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Chapter 17

Posted on Wednesday, 13 October

After dinner, Elizabeth had an urge to bake cookies. “Jane, will you make them with me?”

“No, Lizzie, I’m too tired to be in the kitchen tonight.”

“Charles?”

He made a face. “Only if I have to.”

“Will?”

“What?”

“Will you help me make chocolate chip cookies tonight?”

“What would this entail?”

“Um, doing what I tell you to do?” she beamed an innocent smile at him.

“That’s what I thought,” Will replied caustically.

“So that’s a yes?”

“All right.”

When the dinner things had been cleared, washed, and put away, Elizabeth pulled herself up to sit on the countertop with the recipe and Georgiana in her lap.

“Okay,” she said. “You need to combine two eggs, one cup of brown sugar, half a cup of regular sugar, and two sticks of softened butter together.”

“Whoa, slow down. What am I doing?”

Elizabeth repeated her directions patiently and slowly.

“Where are the measuring cups?”

“Dunno. Just look around.”

Will poked his nose in all of the cabinets and two drawers before he discovered a measuring cup.

Will pottered round the kitchen following Elizabeth’s directives.

As he counted the cups of flour going into the batter, Elizabeth said, “Oh, have you turned the oven on? It’s supposed to be at 375 degrees.”

Will paused. “I’ve lost count.”

“What?”

“I’ve lost count of the flour. I think I put in two cups already.” He hesitated, then said, “Yeah, I think that’s right.” Ignoring Elizabeth’s dubious look, he finished, then turned the oven on.

When all the ingredients she’d read to him were mixed into the batter, Elizabeth said, “Now we put two cups of chocolate chips in.”

With the batter done, Elizabeth helped him spoon the batter onto the two cookie trays.

Will slid the trays into the oven, set the timer for ten minutes, then stood up. “Is that it?”

“Yep. Now we wait.”

“And do the washing up,” Jane piped up from the couch, where she and Charles were watching A Beautiful Mind.

Will washed dishes and put away the ingredients while Elizabeth continued to occupy Georgiana’s attention. When the timer beeped, he took the trays out and set them out to cool. Elizabeth could hardly keep her fingers from taking a warm cookie prematurely.

When the baking was over and Elizabeth had sated herself on the warm cookies and milk, the toddlers were put to bed and Jane and Charles occupied one sofa, leaving Will and Elizabeth with the other to watch A Beautiful Mind. Jane and Charles didn’t last the movie before going to bed. Something about the sea air made everyone lethargic and sleepy. Elizabeth, unable to find a comfortable position, ended up resting her head on Will’s lap, while her arm rested on her side. Will absentmindedly ran his hand through her curls over and over again, while his other gently rubbed her back every now and then. By the time the movie was two thirds over, he was the only one watching it. When it ended, he didn’t want to move. Elizabeth was fully asleep on his lap. He stayed where he was for at least half an hour, stroking her head and back. Finally, he picked Elizabeth up with some difficulty. She woke up and looked at him in confusion.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Putting you to bed,” he replied.

“But,” she began, then stopped.

Will set her down on her bed, and helped her under the covers without jarring her arm, then said, “Good night.” He hesitated, then leaned down and kissed her cheek gently. Only lingering a tad too long.

“Wait,” she said.

Will paused at the doorway.

“Never mind,” she mumbled, pulling the covers up to her chin.

Will remained at the doorway for a minute, hoping she would finish her thought, but then turned and went to his own room after turning out all the lights.

The following day, people were slow to get up and get moving. They all sat down for a leisurely breakfast, and by the time the amiable conversation had ended, it was nearly lunchtime. By the time everyone packed their things and piled into the minivan to spend a day in Apalachicola, it was lunchtime. Jane brought lunch things to munch on in the car while she drove them all to Apalachicola, a historic coastal town about forty minutes from St George Island. When they arrived, the parked by the old Gibson Inn, a blue and white building built as an inn in 1907.

Elizabeth sat down on the front porch and asked, “What did you guys want to do here? I don’t want to do too much walking around.”

“Well,” Jane hesitated. “I had wanted to see the botanical gardens.”

“Charles?” Elizabeth asked.

“I’m not fussed. As long as I get to eat some real seafood tonight, I’m fine.”

Jane suggested, “Why don’t Charles and I go to the botanical gardens, then Elizabeth you can look at the historic homes around here. The visitor’s centre has a tour I think.”

“I can’t drive the van, you know that.”

“I’ll drive you,” Will said, hoping he didn’t sound too eager. “But Georgie won’t want to spend the day in the van.”

“We’ll take Georgie if that’s all right with you,” suggested Charles.

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all. Just give us the harness so she’s got some freedom.”

“When shall we meet up?”

“Why don’t we meet back here at 5:30? Then we can have a nice seafood meal and get home in time for the kiddies’ bedtime.”

Will nodded his assent. “Can I have the keys, Jane?”

She dug them out of her purse and tossed them to him. Will caught them neatly and skipped down the steps to get Georgiana’s things from the car. He took some things out of the bag that Jane and Charles wouldn’t need, then handed the lighter bag and the stroller to Charles.

While Charles stood beside Will at the door to the van, Will decided to take the opportunity to ask him, “Are you and Jane pushing us together?”

“No,” Charles replied in a low voice. “We’re just giving you as much time together as we can. We don’t want to push you into anything. Either of you. But we understand how difficult it has been for you two to see each other, and having a toddler to care for sometimes inhibits development as well.”

Will looked at his friend suspiciously, but Charles only returned a genuine, caring face.

“Thanks.”

Will returned to the top of the steps and kissed Georgiana, picking her up. “Be a good girl, alright? Don’t go terrorizing the Bingleys – especially Tobin.”

Not that she would heed him anyway.

“Come on, Will, she’s an angel!” exclaimed Elizabeth.

Will laughed at her.

Jane took Georgiana from him, and the Bingleys began to walk down the street together. Their progress was slow, with two strollers and stopping to look at the interesting shops along the way.

Will turned to Elizabeth and held out his hand to help her up from the rocking chair. “Shall we go?”

“Sure. You don’t mind Georgiana going off with them?”

“Not at all. We’re alone together an awful lot. I think it’s good for her to spend time with others, especially people like the Bingleys.” He nearly added ‘They’re like family to us,’ but he stopped himself.

Elizabeth got into the van while Will slid into the driver’s seat and adjusted it to his height.

“I never thought Jane was that short,” Will muttered, to which Elizabeth laughed.

“She probably prefers to be closer than you do. You know guys like to have that whole stretched out thing.”

Will looked at her, “What are you talking about, woman?!” he exclaimed, highly amused.

“Come on! You know that sports car look. Like what they do in racing. They’re practically lying down.”

“You put two and two together to make five.”

“No. Guys have that racing look they like to emulate. So it’s arms stretched out straight, and legs go all the way down so they can floor it. Women prefer to sit like you’re in a chair.”

“But you’re not in a chair. You’re driving!”

Elizabeth snorted. “I know that. But you don’t have to stretch to reach the wheel. Besides, if I were that reclined, I’d fall asleep at the wheel.”

“You can’t even fall asleep in a bed, how would you fall asleep at the wheel?”

“You’ve seen me fall asleep plenty of times in other places. Like at my desk, in the car, and on the sofa.”

Will pulled into the tourist center. “Do you want to come in or stay here?”

“I’ll stay I think. Unless I have to come in.”

“I’m just going to pick up a guide. If there’s something interesting in there – which I doubt – I’ll come get you.”

Will went into the small tourist center. It had bathrooms, a map of the town on display, a few glass cases with historical items of interest in it, and some black and white photos of the town on the walls.

He went up to the lady at the desk.

“Can I help you?”

“Do you have a guide for the historic homes?”

“That will be three dollars.”

Will took three bills out of his wallet and gave them to her.

“Thanks.”

“Ya’ll have a nice time.”

Will got into the van and tossed the guide at her. “I never did understand the word “ya’ll”. I mean… what’s wrong with you? Or you guys?”

“It’s a southern thing.”

“No, it’s actually in more parts of the country than just the south.”

Elizabeth was only half listening to him as she browsed the pages in the guide. “I guess it’s because the English language doesn’t have a plural form of the second person. Other languages do. Spanish has vosotros. You need to turn left here.”

“Where are we going first?”

“If you slow down at the end of this block, we come to our first exhibit. The guidebook says this is the First Baptist Church.” She read out the entry on the church.

“It looks a little odd with a widow’s walk on top of its tower.” Elizabeth gave him a withering look. “1902 you said?” Will continued. Elizabeth nodded. Will leant forward over the steering wheel, looking up at it. “Barely a hundred years old.”

“Yes. I think the widow’s walk makes the church look like it suits the area, you know?’

“What’s next?”

“The Chapel Home. Go down 6th and we’ll make a right turn on Avenue J, then a second left.”

“Tell me about this place then.”

“Also known as the Wefing/Mathew House, this Queen Anne style home was built in 1892 by Harris A Clark, a mill foreman living in Apalachicola. It is constructed of dark and light cypress with heart of pine floors. It has deep ceiling molding, an alternative dark and light cypress central alcoves built into the wall. It is the private residence of local historian, George Chapel.”

“So it has nothing to do with a real chapel, huh? I thought it would least look like a chapel.”

“Maybe it does, I don’t know. But the houses seem to be named after owners – whether past or present.”

“Local historian, huh?” Will said as they pulled up to the white Victorian home. “Mustn’t get much work around here.”

“Will!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Are you in a cranky mood, or what?”

“No. I just find this poky little town very amusing, that’s all.”

“What, like you don’t have poky little villages where you live. Like Elsah or Grafton?”

“Those are beautiful, historic, middle-American places,” Will said defensively.

“What do you think Apalachicola is? A beautiful, historic, southern coastal town. Honestly, you’re being a snob.”

“Only because it’s funny. Would you look at this Chapel home before a car comes up behind me?”

Elizabeth defiantly turned and stared at the house. “Wow,” she breathed. “Look at those porches.”

“Yeah, but can you imagine using them nowadays?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, since the invention of air conditioning and screens, who would sit out on those porches? Northern Florida is miserably hot, muggy and full of blood-thirsty mosquitoes most of the year. It’s one thing when you didn’t have air conditioning and it was cooler to sit outside and lazily watch the world go by while your black servants did the sweaty work. But now?”

Elizabeth looked like she wanted to argue with him more, but didn’t.

“Shall we move on? I think the guy behind you is getting a bit irritated with you.”

Will moved away from the Victorian home. “Where to next?”

“The Austin-Sawyer House. Turn right at the next stop sign. Then turn left.” After a couple minutes she said, “Here it is.”

Will looked at the house. “Are you sure?”

Elizabeth looked down at the guidebook. “That’s what is says.”

“I’m trying very hard not to be a snob, but… Elizabeth this place looks like it was built yesterday!”

“The guidebook says, ‘This brick house was built in 1939 for the Gene Austin family and has remained in the Austin family until 1986 - a total of 48 years, when they sold the house to Rita and Fred B. Sawyer. The Austins owned the Austin Department Store at the corner of Market Street and Avenue E. In 1996 the Sawyer’s started extensive renovations and additions to their home.’”

“Elizabeth! 1939?!” He laughed shortly. “Oh my goodness. Only in America would a house built in 1939 be ‘historic’.”

In an apologetic voice Elizabeth said, “I have to agree with you this time. I suppose it’s only because the house used to be occupied by wealthy people that it’s on the list.”

“They don’t even look like they were wealthy,” Will muttered.

“Okay Mr. Grinch, let’s move along.”

“Grinch, indeed,” grumbled Will as they drove along.

Elizabeth directed him through the gridded town roads until they reached the Macy House.

“I like this one a lot. It looks very southern.”

“The palm trees certainly help you get that feel.”

“And the wrap-around porches.” Will looked at the house for several minutes.

“Any chance of you selling your own cottage and moving here, then?” asked Elizabeth.

Will gave her a look that said ‘Not on your life.’

“It’s interesting that we find ourselves looking at houses again together. How often did I do that with you in St Louis?”

“That was different. I was in the market then. This is merely sightseeing.”

“Are you telling me that if you saw a house you really, really liked, you wouldn’t buy it?”

“Of course not. What would I do with it? Live here?”

“Why not?”

“No, thank you. And I’ll give you three good reasons. One, I need to be a little closer to civilization. Two, the climate. And three-“ He’d been about to say something along the lines of it being too far away from her, but stopped himself. “And three,” he continued after a slight hesitation, “I wouldn’t be able to abide tourists coming and gawking at my house.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Like we’re doing right now?”

“Exactly.”

They reached the road leading along the estuary. Will saw an old-fashioned ice cream parlour opened early for the tourist season. “Would you like to stop and have an ice cream?” suggested Will. “We could sit down and watch nature for a bit.”

“That’s a great idea.”

Will pulled over into the gravel parking lot. He got out and met her walking into the ice cream shop. It had only a three small tables with chairs. Will presumed most customers took their ice cream elsewhere. They walked up to the counter.

A young girl who looked like she was in high school came from the back room. “Hi,” she drawled. “Can I help you?”

“What do you want?” asked Will.

“Can I have a couple scoops of rocky road on a sugar cone?”

“And you?” the girl asked him.

“I’d like chocolate fudge on a cone please.”

“How many scoops?”

“Two.” Will turned to Elizabeth and suggested, “Why don’t you go outside and take a seat.”

She nodded and left the small establishment. Will looked around while he waited for their orders. There were pictures of summer customers covering every inch of the wall. Looked like it was a trendy place to hang out in bikinis and swimming trunks in the summer. Will paid for the ice cream, grabbed a couple of napkins, then took them outside to Elizabeth.

She was sitting on a bench looking out over the brine marshes to the sea. As he handed her her ice cream cone and sat down, a flock of birds rushed out of the marshes and fluttered across the marshland to the cypress forest further up the Apalachicola river.

It was a peaceful spot. The road behind them was quiet, and the land in front of them appeared unspoilt.

Elizabeth licked the drips off her cone, then said, “I was reading in the guidebook that the community in this part of the rural Florida coastline is struggling. This estuary, where the Apalachicola River meets the salt water, has always been very productive and rich in life. But there was overfishing earlier. The government attempted to fix this by imposing net bans, where certain size nets aren’t allowed, but this dealt a blow to the fishermen and consequently other people associated with the fishing industry.” Elizabeth picked up the guidebook and turned to a page. “These are the shrimping boats that would go out into the bay. But not many can make a living at it anymore.”

“You’re making me feel guilty about wanting to eat seafood tonight,” Will replied.

“Well, I didn’t mean to, but it’s something to think about. We consumers are the ones with the power – collectively, I mean. As long as there’s such a high demand for seafood, the seas will continue to be depleted. As for this community, it’s basically a disappearing way of life. It seems so sad.”

“There’s always going to be situations like that. Factories close down in some towns and leave the economy struggling, like Flint, Michigan with the car industry. Or some of the railroad towns in the old west. It’s part of the economic boom and bust.”

“But doesn’t that make you sad?”

“Of course it does, but it’s a fact of life, not something I could do anything about.”

Elizabeth shrugged, unable or unwilling to accept this answer, and continued to eat her ice cream. She added, “Now the tourist industry is beginning to take over in this county. There are zoning wars between the commercial fishing industry, and tourism and realtors. Developers could make this coastline into high priced homes, like on St George Island.”

“Are you usually so pessimistic about development?”

Elizabeth considered this for several moments before she said, “I guess so.”

Will draped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him in a hug. He kissed her curls lightly and chuckled at her. “I confess to being surprised at this.”

“Why?” she said, surprised.

“I don’t know. You’re a big city, corporate girl, that’s why.”

“What?! Will! I’m an independent consultant!”

“Who works for corporations in the big city.”

“I’m insulted you think I’m like this.”

“You haven’t disproved me.”

“Yes I have. By my feelings toward development, which you yourself said were contrary to your own mental image of me as a big city girl,” she pointed out.

Will had to concede defeat. She was right.

He practically inhaled the last remnants of his ice cream cone before it got all over his hands. Rather than taking his arm from its ideal place around her to wipe his hands, he wiped them on his jeans. They were old and grubby anyway.

They sat in silence looking out at the estuary. Once Elizabeth had finished her cone and wiped her hand on a napkin, she leaned back against his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. A peaceful serenity settled over the couple. It felt so natural to sit here like this, together in contented silence, the subtle details of nature serving as the only entertainment. Will observed a heron moving through the water ever so slowly.

“Look,” Will breathed in her ear, pointing with his free hand.

The heron picked up one stick-like leg, moved it forward, lowered it into the water, leaned his body forward, then picked up the other leg to move it forward. They must have watched the bird for at least five minutes before they lost sight of him in the taller grasses.

Will wanted to broach the subject of their relationship, but recalled his resolve not to be the one, yet again, to make the first move. He was happy they had reached this point. If this was as slow as he needed to go, then so be it. He rested his cheek against her head, squashing her soft curls beneath him.

They remained there for another fifteen minutes before Elizabeth said, “We should be moving on. It’s after two, and we’ve still got more houses to see.”

Will wanted to protest. He was comfortable where he was. He didn’t want to see more “historic” locations. Some of the more rundown parts of Apalachicola were beginning to depress him, just like Elizabeth had been saddened by the diminishing fisherman’s way of life. He kept his protestations to himself, however, and stood up.

They got back in the car and spent another hour and a half looking at the historic places. Some of them were more interesting than others. A few Elizabeth really wished she could see inside, but they were either private homes closed to the public, or they were public but not open for the season yet. When they had finished the tour, Elizabeth expressed a desire to see some of the local merchant shops. Will parked at the Gibson Inn once more, and together they walked down Market Street, poking into all the different sorts of shops.

Will bought Elizabeth another candle to add to the collection in her bedroom. Elizabeth seriously considered buying a piece of artwork, but decided she really couldn’t afford it.

“I know it’s a really cliché painting, but I like it. It’s… soothing. I suppose it just reminds of the crashing of the waves over and over.”

She chose a small print to give to Madeline, while Will bought a small bag of saltwater taffy for Mrs. Reynolds.

They began wandering back to the Inn at 5:15 and found the others already there. Will ran up the steps and scooped Georgiana up.

“Were you a good girl?” he asked her.

“She spent a good hour asleep in the stroller,” Charles said. “It was great.”

“I’m glad she had a nap. She’ll be more bearable.”

“How were the botanical gardens?” asked Elizabeth.

“They were gorgeous!” Jane gushed. “It was the perfect time of year to see them. There were so many flowers in bloom.”

“It really was spectacular,” Charles added. “A lot better than I’d expected.”

“Good. I’m glad,” Will said.

“What about you? Did you see the historical homes?”

Will snorted. “We saw a few homes. Whether they’re historical or not is still under debate.”

Elizabeth glared at him. “Yes we did. It was a good thing for me to do, driving around the town and seeing the different places.”

“Did you see anywhere good to eat?” asked Charles.

“I’ve heard the Oyster Bar on 6th Avenue is good,” Will said.

“Do you know how to get there since you’ve been driving around the town?”

Will nodded. “I’ll drive.”

Jane and Charles settled the toddlers into their car seats, stowed the strollers and bags in the back, then climbed in behind Will and Elizabeth. Will drove them all to the restaurant while Elizabeth told her sister and brother-in-law about the different places they saw.

The restaurant was rustic, yet nice at the same time. The walls were roughly painted boards of wood with shells, fishing nets and tackle, and watercolour seascapes adorning them. But the tables had starched white tablecloths covering them, nice silverware, and candles. Two high chairs were pulled up, one by Will and one between Jane and Charles.

Will looked at the menu. Most of it was seafood. Elizabeth’s words about overfishing the sea came back to haunt him. He leant his elbow on the table and glared at her conspicuously. Elizabeth knew exactly the reason for his glare.

“Don’t blame me if I pricked your conscience.”

“You did more than prick it. You berated it.”

“What are you two talking about?” asked Jane.

“Don’t you even think about it,” Will interrupted Elizabeth. To Jane he explained, “This is merely the remnants of a discussion we had earlier. You don’t want to hear about it now.”

“You are deliberately leaving them in the dark. Withholding information,” Elizabeth accused.

“Just like I wish you had done for me,” countered Will.

“As long as you remain ignorant, you’re happy in your secluded little world, aren’t you?”

“Would you two either include us in the conversation or leave your bickering for some other occasion?” said Jane.

“Sorry, Jane,” Will said.

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him a little, then returned to perusing her menu.

Will, after some internal debate, decided on a pasta that contained small amounts of seafood.

The meal was a wonderful time together. The food was good, the atmosphere quiet, but not so the noise the toddlers made caused disturbance. And the company excellent. Will sat back at one point during the dinner, mentally removing himself from the group to observe them all. Elizabeth and Jane were laughing at some teasing remark Jane had made about Charles. Charles’ face registered sheepish amusement as his hands were occupied with wiping Tobin’s messy face. Georgiana was relatively quiet, merely staring wide-eyed at the people around the table. Will couldn’t remember a time when he had felt so content, so happy. He had his daughter – the apple of his eye – and the woman he loved, and he had his two best friends. Life was good. Now if only he could earn Elizabeth’s love once and for all. He dreaded her return to Chicago. What if nothing happened before she left, nothing talked of? Twisting his napkin into intricate knots with his hands, Will came to the decision to speak again to her before she left if she did not do so.

His face must have become grave, for Elizabeth caught his eye and lifted one eyebrow in query. You okay? Will nodded, smiling slightly. She smiled in return, taking a sip of her drink.

When they had finished their meal, and Tobin began to make too much of a racket to remain in polite society, they left the restaurant, clambering back in the van. Charles drove back, with Will beside him. They talked business and touched on sports while Jane and Elizabeth chatted in the backseat and amused Tobin and Georgiana.

Will put Georgiana to bed immediately upon their return. He remained a few moments cuddling her before turning out her light and leaving, grabbing a sweater on his way out.

“I’m going out to the beach,” Will announced to Jane.

“Walking?” she asked.

“Probably not.”

He slipped out of the sliding doors into the darkness and walked down the boardwalk, donning his sweatshirt to ward against the chill evening breeze. He reached the sand and deposited his sandals, sinking his bare feet into the still-warm sand. He walked slowly out to the water’s edge, lit by the lights of the houses set further back and the bright quarter moon.

At first, he only stood, hands shoved deep in his pockets, looking out at the winking lights of the fishing boats out at sea. Then he moved closer until the tips of the waves rushing up the sand barely brushed his toes. His feet sank into the slick, damp sand.

For a few moments, he debated diving in. Regardless of clothes. He wished to do something reckless, something to give release to the pent-up tension within him.

Instead, he walked backward away from the water until he was on dry sand once more. There he sat down and, running the soft, fine grains of sand through his hands absentmindedly, he looked up at the night sky, dotted with stars and a brilliant moon.

He didn’t know how long he had sat there when he was startled by a figure looming over him.

“Mind if I join you?” Elizabeth asked quietly.

“No.”

She sat down in front of him. He paused a moment, before he slid up behind her. She leaned back against him, and he took this as encouragement, sliding his arms around her waist, his face resting against her hair. His heart thumped faster, his body tense. He tried consciously to relax as they sat in silence for several minutes.

“I’m never so peaceful, so relaxed, as when I’m with you,” Elizabeth said so softly Will had to lean down slightly to hear her. “You’ve noticed it, I’m sure.”

Will didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. He felt like he could screw up this path to progress at any second. To be honest, no he hadn’t noticed. He knew he was more tense around her, but at the same time, her company was relaxing, soothing.

At least five more minutes passed without a word between them, though it felt longer.

Then Elizabeth turned her head, her forehead now resting against his cheek. Will had to exert great determination to keep his breathing normal. She raised her face so her lips brushed the roughness on his cheek. Will gave up on breathing at all. He distinctly felt her kiss his cheekbone ever so softly, then the hollow of his cheek, followed by the corner of his mouth. Unable to take any more of her torment, he pressed his own lips against hers. It was only the briefest of touches. Her good hand came up and caressed his face, pulling him toward her again, shifting her body round slightly. Their second kiss was firmer, slightly longer. She pulled away, kissing his other cheek and eyes before returning to his mouth once more. As their kiss deepened, Will’s rationality began to return to him. How did he get to this point? Any attempts to shove reason away failed.

Will pulled back and pressed her head against his chest as he said softly, shakily in her ear, “You’ve obviously had a whole train of thought going that I’ve completely missed out on.” He hoped he’d been coherent and made himself clear.

She didn’t say anything for a while. “I’m bad at this.”

Impatience rose inside his breast, but he controlled it. “What is ‘this’?” he prompted gently.

“Relationships.”

“Is that what this is?”

She hesitated. Will could hear the uncertainty in her voice as she said, “I thought- that is-” she broke off.

“Elizabeth, I thought I’d made my wishes clear twice before.”

“Not really,” she said slowly. “I mean, sort of.”

He picked her up and turned her, settling her on her lap and holding her more tightly. “I admit my feelings have altered since then.” He added when she flinched, “Only deepened and matured.” He turned her face to look him in the eyes as he told her, “I love you. I’ve missed you so much this winter. And as much as I love you, I’m not sure how I can do a relationship between Chicago given our past record.”

Her voice wavered as she asked, “Why do you love me?”

Will had to pause several moments to formulate his answer. “You know and understand me. Or at least try to understand. You don’t criticize the foundations of who I am. You stretch me to my potential – which only you have seen. Only you have challenged me to be all I could possibly be. You see, I have something to compare you to. I’ve been in a relationship where I was essentially a stranger to her. You understand me better than anyone ever has in my entire life. More than Richard, more than my parents, more than Caroline. I don’t feel like I understand you nearly as much. But I want to. I want to spend my life learning everything I can about you. You let me be myself and still push me to be better without making me feel inadequate as I am.”

He was confusing himself. He’d said more than he intended, but there was no going back now.

She was silent for what seemed like five minutes, but must have only been one or two. “The reason you haven’t heard from me the past two weeks is because I’ve been wrapping up my business in Chicago,” she said softly. “I’m moving back to St Louis.”

Will stared at her, trying to comprehend. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know-” she trailed off – she shrugged. “I’ll be there maybe another month still before I’m finished.”

“Then you’re back in St Louis?”

She nodded. “That’s the plan, anyway. I’ve found a small room above an office in Florissant where I can live.”

Will wanted to ask her to move in with him, but didn’t want to repeat the beginning of their acquaintance. Instead he kissed her, running a hand through her curls. It was such a relief to finally do this – something he’d wanted since they’d gone to the Leif Ove Andsnes concert. “Will,” she breathed as his kisses moved away from her mouth. “I’m sorry.”

Will pulled away, breathing slightly heavily. “Sorry?” That didn’t sound good.

She paused to recover before saying, “I’m sorry about everything.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Well, being difficult, and being stiff and mean sometimes.”

Will shook his head before she could go further. “I have only ever had the highest respect for you.”

“I don’t want to rush this,” she added. “I’ve screwed up one marriage; I don’t want to screw up again.”

“You know I couldn’t agree more. I also have Georgiana to think of.”

A smile broke across Elizabeth’s face. Will felt an inordinate surge of jealousy. A wild thought crossed his mind, that Elizabeth would attach herself to him for the love of Georgiana. “I see Georgie is my rival,” Will said teasingly, though internally it was no teasing matter.

“Georgie claims a different kind of love than you do.”

“I can claim your love?”

“You already have it.”

Will could only kiss her in reply, unable to contain the sheer elation he felt at finally reaching this point, finally achieving this award.

When they parted, Elizabeth turned to look out to sea in silence, leaning back against him. Will held her tightly, resting his face against her head, relishing in the moment. Five minutes must have passed before Will said, “Let’s go out to dinner tomorrow night – just the two of us. We’ll do babysitting duty the next night for Jane and Charles.”

Elizabeth nodded.

“How long have you been planning to come back to St Louis?”

“Almost as early as my visit to your house. I’ve never been happy in Chicago. I wasn’t that happy working in St Louis, either.”

“Where are you happy then?”

“With you. It sounds corny, but I’m serious. I like my job, but I’ve learned that coming home to an empty apartment leaves my life just as empty.”

Again, Will refrained from asking more of her. He would wait.

They sat on the sand listening to waves as time passed unnoticed. Will only realized how late it was when he saw how many houses had darkened.

“It’s late. We should be going in. And you’re chilly.”

Elizabeth nodded.

Will got up then pulled Elizabeth onto her feet. He stopped as she stood in front of him. He cracked a half smile, kissed her a couple times and said, “You’re beautiful.”

Elizabeth laughed.

“You find that funny?”

“Don’t ask me why, but yes, I do. Don’t get offended. I thank you for the compliment, really I do.”

Will looked at her dubiously, then began walking up the boardwalk with her to the house. Jane and Charles had already gone to bed, leaving a couple lamps and the porch lights on for them.

Will washed off their feet, then went inside and turned off the outside lights.

“Good night,” was all he said, and kissed her before going into his bedroom.

He lay awake for at least an hour. Part of his sleeplessness stemmed from reviewing the day over and over, particularly the evening. Part of it stemmed from a thousand questions, plans, and ideas running through his head. He was impatient. He didn’t want to wait for her to move to St Louis. He didn’t want to wait for her to marry him, move in with him, become a permanent part of his life. As he drifted off to sleep finally, he wondered if Elizabeth would have more or less difficulty sleeping this night than usual.

Chapter 18

Posted Thursday, 4 November 2004

When Georgiana woke him the next morning, it took Will several moments to recall the previous night. It took a few more moments before he could assure himself that he hadn’t dreamt it all. He got out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom to splash his face. Pausing a moment to collect his thoughts, he opened his bedroom door and poked his head outside. Elizabeth’s door was ajar, but he couldn’t see her in the kitchen or living room. He assumed she’d be out on the beach.

He got Georgiana ready for the day then took a quick shower and shaved, dressing in jeans and an old long-sleeved shirt. He scooped Georgiana up in his arms and carried her out to the kitchen. There, he filled a plastic baggie with Cheerios, poured a sippy cup with milk, then went outside onto the porch looking for Elizabeth.

He spotted her sitting at the end of the board walk. Will minced his way to the end of the boardwalk. He hated walking barefoot on the wooden boards, his tender skin easy prey to splinters. The idea put shivers up his spine.

Georgiana put a Cheerio in her mouth and crunched it, looking around her. Will approached Elizabeth. She didn’t turn around to acknowledge his presence. Pausing for a moment, he sat down beside her on the step. She stared out to sea with her chin resting in one hand propped on her knee.

“Morning,” Will said, unsure of how to proceed.

There was a brief silence before she asked, “Are you a glass is half empty person or a glass is half full person?”

This was nothing like what he expected. “Why?” he asked, both cautious and curious.

She shrugged. “My mind wandered in that direction.”

“I’ve always answered that question with a depends. It depends on what’s in the glass. If it’s something I don’t like, grape juice for example, then it’s half full because I think, oh no I have all that left to drink. But if it’s something I like, say hot chocolate, then it’s half empty because I think, oh no I only have that much left.”

Elizabeth grinned at him, her eyes squinting against the bright morning sun. “I always knew you were special.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That’s the best answer I’ve ever heard.”

“How many times do you ask it?”

She shrugged. “I used to ask it all the time when I would go out on dates. I used to think it was a way of gauging the person’s personality.”

“Is it?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“What does my answer say about me, then?”

“I’m not that great at interpreting them. I guess it means you’re a moderate person. You’re middle of the road.”

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

“I like it. Take it how you will,” she said.

“As long as you like it,” he teased. “Anything to please you.”

“I’m sure I could wear that welcome out pretty soon.”

More seriously, Will said, “Try me.”

She looked up at him. He couldn’t gauge her expression. He needed to work on that.

“Did you sleep?” he asked.

“Yes. I only got up around 6:30. I missed the dawn.”

She’d slept nearly seven and a half hours, Will calculated, perversely proud that he had this effect on her. It made him feel like he had some claim on her, however tenuous.

“I’m glad.” Will handed Georgiana her milk.

“Why is she eating it like that?” asked Elizabeth.

“You mean milk and cereal separate? She won’t eat it if I put them together in a bowl. At least this way she gets the cereal nutrients as well as all of the milk. I’m sure most children would end up getting little of the milk as most of it ends up on the floor, themselves, or left in the bowl.”

“Can I?” Elizabeth held her hand out.

Will let her take Georgiana onto her lap while he held the milk. Georgiana snuggled against Elizabeth’s good arm immediately, popping a couple more Cheerios in her mouth. She maintained little interest in the adults, though. Her attention was caught by the passers-by on the beach. Women out running with dogs, fishermen, and a couple of youths further down.

Unable to restrain showing his affection for her any longer, Will ran a hand through her ruffled curls, then pulled her to him slightly so he could kiss her head, then her forehead. She lifted her face slightly and met his kiss. He didn’t linger long, certainly not as long as he would have liked. He was still unsure how far and how fast to go with her.

He asked, “Would you tell me more of what you’ve been up to in Chicago? You’ve been selective about what you’ve told me.”

“Not too much. I mean, yes, I didn’t tell you about my plans to move.”

“What about all the clients you have?”

“I lost several during the trial. Two more won’t need me any more in a couple of weeks. My contracts end with them soon. That leaves three. I plan to commute for those three. In the meantime, I’ve maintained my contacts in St Louis, and I have a branch of a St Louis company in Jefferson City who want to hire me, too.”

“Where did you say you were living?”

“Florissant.”

“What’s that, half an hour away from where I live?”

“I don’t remember.”

There was a long pause as they sat side by side looking around at the beach. Georgiana became fed up with breakfast and wriggled off Elizabeth’s lap. Will let her wander off to a certain extent before calling her, then getting up to fetch her.

“What are we going to do about Jane and Charles?”

“You mean letting them know?” asked Elizabeth.

Will nodded.

Elizabeth shrugged, her face showing reluctance. “It’s awkward. I don’t know.”

“Should we keep this to ourselves for a while, then?”

“I’d prefer to, yes. Otherwise I would feel like we were being watched. We should work stuff out between us without interference.”

“Not that they would interfere maliciously. But I know what you mean.”

Will got up to bring Georgiana back to the edge of the boardwalk again.

“What did you want to do today? I still haven’t seen you go a day without doing some work.”

“Fine. Today will be that day. I won’t do any work.”

“What will you do instead?”

“I don’t know. I look to you for suggestions.” She peered up at him through her sunglasses, the wind blowing wisps of her hair across her face.

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time? A book you’ve wanted to read or something.”

She turned back to the see to consider this question for several moments. “It’s been so long since I’ve allowed myself to think about it. I can’t have just a little. Once I have a little, I just want more and more until I neglect the things I should be doing.”

“But you see, that’s the whole point of vacations. You can do anything you want for those 7 days, then go back to work. There isn’t that middle ground.”

“I’m afraid of not being able to go back to work after that, though.”

“I think that with your personality, that many days of idleness will make you want to go back to work. Besides, I thought you liked what you did.”

“I do.” Her voice was hesitant. “But it takes a lot out of me.”

“Try and whittle it down. I know it’s hard, but try it.”

“I know, I know,” she replied as if tired of being told so.

Will left it alone. “So what do you want to do?”

“Let’s do something together. What is there to do?”

“Not much.”

“I’ll tell you what. I’ve always wanted to get through The Lord of the Rings. I’ve attempted it a couple times way back when. But the movies have sort of inspired me to try again.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“What made me think of it was finding the first one stuffed away in one of the drawers in my room. There’re a few books lying around the place. Most of them are steamy romance novels.”

“Why don’t I read you one of those?” Will teased. “I could act out some of the parts.”

Elizabeth snorted. “I hardly think you fit the part.”

Will was hurt and insulted. It must have showed on his face because Elizabeth burst out laughing. “I meant-” she struggled for words. “You just don’t look the part. I mean with the long flowing hair and overly muscular sweaty bod. You’re too normal. And don’t take that negatively.”

Will felt somewhat mollified. He knew she was right. He hardly fit the part of a bodice-ripping hunk. But it still hurt anyway. He felt somewhat self-conscious of his body then. He hadn’t really thought about it for years. Back in college it was an issue. He’d been a handsome catch. But years of marriage, office labour, and a couple years of fatherhood had certainly softened him around the edges. He supposed he was more of a hobbit than an Aragorn, he thought glumly.

Elizabeth leaned over and touched his cheek. She kissed him and said, “I think you’re handsome just the way you are.”

Will wasn’t exactly comfortable with how well she read him. But then she always had. She knew him better than he knew himself and that made him jealous. She had known he would ask her to come back to St Louis with him that weekend he’d visited. And she understood why when he hadn’t.

Elizabeth heaved herself up, announcing “I’m going to grab the book and reserve the two best deck chairs.”

“Are we going out to dinner tonight?” Will asked her, looking up at her while he held onto a writhing, fretful Georgiana with two hands.

“If you arrange it with Jane and Charles.”

“Sure.”

She went back up the boardwalk to the house.

Will let Georgiana go and she toddled off as fast she could toward the beach. Will casually stood up to follow her at a distance. She fell down in the soft sand at least three times, but this didn’t seem to detain her. When she got too near the water, he called out to her and then had to run forward and scoop her up, giving her a stern reprimand and depositing her at a safer distance.

He settled onto the sand and reflected on the situation between Elizabeth and himself. He wondered how long he had to wait before he was allowed to voice his wishes for a more permanent union between the two of them. While Elizabeth seemed to be new to these feelings, he felt like he’d wanted her in his life for a very long time. Exactly when this mindset had settled in he wasn’t exactly sure. He had definitely gone in stages of realization. For example, asking her to come back with him in Chicago had been prior to when he’d realized he loved her. And that was prior to when he realized he wanted her permanently in his life. But what stage was she at? Attraction? Love? She’d said she loved him, although in an indirect way. Why wait, he wondered. He had such conviction that she was the one he wanted to be his life partner. And this time, it really would be for life. But they had never been together for long. So he came back to the question of how to proceed from here.

Will got up and walked over to where Georgiana and a young dog were investigating each other. The owner squatted beside the dog, holding the leash.

“Hi,” Will said to the man.

“Hey there.”

“What kind of a dog is he?”

“A coon dog mutt. A mixed breed.”

“Does he mind my daughter?”

“Nah. He should be fine.”

Georgiana had had very little exposure to canines before this encounter. The experience was both bewildering and fascinating. She reached out and touched his fur, then tugged an ear. Will watched the dog very carefully, but he seemed to understand the playful antics of a young human child, and put up with it like he would those of a puppy. The dog wagged his tail. This caught Georgie’s attention and she went straight for it, arms outstretched. Rather than catching it in her hands, the tail caught her full in the face. Georgiana went down with a bump. Her face showed surprise, then quickly contorted to distress and she began to cry.

“Oh, man. I’m sorry,” the owner said, pulling the dog away from the wailing toddler.

“It’s fine. She’s just startled. She’ll get over it.”

Will picked her up and cuddled her. “What are you crying over? Huh? Why do you make that noise? It won’t do you any good!”

Will nodded good bye to the man and walked back toward the boardwalk. “Shh, shh,” Will attempted to soothe her, bouncing her up and down in his arms and giving her wet kisses on her damp cheeks.

By the time he entered the beach house, her tears had ceased.

“Morning,” he said to Jane who was sitting at the table with Tobin, feeding him breakfast.

“Good morning. Everything all right?”

“Yeah. She had a bump in the face is all.”

Will grabbed a tissue and wiped her face then took another to wipe her runny nose. She kept turning her face away, squirming and whining slightly at the attention. When Will had finished, he put her down. Georgie headed for her bedroom. Will followed and found her trying to tug her Tehbeh out of the baby bag. Will retrieved it for her, then collected several toys and took them out in the living room. “Come on, Georgie. Come on.”

Georgiana followed, clutching her Tehbeh.

Tobin was putting up a row at the table while Jane tried to coax him into finishing his breakfast. Georgiana became distracted for a few moments, watching her friend pitch a loud fit.

Will sat down on the floor with her and began to put the large building blocks together. Georgiana became enrapt with this new game, and was soon fully occupied.

“Jane?”

Jane looked at him, dividing her attention between her son and Will.

“Elizabeth and I wanted to go out to dinner tonight. Would you mind watching Georgie?”

“No, not at all. We’d love to,” Jane said over Tobin’s loud shouts. “Where are you going?”

“To That Place On 98.”

“What place?”

“No, that’s what it’s called. That Place On 98. Apparently it’s a restaurant on a pier right beside the Highway 98 bridge. I was told it had good food and atmosphere. Very local.”

“Sounds nice.”

“We’ll tell you how it is so maybe you and Charles could go.”

“When will you leave?”

“Probably around 6. That’ll only be an hour before the kids’ bedtime.”

Jane was startled by a banging on the window behind her. She turned around and saw a book knocking on the window. Jane opened it and shouted at her sister on the deck, “What do you want?”

“Can you tell Will I’m ready?”

Jane turned back to Will and said, “Her Majesty wishes me to inform you that she’s ready.”

“Yeah, I heard,” Will rolled his eyes. He gathered the toys together and led Georgiana out to the deck.

Elizabeth lay out on one of the deck chairs in a spaghetti-strap shirt and her usual loose trousers. Will spread a beach towel on the deck beside Elizabeth and settled down with the toys.

“I’m going to play with Georgiana while you read. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

Georgiana joined Will on the towel. Elizabeth rescued Tehbeh, securing him on her deck chair as she resettled the sunglasses on her nose and began to read.

After a few minutes, Will asked, “Could we skip to the exciting parts?”

Elizabeth stared at him. Will couldn’t decipher her mood because of the sunglasses. “And what exactly are the exciting parts?”

“I just meant could we skip the long introduction?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Sure, if you like.”

And so they spent the morning on the deck reading and playing. Elizabeth played with the two toddlers while Will read for a while. Then Jane and Charles joined them outside for lunch.

After lunch, Will took Georgiana down to play on the beach with Charles and Tobin. Elizabeth and Jane intended to nap. “That’s code for working on their tan, I’ve worked out,” Charles informed Will as they walked down the boardwalk. “Though they do nap while they do it.”

“Anything that requires so little effort can’t be all that bad.”

The outgoing tide had a left a long shallow pool of water a few yards from the water’s edge. A few small birds waded through the shallows in search of food caught in the pool.

“That should be all right for them to play in, don’t you think?” asked Will.

Charles nodded.

Will let Georgiana loose, waiting to see where she would go. She immediately set off running toward the ocean. Will jogged and caught her hand. “No! Not over there,” he said sternly.

He led her back away from the larger body of water and toward the small pool. It was much warmer than the sea, having been warmed by the hot sun.

Will tied Georgiana’s small hat under her chin, keeping some of the sun off her face, then she was allowed into the pool. She tested it little by little, while Tobin went pell-mell into the water, squealing in delight.

The deepest part of the water only came up to her knees. When she fell down on her bottom, it came up to her chest. She found her situation fascinating. She dug her hands into the wet sand, dragging up a handful. Will watched, knowing what would come next and ready to stop her. Yep. Up came her hand, filled with sand, toward her mouth. She watched him, knowing he would stop her. Will shook his head. She paused, considering, then continued. Will put out his hand to stop her. “No, Georgie. Don’t do that.”

He rinsed her hand off in the water and lifted her onto her feet. Tobin let out a squeal as Charles held him upside down by his feet, dangling him so his hands brushed the water. Georgie watched, her mouth a round O.

Will settled down, content to watch her wading through the pool, bending over to splat and splash her hands in the water, giggling.

Charles and Will spent another hour on the beach playing with the toddlers before taking them up to the house. Will held Georgiana in his arms while he stepped under the freshwater shower to rinse the sand and salt off. Georgie scrunched up her face, closing her eyes, as the cold water poured over them. Will scrubbed her hair, getting some of the sand out of it.

Will took Georgiana up to the deck, allowing Charles to attempt to clean Tobin off. Elizabeth and Jane still lay out on the deck chairs in the sun. Elizabeth was on her stomach wearing a bikini top and her trousers, her cast hanging off the side of the chair. Will walked quietly up to them and then deposited his cold, wet daughter on Elizabeth’s back.

Elizabeth let out a shriek, jerking upwards a little. “William Darcy!” she yelled.

Will caught Georgie before she fell off, laughing heartily. Elizabeth whipped her sunglasses off to glare at him. Jane merely laughed with Will.

“I thought you wanted to hold her.”

“Hold her does not entail putting her on my back! She’s freezing. Go and get her dry.”

“I know, I am.”

Will walked into the house, still laughing.

The children were put down for a nap, allowing Jane and Charles the opportunity of going for a walk along the beach.

“Are you sure you don’t mind staying behind and minding the children?” asked Jane.

“Not at all,” Will assured her heartily.

As soon as Jane and Charles were on the beach and walking away from the house, Will leaned over to kiss Elizabeth. She returned it for several seconds before breaking away laughing.

“What?” asked Will, somewhat offended.

“Don’t you find it amusing how we’re acting like we’re in high school again? Hiding our relationship from our family?”

“Hey. She’s your family, not mine. They’re my friends.”

“Same difference.”

“Would you rather we didn’t?” asked Will.

“No, but I still find it amusing.”

Will had to admit it did make him feel adolescent again, but didn’t find it quite as amusing as Elizabeth. “What did you want to do with our time?” Will asked, taking her hand in both of his.

“I don’t know. The only thing I do know is that I need to go inside for a bit. I’m feeling a little toasted at the same time as chilly.”

“The sun is hot, but the wind is chilly.”

“Right. And when you don’t feel hot, that’s when you’re in most danger of getting burned.”

“Let’s go inside then.” Will stood and helped Elizabeth to her feet. She bent down and picked up her things, putting her long-sleeved shirt on.

Once inside, Will asked, “Did you want anything to eat?”

“I think I spied some Milano cookies somewhere hidden in the cupboards.”

Will went ferreting through the kitchen in search of the cookies while Elizabeth put her things away and sat down at the kitchen table.

“Have you ever been out of the country?” Elizabeth asked.

Will’s voice came from somewhere in the lower corner. “Does Canada count?”

“Sure.”

“Then yes.”

“Anywhere else?”

“No. I wanted to, though.”

“What stopped you?”

Will reappeared with Milano cookies in hand. “Time, I guess. And money.”

“Really?” Elizabeth covered for herself. “I mean, I always thought you were well off.”

He sat down. “If you consider the fact that if Caroline was going to go abroad, she had to do it in style, then it was an issue of money. I couldn’t afford – or rather I wasn’t willing to spend – money on 5-star hotels and resorts and things. Besides, it wasn’t what I wanted to see of places.”

Elizabeth nodded. “So will you go someday?”

“I hope so.”

“Where?”

“I’ve long had a fascination with the Kingdom of Bhutan.”

Elizabeth looked intrigued but quizzical. She leaned her chin on her hand, took a cookie, and said, “You’ll have to tell me more than that.”

Will wiped crumbs from his mouth, swallowed, and continued, “It’s in the Himalayas. I learned about it by seeing a slideshow of gorgeous photographs of the region. The presenter said that the country doesn’t measure Gross National Product, but rather Gross National Happiness. It only allows in about 5,000 visitors a year. There’s very little industrial development. They’re dedicated to preserving their environment. They have a deep respect for all sentient life, not just human life. It’s a Buddhist country mostly, and it just has this magical mysticism that draws me. I’d love to travel there for several weeks.”

Elizabeth smiled at him. “You make it sound wonderful. I’d like to go now, too.”

“Where would you most like to go?”

“I’ve wanted to see the Galapagos Islands, actually. To see the komodo dragons and the swimming iguanas.”

“Interesting. You’re a naturalist, then?”

“I have a mild, untrained, and mostly unrealized interest in the natural world, yes.”

“And you made fun of me and my birds.”

“I did not!” she protested.

“Yes, you did. You sniggered at me.”

“Sniggered, did I? That’s something they only say in My Fair Lady.”

“I picked it up from Mrs. Reynolds. And it amply describes your reaction to my birds.”

“You are fabricating stories.” Elizabeth took the cookie from out of his hand.

“I’ve learned to become proficient at it for Georgiana’s sake.”

“Do you at least own published children’s stories now?” asked Elizabeth.

“Yes, of course.”

“I only ask because you didn’t when I stayed with you. I had to make up my own.”

“Well we do now, so you can stop worrying.”

“Worrying?”

“Yes.”

Elizabeth paused, scrutinizing him. “Do you enjoy getting a rise out of me?”

“Of course.”

“You do?”

Will nodded, smiling slightly.

“You enjoy arguing with me, don’t you?”

Will nodded again. He leaned over and kissed her, saying “You’re so beautiful when you’re angry.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she asked, leaning her forehead against his.

“Yes.”

“Thank you. I might add that I actually enjoy arguing with you, too.”

“I prefer to use the term ‘bickering’ than ‘arguing’. Good natured bickering.” He kissed her again, tasting the orange chocolate lingering on her lips. “You taste good,” he murmured.

“Milano cookies tend to have that effect.”

Will pulled away slightly, still leaning close to her and looking into her eyes. “Would you travel with me?”

“I’d love to say ‘to the ends of the earth’,” she replied with a wry smile. “But I think I’ll say ‘as long as it doesn’t require me to eat live animals, dog, or monkey brains’.”

“I think I can manage that,” Will replied, smiling.

“What, you’d eat my portion?” Elizabeth smirked.

“No. I meant I think we can avoid those situations.”

“What about Georgiana?”

“We can either find a place where she could go too, wait until she’s old enough to go to the other places, or find somewhere she can stay while we’re away.”

“Why not all three? Spanning time, of course.”

Will couldn’t argue with this idea.

Elizabeth became serious when she asked, “Would you have her stay with her mother?”

Will’s face hardened. “The question is more whether Caroline would have her. Then if she would have her, would I let Georgie?”

Elizabeth watched him closely for the answer. Will felt pressured to answer it, though he didn’t know his answer. Or rather he didn’t like it. He wanted to say no. But he knew he had little legal reason to prevent Georgie from spending time with her mother.

Will shrugged. “When the situation arises, I will think about it.” He took the pack of Milano cookies, closed it and took it back to the cupboard, tucking it away out of sight so there would be more of a chance of eating the rest.

“Drink?” he asked.

“Root beer, please.”

Will took one out of the fridge. “Did Jane tell you they’ve agreed to take Georgiana tonight?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Where are we going?”

“That Place On 98.”

“What place?”

“That’s the name of the restaurant. That Place On 98.”

“Oh! Interesting!”

“I’ve been told to drive east on 98 until you cross the bridge, and then you make an immediate right. It’s literally right beside the bridge. But I think it’s a good hour away.”

“Sounds good.”

“I need to call the office. I haven’t done it yet and I need to check in.”

Elizabeth raised one eyebrow at him. “Working?”

“I’m merely checking in with my company.”

“But that’s to do with work.”

‘Yes. But I’m not the one who overworks.”

“Let me say hello to Mrs. Reynolds at some point.”

Will nodded as he brought the phone to the table and dialed the number. Elizabeth turned to look out at the view while he talked. Will spent ten minutes talking to Mrs. Reynolds and a couple others there, before turning the phone over to Elizabeth.

“Hello? Hi Catherine, how are you doing? … Fine. It’s beautiful down here. …Yes I’ve spent a lot of time with Georgie. …Yes and Tobin, too. …They’re out on a walk while the kids are napping.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Will as she said, “Yep, just Will and me here. …We were just talking about traveling. …No specific plans, no. Just wishful thinking, really. …We’re here only two more days I think. I don’t know. The days are all beginning to run together. … No, I’m going straight back to Chicago. … I hope to see you maybe in a month, maybe less. …I will. Okay. … Bye.”

Elizabeth hung up. She paused and asked him, “You were done, weren’t you?”

Will nodded. He waited several moments before saying, “You never told me about your relationship with my assistant.”

“We’re friends,” she said dismissively.

“Yes, but how did you become friends?

Elizabeth sat back in her chair. “I originally met her at a dinner party.”

Will’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

She continued, “It was a case of having friends’ friends mutually acquainted or something. My friend had invited me to go with her to her friend’s dinner party. She was a personnel officer in a client company of mine. Then Mrs. Reynolds knew the host from something else. But we got to talking at the dinner. We met for coffee on another occasion, then dinner. We wrote emails and got to know each other. Some of it was professional, but it was also private as well.”

“I hope you don’t mind me saying it, but it’s an odd friendship.”

“Yes, in a way. She’s older, but then I haven’t always liked doing what my generation does.”

“How did she approach you about replacing her for a while?”

“I’d told her about my plans to close up shop in St Louis and move to Chicago. Then one morning she called me up in tears. Her mother had fallen and she was in the hospital. I comforted her, assured her everything would be fine.” Elizabeth snorted. “Course, what the hell did I know?” She paused for a long while in contemplation. Then she continued, “She was really worried about what to do taking a leave of absence. She didn’t think you’d mind a few days, but she was afraid it would be more. I knew she really wanted to be by her mother’s side, so I suggested she find a temporary replacement for her, so she wouldn’t feel as pressured to return.” She laughed a little. “She was reluctant at first. She kept saying how you would never approve, that you would frighten any temp worker silly, and it wouldn’t work.” Will looked affronted. Elizabeth teased, “Little did I know then how accurate she was. But then she got the idea into her head that I could handle you.”

“Handle me?” Will exclaimed indignantly.

“Yes, I believe that’s the way she put it. And once she got the idea into her head, she wouldn’t let it go. She finally convinced me, and I agreed since it would mean a lot to her. Of course, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.”

“What did you think of me at first?”

Elizabeth’s eyebrow rose. “Do you really want to know?”

Will hesitated. It couldn’t be good, then. He nodded.

“I thought you were a bit arrogant and high-handed and misogynistic. And quite inept. But you proved only to be inept in the area of parenting. I admit I was hard on you.”

“You were!”

“I should probably have been kinder and gentler and helped you more. But you hadn’t made the best first impression. I wasn’t too inclined to help you in the first place. Then you quickly passed the point where I could give you any help, but you still seemed to have this silly idea that I knew everything about raising children merely because I was female.”

“No, you also had Tobin.”

“But it’s not like I give him a bath when I go over to have dinner with my sister and brother! I had a little experience in a few areas. Like feeding or diaper changing. But beyond that, I’d never done it before.”

Will reflected back to that time for several minutes. Then he said quietly, “You were different then.”

“In a good or bad way?”

“You were cold.”

“I know. If I was cold, then why did you still like me? I tried my best not to be likeable.”

“Why?”

“Because-“ she shifted uncomfortably. “We’ve already touched on most of this last December. I didn’t want you thinking I was there for the taking. No,” she said quickly. “That didn’t come out right. I mean, I needed our association to be strictly professional. You have to understand that- and don’t be defensive about it- that I frequently deal with sexual harassment issues in my job. While I firmly believe women are entitled to a friendly work environment, I also believe that men and women think differently, and that men are often given conflicting messages. What’s flirting to one woman is sexual harassment to another. What’s friendly to one woman is insulting to another. Then I also coach women not to put themselves into positions of vulnerability. It’s like not walking alone at night through certain parts of town. You just make sure the opportunity doesn’t arise for sexual harassment. So I also had that in mind. Not that I ever expected you to act inappropriately,” she hastily assured him. “But I didn’t want to ever give off an impression that would lead you to think certain things were okay.”

“How long did you think that?”

“For the first week at least, maybe a little longer. Then things eased a little and I could relax more, but not too much. Of course I would do things differently now. I’m a much different person now than I was then. And I think a lot of that has to do with you.”

“In a good way, I hope?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Are you comfortable around me now?”

“Yes,” she answered firmly. “More than with anyone else I know, and yet at the same time no, since things can suddenly be awkward.”

“You mean that beginning stage of a relationship awkwardness?”

She nodded.

“You know you don’t ever need to be embarrassed around me, right?”

“I know, but it takes adjustment. I’m sure you’re the same way.”

Will shrugged.

Tobin began yelling.

“Good lord!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Either he wakes up yelling or he’s been awake for a while.”

Will got up to go attend the boy.

Elizabeth and Will were occupied by the children until Jane and Charles returned. Then preparations for their dinner were underway followed by a brief spell on the beach in the early evening before Will and Elizabeth got ready to go out. Will used the stand-up shower in her bathroom while Elizabeth used the bathtub in his. He dressed in a pair of slacks and polo shirt, grabbing a sweater to guard against the cool night breezes and suggesting Elizabeth do the same. They kissed Georgiana and Tobin good bye, then got in Elizabeth’s rented car.

Will gave Elizabeth an amused look as he pulled out of the driveway. “Was this what you were listening to when you drove down here?”

Elizabeth sighed and rolled her eyes. “No. Something else was playing before. These backwoods country places don’t have stations transmitting all one kind of music.”

Continued In Next Section