Beginning, Previous Section, Section IV, Next Section
"I rather prefer the view across the table." Lizzy blushed and William put his menu aside to watch the color suffuse her cheeks.
"Stop it!" Lizzy said and raised her menu to block his view.
"That won't help. I can still remember how beautiful you are." Lizzy bowed her head as if ducking further out of his line of sight would prevent her from further embarrassment. A waiter appeared and William asked Lizzy if she wanted a drink. She took a deep breath and put down her menu.
"I'll have white wine. I think he needs a glass of ice water." William laughed softly as he reached out and took her hand.
"So who do I remind you of?" Jane asked during a lull in the conversation.
"A close friend of mine," Richard said cryptically.
"Blond?"
"One strand, for about six weeks back in high school."
"I see. She's obviously not from the North Shore, then. Our girls have that 'all or nothing' mentality when it comes to blondness."
"I like a woman who's able to make a commitment," Richard smiled. "So, what do you do for a living?" he asked, quickly changing the subject. "I can see you making a pretty good living doing stand-up, but I somehow doubt that you do."
"I'm an engineer," Jane replied.
"Get out!" Richard cried. "So am I! What's your field?"
"Optical engineering; I work for a company that develops biomedical optics for diagnostic equipment. I'm doing some really interesting stuff with surgical assist systems. How about you?" Richard explained his own line of work and they began a conversation on the application of electronic imaging systems for evaluating building construction that virtually repelled anyone's efforts to join in.
"Good thing William isn't here," Richard smiled as he watched two of the foursome he'd met earlier flee into the house. "Whenever I talk about my work his eyes glaze over."
"That always happens when he talks to me, too," Jane smiled. All too soon, however, Anne came to reclaim Richard. Although she felt that the two had hit it off, Anne saw no particular interest in Jane on Richard's part. She drew him inside and sat him at the dinner table between Diana and another woman he hadn't been introduced to earlier. She wasn't blond, so Richard privately assumed that she wasn't from the North Shore.
His dinner companion was pretty, tall and slender, with dark features that made her stand out in the crowd of blonds at the party. Richard struck up a conversation with her, but to his dismay, Diana launched a counter-offensive, determined to lay claim to the most eligible bachelor at the table. He looked across the way to Jane who smiled archly. She leaned forward and spoke in a stage whisper.
"How many children are you planning to have?" Richard laughed at the remark, which went completely over the heads of anyone within her hearing.
"So, why aren't you at this party of your mother's?" Lizzy asked as she toyed with her food. William was proving to be far too great a distraction and her appetite had fled to make room for the butterflies in her stomach.
"I wasn't invited, actually. Besides, I had something far more interesting planned for this evening," he replied with a meaningful look. Lizzy quickly averted her gaze to her plate.
"Why wouldn't she invite her own son?"
"Well, she often doesn't invite me. My parents entertain a lot, mostly with their friends--people I have no interest in knowing or socializing with."
"But she invited your cousin," Lizzy persisted.
"Yeah; that's the part I don't get. Although I suspect that she's trying to fix him up with someone. She mentioned something about the sorry state of his love life today."
"Wait a minute!" Lizzy said. "He's pining over Marina and she's trying to fix him up with someone else?" William shook his head.
"I don't think my mother is even aware of Marina's existence. She's probably reacting to Richard's break up with his last girlfriend. It was rather messy and left him in a really bad way."
"Oh...but still; if he's falling in love with Marina...or even thinking about it...William, that may not be a good idea. Your mother's attempts to fix him up could end up only complicating things further, not to mention hurting Marina again in the process." William sighed. Lizzy was right; he vowed put a call in to his mother at his earliest convenience.
Richard checked his watch and regretted his decision to let William drive him out to Long Island. If he'd brought his own car, he would have been able to make good his escape. But instead he found himself at the mercy of his determined aunt. Jane had bailed him out of a tight corner or two, but he doubted that she would be so generous as to drive him back to the city at that hour. He didn't think the trains ran that late on a Saturday night. Richard sighed heavily. His hopes rose when he saw his uncle slip away into his study. He went to the door and knocked lightly.
"Am I disturbing you?" Richard asked as he stepped into the room.
"No, no, not at all, but for Pete's sake come in and close the door before Anne sees you." Richard smiled and did as he was bidden. "Help yourself to a brandy." Richard went to the bar and poured out a measure of the amber fluid.
"Want one?" George waved his hand.
"I'm off the sauce for a few weeks yet." Richard went to sit across from his favorite uncle.
"How are you feeling?"
"I've never felt better. I just wish everyone would stop making a fuss."
"You gave us all a pretty good scare, Uncle George."
"Yes, yes, but I'm fine now. I wish everyone would let me be. Your aunt is making me crazy with all her pillow fluffing and hand-wringing every time I so much as cough."
"She loves you. We all love you." George reached out and took hold of Richard's hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
"Thanks. That's good to know," he said. Recovering quickly, he turned the tables. "So how are you doing? I heard that you've been having a rough time of it yourself lately."
"Oh, I'm all right. It was tough for a while, but I'm over it," Richard said as he stared into his glass." His uncle gazed at him for a moment.
"You know why Will always managed to get away with murder and you always got punished when you were kids?" Richard smiled at the unexpected question.
"Actually, I'd dearly love to know."
"It's because you were always the world's worst liar, that's why," George said bluntly. Richard laughed heartily.
"I am over Erin," he said after a sip of brandy. "My present moodiness is about something else entirely."
"Care to share it with me? I don't know if I have any answers, but I can guarantee you a sympathetic ear." Richard sighed and sought a way to begin his tale.
"William has got it in his head that I'm in love with my best friend."
"She's female, I hope?" Richard nodded.
"Undeniably."
"What's her name?"
"Marina."
"He's right," George said crisply.
"Huh? Who's right?"
"William--you are in love with her." Richard looked askance at his uncle. "A man doesn't say a woman's name that way if he's not in love with her."
"How did I say her name?"
"I wish I had my videocassette recorder. You sighed, said 'Marina' in a breathy, wistful fashion and your pupils dilated when you said it."
"I did not!" Richard said, blushing profusely.
"Did, too," George insisted. "So, tell me about the lucky girl." He sat back and Richard bit his lip. He finally relented and opened his mouth to speak when Anne opened the door.
"Richard, I've been looking all over for you! You're very cruel to keep your nephew cooped up in here when so many people want to speak with him, George."
"I just wanted to visit with Uncle George for a few minutes," Richard said. "It's been a while since we've had a chance to talk."
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to talk to him tomorrow. But right now, you should get out there and mingle." Richard and George exchanged a glance and the two men rose. Richard reluctantly led the way out of the room. George took hold of Anne's wrist as she made to follow.
"He's a man, Anne, not a bull being put out to stud."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm just suggesting that you needn't try so hard. I can't blame the boy for running in here for sanctuary."
"Don't be silly, George! He's just a bit shy because he's been out of circulation for too long. Tonight is an opportunity to meet a few new people."
"A few? I had no idea there were this many unmarried women in the state!" George kissed Anne's forehead and escorted her out of the room.
"You know, you make lemon sorbet look like the most decadent comestible known to man," William said huskily. Lizzy sat back and abruptly shoved the spoonful of lemon ice--upon which she had been licking with slow, delicate flips of her tongue--into her mouth. She gulped down the frozen liquid, the result of which was an instant headache. The last thing she'd intended to do was encourage William's thoughts in that direction. She couldn't even define "that," at the moment. Her brain refused to work for several seconds as the pain caused by the firing of icy synapses registered on her stricken face.
"Are you all right?" William asked. Lizzy nodded and opened her eyes.
"Brain freeze."
"What's that?" Lizzy dipped her spoon into her sorbet and handed it to William. He put the spoon into his mouth and swallowed. Lizzy waited and nothing happened.
"It melted, didn't it?"
"Shouldn't it have?"
"It figures; ice doesn't stand any better chance with you than I did," Lizzy pouted. William smiled wickedly.
Diana glommed onto Richard as soon as he emerged from the study. She'd been trying to snare him all night and had finally resorted to lying in wait for him outside the door.
"So, Richard, you're William's cousin, hmm? I can see the strong family resemblance," she said as she walked him past Jane with a triumphant expression on her face.
"Can you? Other than the fact that we're both male and tall, I'd say that we're completely unalike," Richard replied sarcastically.
"Well, you obviously can't see what I can. You both have the same chin and profile," Diana cooed as she traced the finger along Richard's jaw suggestively. He had half a mind to bite it, but he repressed the thought. "And although your coloring is different, you clearly have the same cheekbones and dimples." Richard smiled blandly.
"You really think so?" Diana nodded. "I find it strange that you do, considering the fact that we actually have no common blood."
"Don't be silly! I know your mothers are sisters," Diana said knowingly.
"Yes, but did you also know that my mother was adopted? She and my aunt are not siblings by birth." Richard didn't bother to tell Diana that Kathleen's parents were Bess and Liam O'Donnell's closest friends and when they died tragically, Richard's grandparents adopted their infant godchild and raised her as their own. Diana took a step backward, as if Richard was somehow tainted by his revelation. He took the opportunity to excuse himself and make good his escape.
"What happened?" Jane said when she caught up with him a while later at the dessert station. "Men don't usually escape Diana the Huntress without scars."
"I told her that my mother was adopted and it repelled her like garlic." Jane raised her eyebrows.
"Effete snob!"
"Quite."
"I'll have to try that line sometime," Jane said with a sly smile as the waiter handed her a napkin.
"In my case it happens to be absolutely true," Richard said as he tried the cookie Jane offered. "I was explaining to her why William and I look nothing alike."
"Oh; I just assumed that you two didn't look alike because God thought that would be too much masculine pulchritude for womankind to bear."
"You're both a comedian and a hopeless flirt!"
"Well, a girl needs a hobby or two," Jane said. "I think it's about time for me to make myself scarce."
"So soon?" Richard said sarcastically. "It can't be later than what, four in the morning?" Jane giggled.
"It's not even midnight; it just feels later to you because you've been dodging and feinting all evening."
"May I walk you to your car?" Richard offered gallantly.
"Please." The pair walked out to the terrace and around the side of the massive house. "I'm glad I met you, tonight, Richard. I thought this evening would be exceedingly dull."
"And I'm glad I met you, otherwise I'd probably have fingerprints all over me," Richard replied as he watched Jane get into her convertible. "Do you live out here?"
"No, I live and work in New Jersey. I'm weekending with my parents."
"We should hook up in town sometime, then," Richard said tentatively. He genuinely liked Jane, but didn't want to sound as though he was coming on to her.
"Well, William owes me a dinner. Call up your cousin and make him arrange something. Maybe we can double date," Jane replied, upping the ante.
"I'll do that," Richard replied with a weak smile as he stepped back. Jane smiled and waved before she started the car and sped away. Richard ran his hands over his face. "As if I don't already have enough complications in my life." He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked back to the patio, but he didn't go in right away. He stood staring out at the starry night sky and recalled his uncle's words. He shook his head and entered the house, but steered toward the hallway. He slipped upstairs without being noticed and went to William's room. He began to undress, pulling off his jacket and tossing it on a chair. He went to William's bureau and removed his watch and cufflinks. Then he gazed at his reflection.
A man doesn't say a woman's name that way if he's not in love with her.
"Marina." Richard smiled at the face before him. "I don't see anything." He continued to undress and went to his duffle for his shaving kit. He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. When he was done, he looked in the mirror once more. "Marina." Richard shook his head and went back into the bedroom. He knew he had cheated, averting his eyes slightly just as the name escaped his lips both times. But he insisted that his uncle had only been teasing. He slipped under the covers and lay awake for a while staring at the ceiling.
"Marina. That wasn't breathless." He rolled over and closed his eyes.
Lizzy held her breath as William undid his seat belt and leaned over to nuzzle Lizzy's neck. She closed her eyes and felt her resolve crumble into powder. William pulled away and looked at her till she opened her eyes and looked back at him, blushing slightly.
"I'm sorry; were you asleep?" he asked archly. Lizzy smiled sheepishly.
"No, but I was dreaming," she admitted boldly. William carefully rested his elbow on the steering wheel.
"About what?" Instead of answering, Lizzy undid her seat belt and leaned over to kiss him. William was rather surprised at the promise implied in that kiss; it was in stark contrast to the elusive, shy Lizzy he'd been teasing all evening. "That must've been some dream," he said when she finally pulled away. Lizzy blushed again, but there was no shyness in her eyes when she looked up.
"Yes it was." William swallowed hard. His objectivity was beginning to evacuate his reason and everything he'd promised himself about biding his time was screaming "now!" loud and strong in his head.
"Uh, shall I see you inside?" Lizzy nodded and William jumped out of the car and ran around to open the door for her. Lizzy took his arm and they walked to the door. She spared a smile for the doorman and led William to a waiting elevator. Lizzy pushed the button and then stood face to face with William. He felt a momentary panic as his instincts warred with his conscience before primal urges won the day and he took her in his arms. He was barely cognizant of the car stopping or the door opening. Lizzy pulled away only long enough to drag William by the hand out of the elevator and down the hall to her door. William pressed Lizzy against her door and kissed her passionately until he heard a tinkling of keys. He pulled away breathlessly and Lizzy slowly slid to the floor as William gaped at her. She reached out blindly with one hand and found the keys she'd dropped and rose with a sheepish smile on her face. William returned the smile as she turned to unlock the door. William took a deep breath as Lizzy turned back to him. They stared into each other's eyes for a brief eternity before Lizzy stepped back, widening the opening to allow William to enter the apartment.
"Come in, William." She closed the door behind him and locked it.
Richard turned over for the third time and gave up all pretense of sleeping. He lay still as he heard voices out in the hall and cringed at the thought of his aunt searching him out. But the voices faded and after a few minutes the sounds of car doors being slammed and engines turning over subsided and it grew quiet. Richard sat up in bed and gazed out at the night sky.
"Marina," he said. "Darn." He fell back onto the pillows and pulled the sheets over his head.
William stared out of the window, the slice of toast in his hand forgotten in spite of the melted butter running down his finger.
"William?" He blinked and came out of his reverie, turning his head and looking at Lizzy as if seeing her for the first time. He sheepishly laid aside the toast and lifted his cup for the refill Lizzy was offering. "Where did you go just now?" she asked gently.
"I'm sorry," William said. "You were saying something and I completely drifted off, didn't I?" He reached for his napkin to wipe his hand.
"Well, all I said was that I've never had a man come to my breakfast table clad only in boxer shorts before," Lizzy smiled. "Hardly riveting commentary." William blushed slightly.
"Would you like me to--?"
"No, no! Please! Don't get dressed on my account." William shook his head and picked up his toast once more. "But there is something on your mind," Lizzy said. She was cognizant of their need to discuss what had occurred the previous night.
"Last night was...last night was amazing," William said after a moment's thought. "I'm just not sure what happened." Lizzy's eyes went wide and William hastily moved to calm her fears. "I mean I know what happened," he said with a smile as he reached for her hand. "I think...I...I don't know about you, but my timetable seems a little off." Lizzy laughed at his expression but she could not be sanguine about his point, regardless of how gentle and diplomatic he was being.
"I think mine is a little mixed up, too. I hadn't planned, I mean I didn't think--."
"Who could think?" William asked with a wry smile.
"William! Well--," Lizzy blushed.
"I think we both thought that we were going to move slowly," William said. "And then you had to go and order that sorbet for dessert."
"So you're blaming me?"
"Should it be my fault that you're irresistible?" William asked mockingly.
"And what about your irresistibility?"
"I'm not irresistible!" William cried as he tried to suppress a laugh.
"You are, too! Ask any woman on the planet!"
"I'm not particularly interested in the opinions of any woman in the planet, just now," William said as he leaned forward and gazed into Lizzy's eyes. "Let's keep this between us, shall we?"
"Well, take my word for it; you're irresistible," Lizzy grinned.
"Where's your proof?" William challenged.
"Where's yours?" Lizzy countered.
"I have last night as proof! I was planning to go home last night and catch the Yankees-Angels game!" Lizzy burst into laughter.
"Well, I was...I was going to go home and dream about what would have happened had you stayed," Lizzy said with a triumphant smile. "Hah! I do believe that I've topped you." William pouted, and Lizzy leaned forward to kiss it away.
"Are we all right with this?" he asked softly.
"I guess we have to be," Lizzy said seriously. "I don't think we can go backward from this point."
"Agreed, but let's promise to take things more slowly in future." Lizzy nodded, but then a wicked smile came over William's face.
"William Darcy, what are you thinking?" Lizzy demanded.
"Does that mean we should walk instead of run, next time?"
Richard awoke early Sunday morning and pulled on a pair of swim trunks. It was his habit to swim as often as possible and the Darcy homestead offered the luxury of an in-ground pool on the premises, which he liked to take advantage of whenever he had the opportunity. So Richard grabbed a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, put on his sneakers, and headed for the pool. Once he reached the deck he fetched a towel, laid it on the deck and began a series of light calisthenics. Once he was warmed up he stripped down and slipped into the pool for a rigorous workout. When he had completed his last set thirty minutes later, he exited the pool and stretched his arms and shoulders before reaching for the towel. When he bent to retrieve it, he noticed that Georgiana was sitting on a chaise lounge nearby slathering suntan lotion on her shoulders.
"Morning, Gee," he said as he reached for his shorts and strolled over to her.
"Hi! You're just in time to do my back." Richard frowned as he tied the cord at his waist.
"Does the word 'melanoma' mean anything to you, sweet stuff?"
"Sure, it's the name of the band my boyfriend's younger brother is in," she replied ingenuously.
"Give me, that," Richard said as he shook his head. "SPF 15, Gee? Why don't you just lie under a magnifying glass and get it over with?" He took the bottle and squeezed a dollop of lotion onto his palm. Georgiana lifted her hair and twisted it into a knot and fastened it with a barrette while Richard began to smooth lotion over her back.
"Ooh, you can do me when you're done with her," Diana said as she walked by and deliberately sat down on a chaise lounge that she knew would be in Richard's line of vision.
"Doesn't she live up the road or something? What's she doing here?" Richard whispered to his cousin as he sat down behind her to do her lower back.
"You snuck off with Jane and missed all the fun," Georgiana pouted.
"I did not sneak off with Jane. I walked her to her car and then went up to bed early. What happened?"
"Diana had a little too much to drink last night; at least that's the cover story," Georgiana said sulkily. "I think she just wanted an excuse to stay over. I caught her in the hall in the wee hours of the morning and I just bet she was looking for your room." Richard winced.
"She must have gotten over her earlier aversion to me, then," he said as he rose to his feet. "All done," he said in a louder voice.
"My turn," Diana said brightly.
"I don't know what you mean by 'aversion' but based on the way she was sizing you up from the terrace back there when you got out of the pool, I'd say she's moved on to lust. Watch yourself, Richard." Georgiana whispered. Richard sighed and walked over to Diana's lounge. She rolled onto her abdomen, dangling a bottle of lotion from her fingers. Richard took it and without ceremony began to perform the task of applying sunscreen to her back. "Slowly," Diana said as she untied the bottom strap of her bikini top. "I like the feeling of strong hands massaging my back."
"Sorry, I don't give massages. I'm just the lotion boy around here," Richard replied curtly.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Didn't sleep well?"
"I slept fine," Richard said, though it occurred to him that he'd spent his first hour in bed repeatedly reciting a name and laughing at the absurdity of the sound in his ears.
"I didn't; I was terribly lonely last night," Diana said as she rolled over onto her back. Richard immediately rose from his kneeling position as the side of the lounge and closed the bottle in an explicit signal that he was done. "I'm thinking about going back to bed. Care to join me?"
"No, thanks," Richard said. He tossed the bottle back to Diana and went to fetch his tee shirt. She raised her sunglasses and watched him walk away. Richard pulled the tee shirt on, slipped into his sneakers and took off for a run on the beach.
"I see that your cousin is as obnoxious as your brother," Diana said to Georgiana.
"Any man who refuses to go to bed with you may be obnoxious in your book, but any man who does is crazy in mine," Georgiana muttered under her breath as she closed her eyes and laid back on the lounge.
Richard returned from his daily five-mile run and went up to shower and change. He entered the dining room, where a generous breakfast buffet had been set up. Richard took a plate and filled it before he turned and looked at the table. At one end, Anne was holding court among a small group of women, including Diana and Georgiana. At the far end sat George, reading the Sunday Times. The choice was easy, but ultimately it was not his to make.
"Do come join us, Richard," Anne called when she saw him. "We could use a man's point of view at this end of the table." Richard grimaced slightly and headed for the seat beside his aunt, which put him next to Diana once again. He bent to kiss his aunt's cheek before he sat down.
"Good morning, ladies." A murmur of replies was returned as Mrs. Reynolds poured him a cup of coffee. He smiled at her and turned to his plate.
"Did you have a nice time last night, Richard?" Anne asked.
"Very nice; thanks for inviting me. I've been really busy all summer so this weekend has been something of a vacation."
"Well, I'm glad to hear it. I was a little concerned because you didn't seem be mingling very much."
"Oh, he mingled," Georgiana said. "I saw him mingling quite a bit with Jane Bennet." Richard's mouth dropped open. He was about to correct Georgiana when he realized that the statement was intended for the benefit of the other women at the table. Richard winked at his cousin and she smiled smugly.
"Oh, Jane! I'm so glad the two of you hit it off. She's in the same line of work as you, isn't she?" Jane wasn't her first choice for Richard, but she was pleased to hear that he had connected with someone and she had a great deal of affection for Jane.
"We're both engineers but we're in very different areas," Richard said.
"Oh," Anne said as her smile faded.
"She's a fascinating woman. We had a great discussion about the potential use of optical sensors in building inspection," Richard said helpfully. Anne's smile broadened and his suspicions about his aunt's motives were confirmed. He smiled to himself as he buttered his scone. If it made his aunt happy to think he'd made a love connection with Jane, so be it. He knew better.
"Do investment bankers always read the Sunday Times in bed?" Lizzy asked as she peered at the business section front page that blocked her view of William.
"Yes, but we usually don't have to dress and go out to get it first."
"Yes, I do suppose that investment bankers can afford home delivery," Lizzy teased. "We poor museum curators have to put on clothes and go across the street. Oh, the horror of poverty!" she cried before she did a mock swoon across William's lap. William tried to hide his smirk as he carefully pulled the newspaper out from under her dead weight and turned the page.
"You should have gone to business school," he replied calmly. Lizzy lifted her head and frowned.
"Is that all you've got to say?" William lowered the paper and peered at Lizzy.
"Well, actually, I wanted to toss out some appropriate line from Dickens but I can't seem to remember one at the moment." Lizzy rolled off of William and scrambled to her feet.
"Well, you can cozy up with your stock quotes while I go get dressed." Lizzy made a show of collecting a handful of items and stomping out of the bedroom. William lowered the paper and smiled.
"I've fallen for a madwoman!" Lizzy heard the remark and did a little dance of joy before she closed the bathroom door.
"William?" she called out a moment later.
"Yes?"
"Don't forget to call your mother." William scrambled off the bed and reached for his jacket to retrieve the phone from his pocket. He punched up his mother's number and waited.
"Good morning, Mrs. R. How are you?"
"Good morning, sir. You were missed at last night's festivities."
"Only by you, I'm sure," William smiled. "Is my mother available?"
"Hold on, sir." A moment later, William heard his mother's greeting.
"So how was the big bash?"
"It went very well, thank you. How was your big date?" Anne countered. William thought that full disclosure was the last thing his mother wanted so he settled for simply telling her that it was terrific.
"Did Fitz enjoy himself?" he asked.
"Oh, he said he had a very nice time," Anne said, pleased with her success. "He and Jane seemed to hit it off very well." William winced and shook his head.
"Mother, please tell me that you didn't invite Richard to the party for the sole purpose of fixing him up with someone."
"What if I did?" Anne exclaimed defensively. "That boy looked so lonely and forlorn yesterday after you left I thought he might cry. The party was a perfect opportunity for him to meet some new people and get back into the swing of things."
"Oh lord," William sighed. "The only reason why he looked forlorn is because he's just coming to grips with the fact that he's hopelessly in love with someone and has to figure out what to do about it."
"Don't tell me he's going to try and win Erin back!" Anne was aghast at the notion.
"No! It's not Erin; it's someone he's known for years." William ran his hand over his face. "Look, I know you meant well, but please don't try and push Richard into seeing someone else while he's dealing with this. I don't know if things will work out between him and Marina, but we ought to let them give it a try."
"Marina? Why does that name sound vaguely familiar?" Anne asked.
"Maybe you heard Aunt Kathy mention her. Marina used to live up the road from them and Aunt Kathy practically adopted her as one of the family. From what Fitz tells me, Aunt Kathy and Marina are very close," William suggested.
"No, no, that's not it. I think I heard Richard mention her name at dinner last night. I remember thinking it was a very unusual name." William smiled in relief. Perhaps things would not become as complicated as he'd feared.
"Let me speak to him a moment, will you?"
"Oh, he's already left," Anne informed him. "Georgie took him to the train station right after breakfast." William smiled. Perhaps things would not be complicated at all.
Richard found himself torn between hanging around till later in the day--which would give him another chance to speak with his Uncle George--or going back to the city early and having the remaining hours of the weekend to himself. Ultimately, his desire for solitude won out, and he asked Georgiana for a ride to the train. She dropped him off at the station and he walked up the ramp to the platform.
"Long time, no see." Richard turned around and saw Jane sitting on a bench.
"I thought you had a car."
"A loaner from my brother; my car is in a lot in New Jersey."
"Oh," Richard said as he took a seat beside her. "So, I'll have some company for the ride back to the city," he smiled.
"As long as you don't cut into my valuable nap time, yes."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Richard promised. "What are you reading?" Jane held up her book and the pair began a conversation about books they've read and enjoyed.
"What's your favorite book of all time?" Jane asked as the two rose to board the approaching train.
"It's a book someone wrote for me," Richard answered cryptically.
"Wrote for you? What's it called?"
"Oh, you've never heard of it; it was never published. In fact, it's a one of a kind. It's called 'The World According to ME.' It's a hand-made, hand-lettered and illuminated book made a friend of mine."
"Sounds lovely," Jane said.
"It's beautiful; she gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday," Richard replied as he smiled at the memory. "She wanted to make me a sweater, but she said that I was growing too fast for her to keep up with, so she made me a book instead. She's made several more since then. She's an artist and books are her medium."
"What's in the 'book of you,' if I may ask?"
"Not 'you,' 'ME,' as in Marina Escher, the artist. She transcribed key passages from her diary that chronicled our relationship over the ten years we'd known each other at that point." Jane nodded thoughtfully, but had no comment. Picking up on her cue, Richard dug into his duffle for something of his own to read. Their conversation picked up again a while later, and by the time they arrived in New York, they were both aching with laughter.
"I'll give you my card if you give me yours," Jane said. Richard nodded as he tried to stop laughing and produced his business card. "Let's not wait on William," Jane suggested.
"Okay," Richard said. "We'll keep in touch." Jane kissed his cheek and went off to catch the train that would take her on to New Jersey. Richard walked outside and hailed a cab to his apartment uptown.
William let himself into his apartment and went into the kitchen for a drink before walking into the living room to listen to his phone messages. The first one was from his mother and had been left sometime between the time he'd left the previous morning and his arrival at his parents' place. The second, to his astonishment, was from Marina.
Hi, William, this is Marina. I'm sorry to have called at a time when you aren't home. I figured it was high time I returned at least one of your many calls and apologized for my stubborn behavior. I...well I think I'd prefer to humble myself before a living being rather than a machine. I'll try again during the week.
William smiled as he listened to the message. Marina sounded fine, although he knew that she had issues that would go unresolved till she and Richard confronted their true feelings. William had been careful not to prod Richard too much on the matter when they were together on the sailboat. His cousin's unusual tendency to drift away from the conversation and stare at the horizon told William enough. His mother's admission that Richard had spoken of Marina at dinner was further proof that Richard's thoughts were taking the right direction. He hoped that things would be settled between them soon.
The following morning was a busy one for William. He went from meeting to meeting with scarcely a break in between. Jessica caught up with him in the hall and commented that he looked tired.
"That's a gross understatement," William chuckled. "I'm beat. It's nearly 2:30 and I haven't even had lunch yet!" He walked on to his office, closed the door and sat down at his desk, determined to have the rest of the afternoon to himself. He rubbed his eyes and yawned hugely. In minutes, William was asleep. Sometime later, William started when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He lifted his head and sat up.
"There, there, William," Jessica said soothingly. "You're all keyed up! You need to relax more," she cooed as she massaged his shoulders. William gently pulled her hands away.
"I'm fine, thank you. And what are you doing in here, anyway?"
"I did knock," Jessica lied. "I thought you could use a little something," she said as she pushed a brown paper bag toward him. William peeked inside and saw a deli sandwich and a can of soda.
"Thanks," he said. "That was very kind of you."
"Go ahead, eat!" Jessica urged as she took the seat on the other side of the desk. William reluctantly opened the bag and pulled out the sandwich. "I didn't know what you liked, so I got turkey and Swiss."
"That's fine, thank you," William said as he unwrapped the sandwich. He was starving he realized, as he hefted the first piece. "Will you join me?" he asked, offering Jessica the other half.
"Oh, no, I ate hours ago."
"Was there something you needed?" William asked.
"Oh, no! I just brought you the sandwich."
"No, I mean before when you...knocked." William was a light sleeper. He was almost certain that she hadn't knocked on his door. But Jessica had been thoughtful enough to feed him, whatever her motives, so he didn't gainsay her.
"I came to bring you the sandwich. I know you, William--you were going to come in here and plow into the work on your desk." William smiled guiltily.
"If I hadn't dozed off, yes."
"And you wouldn't have eaten a thing till you got home tonight. When did you last eat?" William felt like a scolded eight-year-old and started to tell Jessica so, but the phone rang.
"Excuse me. Hello?"
"Hello, gorgeous!" Lizzy said. William's eyes lit up.
"Hello, yourself," he smiled. Realizing he was not alone, his smile faded slightly. "What's up?"
"I only have a moment, but I just had this overwhelming desire to hear your voice," Lizzy said playfully.
"That seems to have been the theme of the weekend," William said archly.
"What?" Lizzy asked in confusion.
"Overwhelming de--. Uh, can I call you back? I have someone in my office."
"Oh, I'm sorry, William, I didn't mean to interrupt anything important."
"You haven't, but I'd like to discuss this later, when we both have more time."
"I look forward to it," Lizzy grinned.
"Bye," William said before he hung up the phone. Jessica was pouting. The expression on William's face told her that his caller was a female and undoubtedly the one with whom he'd been spending so much time of late.
"Is that your new girlfriend?"
"Yes, I guess she is," William said thoughtfully as he opened his soda.
"May I ask you something?" William nodded reluctantly. "What's she got that I haven't?" William laid aside his sandwich and carefully considered his words.
"I don't know if I can explain it. I mean both you and Lizzy are beautiful, intelligent women, but Lizzy and I have a chemistry that you and I don't."
"Chemistry?"
"Chemistry," William said with a wry smile as he recalled the volatile result of his "experiments" with Lizzy over the weekend.
"And you think you and I could never have this chemistry?" Jessica pouted. William shrugged.
"It's a moot point, anyway," William admitted.
"What is?"
"Whether or not you and I could have any chemistry; I've already found my lab assistant of choice." He tried to say it lightly, but Jessica's features darkened and she rose to her feet. "I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, Jessica," William said sincerely. She eyed the last hunk of sandwich in his hand.
"I hope you choke on that!" She stormed out of William's office slamming the door behind her. He sighed and finished his meal. A few hours later, when William was about to leave his office for the day his phone rang. He sighed and put down his briefcase before he picked it up.
"William Darcy."
"Hello, William." He smiled and sat back down.
"Hello, Aunt Kathy. This is a pleasant surprise. How are you?"
"I'm very well, thank you," Kathleen replied.
"And Uncle Hugh?"
"He's fine. I hear you're doing very well. According to Marina and Richard, you've met the woman of your dreams. I've called to shamelessly pump you for details." William laughed, albeit self-consciously.
"Well, what have they told you?"
"Well, Richard's report was a bit more subdued, but they seemed unanimous in concluding that it was serious."
"It is serious; I've met someone fabulous, Aunt Kathy. She's beautiful, intelligent, witty...she seems so perfect for me it's almost scary. In fact, it almost seems as though someone read that form I filled out for you and sent her to me. She just appeared in my life one day out of the blue," William said, vaguely cognizant of what he'd have to discuss next.
"I'm really happy for you, William. I know how much you've wanted to find the right woman," Kathleen said delicately.
"I can't tell you how right she is, Aunt Kathy. These last two weeks, Lizzy Bennet is practically all I've been able to think about." Kathleen laughed at William's enthusiasm. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I took one look at her and fell utterly and completely in love."
"I'm happy for you, William," Kathleen smiled, but William grew serious.
"I suppose you already know that my present happiness came at a cost," William sighed.
"Marina told me. I'm sorry, William. I feel somewhat guilty for encouraging you in that quarter...for a lot of reasons," Kathleen admitted.
"Don't blame yourself, Aunt Kathy. I feel guilty enough for both of us. I never expected to find Lizzy the way I did and I never meant to hurt Marina in the process. I suddenly found myself in a no-win situation and although she graciously backed out, I still can't feel very good about it."
"I know, Will. Situations like that are never easy and I think everyone hurts a little before things get better again."
"Well, I'm hoping things get better again for Marina soon. She finally answered one of my phone calls after not talking to me for weeks; unfortunately, I was out at the time."
"Being the odd person out is not a new experience for Marina, I'm afraid; so I'm not surprised it took her a while to come around."
"Are we talking about Richard here?" Kathleen was surprised by William's perception.
"What do you know about that?" she asked out of curiosity.
"Well, in the brief time I've known Marina it's been fairly obvious to me that she's in love with him. I don't know if she's even aware of it, but I imagine that feeling as she does, it can't have been easy for her to watch Richard become involved with one woman after another. In fact, she as much as said that she's used to having Richard fall for other women while in her company."
"I'm afraid Marina is very much aware of her feelings for Richard. She's known for years, in fact, although she only told me about them recently. In that respect, at least, your meeting Lizzy was fortuitous. I don't think you would have stood a chance with Marina once Richard got home from Phoenix and if you did, it probably wouldn't have been a very healthy relationship for either of you."
"I understand," William said. "The question is what can we do about it?"
"I'm not sure we can do anything about it, William. It's something the two of them have to sort out," Kathleen said with a sigh of her own. "Unfortunately, Richard and Marina have not been completely comfortable with each other of late."
"Well, I'm afraid I've probably added to their awkward situation. I've been trying to nudge Richard in the right direction; he seems clueless as to his own feelings for her."
"You think he has feelings for Marina?" Kathleen asked hopefully.
"Aunt Kathy," William laughed, "I've never seen anyone in greater denial. You should have heard the way he lashed into me after I told him what had happened."
"Well, he's always been extremely protective of Marina, William."
"So he said. But long after our initial discussion of the matter he continued to hold a grudge. I finally accused him of being jealous over the idea of Marina having feelings for me. Boy did that strike a nerve!"
"Well, Marina is supposed to be going down to the city sometime this week. Maybe she and Richard will have a chance to spend some real time together and talk things out. "
"With all due respect, Aunt Kathy, I don't think that talking is what they need at this point. They've been talking entirely too long without getting anywhere," William said as he checked his watch. "Is Marina there? I'd like to speak with her, if I may."
"Oh, no, she's in New Hampshire visiting with her father. She must have called you from there."
"Oh, well, then, maybe I'll give her a call later," William said as he rose to his feet.
"Well, it's good to hear you sounding so happy. And don't worry about Marina; I think she's all right with what happened between the two of you."
"I hope she and Richard can find their way to their own happiness."
"That makes two of us."
Richard and Tineke were uploading materials on the building collapse in Phoenix into Richard's computer Monday afternoon when the phone rang.
"Hello?" Richard said absently.
"Hi, Ricky."
"Emmy! How are you? Where are you? When are you coming to the city?"
"I'm still in New Hampshire. My dad bought me a car and I'll be driving it down to the city, but not for a day or two."
"New or used?"
"Brand spanking new, but last year's model so he got a good price; Wendy is livid. She kept trying to steer dad to the used car side of the lot."
"Did you guys have a nice visit?"
"Yeah; his wife may be a pill, but dad's great and my stepbrother shows every sign of being as big a brat as you are."
"So you didn't miss me, then?" Tineke nudged Richard and handed him a CD. He slipped it into the computer as he talked. "So when is your meeting at the museum? A little bird told me you had another interview."
"I still don't know. Lizzy is supposed to get back to me later today." Marina hesitated a moment before her next statement. "I called William on Saturday but he was out."
"He was with me Saturday, at least for part of the day," Richard said warily. He bit back his question and waited for Marina to continue.
"I thought I should talk to him. It's been a few weeks and I could tell from the messages he left when I was at your place that it really bothered him that I wasn't responding. I want him to know that I'm not angry at him."
"May I ask why you decided to call him now?"
"Well, I'll be coming back to the city soon, for good. It's inevitable that we meet up at some point or another...and with him seeing Lizzy and me working with her..."
"Does that mean that you've decided to take the job?" Richard asked enthusiastically.
"Well, they seem pretty anxious to have me. In fact, they're probably going to make me a better offer at that meeting, so--."
"So, in other words, yes. That's great, Emmy! We'll have to celebrate."
"I haven't said yes, yet. Let's see how the meeting goes. Who knows? By the time I get there they may have changed their minds and chosen someone else."
"Nonsense! You're a sure bet! If they can't see you for the wonderful, talented, special, incredible woman that you are, they're insane!" An awkward silence ensued; Marina was too surprised to speak, and Richard froze as if caught in a bolt of lightning, surprised at the vehemence of his own declaration.
"Richard?" Tineke tapped him on the shoulder and he started. "Put in the next disk," she whispered. He took it from her and did as he was bidden.
"Emmy?"
"Yes?"
"I'm kind of busy working on something right now. Can we talk later?"
"If you want; or better yet, you can talk to me when I get there. I'm going to swing by your mom's place to pick up some stuff on my way down."
"Sure. Give me a call when you've firmed things up," he said.
"I promise. Bye!"
"Bye." Richard hung up the phone and looked up at Tineke, who was pouting at him. "What's wrong?"
"You never say nice things like that about me!" Richard rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer. "But then again, you aren't hopelessly in love with me."
"I'm not hopelessly in love with anyone."
"You, my friend, are a lousy liar," Tineke said as she poked Richard in the shoulder. He spun around and glared at her.
"You're the second person to tell me that in three days."
"It must be true then," Tineke smiled smugly. She watched Richard's expression for a moment then discreetly left him to his thoughts.
"Well, it can't compare with William's Jag, but it's the first new car I ever owned," Marina said Tuesday morning as she sped down the interstate highway. "Dad bought me a used car before I went off to college. Ricky promptly labeled it "Death Trap."
"Getting new wheels is always a thrill," Lizzy concurred. "I can remember my first new car. Of course, five years later, I'm still driving it," she laughed. "So when will you be in New York?"
"Well, that depends on when you need me there. I'll be in Northampton any minute now. I've got to bring some stuff down to the city with me, so I'm going to swing by the Fitzwilliams' place. If I'm needed in town tomorrow, I'll make it a brief stop and continue on to the city."
"Well, actually tomorrow morning would be the ideal time. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Wooten gave me two possible meeting dates, but they both preferred to meet tomorrow."
"No prob. What time?"
"Would eleven be too early?"
"No, that would be fine," Marina said as she pulled off the highway and slowed her speed as she approached the town limits.
"By the way, my offer still stands, if you need a place to stay."
"Oh, it's okay. I already got an invite from Ricky." Lizzy hesitated a moment.
"You're very close to him, aren't you?"
"We used to be close," Marina said with a frustrated sigh. "Then we went our separate ways. He went off to MIT, I went to Philadelphia and then to Paris...it's been hard to stay close with such a distance between us."
"Well, now that you'll both be in New York, it'll be like old times."
"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," Marina muttered as she made a hairpin turn that took her onto the road leading to her destination. Lizzy was not meant to hear the comment, but the speakerphone in Marina's car picked it up nonetheless, and Lizzy felt a pang of sympathy. "Look, I'm just about to drive up to the Fitzes' place so I've got to say goodbye. I'll see you tomorrow, Lizzy."
"I'm looking forward to it, Marina. Bye." Lizzy hung up the phone with a heavy heart. She still felt a twinge of guilt about Marina, especially in light of recent developments in her relationship with William. Lizzy picked up the phone again to give him a call.
"Hello, beautiful," William said when he heard her voice.
"Hello, William," Lizzy said glumly.
"What's wrong?"
"I just spoke with Marina. She sounded so dejected when she mentioned Ricky."
"That's Richard, to you," William corrected. "Why was she discussing him with you, anyway?"
"Well, she said she'd be staying at his place when she comes down to town for her meeting at the museum tomorrow. Have you had a chance to speak with her?"
"No. I called her back, but haven't caught up with her yet."
"Maybe the two of you can talk while she's here," Lizzy suggested.
"I hope so," William said. "But I'd rather she focused on talking to Richard this trip."
"Well, maybe after she settles things with you, she and Richard will be able to clear the air. William, I need a hug; talking to Marina depressed me."
"Well, I'd be more than happy to come over and fulfill your every need, but it's raining."
"So? What's a little rain?"
"You want me to get in my car, drive all the way uptown, look for a parking space--."
"Your point, Mr. Darcy?" Lizzy smiled.
"It just seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through just for a hug," William said impishly.
"I thought we'd decided to take things a bit more slowly," Lizzy replied archly.
"Does that preclude the possibility of a kiss or two with that hug? I have needs, too, you know," William pouted. Lizzy laughed.
"Fair enough; I'll even throw in dinner," Lizzy said as she checked her watch. "What time should I expect you?" William checked the clock on his desk.
"I doubt that I'll be able to get out of here for another hour or so," William frowned. "But I'll come over straight from the office."
"Okay; that will give me some time to pick up a few things on my way home."
"I'll see you later, then."
"Warm up those hugging muscles," Lizzy said. She hung up the phone smiling, and went off to her meeting.
Richard and Tineke were letting off steam by bouncing a foam rubber ball back and forth over the partition between their respective workspaces. Richard was distracted by his phone ringing, and the ball bounced off his head as he reached for it.
"Richard Fitzwilliam."
"Hello, Richard Fitzwilliam," Jane said.
"Hello, Jane Bennet," he replied with a smile.
"You remember my voice; I'm impressed. How are you?"
"I'm fine, and what makes you think your voice is so forgettable?" Richard asked as he stretched to retrieve the ball and send it over the partition.
"Hey!" Tineke cried as the ball bounced off her desk. She confiscated the offending item and secreted it in her desk drawer.
"You certainly know how to sweet talk a lady," Jane said. "I was wondering if you were free tonight."
"Tonight?" Richard asked, his voice tight and unusually high.
"Yes, tonight, as in later, after work, possibly after dark...you know, night?"
"Tonight..." Richard repeated, stalling till he could think of a suitable excuse. Tineke appeared suddenly and reached over him to open the top drawer of his desk to help herself to a bar of dark chocolate. "I'm afraid tonight isn't good. We're preparing for a--hey! I thought you bought that for me!"
"Thank you for sharing," Tineke replied. "And if that's the woman you were speaking so highly of yesterday, I'd be happy to take the file home and work on it for you." Richard blanched and gaped at Tineke. He was certain that Jane had heard both the compliment and the offer.
"Hold on a minute, please, Jane," Richard said hastily. He laid the phone on his desk and stood to look over the partition. "Isn't it Sven's birthday or something? I can't ask you to take home work when you've got a party to go to!"
"Will you please stop calling my boyfriend Sven? His name is Jonas, and it's not his birthday. It's his brother's birthday and since I can't stand his brother, I can think of nothing I'd rather do than find an excuse to beg off going to dinner with him and his parents." Richard frowned.
"Won't, uh, Jonas be angry with you if you skip out on the big night?" he asked desperately.
"I can deal with that," Tineke said nonchalantly as she unwrapped the chocolate. She gestured at Richard with the candy bar. "You probably don't want to keep her waiting." Richard looked at her in confusion before he realized that Jane was still on the phone.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Jane. My colleague and I are working on a fairly big project and we've been really busy of late."
"Richard! Take the woman to dinner, and forget the file, will you?" Tineke shouted over the partition.
"I think that's an excellent idea," Jane smiled. "I was only looking for drinks and good conversation, but dinner would be nice." Richard ran a hand through his hair. He found himself between a rock and a hard place. He'd actually planned on spending a quiet evening reading over the case files and editing the report. He wanted to get as much work as he could out of the way before Marina arrived. Jane's call was the last thing Richard expected and it had thrown him for a loop. He was effectively trapped.
"All right, but it will have to be an early evening," Richard said reluctantly.
"For goodness' sake, Richard!" The words were barely out of Tineke's mouth before Richard was on his feet. He silenced her with a venomous look. She raised her hands in surrender.
"That suits me; I have to work in the morning, too," Jane said. She sensed Richard's hesitation. "Listen, Richard, if tonight isn't good for you we can do this later in the week--."
"No, no tonight is fine," Richard sighed. He made arrangements to meet Jane at Penn Station and hung up the phone. He sat for a few minutes with his face in his hands. The foam ball bounced off his head and he looked up.
"So, big date?" Tineke asked. Richard picked up the ball and squeezed it, instead of assaulting Tineke.
"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" He abruptly dropped the ball and rose to his feet.
"What have I done?" Tineke asked, concerned by the stunned look on Richard's face. He picked up his mug and went down the hall for coffee. Tineke waited for his return. "What's wrong?"
"You forced me into a date with Jane Bennet," Richard said in a low voice.
"And that's a fate worse than death?"
"Jane Bennet is not the woman I was speaking so highly of, Tineke."
"Oops!" Tineke covered her mouth with her hands.
"Don't choke on your foot," Richard said darkly.
"I'm sorry, Richard." He shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. I like Jane, but I'm not interested in dating her. In fact, I've recently come to realize that I'm in love with someone else."
"The wonderful, talented, incredible, special one, right?" Tineke said ironically. Richard nodded.
"I suppose I'll have to go. If nothing else, I ought to take the opportunity to make it clear to her where things stand."
"I'm really sorry, Richard," Tineke said sincerely. He gave her a hug.
"Look, your heart was in the right place so I forgive you, but if you ever meddle in my love life again I'm moving to another office and I'm taking the contents of the candy drawer with me." Tineke pouted.
Richard looked so miserable the rest of the afternoon that Tineke sent him home early just to avoid looking at him any longer. Richard was grateful for the opportunity. Released from the burden of his project, he was free to think about what to say to Jane. He needed to convey to her the fact that his heart was already spoken for, but he didn't want to have to explain the situation. After all, he wasn't all that clear on it himself. First and foremost, Richard needed to speak with Marina. He needed to know her heart and if there was any hope that she might one day return his feelings. Fear of rejection, feelings of inadequacy and every adolescent anxiety he could remember gripped him as he entered his apartment building and headed for the elevator. When he reached his door he heard a sound that made his heart leap into his throat. It was coming from within his apartment and it was the unmistakable sound of Marina's voice. Richard swallowed hard as he unlocked the door.
"Ricky!" Marina stopped singing and rose from where she was sitting on the floor to hug him warmly.
"Emmy?" What are you doing here?"
"You invited me, remember?" Richard gently pulled away and stepped backward. "What's wrong?"
"I thought you weren't coming for another day or two," he said lamely.
"Well, I said that yesterday afternoon, but Lizzy called me this morning and told me the meeting was on for tomorrow. So I jumped in the car and drove down."
"Why didn't you call me?" Richard said bluntly. This can't be happening, he told himself. "I thought you were going to let me know when you would be here."
"I wanted to surprise you," Marina said hesitantly as Richard shook his head. "I thought we could--."
"Marina, I have plans for tonight." Marina averted her eyes and turned away.
"Oh."
"I'm sorry. If I had known you were coming, I would have said no to the invitation."
"It's all right, Ricky. Go ahead."
"No. No, I'll call and cancel." He said as he fumbled in his pocket for Jane's card.
"No, there's no need. It's my fault. Don't cancel your date on my account," Marina said as she fell to her knees and began collecting up the sketchpads and drawings on the floor and stuffing them into her portfolio.
"It's not a date; it's just dinner with a friend." Marina looked up sharply, but quickly averted her eyes once more. "I'd rather spend the evening with you."
"It's okay, Ricky. Go out with your friend. You shouldn't change your plans on my account. Your friend might not appreciate it," Marina said. She refused to look up at Richard. He squatted down to her level, but she still avoided his eyes.
"I'm more concerned about you right now," he said as he brushed aside a strand of hair that blocked his view of her face.
"There's a first," Marina mumbled as she picked up the portfolio and rested it on the sofa to zip it shut. Richard rose.
"Marina, we need to talk. Let me call and cancel--."
"No! I insist you go to your dinner. Please," she said, no longer attempting to hide her tears.
"Why are you crying?" Richard asked gently. He reached out for Marina but she evaded him.
"I don't know why I'm crying. Just leave, okay?" She wrapped her arms tightly around her body. Richard sat down heavily.
"I feel awful about this. I've spent the last twenty-four hours thinking about your arrival and making plans to spend the rest of the week with you, and--."
"It's not your fault, Ricky. I should never have come here without your knowledge and I apologize for it."
"You haven't done anything wrong, Emmy." Richard rose to his feet but Marina's body language held him at bay.
"You're going to be late for your date." Richard sighed. "Go ahead, Ricky." He ran a hand through his hair.
"All, right, but I won't be out late," he said meekly. "We'll talk when I get back, okay?" Marina nodded, but still would not meet his eyes. He walked over to Marina and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry." He went into his bedroom and changed into a clean shirt before he left. He caught a cab to Penn Station and found Jane waiting at the designated spot.
"Who died?" she said as he stepped out of the cab and let her slide in. Richard smiled sheepishly.
"I'm sorry I'm late," he said. "I had an unexpected development."
"Sounds distinctly unpleasant," Jane replied as she linked her arm in his. Richard felt like a complete heel.
"It was. I was expecting a houseguest later in the week, a friend of mine who's going in to be in town on business for a few days. Much to my surprise, said friend came today and was there when I got home."
"Oh. Well, we could have rescheduled, Richard. Why didn't you call?" He shrugged. "Or better yet, you could have brought him along. I would have understood." Richard looked at her in surprise. "All right, I would have forgiven you, under the circumstances," she amended.
"I doubt it; my friend is female." Jane deliberately withdrew her arm.
"Oh."
"It's the one I told you about, the one who made me the book."
"Ah, yes, the same one you mentioned twice at dinner Saturday night and brought up on the train no less than three times," Jane said evenly.
"Did I?"
"Yes, you did," she replied, trying not to be accusing. "I'm surprised you didn't cancel."
"She insisted that I keep our 'date.' And besides, you were already probably halfway here when the whole situation unfolded. It didn't seem right to cancel after you'd come so far." The cab pulled up to the restaurant and Richard paid the fare. The pair entered the restaurant and Richard asked for a table for two.
"Actually, I think we'll only be staying for drinks," Jane said to the maitre'd as she took hold of Richard's arm and steered him toward the bar.
"Jane!"
"Richard!" she mocked him. She turned to the bartender. "I'll have a white wine and," she glanced at Richard. "Samuel Adams, right?" Richard shrugged. Jane nodded at the bartender and turned back to Richard. "The drinks are on me," she said, putting her hand to Richard's chest when he started to protest.
"I'm really sorry about this, Jane."
"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I guess I took Mrs. Darcy's advice at face value." She stared at the glass that was set before her. "I thought it was a little overly optimistic."
"What? What advice did Aunt Anne give you?" Richard asked after taking a sip of his beer.
"She told me that you've been recovering from a broken heart and just needed to be coaxed into getting out and living a little," Jane said with a slight blush. "She was very convincing at the time, but it's apparent you're not ready to move on."
"I don't understand. What does my break up have to do with Emmy being at my apartment?"
"I thought her name was Marina."
"Emmy and Marina are the same person. But I still don't see--oh. I get it; I see now," Richard said as he settled more comfortably in his seat.
"That makes one of us," Jane said. "Mind cluing me in?" Richard smiled.
"Sure. You see, I broke up with Erin back in May and my mom and my aunt have been worried about me ever since--."
"Are Erin, Emmy and Marina all the same person?" Richard chuckled at the question and shook his head.
"I wish! Actually, I don't, but then if I had been with Emmy instead of Erin in the first place--."
"Or Marina--." Richard laughed again.
"Okay, okay. Let's see if I can untangle this." He took a deep breath. "I first met Marina Escher--aka Emmy--when we were eight years old and in the fourth grade. We quickly became friends, inseparable friends after her mom up and split soon after she moved into the neighborhood. My mom sort of adopted her and became a surrogate for the one she lost, you see, so she was always at our house. Anyway, Emmy and I have been the best of friends ever since."
"When did you fall in love with her?" Jane asked perceptively. Richard smiled.
"I can't really be sure because I only realized that I was in love with her about 2:00 a.m. Saturday night," Richard said with a wry smile.
"So...Erin?"
"Emmy and I have always had a platonic relationship. We saw other people--well I did, anyway. Emmy has never had much of a social life. She's always been the reclusive artist sort."
"Maybe she was simply waiting for you to get a clue," Jane suggested.
"Maybe," Richard mused; the thought had never occurred to him before. "Anyway, she came up for my graduation from MIT with my folks and after the ceremony she told me she was going to live in Paris for two years. She stayed on for three and our relationship has never been the same after that." Richard paused to take a sip of his drink. "Now she's back in the States and I just realized that I'm in love with her."
"So...Erin?"
"I met her last year at a friend's barbecue. We hit it off and began dating. I broke up with her a few months ago when I found out that she'd been two-timing me with another guy," he said with a pained expression. "That's the break up my aunt was talking about. She wouldn't know anything about my feelings for Emmy."
"I see, so I've been sent on a fool's errand," Jane said into her glass.
"I'm sorry. I never meant--." Jane put her hand on Richard's arm.
"No need to apologize. You were putting out all the right signals, loud and clear; I just refused to heed them. Your every action said 'please don't,' but you were too good a package to pass up. Darn you for being such a sweetie and a gorgeous one at that. As you know, I'm a sucker for a natural blond." Richard blushed, much to Jane's amusement. "You know, I almost called you back and let you off the hook this afternoon. I heard your colleague handing enough you rope to hang yourself with, but I was too psyched by the slim possibility that things might actually work out in my favor that I swallowed my pride and went for it."
"Jane..."
"So, it's my own fault," she sighed with an endearing smile.
"I feel awful about this, I really do."
"Natural blond and a conscience?" Jane fanned herself dramatically as Richard turned beet red.
"Stop it!" Jane rose to her feet.
"Tell Emmy, or Marina, or whatever, that she's a very lucky woman. And tell her to put her artistic skills to use and stencil the word "TAKEN" across your forehead at her earliest opportunity." She placed some bills on the bar for a tip. "Now go home to her."
"What are you going to do?" Richard asked guiltily.
"I don't know...take in a movie, have dinner...or maybe go home and rinse out a few things." Richard took hold of her hand. "You'd better get out of here before I change my mind. Oh, do give me a call and let me know how things turn out." Richard kissed Jane's cheek and she kissed his and left. He drained his glass and went outside to hail a taxi.
"William Darcy, you are a man of many talents," Lizzy said as she watched William expertly dice tomatoes.
"If I had known that I was going to be put to work I would have taken my time in getting here," he complained good-naturedly.
"Would you rather sit there and watch me do all the work while you drink wine and talk about your day at the office?"
"Actually, I'd rather stand here and nuzzle that spot on your neck that makes your eyes roll back in your head," William said as he wrapped his arms around Lizzy's waist.
"William, if you get tomato juice on my silk blouse I'll--."
"Works like a charm," William smiled as he watched Lizzy's eyes close. She abruptly opened them and glared at him. William went to the sink and rinsed his hands as the phone rang. He picked up the phone and put it to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Lizzy, this is Marina."
"Hello, Marina. Where are you?"
"I'm in the city. Look, does that offer to stay at your place still stand? I know it's short notice but--."
"Of course it does, but I thought--."
"I can't stay at Ricky's."
"Oh," Lizzy said as she glanced at William worriedly. "Well, by all means come on over." William frowned back at Lizzy curiously as she gave Marina her address. She nodded to William and he hung up the phone.
"What was all that about?" he asked.
"That was Marina. I think I told you that she was coming to town and I offered her a place to stay."
"No, you said she was staying at Fitz's place."
"Well, I did make the offer and that's what she told me at the time. Something must have happened because she said she can't stay with him."
"Can't?"
"I suppose she'll explain when she gets here. I'm sorry, William; I know we were supposed to have a quiet dinner for two, but..." Lizzy broke off and looked at William pleadingly.
"No, no, I understand. Maybe I should leave. I'm sure Marina will want to talk and she'd probably feel more comfortable if I wasn't here when she arrived."
"No, William; she'd probably feel even worse if she knew that she ruined our plans for the evening. Why don't you stay till she arrives and then we'll play it by ear?"
"All right; I'll let her decide whether I dine on your ravioli or whatever looks good at my local diner," William teased.
"Oh, don't try to curry sympathy with me! I know you're not likely to be spending anytime at a diner all alone, even if you don't stay to dinner," Lizzy smirked.
"All the same, may I have that kiss now, just in case?" Lizzy willingly obliged him just as the intercom buzzed. She let Marina into the building and sent William to set a third place at the table while she went to the door.
"Hello, Marina," she smiled when Marina stepped off the elevator. "That was fast."
"Hi, Lizzy," Marina replied hesitantly. "It turns out that Ricky lives just a few blocks from you."
"Oh! Well, come in! Don't be shy," Lizzy urged.
"You have company," Marina said, still poised at the door.
"How on earth did you know that?"
"I saw William's car outside," she said as William came to the door.
"Hello, Marina," he said as he reached for the bag in her hand. "Come inside. Dinner is getting cold while you stand there." Marina smiled shyly and allowed him to draw her into the apartment.
"You should have told me you had company. The last thing I wanted to do was--."
"It's all right," William said. "I've been looking forward to seeing you again, anyway. This is an unexpected pleasure."
"I'm sure you'd rather spend the evening alone with Lizzy," Marina insisted.
"We'll have other opportunities. And you're an invited guest, so sit down and enjoy," Lizzy said as William poured out a third glass of wine. Marina smiled and sat down to dinner with the couple.
"So, how was the drive down?" Lizzy asked as she toyed with her salad.
"Oh, not too bad; I made pretty good time, but then I only was only in Northampton for a couple of hours so I beat the rush hour traffic coming south."
"I thought you were in New Hampshire," William said. "I asked for you when I spoke with Aunt Kathy yesterday and she said you were visiting your father."
"Yes, I was," Marina replied. "But I left there this morning and was headed for Northampton when I got Lizzy's call, so I continued on to the city."
"That's a lot of driving in one day," Lizzy observed.
"Yes, it was, especially since it's been a long time since I've driven anywhere," Marina smiled. A few minutes later, Lizzy rose to fetch the entrée, leaving William and Marina alone for a moment. "I should take this opportunity to apologize," Marina said with a slight blush. "Kathleen said you'd been worried about me."
"If anyone should be apologizing it's me," William replied, but Marina placed her hand over William's. From her vantage point in the kitchen, Lizzy saw them talking and tactfully lingered to allow them a few minutes of privacy.
"Why don't we just skip it?" Marina suggested. William smiled.
"Only if you're okay with this." Marina nodded.
"You look happy," she observed.
"I am happy and I have you to thank for it," William agreed. Marina averted her eyes.
"That's something of a specialty of mine...making other people happy."
"And what about yourself?" William prodded gently. When Marina lifted her face he noted that her eyes were bright with unshed tears.
"I've never been able to master that," Marina said as she quickly dabbed her eyes. Lizzy saw Marina's tears from the kitchen and rushed back into the room.
"Marina, what happened?" she asked. Marina shook her head.
"Nothing, nothing at all."
"But you decided to come here rather than stay with Richard. Did you two quarrel?" Marina shook her head and Lizzy looked to William.
"It's just--I just need to put some distance between us. We aren't good for each other anymore."
"I find that very hard to believe," William said.
"It's true. Ricky and I can't seem to be in the same room without making either one or both of us miserable," Marina said. She looked up self-consciously. "And now I'm making the two of you miserable. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--." She started to rise from the table, but both William and Lizzy held her in her place.
"You're not making us miserable, Marina," William said gently. "You did what you felt was best to make us happy. Now, we'd like to return the favor, if you'll let us." Marina shook her head.
"It's hopeless."
Richard returned to his apartment and was surprised to find it empty. He threw down his keys and swore out loud. This time there was no note of explanation, no phone message, just an empty apartment that felt cold and lonely without the spark of energy and warmth that Marina brought to everything she touched. Richard went into the kitchen for a beer and then back into the living room, where he began to pace as he remembered in painful detail the awkward confrontation that had occurred less than two hours earlier. He told himself that perhaps that Marina had only gone out, but in his heart he knew better. There was no sign of her luggage or her portfolio. All that remained of her was the trunk that had been sitting in a corner for weeks.
Richard went to sit down and saw something peeking out from under the sofa. He reached for it and found a sheet of paper that had apparently come from Marina's portfolio. It was an illuminated page, ornately decorated with a border of thorny vines with black, withered leaves. Richard thought it oddly dark, not at all like Marina's other work. He turned his attention to the text on the page. As he began to read he covered his mouth with his hand and tears began to flow freely as he read the poem by Byron. He would never know for certain whether it had been left behind by accident or if Marina had intentionally left it for him to find, but it didn't matter. Each word cut through him like the stab of a knife and he understood, perhaps for the first time, the anguish that Marina must have felt for years.
William left shortly after dinner in order to allow Marina and Lizzy to talk. Marina told Lizzy the sad tale of how she had fallen in love with Richard when she was thirteen years old.
"You'd think that after twelve years I'd be over it," she said, embarrassed by her admission. "Lord knows I tried to forget him. I turned down a full scholarship to Boston School of Fine Arts because I'd be too near him for comfort. Then I ran off to Paris. You know, he had the audacity to visit me there twice? The second time he brought his girlfriend, talk about adding insult to injury."
"He obviously cares about you a great deal, or else he wouldn't have visited at all," Lizzy pointed out.
"Oh yes, he cares about me; he cares a great deal. He's not in love with me, though. He'll never be in love with me."
"What makes you so sure of that? William said he seemed to be very--."
"He's mistaken," Marina said with an air of finality.
"Marina--."
"You want to know what happened tonight? I made the mistake of showing up at Ricky's place a day earlier than expected. He came home and instead of having the happy reunion I had been looking forward to all day, I found out that he was going out with another woman."
"Oh, Marina!"
"It's my own fault. I should have called first. And I shouldn't have expected...hoped--." Marina covered her eyes and began to sob. Lizzy pulled her into her arms and tried as best she could to console the crying woman.
"Oh, dear," Lizzy sighed.
When We Two Parted
WHEN we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.
The dew of the morning
Sunk chill on my brow-
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame:
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.
They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me-
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well:
Long, long shall I rue thee,
Too deeply to tell.
In secret we met-
In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.
George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron. 1788-1824