old friend, he and Georgia were left pretty much to look after each other.
He had not realised that talking things over with someone else could lighten the burden so significantly, and as they neared the end of their conversation he felt more positive than he had for a long time.
"I have Georgia in my English class, and I was thinking of assigning a task to be completed in teams," Elizabeth explained, finally broaching what she thought was the probably her best strategy to help Georgia break into a group. "I'd allocate which students would work together, and there are a couple of really nice girls with whom I think Georgia would be able to feel quite comfortable. It might be a good opportunity to encourage some appropriate friendships."
She could immediately read the wariness in Darcy's eyes, and didn't know whether to feel sympathy for him, or to be annoyed at his over-protectiveness.
"How sure are you of these girls?"
"As sure as one can be from my perspective Mr Darcy. They're bright girls. I've taught them for two years and think that I have a reasonable insight into their natures."
"So they are sensible and mature?"
Elizabeth couldn't help herself, and laughed out loud at his question, taking him completely by surprise.
"They're 15-year-old girls Mr Darcy, but I can assure you that though they are occasionally silly, they are not habitually stupid, and they're not totally obsessed with the opposite sex, if that's what you're concerned about."
"That's good to hear, but actually I was equally worried about how they related to each other..."
"Ah... now I know where you're coming from. They're not the little bitches that a lot of girls their age can be," Elizabeth answered matter-of-factly, causing a small smile to creep onto Darcy's face for the first time in the interview . "They are just nice kids. I think they're quite involved in one of the local church youth groups, and their interests extend further than the latest fashions and the hottest boys."
"Well... they don't sound too scary," Darcy smiled. "If the girls can be trusted it could be a great idea."
"You don't have to take my word for it Mr Darcy. The assignment will require work done outside the classroom, as well as in. Why not take the opportunity to suggest Georgia invite them over to your home to work? This would give you a chance to meet the girls themselves, and also some of their parents. I'm sure it would set your mind at ease, as well as help facilitate Georgia's friendship with the girls."
"Thank you, I think I will." Darcy replied. "We...ell.." the long drawn out syllable obviously indicated the end of the interview. "Ms Bennet... I'd like to apologise for my earlier terseness... I was a bit taken aback by your youth. How did you manage to come by the role of Year Advisor at you age?"
"Mr Darcy..." Elizabeth's light laugh rang out again. "This is the public school system. There's no great financial benefit in taking on such a position... you get these type of jobs through not being able to think of an excuse quickly enough, or through being too idealistic to know better."
"And to which of these categories do you belong? "Darcy asked as he stood.
"I'm unashamedly idealistic Mr Darcy," Elizabeth answered, not particularly concerned that he would doubtless despise her naïveté.
"Well, I'm certainly glad you are," Darcy replied with a genuine smile, taking Elizabeth completely by surprise. "Thank you for looking out for Georgia."
"You're welcome Mr Darcy, and if you have any concerns at all, please don't hesitate to phone me."
~/~
Elizabeth wandered back to the staff room, and was happy to see Chas Bingley, a good friend as well as colleague, still at school. After such encounters it was good to have someone with whom to unofficially debrief.
It didn't take more than the manner in which Liz collapsed into a seat, to alert Chas to the fact that she'd found the interview rather draining.
"Am I right in the impression that this one didn't go as well as you'd hoped?" he enquired.
"No, I think in the end we made some pretty positive decisions. It's just that Mr Darcy isn't the easiest man in the world to get on with."
"So you weren't particularly taken with Georgia's Dad?"
"It wasn't her Dad, it was her brother, and I must say he was just a tad on the arrogant side. I 'd done nothing more than introduce myself when he made it quite clear that it was rather an affront to his pride to have to deal with a lowly plebeian like myself."
"He didn't say that!" Chas laughed.
"Oh yes he did, that's virtually a quote," Elizabeth grinned back at him. "Thankfully he was able to put his disdain aside for a moment, to consider what was best for Georgia, and remarkably he came across a reasonably insightful and intelligent once we got into the meat of the conversation. Still, I can't say that I particularly like the man."
"So her brother is her guardian?" Chas asked. "It must be hard having such a responsibility when you're only young."
"Chas," Elizabeth answered, feeling a little challenged by his sympathy toward Darcy, "I could probably feel a little more empathy for his responsibility at such a young age, had he only shown a little more empathy for mine."
Part 2
Six weeks later Darcy was working in his study when he came across the stack of letters and brochures on exclusive schools, which he'd received in response to his enquiries on Georgia's behalf.
Admittedly, he'd been avoiding the issue of choosing an appropriate school since Georgia had become happier and more secure at Longford High. The strategies he and Elizabeth had agreed on during their meeting had been undeniably successful, and Georgia had now become very much a part of the group of girls with whom Elizabeth had assigned her to work.
Ms Bennet had been correct in her assessment of them as "nice kids". That was exactly what they were. Darcy had met them on a number of occasions now, and there was no sign of the cattiness or underhandedness that had been so evident in Georgia's last group of 'friends'. Darcy smiled as he thought of his sisters new companions; there was young Emily Wood, who might sometimes be a bit inclined to think a little highly of her own opinion, but the gentle promptings of Anne Ellis, and the down to earth approach of Ellen Dash, kept her well in line, and though Georgia had become closest to Anne, she truly enjoyed the friendship of all three.
That Georgia was more settled was also evident in the fact that she talked to Darcy more... about school... her new friends... about the youth group events he'd allowed her to attend with them... and about Miss Bennet, who had fast become her favourite teacher.
No... Georgia was not going to like changing school again, but they'd both known that Longford high was not going to be a permanent solution. He was certainly going to find it hard to pull her out and make her start again, even though , he reasoned, it was for her ultimate good. She deserved every advantage in her education, and he had a responsibility to see she received it.
Darcy reluctantly turned over the brochures, looking at the imposing edifices that dominated the glossy covers. They may have been grand, but he couldn't say they looked exactly inviting, and even more impressive than the buildings were the five figured amounts listed under yearly fees. Inside the brochures all the schools boasted of their age, their high academic standards, their sporting prowess and their excellent facilities, making it nigh on impossible to tell them apart and Darcy found that in his mind, one school was just melding in with the next.
Intent as he was on his own thoughts, Darcy was startled back to earth by the shrill ringing of his phone.
"Hello, William Darcy," he answered.
"Mr Darcy," spoke a light voice which he distantly recalled. "It's Elizabeth Bennet from Longford High. Do you have a few moments to speak about Georgia?"
"Of course," Darcy answered, wondering why he suddenly felt lightened at the prospect of a few minutes discussion with Elizabeth, and why he felt is was so important to acquit himself better in this exchange than he did in the last. "I'm glad you rang, because I been wanting the opportunity to thank you for the effort you've put into looking after Georgia. I haven't seen her this happy in quite some time."
"I'm so glad to hear that Mr Darcy. She seems more settled at school as well," Elizabeth replied, surprised at friendliness of his tone. "I was actually wondering if she might like to be involved in a particular extra curricular activity, and wanted to run it past you before I broached the subject with her."
"I appreciate that consideration," Darcy answered honestly.
At Rosings parents had little, if any, input into their children's involvement in extra-curricular activities. Each student was expected to give unerring support to any endeavour that might reflect honour upon the school, despite personal conflicts. He recalled the stand up fight he'd had with Mrs de Bourgh over withdrawing Georgia from an activity on the anniversary of their parents death, where he was told rather shortly that it was time to 'stop molly-coddling the girl'.
He pushed thoughts Rosings out of his mind as he tuned back to Elizabeth's words.
"Mr Darcy, have you ever heard of 'The Challenge'? It's a state-wide competition which gives the students a great opportunity to extend themselves."
"No, I can't say I have," Darcy replied cautiously, as visions of Georgia bungy-jumping and abseiling ran through his head. "Is it safe?"
"Perfectly safe," Elizabeth laughed. "It's meant as an extension to the English curriculum. Each school has a team which faces tasks that vary from debating and drama presentations, to creative writing. Georgia wouldn't be expected to do any of the up front tasks... unless she wanted to of course... but I think she'd be a wonderful asset on the creative side of things, and I'm sure it would give her a chance to extend her gifts."
Darcy could not help but feel pleasure at Elizabeth's encouragement of Georgia, but still had a number of questions regarding who else might be on the team, what kind of commitment would be required in hours, and whether it would not interfere with her regular classes, which Elizabeth answered honestly and fully.
"Well," he finally concluded, "I'd be happy for you to speak to Georgia about it, and if she wishes to be part of the team she'll have my full support."
"That's great Mr Darcy. I really feel this could be a wonderful experience for her," Elizabeth answered before terminating the call with the requisite polite goodbyes.
She hung up the phone, extremely pleased with the outcome. Mr Darcy had certainly been more open and pleasant than she expected, and she was relieved she'd caught him in a good mood. The difference in his manner however, had not totally overcome her strong first impression of the man, and she stubbornly put the change down to a capriciousness in his character.
Darcy sat at his desk for while, feeling for a second time after a discussion with Miss Bennet, a lessening of the weight of his cares for Georgia.
He looked again at the letters and brochures that lay in front of him, before placing them into a draw and closing it. Maybe it would be best to leave Georgia's move until the beginning of the next school year... this at least would give him that time he needed to make the right choice.
~/~
Darcy looked at his watch after his out-of-office appointment had run much later than he'd expected, and decided there was little point in returning to his own office before picking up Georgia from her 'Challenge' preparation at the school.
As Emily, Anne and Ellen had also wanted to be part of 'The Challenge', Georgia had been enthusiastic about joining the team, and had actually found it far less daunting than she'd initially expected. Miss Bennet encouraged participation rather than pushed for it, and made their practices extremely enjoyable, with lots of fun and a dash of silliness.
Darcy normally waited for Georgia in his car, parked out the front of the school, though he'd noticed a couple of the parents would go in to watch the end of the sessions when they came to pick up their charges. He'd been tempted to go in himself, but was unsure of whether he'd be intruding or not. Tonight however, the fact that he'd arrived at the school so early, combined with the distinct chilliness of the late afternoon to influence him to leave his car and walk toward the school's drama room.
He slipped silently into the back of the class, and watched in amusement as the kids played a game involving impromptu speeches where they challenged one another over any repetition, deviation or hesitation. If the challenge was upheld the challenging student took over where the other left off, with the one left speaking at the end of a minute receiving points for their team.
It became a rather hilarious exercise, with much laughter and frivolity, and Darcy was amazed to see Georgia actually joining in rather than just sitting back and observing. It occurred to her that she must really feel safe in this group.
After watching unobserved for a few minutes, he was noticed by a male teacher of about his age, who made his way over and introduced himself with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Chas Bingley, are you here for one of the kids?"
"Yes... I'm William Darcy, Georgia's brother," he answered. "I found myself here early today. I hope you don't mind me coming in."
"Not in the least," Chas replied. "It's great to have interest and support from family members. You're welcome to come in any time you wish."
"So you're one of the co-ordinators of this Challenge team?" Darcy asked.
"Only nominally," Chas smiled. "It's really Lizzy's baby, and I just do as I'm told."
Darcy turned his eyes to the group, and for the first time that evening really looked at 'Lizzy', who was laughing as she mediated a lively dispute over whether there had been a deviation from the subject. If he'd noticed she was attractive on their first encounter, it didn't compare to his being struck by her appearance on this occasion. She was dressed far less formally, her jeans and a white T-shirt showing her figure far more advantageously than her business suit had at the interview. Her long chestnut hair was not completely contained in a loose plait, and a natural smile gave animation to her pretty face, but what most caught his notice were her eyes, which mirrored her smile, and also added life, intelligence and humour to her countenance.
It took him a few moments to comprehend that Chas was again speaking to him, and it took a conscious effort to turn his attention back to the conversation.
Twenty minutes later, as he and Georgia walked together to his car, Darcy had to acknowledge that he was glad he'd looked in on her class. Chas had proven to be an interesting and enthusiastic conversationalist, and Georgia seemed pleased when her brother admitted to liking him.
"I don't have him for any classes, but he always comes across as such a nice man," Georgia smiled. "I get the impression that he's a little on the disorganised side, but Miss Bennet keeps him in line... You didn't say much to Miss Bennet this evening."
"No, she seemed a little busy," Darcy replied, thinking of the short formal exchange of greetings he'd had with Elizabeth at the end of the session.
He'd wanted to say more, but had found himself oddly at a loss for the right words, and was now a little annoyed at himself for putting himself across (again) in so stiff a manner. He was also at a loss to explain why it was so important for him to make right the negative impression he'd obviously given of himself during that first interview.
Georgia noticed how quiet her brother was during their drive home, and worried for him anew. Things were starting to look so much better for her. She was beginning to find confidence and security in her friendships, but her brother, despite his respected position and his high powered associates, often seemed so alone.
"William," she said, "I really liked that you dropped into practice this afternoon, perhaps you can look in on it more often."
William looked across at his sister and smiled.
"That'd be nice Georgie, I'll try to."
Part 3
Over the next three weeks it was not at all unusual for Darcy to leave work a little early to enable him to look in on the Challenge team. Chas was always as welcoming as he'd been on the first evening, and he and Darcy were beginning to develop a definite friendship, the first real friendship Darcy had experienced in a long time. Chas was the kind of man it would have been hard not to like, with an openness of nature and a good humoured, but intelligent manner, people were easily drawn to him.
Though Darcy himself was quite reserved to begin with, Chas was beginning to really look forward to their little exchanges. He had a growing appreciation of Darcy's intelligence, and despite being the antithesis of cynicism himself, could not help but be amused at the clever edge of cynicism in his new friend's humour and observations of the world.
Enjoying the company of Darcy as he did, Chas could only wonder at Elizabeth's sustained wariness of the man. She always treated him with a politeness which, though not being exactly cool, could not be described as warm either. Once or twice he'd tried to gently prod Liz about her attitude to William, but to no avail. Most of his comments regarding William were met with an indifference, and when he'd commended William's interest in the Challenge project, she'd flippantly replied that Darcy was probably only checking in on the sessions, because he didn't trust her with Georgia.
This night, as the two men talked at the back of the room, Elizabeth approached them in order to run something past Chas. She acknowledged Darcy according to the rules of civility, but nothing more, before having a quick exchange with Chas and returning to the action.
William watched as Liz walked back to the kids and sighed.
"Chas, do you think she's ever likely to forgive my behaviour at our first meeting?"
"She's not usually one to hold on to resentments. She's just a little wary ... all she needs is to get to know you."
"I can't see that's ever likely to happen. She carefully avoids anything other than superficial pleasantries."
"What exactly did you say during that interview?" Chas asked. "Was it really that bad?"
"Yes I'm rather afraid it was... maybe not so much what I said, as how I said it. I'd had anger and frustration over how Georgia had been treated at her last school, building up inside me for weeks, and I took it out on her... It only took a few minutes for me to realise I'd been an idiot, but by then I believe she already had me pegged as an arrogant jerk."
"Seriously, she'll get over it," Chas smiled. "Just show her who you really are. Start by becoming more involved in the Challenge. It's a common point of interest."
Darcy was not as optimistic as Chas, and let the conversation drop. He was therefore, taken completely off guard when Chas called Elizabeth over at the end of practice and announced that William was just saying he'd like to support the Challenge team to a greater degree.
"Really, Mr Darcy?" Elizabeth questioned, giving him an arch look.
"Of course," Darcy answered smoothly, hoping his own surprise didn't show through. "It's a wonderful programme."
"What exactly did you have in mind?" Elizabeth asked.
It now fell to Darcy to think on his feet.
"I'm not sure... I'm happy to contribute extra funds." It had been an answer which might have gone down well at Rosings, but he could read from the look in Elizabeth's eyes, that this had been the wrong answer here.
"Thank you, but the school has already approved the finance we need..." she replied, unable to keep a slight edge of censure from her voice, "...the kind of support we need requires more personal involvement and time... like the sharing of expertise... and transport to and from the competitions..."
"Well, I'm very happy to assist in any capacity you'd like to suggest," Darcy answered with an equanimity that belied the fact that he'd noted her disapproval.
Elizabeth, who had fully expected him to politely withdraw under the excuse of work commitments or of time pressures, was momentarily taken aback, but the mischief in her led her to push Darcy a little further, and test his happiness to assist in "any capacity".
"Well..." she began in a serious tone, "...we were hoping to have a Saturday practice the weekend after next, to get us ship-shape before the first round, but my place is too small, and Chas's is disgustingly untidy... it wouldn't do to have the kids catching typhoid..."
"Hey.. it's not bad..." Chas protested, "...just homely... "
"Yes, you're very welcome to use our home," William replied, a suppressed amusement in his voice alerting Elizabeth to the fact that he'd clearly seen this as a challenge thrown in his direction.
"Why thank you Mr Darcy, I might just let the kids know before they start leaving."
Elizabeth turned around, called the young peoples attention to her, and informed them that the practice on Saturday week was going to be at Georgia's place.
"Do we bring lunch Miss Bennet?" one boy asked, food being of major importance to any teenage lad.
"No, Mr Darcy will be very happy to shout pizza's," Elizabeth replied, before turning back to find him laughing out loud.
"Remind me to chose my words very carefully around you Miss Bennet," he grinned.
Having half expected to affront him she was rather amazed at his gallantry.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Elizabeth was unable to stop herself from smiling back. "Seriously, I'll buy the pizza's."
"I wouldn't hear of it," he replied. It felt good to have a genuine smile finally directed at him. "We don't usually expect our guests to bring their own food with them."
"But I dare say that you're not usually faced with 14 self-invited guests, most of whom are teenagers. You might be surprised at the amount they'll eat."
"I'm sure he'll cope," chipped in Georgia, who had just moved over to join their circle. "He tells me that he was once a teenager himself, though sometimes I think he's making it up."
"Hey... it really wasn't that long ago you know," Darcy smiled at his sister as he put an arm around her and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Miss Bennet, I'm sure you'll have enough on your mind without thinking about catering as well."
"Ringing up for pizza's hardly constitutes catering," Elizabeth argued.
"Do you have to be awkward about everything?" Chas threw at Elizabeth. "Just let the man buy the pizzas!"
"Who's awkward?" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Don't try denying it woman," Chas shot at her with a grin. "Just look at all your stuffing around over this weekend."
"I can't help it if things keep coming at me from left field."
"Well, you still haven't let me know if we're going for two nights or only one..."
"If you'll excuse us," Darcy interrupted, "...Georgia and I should head off."
"Thanks again for the offer of your home, Mr Darcy," Elizabeth replied, reluctantly putting aside her disagreement with Chas. "Can I give you a call early next week to sort out the details?"
Darcy affirmed that would be fine, before leaving with his sister.
Elizabeth watched them for a moment before turning back to Chas.
"What did you have to go and do that for?" she complained. "I was kind of enjoying my dislike of him. You're a kill-joy you know."
"My goodness, you can be perverse when you want to be," Chas laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as they exited the building Georgia stopped and gave her brother a big hug.
"What did I do to deserve that?" he smiled.
"You know exactly," Georgia smiled back. "Thanks for inviting everyone around."
"I really had no choice," Darcy answered as they resumed their walk to the car. "Miss Bennet strongly intimated your health would be at risk if you went to Mr Bingley's home."
Georgia laughed.
"They're funny the way they talk to each other," the young girl stated.
As he unlocked the car Darcy had to admit to himself that he'd found their banter amusing, that was until they got to the part about their going away together for the weekend.
The idea that they were involved had taken him completely off guard. None of their behaviour toward each other had ever suggested it, so he told himself that the uneasiness he'd experienced upon the discovery was due to nothing more than his surprise. He just needed to get used to the notion. It might be a bit old-fashioned, but he also found their discussing weekends away together, particularly in front of students, a little off-putting.
He and Georgia talked about nothings on the way home until, without really knowing he was going to do it, William asked about Chas and Elizabeth's relationship.
"How serious is it between Mr Bingley and Miss Bennet ?"
"Oh, they got engaged about a month and a half ago," Georgia answered distractedly. "It took him weeks to come down from cloud nine, Miss Bennet kept teasing him about it."
Pushing aside the slight sinking feeling he experienced upon this revelation, he vaguely wondered why Elizabeth would tease Chas over his happiness at their engagement.
"So wasn't Miss Bennet on cloud nine too?"
"I suppose she was," Georgia answered. "Mr Bingley didn't really mention her reaction."
"...Couldn't you tell for yourself?" Darcy asked confused.
"Even if I'd spoken to her since then, I can't say I know her well enough to really assess her reaction." Georgia replied, giving her brother a quizzical look. "She seems very nice, but she's quiet"
It was now Darcy's turn to look quizzically at his sister.
"She's very beautiful though..." Georgia went on.
Well, now you've gone from stating the absurd to stating the 'bleeding obvious' Darcy thought to himself.
"...but I like our Miss Bennet more; she has more spark." Georgia finished off. "Still, I can't imagine our Miss Bennet with Mr Bingley though, can you...? They might be good friends, but in a relationship she'd walk all over him - he's much better off with her sister."
Darcy's confusion was suddenly replaced by a huge sense of relief, and he was glad he'd grasped the actual circumstances before his misunderstanding became apparent to Georgia.
"Yes, I think your Miss Bennet would keep most men on their toes." He gave his sister a quick grin. "I don't imagine it'd be entirely easy to gain her respect."
"The right man could though..." Georgia answered, before they both lapsed into a reflective silence.
Chapter 4
As Liz dialled William Darcy's business number, it occurred to her to wonder if she'd actually be able to get past his office staff. They'd seemed rather protective of him last time she'd phoned. As had happened on the previous occasion, she was told Mr Darcy did not take calls, and was transferred through to his secretary Mrs Reynolds, who took a little convincing before accepting that Mr Darcy might actually be expecting her call, and conceding to check with him over whether he'd speak with her or not.
Elizabeth drummed her fingers a little impatiently as the irritating muzak again began to play into her ear, and was rather relieved when she heard Darcy's voice on the other line.
"Hello, Miss Bennet."
"Morning Mr Darcy... or is it afternoon?" she answered flippantly. "It's a bit difficult to tell as I've been on the phone for so long."
It suddenly occurred to her how peevish her words may have sounded and she was pleased to hear him laugh, thankful he'd accepted them in the humour they'd been intended.
"Sorry about that Miss Bennet. Sometimes my staff can be a little protective of me and my time. I'll give you my direct number for next time you call."
'Next time'? Now where did the expectation of her calling me again come from? William asked himself. Still, Elizabeth didn't seem to find anything awry in this assumption, and accepted the number with a quick thanks.
"Now about this weekend, is 10am to early a start for you on a Saturday morning?" she asked.
"That's fine, I'm normally well and truly up by then - it's only Georgie who sleeps in."
"Very sensible girl," Elizabeth quipped. "I knew she was bright."
"I'll chose to ignore the other implication of that comment," Darcy smiled, "and instead ask you how long you expect the practice will go for, and if there's anything in particular you'll need on the day?"
"Is it too much for you if we stay around until three? We've actually got a heap of loose ends to pull together."
"I've no problem with that."
"And I also meant to ask if you have anywhere where some kids could continue to work on the props and backdrop without there being a danger of them getting paint all over your Persian carpets and priceless antiques."
"Well... as I can't recall owning any Persian carpets and priceless antiques, anywhere in the house might fit that brief, but it might be most practical if they used the work shed out the back."
"You have a work shed - wonderful. I honestly was a bit concerned about an appropriate place for the kids to do that. Don't think I don't appreciate that I pushed this whole thing on you... I've been feeling a little guilty over it. Are you sure it's alright...? "
"Perfectly sure Miss Bennet. I wouldn't have allowed myself to be pushed in to it otherwise... Is there anything else I need to know?"
"I can't think of anything off the top of my head... If I think of something can I let you know when you pick Georgia up from practice tomorrow night?"
"Sure, that's fine. I'll see you then Miss Bennet."
"See you then - and thanks again for your help."
Darcy was unaware of the fact that he smiled for much of the rest of the day. He was aware though, that he was incredibly relieved that he'd apparently received a pardon for his poor behaviour toward Elizabeth. He had regretted his presumptuous words almost from the time they'd left his mouth, but his regret had grown over recent weeks since he'd had the opportunity to observe Elizabeth more, and gain a greater insight into her nature and talents... not to mention her beauty.
He dwelt for a moment on the pleasure that not only Georgia, but he also, had received from his association with Elizabeth, Chas and their team, and found himself smiling once more. Although he'd been initially doubtful in regard to Chas's suggestion to become more involved with the Challenge, Darcy had to admit to himself, that he was very grateful that Chas had interfered on his behalf. What he did not consciously admit was that his gratitude toward Chas went far deeper, as he was more grateful still, that Chas had the decency to be engaged to Elizabeth's sister, and not to Elizabeth herself.
~/~
A lack of concentration caused William to leave work even earlier than he'd intended on the evening of the next practice. As was his want, he slipped quietly into the back of the room and took in what was going on around him. The evidence of what Elizabeth had called 'loose ends', was everywhere, with the team split into groups obviously concentrating on different aspects of the challenge, and each trying to call the attention of either Chas or Elizabeth to their own concerns.
He watched the scene with a growing respect for the time and energy put in by these two young teachers. He found his observation increasingly drawn to a group not far from him, where Emily Wood was assertively putting forward her demands to a couple of industrial arts students who had volunteered their services to help with the props. These students were explaining that it was not possible to deliver that which Emily was requesting, and Emily was insisting that it was.
In the end the argument became too much for him, and he walked over to the group asking them to go over the problem with him. He listened both to Emily's grand expectations, and then to the other side of the story, actually managing to keep Emily's interruptions and protests to minimum.
By the time Elizabeth had worked her way around to that group, she was pleasantly surprised to find Darcy had matters very much under control, and was himself making sketches for the industrial arts students to work from, 'translating' Emily's requests into a form they could understand, and in turn explaining to Emily the reasons behind the impracticality of some of her expectations.
Elizabeth looked over at Darcy's sketches, and had to be impressed by the effectiveness and simplicity of his ideas. She gave him a smile of thanks before walking off to focus her attention where it was more needed.
The group that was practising the pre-set drama piece was getting everything down pretty tight, and Liz watched them giving the occasional suggestion for tightening it a little more.
"That's shaping up wonderfully," she said with a smile. "The only thing that stands out to me as looking out of place is that dance bit in the middle... It looks a little unprofessional."
"But we're not professional, Miss Bennet." Martin, the play's lead, chipped in. "And anyway, we only have to dance for ten seconds... does it really matter if we don't do it properly?"
"If it only goes for 'ten seconds' it shouldn't hurt to do it properly. It's the little touches like that which make the difference between doing well and doing very well."
Martin groaned, causing Elizabeth to laugh.
"I'm sorry that I'm so cruel as to require you to dance Martin, but I'm sure you'll survive. I'll get Mr Bingley to come over to work on it."
Mr Bingley was duly called over, and Elizabeth left to give a little time to the kids, including Georgia, who were doing research in order to prepare for the debate, the topic for which they had only received two days earlier.
Georgia looked up from the Thesaurus of Quotations she was flipping through, and gave Liz a smile.
"The problem here Miss Bennet, is too much information rather than not enough. It's becoming hard to know what to include and what to leave out."
Liz sat down next to her, and the group talked through what the most pertinent issues were. Elizabeth was again impressed at Georgia's insight and clarity of thought, and she was pleased to see that Georgia's ideas also had the respect of the others in the team, regardless of the fact that she was not one of the speakers.
They seemed to be doing fine, so she left them for a moment and wandered over to Darcy who, having completed his work, was now sitting quietly in his regular place at the back of the room.
"Thanks so much for your help tonight," she spoke sincerely. "I really appreciate it."
"I hope I wasn't overstepping the mark through butting in."
"Not at all. I'd been trying to make it to those kids for ages, but was continually being detained or interrupted. It was a relief to see you step in," she smiled. "I have to say, I was impressed by your designs."
"Thanks, I actually studied architecture at uni, but I only had the chance to work in the area for six months before I had to step into my dad's position in the business" Darcy answered. "Although I don't get much time for it, I like the chance to use a few of those skills every now and then."
"Well... I'd better get back to these kids..." Elizabeth said, something about Darcy suddenly making her feel on the edge of self-conscious.
William's eyes didn't leave her as she walked back to the drama group and shook her head in dismay at how the 'dance' was going. He couldn't resist a smile at the stilted rocking back an forth that was supposed to pass for a waltz. It reminded William of weddings he'd been to when younger, where the bride and groom, who'd never done a waltz step in their lives, had been instructed by the photographer to strike a waltz pose so that he could get some traditional 'bridal waltz' photographs. Couples pretending to waltz when they obviously couldn't, was not the best look.
He watched in amusement as Liz tried unsuccessfully to teach them the basic steps.
'Chas, have you got a moment," she called to him across the room. "I need a partner to show them how this is done properly."
"Liz, I don't know how to waltz," Chas answered back. "I tried to tell you that before..."
"You must be able to," Liz insisted. "What kind of man doesn't know a few basic waltz steps?"
"A real man," Chas threw back with a grin.
"Thanks, that's helpful," Liz answered with a wry smile, noting Martin's look of complete agreement.
"Miss Bennet," Georgia offered. "William can waltz."
Elizabeth looked across at William Darcy... and it occurred to her that anyone would have to be blind to question whether this was a real man. She shook her mind out of it's uncharacteristic contemplations...
" Umm.... would you mind Mr Darcy?"
"Not at all," he replied casually as he walked over to take his place with Elizabeth.
Darcy had no complaints over the kids being unable to pick up the steps quickly. He didn't mind at all being stuck in this position with Elizabeth. The sensations created by the feel of her slender figure, and by the softness of her hand in his, were surprisingly intense, and it took quite a bit of his practised self control to appear indifferent, and to resist the temptation to pull her closer to him.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, seemed to be having no such struggle. Her mind appeared to be totally focussed on the task of instructing the younger couple. Darcy therefore, would have been surprised if he'd known that she left the hall soon afterwards, not to collect something from her office as she'd claimed, but to collect herself.
She sat in the staff room, and relished the quiet and the space that she needed so much at that moment. She could still feel where there'd been the light pressure of his hand on her back, and feel the soft tinglings from the warmth where he'd held her hand. Why was she suddenly allowing that man to affect her so much? Sure, he was gorgeous... and intelligent... and could really be quite personable when he wanted to be, but she knew better than to be led astray by such things. Their first meeting had given her an insight into his nature that she'd be a fool to forget.
Life had taught her, not bitter lessons, but pertinent ones. A couple of relationships she'd had when younger had shown her, thankfully before she'd become too involved, that you had to look past the externals of a person, to the essence of their character. That initial conference with William Darcy may not have been an easy one, but it was one for which she was going to be grateful. It was going to save her from falling for someone who could never be the right man for her.
Part 5
Not really knowing what to expect from Saturday, diluted a little of Darcy's anticipated pleasure at the thought of being again in Elizabeth's company. The reality of having such a volume of teenagers in his home was completely alien to him, and despite his reassurances to Elizabeth, the prospect of it all was a little daunting.
The actual event though, proved more enjoyable and far less stressful than he had imagined possible. The fact that Elizabeth and Chas were there as overseers diffused his responsibility, and when Elizabeth's sister Jane, who was also Chas fiancée, arrived just before lunch, it meant there was a student/adult ratio of less than 4 to 1. Mind you, it did occur to Darcy that Chas's distraction after Jane arrived rendered him far less useful than he'd been earlier.
Darcy couldn't really blame Chas for his distraction. Jane certainly was an exceptionally beautiful woman, but personally he had to concur with Georgia's assessment that ultimately "our Miss Bennet" had that something more. There was a particular quality in Elizabeth's liveliness and intelligence which gave an increase to her already undeniable attractiveness.
Elizabeth had turned up at the Darcy household that morning in a positive and enthusiastic mood. She'd had time to think over her feelings after her 'dance' with Darcy the other night, and was now amused at her over-reaction.
In the light of day her nervousness concerning Darcy seemed a tad ridiculous, and she had to laugh at her vanity in assuming she'd have to protect herself from this man. What made her think that he would be romantically interested in her anyway? Sure she'd always had more trouble in getting rid of guys than attracting them, but Darcy had never indicated an interest in her above that of her being a factor in Georgia's education.
What's more, Darcy could never strike anyone as being at all needy in the romance department. She was sure he'd have any number of women willing to fall at his feet; and she had little doubt that his tastes would lie toward the more cultured and sophisticated of her sex. She laughed as it occurred to her that, not only had she been trying to cross bridges before she came to them, but she'd been trying to cross bridges that were unlikely to ever be built at all.
These musings had reassured Liz to the point where she could approach the thought of a day in the company of Darcy without the restraints of nervousness which had, only the other night, threatened to interfere with their new found rapport. Surely she could appreciate a friendship with this man, without any fear of becoming romantically entangled.
Darcy had accepted that Elizabeth's attention would have to be given to the team so, not long after her arrival, he'd left her to her task, and spent most of his morning in his shed with the props and back-drops group. He truly enjoyed the opportunity to assist the kids, and to work with his hands for a change.
Elizabeth, on taking a coffee out too him late morning, was delighted with the progress they were making, more than a little surprised at William's willingness to get himself dirty, and further surprised at how well he was relating to the kids. A couple of the boys, upon viewing his well set up and well equipped work shop, had been extremely impressed, but upon him actually letting them use his tools (with appropriate supervision and safety precautions of course) they had become almost reverential in their attitude toward him.
On noticing Elizabeth, Darcy stepped back from the kids and gratefully accepted his coffee from her hands. He thanked her, and not willing to let her move off straight away, asked about how everything was going inside. He was pleased when Elizabeth seemed happy to stop for a moment and chat with him about how the morning was panning out.
"I might just grab my coffee," Liz told him after they'd been speaking for a minute or so. "I left it on your garden bench."
Darcy followed Liz outside as she collected her coffee, and rather than sit down to finish their talk, they moved as though by mutual consent, into a patch of early winter sun, and leaned against an ornamental retaining wall to soak up the warmth.
Darcy took a relaxed sip from his mug, and unconsciously let out a long sigh of relief.
"These moments of quiet are pure bliss," Liz smiled at him, knowing exactly how he felt. "You should appreciate it while you can, because it won't last long before we're interrupted."
"I don't know how you keep it up Elizabeth," Darcy answered, dropping for the first time his use of the more formal 'Miss Bennet'. "This working with kids is a novelty to me, and I'm enjoying it... but a bit of space is wonderful."
"It can be full on, but the rewards are aplenty," Elizabeth answered, suppressing the treacherous little twinge of pleasure she'd received on hearing her name on his lips.
"I dare say there are disappointments aplenty too,"
"They only serve to highlight the joy in the rewards," Liz smilingly answered.
"You wouldn't be a 'glass half full' person by any chance?" Darcy laughed.
"I'm unashamedly optimistic William," she replied, testing out their new informality and liking it. "It's amazing what can be achieved with a little time, effort and the investment of ones self... You Sir, may think that the time of miracles has passed," she added cheekily, "but don't believe it. Case in point...didn't we teach Martin to dance the other night?"
Darcy laughed.
"Poor kid," Liz grinned. "I still don't know if he's quite forgiven me for assaulting his manhood in such a way."
"I know how he feels," Darcy admitted. "I absolutely hated it when I was made to learn to dance. I still tend to dislike the practice unless I'm particularly acquainted with my partner."
"Oh..." Liz replied, looking slightly amused. "I suppose I should apologise for forcing you to dance as well..."
"Don't..." Darcy smiled down at her. "I didn't mind in the slightest. Quite honestly, it was my real pleasure."
Not surprisingly, Elizabeth found herself again feeling self-conscious in Darcy's presence, and looked to turn the subject.
"It's a beautiful garden you have here, did you put the work into it yourself?" she asked.
"I love this garden, but can't claim any credit for it," he replied. "It was Mum who put in all the hard work, only occasionally dragging Dad or me outside to do some of the heavy stuff. We actually have someone come in on a monthly basis over the warmer months to keep it tidy, but it hasn't been the same since my parent's accident. It misses Mum's touch. She loved colour and used annuals a lot more. It's unfortunate that we've not had the time to give it more attention over the last few years."
It was the first time Elizabeth had heard any reference to the fate of Georgia and Darcy's parents. At their first meeting Darcy had not volunteered any explanation as to why he was Georgia's guardian, so Elizabeth had not thought it appropriate to ask. Although something deep inside had told her there'd been tragedy, she'd secretly hoped that there might have been a happier explanation, like the parents were working overseas... or something... but it seemed that wasn't the case. Knowing this now for a certainty, her heart went out, not only to Georgia, but also to William.
"Miss Bennet... did you find out if the creative writing had to be presented collectively or individually?" Emily's voice called out from the back door before Elizabeth was able to respond to Darcy.
"I'll just be a minute Emily," Liz called back as she gave William a wry smile. "Well, it looks like our moment of peace is over... Would you like me to take your cup?"
"No thanks, I can take yours," William replied. "I have to go in to ring the Pizza place anyway. What do you think I should order?"
"I can do that William..." Liz began before she was cut off by Williams laugh.
"You're not going to start that again are you?"
Relieved that William had brought things back to a lighter ground again, she gave in to him, and as they walked back to the house together she just made some suggestions regarding the number and type of pizzas he might like to order, before they parted in the hallway.
The break for lunch, though initially noisy and crowded, was appreciated by all. Darcy had thought ahead and bought soft-drinks, desserts, and disposable plates and most the kids took their food outside to catch a bit of sun whilst the ate.
The adults retreated instead into the kitchen area, and as they sat around the table, talking about trivialities, and enjoying each other's company, it occurred to Darcy just how long it had been since there'd been this kind of laughter in his home.
Feeling comfortable in his own (albeit slightly over-run) environment he relaxed more, and Elizabeth found herself faced with having to admit that William was far more complex than she ever imagined. She couldn't help but be impressed with his knowledge and opinions, and was entertained by his cynical bent. Where only that morning she had been reassured by the understanding she could never be his type, the same thought that afternoon, brought on different and confused feelings.
Still that touch wary due to her first impression, it may have been a good thing that Elizabeth didn't know how far off beam she was in her assumption that Darcy did not find her attractive. The more time he spent in the company of Elizabeth, the more he found about her to appreciate.
The demands of the afternoon soon pulled them in different directions again, but the rest of the day seemed to fly, and Darcy was surprised when parents began arriving to pick up their kids.
When most of the students had left, the house suddenly seemed extraordinarily empty. Liz and Jane made the rounds to give the place a quick tidy and pick up anything left behind, whilst William put on some coffee and spoke with Chas about his impressions of the day. The men were soon joined by Jane and Liz, followed by Georgia and Emily (who was yet to be collected) and the post mortem of the day continued.
Coffee's finished, Chas was the one to break up the party.
"William, you wouldn't have a street directory handy would you. Janie and I are supposed to be checking out a reception centre at four, and I have now idea how to get to the place."
"I'll grab one for you," Darcy said getting to his feet and heading up to his home office.
He straight away opened a draw on his desk. Not really noting them, he moved aside the stack of school brochures to reach the directory sitting underneath, and returned to the kitchen.
As Chas and Janie worked out where they were going and headed off on their way, Darcy made himself and Liz a fresh coffee, and poured Georgia and Emily another juice. They had hardly taken their first sips when a knock on the door announced the arrival of Emily's Dad.
Georgia accompanied Emily to the door, but as soon as they were out of earshot of the kitchen, Georgia spoke in a low voice to Emily.
"Do you think your Father would mind if I came over to your house for a bit?"
Emily was only momentarily confused as to the purport of this request, then she glanced back toward where Darcy and Elizabeth now sat alone together, chatting in the kitchen, and grinned.
"Great idea," she replied, immediately in the spirit of things. "I'll check with Dad."
A few moments later Georgia was back in the kitchen with a straight faced request.
"William. Emily wants me to go over to her place for dinner, do you mind?"
"What time would you be likely to be home, and how are things on the homework front?"
"Before eight, and Emily and I are planning to work on school stuff while I'm there. Can I please go William?"
"I suppose so, are you sure it's alright with her father?"
"Positive Mr Darcy," Emily replied, on arriving back in the kitchen. "Coming Georgia?"
"Yes... See you later William... See you on Monday Miss Bennet."
Part 6
Emily was impatient for Georgia to arrive at school on Monday morning, and Georgia hardly had time to sit down before Emily asked the question.
"Well, was she still there when you arrived home?"
Georgia gave a wry smile as she shook her head.
"No, apparently she only stayed until she finished her coffee. She left 5 minutes after we did."
"Bummer," came Emily's reply. "I thought your idea was perfect."
"What idea was that?" Ellen enquired. "Have I missed out on something here?"
"Not really," Georgia replied, feeling a little awkward now her notions needed to be put into words. "I just thought that it might be nice for William to get to know Miss Bennet a bit better."
"What exactly do you mean by 'a bit better'," Anne asked with a laugh.
"I don't know..." Georgia replied feeling all the more foolish now. "I just think that they could really get on well together..."
"Just how well do you want them to get on?" Ellen grinned.
"Come on you two," Emily intervened. "They're perfect for each other. Georgia's brother is not bad looking really, for someone as old as he is, and we all know that Miss Bennet is very cute."
"Have you any idea how superficial that sounds, Emily?" Ellen threw at her friend.
"That's not what I meant..." Georgia put in. "I mean, every woman I can ever remember William dating has been pretty... but that didn't necessarily make them right for him."
"Haven't you liked any of his girl friends?" Anne asked.
"Some of them were okay I guess," Georgia shrugged. "One or two were a bit on the snobby side, and I doubt they found his home and lifestyle what they'd expected; a couple tried to impress him by gushing over me, but I felt they were insincere; and I have strong memories of one who blatantly resented me. Thankfully none of them were long term girlfriends."
"You don't think then, that you might only want to think Miss Bennet would be right for him," Ellen asked tentatively. "Could you want to believe it for your sake more than his?"
"I know what you're saying Ellen, but I don't think so. I really do think that they would be good together. Miss Bennet could walk over most guys, but William's can hold his own. I mean... he's bright... really bright... and when he relaxes he has a wonderful sense of humour," Georgia struggled to explain how she felt. "I wonder how much having to be a kind-of father, has changed him. He doesn't laugh as much as I remember him laughing when he was young... he's so serious about everything now. I think Miss Bennet could help him see the pleasure in life again... and that at the same time she'd appreciate all the good qualities in William..."
"I know what you mean," Anne smiled. "I can see they might complement each other."
"Still, whether they suit each other or not," Ellen put in, "is it anyone's business but theirs? I don't think I'd appreciate having someone pushed at me, or like the feeling of being set-up."
"Georgia wasn't 'setting-up', " Emily defended. "She was just 'facilitating'."
Emily and Ellen continued their disagreement not noticing that on Ellen's words, Georgia had turned decidedly pale. Georgia's sudden indisposition though, had not gone unnoticed by Anne, who was now watching her friend with concern, wondering if should enquire about it. The first bell of the day however, took the decision away from her, and they gathered their things together to walk to the first class of the day.
At recess Anne was still concerned for Georgia, who'd remained extremely quiet all morning. By lunchtime Ellen had also noticed something was wrong, and she stayed back, pulling Emily with her, when Anne drew Georgia aside.
"What's going on there?" Emily asked curiously as Anne led Georgia toward the library.
"Anne just wants to find out what's upsetting Georgia."
"Is Georgia upset?" Emily asked in a bemused tone.
~/~
"Are you okay Georgia? You've been awfully quiet today,"
Georgia gave her friend a half smile.
"I'm fine Anne... It's nothing really."
"If we said anything to upset you this morning, we didn't mean too. Even Ellen agrees they'd make a great couple."
"It's not that Anne... honest."
"Is it anything we can help with Georgia? It's hard seeing you upset."
"No, really... Ellen mentioning about setting people up, just reminded me of something that happened a while back. It's ridiculous that I'm still letting it get to me this much."
"Want to talk about it?" Anne asked gently.
"No... you'd think I'm too stupid," Georgia replied, trying to smile, but not quite succeeding.
"I doubt that," Anne replied. "I wish I had half your natural talent."
Georgia did smile at her friend's deliberate misunderstanding of her statement.
"You know that's not what I meant, Anne. I'm talking about a mortifyingly gullible and mind-numbingly naïve, kind of stupidity."
"In that case you have to share," Anne smiled. "It'll be reassuring to find out you're not perfect at everything."
"Perfect!. You've got to be joking! " Georgia exclaimed, before lapsing into a short silence.
"I was joking, but only when I said you had to share Georgia," Anne said reassuringly. "I'm sorry if I've been too pushy. I was just worried."
"Oh Anne, it was humiliating... and nasty..." Georgia began, the empathy of Anne really touching her, and without really making a conscious decision to do so, she began, for the first time since it had happened, to share her hurt with a friend.
~/~
Darcy noticed that Georgia was a little subdued early that evening, and he had a sense that something had happened. He'd come home to find Georgia on the phone to Anne, in some-kind of deep and meaningful discussion, which she immediately concluded on becoming aware he'd entered to room.
Later Georgia had received long phone calls from both Ellen and Emily, which were taken in her room and conducted in low voices.
When she joined him in the family room, much later that night, she seemed almost refreshed. He made some gentle enquiries about what had been going on, but all he really managed to get out of Georgia was "Just stuff", before she deliberately turned the subject to other things. Georgia enjoyed chatting to her brother about nothings for the rest of the evening, before going to bed with the feeling of relief at having shared a problem, and experiencing the security and acceptance found in true friendship.
~/~
After all the Challenge Team's preparation, the Saturday of their first round of competition finally arrived. The excitement was almost tangible as the kids from different schools involved, worked up dramas almost more exciting than those that would be performed on the stage later that morning.
There were worries about where the props should be stored, where to register correctly, how to get the final programme, whether they should change into their outfits for the play sooner or later, personal nerves and anxieties...
Every day at work Darcy dealt with demands and decisions involving international trade, and literally hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of dollars, and he took it all in his stride. This however, was a different matter all together! It was scary. It involved teenagers, a majority of whom were female. How could international trade ever compare with their female lead bringing the wrong shoes and being so nervous that she thought she might throw-up. He quickly realised this was out of his league, and retreated from the fray to find himself a seat at the back of the hall.
Soon number of the other parents began to seat themselves, and a group of Longbourn High ones sat closer to the front. He toyed for a moment with the idea of joining them, but his reserved nature got the better of him and he remained where he was. He was therefore, a little surprised when about an hour later, just before the drama part of the programme began, Elizabeth sat herself next to him.
"You're not staying backstage?" he asked. Or with the other parents? he thought.
"No, teachers are banned from up there during the performances as it's supposed to be all the kids' effort today." Elizabeth smiled. "We should save a seat for Georgia too. The Critical Writing group will finish their first section in 15 minutes, so she should be able to catch most of the dramas. We're second last, so no doubt she'll be pleased she gets to be here for our performance."
"What else will Georgia be involved in?" William asked.
"Well, the creative writing is straight after lunch. They actually have the assessors here, so that the overall results for the day will be announced this afternoon. She'll also be keen to see the debating team in action, because she did heaps of their research. In fact..." Elizabeth whispered with a smile, "she wrote more than half of the speeches of the first and second speakers."
"She doesn't tell me these things you know," William commented, and Elizabeth just laughed.
They sat in silence through the first drama, enjoying it, but pleased to with the thought theirs was more polished. In the break whilst the adjudicators wrote their comments, they were joined by Georgia, who instead of sitting next to her brother, squeezed in next to Elizabeth, pushing her teacher further down the bench and closer to William.
Georgia would have been pleased to know, that with Elizabeth so close at his side, William was having difficulty in concentrating on the second play. The feel of her arm lightly brushing his, and the smell of her soft perfume, were distractions a little too intoxicating for him to give too much attention to the stage. He'd composed himself more by the end of the third play, and was able to contribute intelligently to Elizabeth and Georgia's short discussion on the drama, whilst waiting for the adjudicators to finish up their notes.
The hall began to quieten down as the MC came on stage to announce Longbourn High's production, and the attention turned again to the stage. As is often the case in these matters, the friends and families in the audience felt almost as nervous as the performers.
The extra time and effort they'd put in paid off, with everything going smoothly except for one small hiccup, with someone coming in early with their line. William noticed Georgia tense-up on the error, but saw Elizabeth reach over and give her hand a comforting squeeze, as the performers cleverly improvised a few lines, making the error unnoticeable to anyone who was not intimately aware of the script. Elizabeth was completely oblivious to the effect that this simple and natural little gesture, of reassurance to Georgia, had on the girl's brother.
His thoughts were again turned to the woman beside him and he was aware that the warmth he felt toward Elizabeth was far more than just a physical reaction. Since first meeting her his feelings of isolation in relation to his love and responsibility for Georgia, had eased. Even during the time that his own relationship with Elizabeth had been strained, he had found comfort in the realisation that he was not alone in his care for his sister.
What had begun in William as a gratitude and respect toward Elizabeth, had grown in recent weeks to something far more. Her sensitivity and care had initially attracted him, but when you added to this her liveliness, her intelligence, her views, as well as her physical desirability, he had to acknowledge that the strength of his feelings toward Elizabeth were such that he had never experienced before, and the idea of it frightened him.
Acknowledging how he felt brought on a sense of incredible vulnerability. He'd never felt nervous over the idea of making romantic overtures toward a woman before, no doubt in part because he'd never had his overtures rejected, but also because there had never been a great risk in them. He'd never felt enough for a woman to make the idea of rejection painful. He suspected however, that Elizabeth might not be as easily pleased as 'most women', and wasn't quite sure of the right way to move ahead from the point at which he now found himself.
Even if he'd settled on an interim way forward, it would have served no immediate purpose, as one of the officials came in search of Elizabeth and pulled her aside in order to give her some up to date information on the second round. William didn't see her again until the lunch break, when all of the Longbourn High students and their parents met to eat and go over the morning.
It was obvious that Elizabeth was proud of her kids, and told them so. She encouraged them to go on in the same way, reminded them all of their afternoon's responsibilities, and complimented their effort and their behaviour.
"Just before we go off to enjoy the rest of our break," Elizabeth finished off, "I've been given the details concerning round two of the Challenge. It will be in three weeks time, and the venue will be the Auditorium at Rosings Grammar School. Enjoy the rest of your lunch."
As the general hubbub of conversation began again, Liz noticed that Anne, Ellen and Emily has suddenly formed some kind of a confederacy around Georgia, and she walked over to William, wondering if he'd also noticed anything odd or awry.
"William," she began. "Is Georgia....?"
"Georgia will be pulling out of the team," William interrupted her abruptly.
Elizabeth looked up at William to see if he could really be serious.
"William, I know she had some difficulties at Rosings but..."
"She won't be going." William answered coldly.
Elizabeth stood for a moment in shock. She had expected to talk to the William she had come to know over the last few weeks, and instead had been confronted by the cold and arrogant man she had first met all those months ago. It felt like a betrayal, not only of herself and of all the effort she'd put in to Georgia, but like a betrayal of Georgia herself. She could suddenly see all the progress that Georgia had made over the last few months, being undermined and weakened. How could he do this to her?
Words came unbidden to Elizabeth's mind, and if there had not been so many parents and students near by, it would have been likely that she would have given them voice, but her sense of professionalism and propriety halted her. Though she had not spoken her feelings aloud, her eyes were unable to conceal her angery judgement, and it was this that brought Darcy down to the ground.
Damn! I've done it again! he thought to himself as the rudeness of his reaction dawned on him. He searched his mind, hoping he might find some words to diffuse the situation, but Elizabeth had turned from him and left the room.
He looked after Elizabeth, then turned to look at Georgia, who seemed amazingly composed as she talked to her friends. He waited for a moment, torn between his responsibility to his sister, and his desire to sort this out with Elizabeth. Another quick look at Georgia assured him that for the moment she was okay, and with long deliberate steps he followed Elizabeth out of the room.
He thought for a moment that he had hesitated for too long, as he could not immediately see her amidst the students and parents who seemed to be every where, then he caught sight of her, about to disappear around the corner of one of the blocks of class rooms. He soon had closed half the distance between them.
"Elizabeth, wait!"
She turned around on hearing his call, not knowing whether to comply to his request or not. It might be better if she had some time alone to cool of before speaking to him. Her pause however, had taken the decision from her, as he was beside her in a moment.
"I'm so sorry Elizabeth... can we talk?"