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Chapter Four
Posted on Friday, 5 March 2004
Will hardly had time to stop and think for the rest of the day. Georgiana demanded much of his attention and he became annoyed with Elizabeth for vanishing without a word to him when he most needed her, until she came back with a baby sling in her hand. “Here,” she said. “You can lay Georgiana in the sling and keep her close to you while you work.”
“Are you sure this is going to work?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Now, I know you must have needed me to do something while you were gone. What do you need me for?”
The sling did seem to work. He could tend to his daughter and still maintain some semblance of working. At the same time, she was distracting in herself. She would sometimes make a small sound that drew his eyes to her and he gazed down at her in wonder. He couldn’t help rubbing her soft, round cheek with his finger or wiggling her miniature hand.
And whenever he walked around the office with her, he seemed to be a magnet for the women to come and gaze and coo over her. He found it amusing at first, but then it became a hindrance as his time became more precious.
Elizabeth continued to become more amused the more annoyed Will became at the attention.
Elizabeth brought him a sandwich for lunch, and he gave her a grateful look as he held a bottle to Georgiana in one hand and the phone to his ear in the other.
By the time the day ended, Will was more than ready for an evening off, relaxing in front of the television. He knew he would pay for it by staying up and working on the things that didn’t get done that day, but he needed something to relax.
During the drive home, Elizabeth said, “You need to be careful that you don’t become so overworked and exhausted that you drop all the balls that you are juggling. You have to remain alert and useful for Georgiana and your company. And you need to take some of the load off or else you are going to drop a ball. You can’t take everything on yourself.”
“I know. I know. I’ve already passed on some of my responsibilities to my directors.”
“All right. Just so you know. And hopefully when Mrs. Reynolds returns she will be a lot more help than I have been.”
“No, you’ve been tremendous help to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you these past few days.”
“You would have had the far superior help from Mrs. Reynolds, that’s what.”
“But I wouldn’t have met Jane and Charles and Tobin.”
“That’s true. There is something to be said for knowing parents of your own age who are going though the same things as you.”
“And I can’t really be great friends with my employees. It’s just awkward.”
“I know.”
“And people who are of the same station in life as me, I just…”
“They’re Caroline’s friends?”
“Yes.”
They got to the Bingleys’ house by seven in the evening. It was a small house, one for families just starting out. But it seemed so much nicer than his own home. It was inviting and personal. There were family pictures all over the place and several bookshelves full of books and videos. The couches and sofa looked worn but comfortable. The kitchen had recipes stuck on the wall and a collection of utensils hanging from a rack that Jane used. The hall contained old black and white pictures of grandparents and ancestors. There was one bathroom and two bedrooms, one of them the nursery. But they didn’t seem unhappy that they didn’t have a study and a dining room and all the other spacious rooms that Will had in his house.
“You have a lovely house,” he said when Jane first let him in.
“Thank you.”
Elizabeth gave him a Look that said volumes, a summary of which is “behave” and then dragged Jane off to her bedroom leaving Will to the mercy of Charles.
Will stood tentatively, wondering where he should go. Then he heard a voice from behind the couch saying, “Come on in and make yourself at home. If you want a drink, you can help yourself to the fridge.”
Will walked over to the couch and looked behind it. Charles was scrubbing the wall with soap and water.
“Uh…”
Charles saw the confused look on Will’s face, and said, “Tobin got hold of a pencil.”
“Oh.”
“I’ve learned my lesson. This is my punishment.”
“Jane’s making you clean it up?”
“I was the one who left the pencil where Tobin could reach it.”
Will couldn’t help chuckling at the comical expression on Charles’ face.
“I’ll be right there,” Charles said.
Will settled into an easy chair, making Georgiana comfortable in the crook of his arm and lap.
“How was your day?” asked Charles.
“Exhausting. I feel like I haven’t even had time to take a breath.”
“It must be tough on you. But you look like you’re holding up okay so far.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
Then Elizabeth and Jane came into the room. Jane went over and kissed her husband goodbye. “We won’t be out too late. We’re just going to go see a movie together and probably grab some dessert afterwards at the Cheesecake Factory.”
“Ooh, bring me some home,” begged Charles.
“If you’re good,” Elizabeth replied with a saucy smile.
“I have my mobile phone if you should need anything, but I’m turning it off during the film.”
“Ok.”
The girls left, leaving the house in silence.
Will asked, “Where’s Tobin?”
“He ate a little while ago and is in his crib until I finish this.”
“He’s in the doghouse, is he?”
“I’m the one in the doghouse! Tobin is expected to behave like that!”
Will chuckled again.
When Charles had finished, he brought Tobin out from the nursery and ordered pizza for the both of them. Will remembered what Elizabeth had said about him never eating pizza and made a joke about it with Charles.
“How are you getting along with Elizabeth, by the way?” asked Charles. “It’s ok, you can be honest with me.”
Will thought for a moment. “She’s all right. She’s very useful, but we can be at daggers drawn in a split second.”
“What do you mean?”
“While giving me advice, she can sometimes cross the line and preach a bit. And I get resentful about it and then we bicker. She’s so uptight most of the time. She never seems to relax and be herself.”
“That’s because she feels like she can’t in front of you.”
Will looked at Charles, surprised. “Why?”
“Could be any number of reasons. You’re her boss.”
“That doesn’t seem to bother her,” he replied, thinking of that morning.
“You don’t make her feel at ease.”
Will could maybe see that.
“It could even be a repercussion from her marriage with George.”
“George?”
“George Wickham.”
“Oh. …I’d like to get to know her better. She seems like an interesting person,” Will replied noncommittally.
Charles grinned. “She can be so much fun to be around. She and Jane are best friends and Elizabeth will come up with these crazy stupid things to do. Unfortunately this sometimes includes pranks on me.”
Will couldn’t picture the stiff Elizabeth playing a prank on Charles.
“How do I get her to open up to me, then?” Will asked Charles.
“Why don’t you do something that you will both enjoy doing?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Ask her. See if there’s something she would have fun doing.”
“Won’t that seem like a date?”
“Not necessarily.”
The pizza came and they settled before the television to watch the game on TV. During one of the commercial breaks, Will said, “I’m thinking of buying a smaller house, like Elizabeth suggested.”
“I think she’s right. Your house is humongous for just you and Georgiana.”
“I also don’t like it.”
“So how soon are you going to do this?”
“I was thinking about starting to look for one now.”
“Take Elizabeth with you. She’s got great taste.”
“Can you tell me something she isn’t good at?”
“She can have a temper,” Charles quickly replied.
“What else?”
“Um… I can’t think of many things. She’s good at personal relationships. It’s why she’s a Human Resources consultant. She understands people really well and knows how to get the best out of them. And I think she can see you don’t fit in your house and you should move into a space that both fits and suits you. Make it your own, be happy in it. Make it a place you feel good about coming home to.”
Will was now more convinced that it was time to move.
“She thinks I should start divorce proceedings.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
“I think so. I talked to my lawyer today. She’s going to send me some paperwork over tomorrow.”
“Have you even talked to your wife?”
“No.”
“Won’t you need to know where she is if you want her to sign separation papers?”
Charles had a valid point. Will was silent in thought for several minutes. The only way he could think of getting a hold of her was to ask his sister-in-law. She may know where Caroline was.
“I don’t know what happens if I can’t find her. I’ll ask my lawyer tomorrow after I make an attempt to locate her.”
They talked of other subjects: politics, news, the trials of being a father, the game, the state of professional baseball at the time, and the quirks of having a wife.
Tobin was put to bed, and Georgiana continued to sleep in Will’s arms.
“You’re actually lucky you have a quiet baby,” said Charles.
“Excuse me?”
“She’s a quiet one. She only seems to cry when she’s hungry or has a dirty diaper.”
“Well, that’s quite often.”
“I know. But on the whole, she’s a happy baby.”
Will looked down at Georgiana. “Really?”
Charles nodded.
Elizabeth and Jane returned in fits of giggles. Charles got up to kiss his wife hello. He looked at the sisters suspiciously. “Are you two drunk?”
They burst into laughter again and Elizabeth shook her head. Charles sniffed his wife nonetheless but could smell no alcohol on her.
Their laughter was infectious and Will couldn’t help but smile at the two of them, leaning on each other for support. When they had finally calmed down, Charles demanded to know what was so funny.
They just shook their heads and refused to tell the men. Jane went to check on Tobin while Elizabeth plopped onto the sofa and let out a huge sigh. “Gracious, I’m tired!” she exclaimed. Then she seemed to remember something and said to Charles, “We forgot the cheesecake in the car.”
Charles’ face lit up like a child’s and he dashed out to the car. A minute later he dashed back in, grabbed a set of keys on their hook by the door and then dashed back out again. He came back in with a bag and set it on the kitchen counter. After five minutes, he came back out carrying one Oreo cheesecake slice which had a bite taken out of it already and a second white chocolate mousse slice on a plate with a cake fork for Will.
Will took it gratefully and said, “Thank you.”
It was delicious. He savoured the first bite before asking Elizabeth, “Did you and Jane have a good time?”
“Oh yes. We had a wonderful time.”
“Are you ready to go home soon?”
She nodded and sat up properly on the couch. She ran a hand through her tangled curls and shoved them out of her face. “You’re not going to stay until the end of the game?”
“No. It’s not that suspenseful and I have some work to finish before I get to sleep tonight.”
Elizabeth and Will said goodbye to Jane and Charles. Charles gave Will his business card and said, “Call or email me whenever you want an ear or a friend.”
Will looked at it, then at Charles and smiled warmly. “Thank you.”
They got in his car and drove off towards home, the married couple waving at the door of their small home.
“Did you have a fun time tonight?” asked Elizabeth.
“Yes, I did.”
“Good.”
“Will you not tell me what was so funny?”
Elizabeth chuckled again and shook her head.
Will was suspicious of what it could be but resigned himself to never knowing.
When they got home, Will fed and changed Georgiana and then put her into her crib. He was able to get most of what he wanted to get done by one in the morning when Georgiana awoke crying again. After caring for her, he decided to go to sleep.
The shadow under his eyes was more pronounced the following morning, but he had a determined sense of purpose. He dressed Georgiana after feeding her. He tucked her into the sling and together they went downstairs where Elizabeth was just finishing cooking pancakes.
“How did you do that?” asked the stunned Will.
“What?”
“I didn’t even know we had pancake mix in this house.”
“You didn’t. I made it from scratch.”
Will just shook his head. “I don’t think you’re even trying to get sleep.”
Elizabeth shrugged.
“Would you like to go house shopping with me?”
“You’re looking for a house today?” she asked.
“No, tomorrow. There won’t be enough time after work today.”
“Um… sure, if you want me to come.”
“I do. Charles said you had good taste.”
“He did, did he?” she asked with a smirk.
“What?” Will asked, smiling in turn.
“Nothing. He just changes his tune often, that’s all.”
“You mean you don’t have good taste?”
“No, I like my own taste, but who is to say it’s good or bad? It depends on what you like.”
“I value your opinion and would like it.”
“Fine then. I thank you for the compliment.”
Will had a good day at work. He felt like he got something done and he was beginning to get used to taking care of Georgiana while still attending the needs of his company. He sent a memo around asking for people to refrain from cooing over Georgiana except during lunch or after work. Two directors came to him for his final say on the projects he had asked them to oversee. Elizabeth brought him lunch again and he received the first information from his lawyers about starting separation proceedings.
After work, he took Elizabeth home and left her with Georgiana while he went to his sister-in-law’s house.
Louisa Hurst was similar to her sister in many ways. She had been handsome, but lost it from the lifestyle she led. She was shallow and false. Will had a distinct feeling she laughed and talked about him behind his back. He also knew for a fact that she was the creator of a lot of the gossip he suffered from. She lived in another rich neighbourhood on the other side of town with her alcoholic husband. She had no children and Will always wondered how she spent her time since she didn’t work and wasn’t involved in any organization like a charity. The only activity she could claim was that she was a member of a country club with her husband.
He knocked on the door and Alma, the maid, let him in. Will asked to see Louisa and Alma led him to the back sunroom by the pool. Louisa sat there in a perfect outfit with her perfect hair and nails to finish off the look. She looked up and was surprised to see Will there.
“Hello, brother, dearest. What brings you here?”
“I’m looking for Caroline.”
“You’ve lost your wife, have you?” asked an amused Louisa.
“No. She has gone AWOL. Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Of course you do.”
“Actually, this time, I don’t.”
“Well, next time you speak to her, get her address, give it to me, and I will send her the divorce papers.”
That got Louisa’s attention. “You’re bluffing.”
“I am not bluffing. And if she doesn’t get her act together, she will lose everything. She has deserted me, and therefore she gets nothing.”
Will left, feeling like there was a higher likelihood that he would be hearing from Caroline. He drove home and pulled into the garage. As he walked in the back door, he could hear music playing in the living room. He followed the sound of Aretha Franklin singing “Rescue me, take me in your arms, come on baby, and rescue me.” He looked in the living room to see Elizabeth putting together a puzzle on the coffee table, singing along to the radio while nodding her head in time to the music. An involuntary smile came to Will’s face and he watched Elizabeth. She had Georgiana in the sling across her chest and was singing to her, smiling down at her. “Cuz I need you by my side, come on baby and rescue me. Can’t you see, that I’m lonely?”
He walked slowly into the living room. When she glanced up she gasped in surprise. Holding a protective arm around Georgiana, she stood up and accused him, “Will, you startled the wits out of me!!”
“Not to worry, then. There aren’t many wits in you to startle.”
Elizabeth mock scowled at him and went over to turn down the radio. “How did it go?” she asked him.
“Her sister says she doesn’t know where she is, but I kind of threatened that she would get nothing out of the divorce settlement if she doesn’t contact me.”
“What if she calls your bluff and comes home to continue the marriage?”
“It’s too late.”
The next day being a Saturday, Elizabeth decided to take care of Georgiana for the morning allowing Will to sleep in. When he finally did awake, he panicked. He rushed into the nursery to find Elizabeth sitting on the floor with a blanket wrapped around the baby, telling Georgiana a story. Having no children’s books in the house, she had had to do with making one up. She looked up when she saw Will in the doorway.
Will slouched against the doorframe and putting a hand to his bare chest over his rapidly beating heart, said, “I thought something had happened to her since she hadn’t woken me up once.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “That’s to get you back for the fright you gave me sneaking up on me last night.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m telling her the story of the ugly duckling.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought she would like it.”
“Elizabeth, she’s 3 weeks old.”
“So?”
Will just shook his head.
“Go take a shower. I thought you wanted to go looking at houses today.”
“I do. But you don’t have to come. I realize I’ve completely monopolized your time for the past week.”
“It’s okay. I’m kind of in between two chapters of my life. I’ve just finished one here, and I was about to head out to start a new one, so it’s nothing for me to remain here for a few days. Besides,” she continued, looking down at Georgiana, who was waving her tiny fist in the air. “How could I give up the opportunity of spending time with this one?” she cooed.
Will went to shower and get dressed. Then he went downstairs and joined Elizabeth in eating breakfast.
“I was thinking,” Elizabeth started. “We should probably give Georgiana a bath.”
“How do you do that?” asked Will.
“In the sink?”
“Sink?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Probably your bathroom sink should do fine. She’s so small, you don’t want to put her in the bathtub.”
“Um, okay. But you have to help me. What do I wash her with?”
“I don’t know. I was going to call Jane and see if she had recommendations. I know you use lukewarm water, but I don’t know about soap or shampoo or something.”
Elizabeth picked up the phone and called her sister. Will waited, but realized that the Bingleys must not be home since Elizabeth hung up and shrugged.
“Should we wait?” asked Will.
“I think it’s a good time to do it now.”
“I could look up bathing a baby on the internet,” suggested Will.
“Sure. Go see what you come up with.”
Taking a banana with him, Will went to his study to look up the information. Googling “bathing a baby”, he found plenty of sites with what he needed. Clicking on the Baby Centre, he read the steps.
“Elizabeth!” he called out.
She came in holding Georgiana and read over his shoulder. “Sounds good.”
“Okay. I may be able to do this.”
“Of course you can. Come on.”
They went upstairs to his bathroom. Elizabeth held Georgiana while Will found the softest towel he could find, laying it out on the counter. He prepared clean clothes and a diaper. Then he filled the sink with a few inches of warm water, checking the temperature constantly. When it was ready, he took the baby from Elizabeth and undressed her. Holding her as firmly as he dared, he put her feet in the water. She looked up at him with her wide dark eyes, her mouth open in a kind of ‘Oh!’ look. He cupped his hand and began to pour water on her, rubbing her down.
“How am I doing?”
“Um, fine I guess. She doesn’t seem too upset.”
Will slid her into the water and soaped up a soft sponge. He gently rubbed her down, rinsing her with the warm water as much as possible to keep her warm. He used a little bit of soap to gently rub into her scalp. Her dark hair was fine; it waved about in the water when Will rinsed her off. Georgiana, seeming to enjoy the experience, smacked her hands on the water a couple of times, splashing Will. Elizabeth laughed.
After wiping her face with a cotton ball Will found in Caroline’s cabinet, he rinsed her off one last time, then picked her up out of the water. The baby slipped out of his hands and splashed a couple inches back into the sink. Will swore heavily.
“Damn, she’s slippery!” he exclaimed.
“Just grip her more firmly, maybe around her leg.”
He picked her up again, carefully, and quickly wrapped her in a towel. He dried her off, then lay her down to apply some lotion on her soft skin.
Will put her diaper on, then her clothes. Finally, they were finished. He picked her up and held her in his arms, kissing her nice clean head.
“Don’t know why you were whining about me being there. You did fine on your own,” muttered Elizabeth.
“I needed the support.”
Elizabeth emptied the sink and wiped the counter down.
“She’s a nice, clean, happy baby now, aren’t you?” Elizabeth kissed Georgiana’s cheeks several times.
Will went downstairs and settled into the living room to feed Georgiana.
“Do you know how you’re going to go about looking for a house?” Elizabeth came in to ask him.
“Not really.”
“You could start by figuring out what you want.”
“Like what?”
“For example, how big you want it. In the countryside or the city, what kind of neighbourhood, what kind of price range, anything you have to have like a garage or a big fenced backyard. Things like that.”
“But then what?”
“We could just drive around, or you could pick up one of those real estate catalogues or magazines.”
While they traveled around in Will’s Audi, they had plenty of opportunity to talk, but not much conversation was actually produced. For one, it was difficult with Elizabeth sitting in the back seat.
After some time of just musing silently to himself, Will blurted out, “You don’t like me very much, do you?”
Elizabeth looked surprised. “Why do you say that?”
“Just a hunch,” he replied with a shrug. “You can be honest with me, you know.”
She hesitated before continuing. “I don’t agree with what you do all the time, you can be irritating as anything, and you can be really sexist sometimes.”
“So you don’t like me.”
“No, I didn’t say that.”
“But you implied it.”
“No, I didn’t. I just said I disagreed with you and disliked some of the things you do.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Little things. Don’t worry about it.”
“But your good opinion matters to me, so tell me.”
“Why would my good opinion matter to you?” she asked in disbelief.
“It just does.”
“You don’t like me, though, do you?”
“Where did you get that impression?”
“I’m rude to you, I express opinions you don’t like, you probably think I’m some feminist lesbian chick.”
“No, I figure you weren’t lesbian if you’d been married once before.”
Elizabeth laughed at his teasing.
“I don’t dislike you,” Will said earnestly. “Yes, you irritate me sometimes, you can be self-righteous and preachy. And you’re too uptight. But I don’t dislike you.”
“Uptight?”
Will nodded.
“That’s not the same as saying you like me.”
“There’s room for improvement,” Will replied with a teasing smile at her in the rear-view mirror.
She didn’t say anything after that. She just sat back in the backseat and looked out of the window musing.
Will found a couple of houses he liked the look of. But during the course of their search, he realized he would like something that was more out in the country. He was in no hurry to move. If Elizabeth was right about using the house Caroline loved as a bargaining tool, then he would have plenty of time to find his dream house to move into.
Will took Elizabeth home that night with her things. He dropped her off around six in the evening and said he would see her on Monday morning. That left Will and Georgiana alone for the rest of the weekend.
After dropping off Elizabeth, Will looked down at Georgiana, and said, “So. What do we do now?”
He spent the evening at home with his daughter, getting some work done, giving her a bath in the sink, and watching The Contender with her. He found himself talking to her more and more.
“Who do you think was responsible for this sorry piece of work, huh? Murphy you said? Let’s see.” Will looked at the name on the report he was looking at. “Yep, you were right. You must see how frustrating it is to me. No matter how many times I try and make him understand, he just doesn’t get it.”
Georgiana made a gurgling sound and Will was pleased that she seemed to understand and sympathize with him. However he was a bit disappointed that she fell asleep through The Contender. It was a good movie, and he thought she would greatly benefit from watching it. But alas, she fell asleep about ten minutes into the film. Will had to admit to himself, though, that the first fifteen minutes were a bit slow and difficult to follow for a 3-week-old baby. Especially when 3-week-old babies can’t see as far as the television.
On Sunday, Will allowed himself to go back to sleep after he had given Georgiana her morning feed. She seemed content to fall back to sleep, so Will reasoned that he should be able to do the same. When he finally did awake again, he took Georgiana shopping with him, buying more diapers and formula and baby wipes. He bought a blanket and some clothes that seemed to fit her. Will was proud of himself. He liked walking around with Georgiana in her sling. His back did ache after a while, but he liked the attention it brought him.
Will also bought a second crib for his office as well as a changing table with a cupboard beneath it for storing diapers and other baby things. The last thing he got was an easy chair for the nursery at home. He wanted a chair he could sit in and nurse Georgiana. The pair went around a furniture store, sitting in different chairs and testing them, much to the amusement of several of the salespeople working in the store.
“What do you think of this one?” Will asked his daughter. “Too hard? Yeah, I was thinking that myself. Let’s find a better one.”
“No, my daughter doesn’t like this one,” Will told the salesperson. “Do you have some more for us to try?”
“This one’s not so bad. I like it at least. Do you? We can put it on our maybe list.”
“Oh! Oh, oh, oh, oh. I think we have found it! I think we have found The One. Not too soft that it will put me to sleep. Not too fluffy to make her uncomfortable. Firm but comfy. Cushioned in the right places, supports the right body parts. Yes, I really like this one. Georgie? How do you like this one?”
They decided on a soft leather chair and chose it to be a light blue colour. It would be shipped to their house in two business days.
In the late afternoon, Will went into the office to catch up on the mountain of work he had to do and set up the new baby furniture he had bought for the office. As he walked around the empty office, his mind wandered back to Elizabeth’s idea of setting up an on-site childcare centre. The more he considered it, the more he liked the idea. He still needed the numbers crunched on the costs of the project, but he would be willing to take some of that out of his pocket if it meant he could have Georgiana close by, properly taken care of, but still allowing him to run the company. There were enough employees that could participate in the co-op to make it worthwhile.
He brought in the boxes of things he had bought and spent half an hour putting them together in his office. He moved a bit of office furniture around to accommodate its new occupant, but on the whole, he was happy with the changes.
That evening at home, Georgiana was crying and Will couldn’t figure out what was wrong. She wasn’t hungry, she didn’t have a wet diaper. He was tempted to call up Elizabeth and ask for her help, but something stopped him. He wanted to prove that he could go for a day on his own without running to her for help. She was leaving very soon, anyway. He had to learn how to fend for himself. He tried to think of things that could be wrong. He picked her up and held her against his shoulder, rubbing her back and bouncing around the house, talking to her and trying to soothe her. He tried patting her to see if she needed to burp, but that didn’t work either.
Elizabeth had suggested singing once, but he couldn’t sing. He went to Caroline’s CD collection, and remembered one beautiful singer he had enjoyed. He searched through the CDs and found what he was looking for. He put “Watermark” into the CD player in the living room and turned up the volume. In a minute, he was dancing around the room to Enya.
To his surprise, she quietened down in several minutes and was calm again. Will slowed down and swayed back and forth gently until Georgiana was asleep. Carefully, slowly, he walked upstairs and put her down to sleep in her crib with a sigh of relief. Mental note: play Enya to soothe Georgie.
Will went into work early, but still found Elizabeth there before him pottering about doing odd jobs. She smiled when she saw him and took Georgiana into her arms.
“How did you fare yesterday?”
“Just fine, thank you. I hope you enjoyed your day off.”
“I did. I see you have been busy.”
She referred to the new additions to his office. Will walked into it and set his briefcase down on his desk and the bag of baby things on the changing table.
“As Jane seemed a bit horrified at the idea of Georgiana spending most of the day in a car seat, I decided to buy her a proper crib.”
“And when she gets older are you going to let her crawl around the office, letting her use paperweights and staplers as toys and paperclips and staples as her snacks?”
“No. By then I hope to have the childcare centre started.”
“Really!” her eyebrows rose.
“I’m leaving that task for you to organize since it is in your expertise.”
“You’ve decided this is what you want to do?”
“It is.”
Chapter Five
Posted on Monday, 12 April 2004
Later that day, the director of marketing, Hannah Milcote, asked to see him. She came into his office after lunch as Will played with Georgiana while she was awake. She was looking at him in fascination and her tiny arms waved about, trying to grasp something. His hair, his nose, anything.
Hannah sat down across from him in one of the chairs. She seemed hesitant.
“What can I do for you?” asked Will jovially, for Georgiana put him in a happy mood.
“Will,” she began, and Will knew she was coming to him as a friend less than an employee. “You know I’ve always been able to speak my mind to you.” Will nodded. “Are you going to be able to care for your daughter and still keep the company going? This is a critical time for us, you know that.”
Will sobered immediately. “Do you have any other ideas to suggest?”
“While I understand that you are going through a difficult period, it would be more unwise for you to take paternity leave until your child is old enough to enter a daycare facility. Have you thought about hiring a child minder?”
“I have, and I do not feel comfortable with that solution at this stage in Georgiana’s life. I am resolved to do what I think is best for her. I am fully aware of the challenges this poses to the company. But I have vested interest in making sure this company stays on its feet.” Will paused, considering his next words. “I have begun to make plans for an on-site child care centre in the office for Georgiana and other children whose parents work here. It will allow me to be close to her so I can spend time with her and care for her, but still be able to get on with my work.”
His co-worker looked astonished at first. He couldn’t figure out why. Finally, she said, “That is a good idea. When will it be up and going?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’ve only just begun to make plans. I have to lease appropriate space in the building first, and then find someone to staff it, supply it and get it going.”
For the next half hour, the two talked over the plans. Hannah had plenty of useful input – from the point of view of a mother as well as from that of a director in the company.
At the end of the meeting, Hannah went out and began to implement some of the proposals they had come up with, starting by informing the rest of the directors of the company.
The following day, Will paid a visit to a real estate agent and obtained a listing of houses that would suit him. During the tour of houses that he had done with Elizabeth, he learned that he wanted a smaller, cozier house out of the city in the countryside, but not too far away from his work. By this criteria, and the amount he was willing to spend on the house, the real estate agent could give him a list of prospective houses to view when he had the opportunity.
Will took the list back to the office and finished his day’s work eventually. It was nearly 8 by the time he, Elizabeth and Georgiana left the office. Elizabeth had fallen asleep at her desk and Will had decided to let her sleep until she woke up and continued working. When Elizabeth finally did wake up at 7:30, she was worried something was wrong.
“I’m sorry I fell asleep,” she said sheepishly, picking Georgiana up from her crib and wrapping her in her blanket.
“Don’t worry about it,” Will replied, waving a hand to dismiss the minor issue. “I let you sleep. I’ve got a lot of work done.”
“Good.”
“Are you ready to go home now?”
She nodded.
In the car, Will suggested, “Why don’t we eat out tonight? Would that be a nice change?”
“It would, actually,” Elizabeth replied with some enthusiasm.
“Why don’t you pick where we go? I have a feeling that you would choose somewhere I’ve never been to before.”
“Why don’t we go to Cracker Barrel?”
“I was right.”
They went inside where Elizabeth held Georgiana and requested a table for two and a half, while Will wandered around the store filled with antique/old-time-General-Store knickknacks. He couldn’t remember ever being in a store like this. It was interesting.
They sat down and Will settled Georgiana into his lap, pulling out the bottle he had made before they’d left his office.
“Their breakfasts are really good,” Elizabeth said, eagerly.
Will smiled in bemusement and leafed through the menu. He chose French toast, bacon, and hash browns with biscuits and gravy. Elizabeth chose an omelet. After their orders had been taken, Will looked around in curiosity. Old farm tools and farmhouse objects hung all over the wooden walls. Advertisements from the 1930s to 1960s of dish washing liquid, Coca Cola, Pepsi, flour, canned goods; an old scythe, washboard, pitchfork, eggbeater, and more. It was a quaint atmosphere. There was a huge fireplace at the back with a couple of tables with rocking chairs placed at them and checkerboards set up on their tops.
Georgiana made small noises, wriggling and moving her arms and legs about. Will absentmindedly shifted her to lean against his shoulder, patting her back and rubbing her small body.
With one hand, he pulled out the list of houses he had received that day and handed it to Elizabeth. “What do you think of these?”
She took the list, saying, “My! You were busy today.”
After glancing through the list, she said, “I think you should begin knocking off houses one by one. See if there’s anything you would like to live in. Start now. You know you don’t want to drive too far, so you can cross off a few. One of these is bigger than the house you’re in right now. And so on.”
“Do you think I’m being stupid to move so quickly on this? Caroline has been gone for only a week.”
“If she walked through the door today and said she was sorry and had done a lot of thinking and reconsidered her actions – if she wanted to take care of Georgiana and go back to how things were, would you do it?”
Will considered for several minutes. Now that Caroline had left, it was like the first step had been taken and there was no going back. He felt happier and easier while separated from her. He no longer loved her. If he ever had loved her, that is. They had both changed a lot since they had first married.
“No.”
“And do you like living in the house you are in now?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t think you’re rushing anything. You’ve come to two firm decisions in your mind and there’s nothing wrong with acting on those decisions. You’re not buying the first house you come to.”
“You’re right.”
Their food came and Will was preoccupied with Georgiana and feeding himself at first. Then he asked, “Do you mind me asking about your divorce? I mean, how did you know it was the right thing to do?”
Elizabeth hesitated.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“I’d rather not,” she replied softly.
“Sure.” Will covered up his embarrassment by talking to her about the plans for the childcare centre.
After their dinner, Elizabeth suddenly said, “Let’s go look around the shop!”
Will humoured her and they wandered around the store together, laughing at some of the odd items. The old country store was full of various things. From Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, old fashioned china, Victorian collectibles to fishing toys and old-fashioned candy.
“Look at this!” exclaimed Elizabeth.
Will walked over and looked at a small wooden whistle. The packet proclaimed: Golf Ball Call. Confused, Will read the smaller print. “Help For Locating Lost Golf Balls. Space age technology that has a practical application. Just blow the call in the direction you last saw your ball, watch for reaction; golf ball dimples will react to sound waves, causing vibration of the ball. The harder you blow, the more vibrating action.”
At the bottom it had a quote: “The best investment that I’ve ever made for my golf game” – Ted Chaconas, 8 handicapper – Tampa, FL.
Will picked it up and turned it over, chuckling. On the back were five bullet points. “Covers over 100 square yards. Tournament approval. Works on all makes of golf balls but will not work on balls underwater. Be Cautious: Snakes can imitate the sound of a vibrating golf ball – so be careful of what you are picking up! Be Courteous: This product has been known to affect a ball in flight, so be kind to those in play.”
“Do you think this is for real?” asked Will.
“I don’t think so!” replied Elizabeth, laughing. “It would make a great gag gift, though, wouldn’t it?”
“It would! I could think of several of Caroline’s friends on whom it would work. They would take it seriously, I’m sure.”
“Why don’t you get it and give it to one of them?”
Will considered for a minute. “Maybe I could give it to my dear old brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst.”
Elizabeth laughed again. “So you do have a mischievous streak!”
“Of course, I do,” he retorted indignantly. He looked at it again. “Look.” He pointed to some very small print at the bottom of the back of the packet. It said, For novelty use only. “Now that is clever! If anyone saw the small print, they probably wouldn’t understand what ‘novelty use only’ meant so they would never know it wasn’t for real.”
Elizabeth laughed and wandered off, continuing to look around while Will picked up one of the whistles and shifted Georgiana to a more comfortable position.
Elizabeth found a very soft and squishy old-fashioned teddy bear. “Oh, look! Isn’t this so cute?”
Will couldn’t see what was particularly ‘cute’ about it, but made appropriate noises in response anyway.
“I think I’m going to buy it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s a perfect first teddy for Georgiana.”
“Oh. You think so?”
“Yes, don’t you?”
“Um, yes, of course.”
While Elizabeth was purchasing the teddy bear for Georgiana, Will had a rather bright idea. When she had finished, Will told her, “Now you have to pick one thing in this entire store that you want for yourself.”
“Pardon?”
“My gift to you. Any one thing in this whole store.”
“Oh!” She looked visibly surprised. “You don’t have to do that, Will.”
“I want to. As a very small thank you for everything you’ve done for me recently.”
Elizabeth looked rather taken aback. She looked around. It was a bit difficult to pick one thing that she would want above anything else in that store.
After some while looking at the different items offered, Elizabeth eventually settled on something.
“That? You want that??”
“Yes. Is there something wrong with my choice?”
Will looked at the box. Weazelball. Is it alive? The playful weazel chases and jumps the rolling motorball.
“What is it?” Will asked.
“It’s this stuffed weasel that is attached to a ball that is battery operated and it jerks and rolls around, so it looks like the weasel is the one playing with the ball. I’ve seen them before.”
“And out of this entire store, this is what you want??”
Elizabeth grinned at his bewilderment and nodded.
“All right.”
Elizabeth eagerly picked up a box and Will took it to purchase it with the Golf Ball Call.
It was nearly ten o’ clock by the time they got home. Georgiana was sleeping in the carseat. Will put her to bed and came downstairs to find Elizabeth playing with her new toy on the kitchen floor. She looked up from her position seated on the tiles and grinned. “See? Isn’t it cute?”
Will chuckled, amused and enchanted.
He settled down to work on a project from the office, but unfortunately, he couldn’t get much work accomplished as he was too preoccupied with Elizabeth’s giggles and antics while she sat on the floor.
“I still don’t see why you are so amused by it!” he exclaimed.
Elizabeth giggled again. “I don’t know why! It’s just funny!”
Will shook his head.
Chapter Six
Over the course of the week, Will gradually picked up habits with his new role as a father, evolving into the role, becoming comfortable with it. The plans for the childcare centre were proceeding as rapidly as Will could hope. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and Will twice spent an evening with Jane, Charles, and Tobin.
That Saturday, Elizabeth went home to her apartment in order to prepare for her move to Chicago. Will decided to take the spare time to visit some potential houses on the market. Using a map and a list of houses given him by his realtor, he drove around the city, looking at the different houses. He didn’t go inside any of them, but crossed off a lot of the houses on the list just by looking at the outsides and the neighbourhoods.
There was one more on the list that was a good hour’s drive away. However Georgiana had been good all day, she seemed content in the backseat, it was a pleasant day for a drive, and he had the time. So Will decided to make the drive out into the country to look at this house.
He thought he’d gotten lost as he drove up a long, winding path through the woods. He was thankful it wasn’t dark, or else he would surely have thought he was lost. But the mailbox at the entrance to the drive had been the one listed on the paper he had beside him. Maybe this hadn’t been such a bright idea after all. Georgiana was hungry and probably wet. He didn’t know where he would be able to get warm water to make some formula. This place really was out of the way.
The two tire track went around a bend, opening out into a large clearing, in the middle of which stood a relatively small house. It looked small, anyway. Will slowed down to a stop, pulling off to the side. There was a car parked under a shelter beside the house, and smoke billowed from the stone chimney. It was a very romantic sight. The small house looked more like a cottage.
Will got out of the car and leaned on the door, just looking at the house. The woods around it looked pleasant and peaceful; a natural garden accentuated the house’s surroundings modestly. He was pleased with what he saw. A sense of tranquility had just descended upon him.
Georgiana began fussing, so Will took her out of her cradle seat in the back. He held her against his shoulder, rubbing her back and soothing her, murmuring softly to her while looking around him.
As Will leaned against the midnight blue sports car, the front door of the house opened to reveal a middle-aged woman. She stood on the small front porch and called out, “Can I help you?”
Will walked up, assuming that he didn’t look that unsafe with a baby in his arms.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” he said. “I understand that your house is on the market and I came by just to look.”
“Oh, well why don’t you come in?”
She was a plump woman with graying brown hair in short curls, oval glasses in plastic frames on a chain going around her neck, and wore a simple house frock.
“If it’s all right,” replied Will.
“Sure. Oh! Just look at this precious one!” she exclaimed upon seeing Georgiana.
Will handed his daughter over to the woman’s outstretched arms. She held Georgiana to her with ease of practice – as if she had had several of her own children.
“She is just beautiful!” cooed the woman.
Will couldn’t help but smile proudly a little. “Thank you.”
“She must be but a few weeks old!”
“She’s nearly five weeks.”
Georgiana, still hungry, decided to make her complaints known.
Worried, Will decided to ask, “Could you heat some water for me?”
“Sure. Come inside and we’ll get you set up.”
“Let me just go fetch my bag of things.”
Will went back to his car and picked up the baby bag that contained the bottles and formula. He returned and went through the front door, closing it behind him. He spotted the woman in the kitchen moving about and putting some water on to boil.
“Would you like some tea or coffee while I’m at it?” asked the woman.
“That would be nice, yes.”
Will walked into the kitchen. It had a flagstone floor and granite counters. The wood of the central kitchen table was an old-looking, dark wood, well worn with use. The cabinets were made of a similar dark wood with iron doorknobs. A window over the kitchen sink let in the afternoon sun as the only light. It was a very cozy, warm kitchen.
Will put his bag down on the table and asked, “Is there somewhere suitable where I can change her diaper?”
“The bathroom is just around the corner.”
She handed the still-crying Georgiana back to Will and he took her away with him to change her soiled diaper. The bathroom had the same flagstone floor, but had a very soft creamy coloured toilet, sink, and bathtub. Will used the closed toilet to change Georgiana, wrapping up the diaper in a plastic bag and stowing it away in a special compartment of the bag to dispose of later. He didn’t want to leave soiled diapers in the lady’s nice, clean bathroom.
He returned to the kitchen with Georgiana to find two steaming mugs of brewing tea, and some more hot water with which to make the baby formula.
“Here, let me hold her while you make the formula.”
Will handed Georgiana over to her and began preparing her food.
“I’m Will Darcy, by the way. And this is my daughter, Georgiana.”
“It’s nice to meet the both of you,” she said, smiling broadly. “I’m Maggie.”
“I really like this place.”
“Thank you. It’s been lovely.”
“Why are you moving, then?”
A shadow fell over the woman’s face. “My husband passed on recently, and I feel like it’s time to move on.”
“I see. I’m sorry.”
“He loved this place so much.”
“I can see why.”
“We own a lot of land around this, as well, which I have been advised to hold onto as an investment.”
“How much?” asked Will.
“About 70 square acres.”
“Is it all natural forest?”
“Pretty much, yes. My husband was a biology professor for most of his career, and he would care for the land himself.”
“I would like to take a look at it.”
“Oh, didn’t I say? It’s not for sale.”
“No, no, you said so. I would like to look anyway. Surely whoever buys this house would be able to take walks through the land?”
“Yes, as long as they didn’t damage it. It’d be nice to know that a nice couple moved in here after I leave.”
“Yes, it would be a comfort knowing that.”
Will took Georgiana back and began to feed her with her bottle.
“Would you like to move into the living room? I have a nice warm fire going there.”
Will followed her into a comfortable living room. A rough, stone fireplace dominated the far wall, with a mantelpiece covered in family photos and dried flower arrangements. A small fire burned healthily in the fireplace, and Maggie went forward to stoke it and add more firewood from a large copper bucket beside the fireplace. Old, but comfortable armchairs and sofa surrounded the fireplace with a rag rug covering the forest green carpet. It was low lit and inviting. Will sank into one of the armchairs, cradling Georgiana in the crook of his arm. Maggie settled into the other armchair and they lapsed into a comfortable silence, watching the fire blaze and lick up the wood.
Finally, Maggie asked, “Where do you live now?”
“I live over in Town and Country.”
“That’s not far away.”
“I suppose not.”
“Why are you moving?”
“To downsize. It’s just me and this little one rattling around a big house right now.”
“Yes, this house is smaller than the houses you have over in Town and Country. But it’s bigger than it looks.”
“Really?”
Maggie nodded. “There’s a back bedroom down here and two bedrooms upstairs.”
“Really! From outside it just looks like a single-story.”
“From the front it does, yes. I’ll show you around upstairs after your daughter’s through feeding.”
Will took a sip of his hot tea. “This is delicious!”
“Thank you. It’s a blend I mix myself.”
“It’s very nice,” Will complimented again.
Maggie beamed.
“What do you do?” asked Will.
“I teach flute lessons.”
“That’s nice. I confess I never learned to play an instrument.”
“More’s the pity. Playing an instrument is very therapeutic and a unique experience.”
“Maybe when I’m retired.”
Maggie sighed. “Eddie would always talk about things we would do when he retired.”
“Did you not get to do any of it?”
“Not really, no.”
“Could you not do some of them now?”
“I could, but it wouldn’t be the same.”
“You shouldn’t let that stop you.”
“I know.”
“Where are you moving to?”
“I’m moving to Louisiana to be with my son.”
“It’ll be a lot warmer there.”
“Yes, but I shall miss the change of the seasons,” she replied, wistfully.
They lapsed into another mutual silence. Will was imagining Elizabeth’s delight at seeing this place. He was sure she would love it just as much as he was sure Caroline would despise it. He pictured walking through the surrounding woods during the fall as the leaves turned bright, vivid colours, and in the winter with snow blanketing the ground, making the animal tracks more visible. He suddenly felt a yearning for Georgiana to hurry and grow up so he could show her things.
He asked Maggie, “Will you be here tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes, why?”
“I want to bring a friend of mine to see this place. I think she’ll love it.”
“And is this friend the mother of Georgiana?” asked Maggie.
“Oh no,” Will replied hurriedly. “No, she’s just a friend. She’s been helping me cope with these past two or three weeks.”
“Yes, by all means, bring her. When will you be by?”
“Sometime midafternoon.”
“I hope the weather is nice again for you, then.”
“Me, too.”
“Would you like to see the rest of the house now or tomorrow?”
“Now, if you wouldn’t mind. I understand if you would prefer to wait ‘til tomorrow so you can tidy up.”
“No, it’s all right. Having the house on the market means I have to keep it tidy anyway. Follow me.”
The front two rooms were the kitchen/dining room and the living room. The back of the house consisted of two rooms dominated by windows facing the woods. The room was situated as a bedroom doubling as a sitting room, with two chairs facing the window at the opposite end. A bird feeder and birdbath were situated in view of the chairs. A stack of birdwatching books was on the table in between the chairs.
The room was remarkably peaceful and serene, riddled with the theme of nature, both outside and in, as framed Audubon prints hung on the wall opposite the windows.
Will shifted Georgiana to his other shoulder, continuing to rub and gently pat her back. “This is a very nice room,” Will said.
“Thank you. We would sit here for hours together.”
Beside this main large room was the spare bedroom tucked into the corner of the house. Soon, she led him up the stairs opposite the door to the back room. At the top of the stairs was a short hall with four doors.
“That leads to the upstairs bathroom, that door is a linen closet, and this one is the master bedroom.” Maggie opened it up.
The master bedroom shared the same view through the large windows as the back room below. It was a relatively small bedroom, with a king-sized bed facing the windows, a wardrobe, chest of drawers, and an old writing desk in the corner.
Then Maggie showed Will the third bedroom next door. It was decorated with boy’s things: a Cardinal’s pennant, some trophies, and a black bedspread. It, too, had the same floor to ceiling windows.
“If you don’t like nature, you’re not going to like this house,” joked Maggie.
“I think I could learn to love it.”
“That is true.”
They returned downstairs.
“I really should be getting home,” said Will. “I’ve intruded on your peace and hospitality too long.”
“No, no. I enjoyed the company. I will look forward to your return with your ‘friend’ tomorrow.”
“Thank you. Oh, and here’s my business card, just in case.”
Will handed it to her, and picked up the baby bag. Maggie looked at it and her eyebrows rose. “I see you do well for yourself.”
“I make a living,” Will replied with a shrug.
“Maybe you should consider just living.”
Will smiled in reply as she opened the front door. He walked down the steps of the little front porch and put Georgiana into her cradle seat in the back. She made a grab for him, and he let her grasp his forefinger. He wiggled it back and forth gently and leaned forward to softly kiss her head.
He straightened, looked back at the house where Maggie still stood in the doorway, waved to her, then got into his Audi TT and turned the car around, heading homeward.
When he was back on the highway, he dialed Elizabeth’s number on his mobile phone.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Elizabeth. Whatever plans you have for tomorrow, cancel them.”
“What?”
“I’m taking you to a place I think you’ll love.”
“Will! What are you talking about? Where are you?”
“I just left this amazing house! It’s really beautiful and I think you’ll really love it, too, and Maggie is this wonderful woman who was really kind and showed me all around and –“
“Will, Will, hang on, slow down.”
Will stopped talking.
“Now start over. Where are you?”
“I’m on I-270.”
“And what have you been doing today?”
“I’ve been looking at houses,” Will said with a sigh of impatience.
“Ok. And you saw this house you really like?”
Will began to get excited again. “And I think you’ll love it, too!”
“So who’s Maggie?”
“She’s the widow who lives there. She’s really nice and showed me all around. It’s in the middle of the woods, and it looks small, but it has three bedrooms sort of and a big living room with a fire in the fireplace and a kitchen and everything.”
“I can’t believe how different you are about this!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “You must really like this house.”
“I think I’ve found the one!”
“You don’t think you’re getting ahead of yourself?”
“You said I wasn’t last week.”
“I said you weren’t rushing about looking around. Have you even visited any other homes?”
“Not really, no, but I’ve been inside enough of other people’s homes to know that I really like this one. Anyway, you’re going to see it tomorrow and then you’ll see I’m right.”
“I am? I will?”
“Yes,” Will said emphatically.
“Who’s to say I don’t have a date tomorrow?”
“You wouldn’t be starting to date someone right before you skip town. Unless you have a different character to the one I know.”
“You’re so full of it,” Elizabeth teased.
“And don’t you wish you had even some of it,” Will replied in turn. “Georgie and I will be by to pick you up at 2 tomorrow.”
“I’m all anticipation.”
The following day on the drive to the house, Will told Elizabeth more of what happened the previous visit. Will couldn’t help feeling a little bit deflated by her practical attitude of ‘let’s wait and see’ and ‘let’s not be too hasty.’ He wanted her to be as excited about this house as he was.
When they pulled up, Will looked at Elizabeth’s face to see her reaction.
“Wow. It’s so cute!”
Will laughed and opened the door. As he picked up Georgiana, Maggie opened the front door and called out a hello.
Will waved with his free hand, then used it to pick up the baby bag. He followed Elizabeth up to the house. Elizabeth looked nice today. Not on purpose, but rather she just happened to look unusually attractive. Her curls were pulled back into a barrette, rhinestones adorned her ears; she wore light blue jeans and a soft lilac turtleneck. Elizabeth smiled at her hostess and Will knew that Maggie would like her. Who couldn’t like this vibrant woman with such a warm, loving smile?
“Hi, Maggie. This is my friend, Elizabeth Bennet. This is Maggie.”
“Hi, nice to meet you,” said Elizabeth, widening her smile with genuineness.
“Welcome. Come on in, both of you – I’m sorry, all three of you.”
They walked in and Will watched Elizabeth keenly to assess her opinion of the place.
Somehow, Will decided, Maggie seemed to intuitively understand that he was trying to impress Elizabeth with the house, for Maggie – after showing Elizabeth the kitchen to get some drinks, then the living room briefly – led them to the back room, where it was warm enough for the sliding doors to be wide open. Will was positive he heard Elizabeth gasp at seeing the room with its beautiful view of woodlands. Maggie beamed as she sat down in the farthest rocking chair. Elizabeth remained standing, looking out, while Will settled down in the second rocking chair. He turned Georgiana around in his lap so she could look out as well.
“This is beautiful,” Elizabeth said quietly.
Maggie winked at Will as she replied, “Thank you. It’s such a peaceful place. It’s nice to get away from the city, isn’t it?”
Elizabeth just silently nodded. Finally, she turned and sat down in the last chair. She asked, “How long have you lived here?”
“My husband and I moved here about 13 years ago.”
“Did you build it?”
“No, it was about 3 years old when we moved in.”
“Are there any close neighbours?”
“The closest neighbours are the Miltons, about two miles down the road. Close enough so you’re not too isolated, but far enough away to get your own privacy and peace and quiet.”
Will realized Elizabeth was asking all the sensible questions he should have thought of. But maybe that meant she liked it.
“Is it on the city’s sewage system or does it have a septic tank?”
“We have three septic tanks: one for normal human waste, one backup, and one for the rest of our wastewater. The human one is filtered and slowly seeps back into nature.”
“Do you have any kind of internet connection besides a phone line?”
“No, we never saw the need to get a cable coming in. Though I believe the Schneiders have one, and they live about 3 miles the other way.”
Elizabeth fell into a reflective silence, looking out of the windows at some cardinals who had come to feed and bathe despite the presence of two squirrels.
After twenty more minutes, Maggie asked, “Would you like to take a walk before it gets too dark?”
Elizabeth and Will agreed. Will got some warmer clothes out of the baby bag for Georgiana, finally adding the little woolly cap to cover her mostly-bald head. They walked out of the house and slowly walked around the outside of it, looking. Maggie explained that while the outer material was stone, the structure of wood was sound. The roof would need replacing in another five to seven years, but that was only if there were continuously bad winters. In general, the house was in good condition.
Then they walked into the woods surrounding the house with Maggie and Elizabeth in the lead and Will trailing behind with Georgiana. There were paths, apparently, that Maggie and her husband had used regularly. She led them to one clearing and explained softly that it was a common place for the deer to graze at dawn and dusk. She pointed to a small, camouflaged shelter where they would watch from sometimes. She then walked along a different path that led to a deep ravine. The trees on each side were different species according to the light and rainfall they received. At the bottom of the ravine, a small stream trickled down. Finally, Maggie showed them an old fallen tree, which, she explained, was home to a family of foxes.
They walked back to the house as Maggie explained that every year, her husband would choose a few trees to cut down and sell. The trees would be selected on their health and relation to the forest as an ecosystem.
When they had returned to the house, Maggie made some of her special tea while Will fed Georgiana and changed her diaper. After they were refreshed, Elizabeth and Will said goodbye to Maggie and left the little house in the woods.
In the car, Will wasted no time in asking what Elizabeth thought of the place. “I liked it,” she replied. “I liked it a lot.”
Will waited in silence for her to continue, inwardly pleased with her approval.
“It’s such a beautiful place that I’m surprised it’s on the market like this.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Well, A) I’m surprised it’s on the market at all since usually those kind of places don’t even need advertising to be snatched up, and B) I’m surprised it hasn’t been snatched up yet since it is being marketed.”
“The realtor page shows it to be quite new. And most of the land isn’t included with the house, which will make it less appealing to most buyers of this sort.”
“It would be fine as long as someone like her owns it. But if she dies, and the land is passed on to the son, he may decide to develop it, at which point, you can’t do anything to prevent it.”
“We could possibly discuss having some kind of restriction against development being put onto the land.”
“It could prove tricky.”
“But don’t you think she would be the type of person to agree with that kind of measure?”
“I do. But if her son advises her against it or something….”
“I’m seriously considering putting a bid on the house.”
“Hang on,” said Elizabeth. “What about Caroline? What about your current house?”
Will didn’t want to consider those things. He had fallen in love with this house and didn’t want to think of obstacles in the way.
“If it is known that you own a second house, you lose your leverage with the current one.”
“And it would be too much to buy this one secretly.”
“Um, yes, it would.”
“But you said so yourself that this kind of house goes really quickly.”
“It does.”
“So I’m feeling a sense of urgency, here.”
“I know, but you have to take the right steps.”
“I can’t wait until the divorce is fought out in the courts before I buy this house.”
“You’re right. Just give it some thought. Maybe call up Maggie and explain that you really like the house, but need a couple of days to sort things out before you make a commitment. Maybe Maggie has become so attached to you and Georgiana –“
“And you.”
“All right, and me, that she will make an effort to save the house for you for a finite period of time.”
“Okay. That’s a good idea.”
“I know,” she said smugly, grinning at him.
“Now who’s full of it?”