Section I, Next Section
Chapter 1
It was a brisk winter day in the city of New York, but that did not seem to stop the masses from being outside and rushing around. The weather was threatening snow so people were rushing to get to work making the traffic horrible. Elizabeth loved New York even though things were hectic. Elizabeth, an editor for the New York Times, had just stepped onto the subway with a mass of other people. Once again she was smashed into a corner while everyone crowded onto the train. Elizabeth shared an apartment with her sister Jane, but lately, Jane was not home very much since she seemed to have found the love of her life. His name was Charles Bingley and he sat on the board at Darcy Corporation, a large computer company. Elizabeth loved her sister dearly and saw just how much she was in love with Charles. She knew that it would not be long before she would have to search for a new roommate. Elizabeth was very happy that her sister had found someone, but she was mad that it reminded her that she had not been on a date for sometime. Sure, she had dated, but her last boyfriend and made her wary of men. His name was George Wickham and he turned out to be a crook after Elizabeth's money. He seemed like the perfect man to Elizabeth at first, but when he found out about his true habits of gambling and embezzlement, she dumped him immediately, but that did not end her relationship with him. He would follow her wherever she went and Elizabeth was forced to put a restraining order against him. They were never able to convict him for embezzlement, so he remained out of prison. Elizabeth was finally rid of him when he followed a rich women to Europe, but was arrested for having a fake passport. It was a relief to Elizabeth to be finally rid of George Wickham.
When the subway stopped, Elizabeth along with many other impatient New Yorkers exited the subway and walked quickly up to the cold streets. Snow started to fall and Elizabeth was glad that her building was so near. As she came up to it, she rushed inside just as the wind started to blow even harder. The snow did not show any sign of stopping in the near future, so Elizabeth was glad that she had a lot of work to do in her office. She walked towards the elevator and said hello to the security guard. He was a man that had been doing the same job for thirty years and he was like a father to Elizabeth. His name was Charlie Baker and he was very close to Elizabeth. "Good morning Miss Elizabeth. How are you this nice winter day?" he asked as she grabbed a newspaper and a muffin.
"Good morning Charlie. I am wonderful. I just love New York on a brisk winter day," she responded with a laugh.
"Have a wonderful day and thank you again for the wonderful bread you made. It was delicious, but then again everything you make is delicious."
"You're welcome, maybe I should have become a cook instead of an editor." Elizabeth said just before she went into the elevator. She waved goodbye to Charlie and headed up toward her office where she was sure there was a ton of work waiting for her. When the elevator opened on her floor, she saw all of the busy people rushing around. There were deadlines to meet and interviews to schedule. Elizabeth rushed to her desk to find it covered with messages and new stories for her to read. Another long day was in store for Elizabeth, so she got her coffee and then sat down to go through all of her phone calls before the meeting of all the editors in the morning. The first message was from her mother. She knew that it was about another nice young man that she met and wants Elizabeth to meet, so she decided to get her duty over with and call her while she was not irritated. Her family lived in Maryland near Annapolis in a nice house. Her mother was very involved in her community and her father was a retired professor. He taught at the Naval Academy for thirty five years and finally entered into the life of retirement. Besides Jane, Elizabeth had three other sisters, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. She was not very close to them, but did see them at the holidays. At Thanksgiving she was introduced to Mary's fiancé, a nuclear physicist. Mary had always been the brains of the family and now lived in Boston with her fiancé who worked at MIT. Kitty, a student at Yale was away a lot also, but Elizabeth saw her quite a bit when she was on vacation or if they met for lunch. Lydia, however, was a senior in high school and very wild. She was a little t wild and also her mother's favorite next to Jane. Elizabeth knew that Lydia was not well behaved and worried for her. She hoped that she would settle down soon. It was hard hearing about the things she got herself into.
Elizabeth dialed the number and her mother answered the phone. When Elizabeth said hello, her mother started yelling at her already and talking about a new man she met at the country club. She said that she should come a week before Christmas and meet him. He was a doctor and very eligible. "Mother, you know that I have too much work to do up here in New York. Besides, I don't need your help with finding a husband."
"What do you mean you don't need my help!!!! You are twenty eight years old and single. How am I ever to get any grandchildren if you never marry. I hear things are going with Jane. Why couldn't you be more like her. She is involved with a very nice and rich man. At least she is bringing someone home to show her poor parents." Elizabeth could feel a headache coming on, but remained on the phone like a dutiful daughter.
"Mother, I do not need your assistance. Now please, I will talk to you later. I have a lot of work to do. Give my love to dad and Lydia. I will see you at Christmas." Elizabeth could hear her mother complaining as she hung up the phone. It was going to be a long day and this was not the way to begin it.
At lunch, Elizabeth went to meet Jane. Jane worked as a secretary to Caroline Bingley at Darcy Corporations. Elizabeth enjoyed their lunches together. "So, how is Charles today. I hope that you are preparing him for Christmas. Did you warn him about mother. She called here again. She found another husband for me."
"He is great, who is he this time?"
"A doctor."
"Well, she only means for the best. I am afraid that none of us are married yet, well Mary is close, but you know how mama."
"I know. I must be getting back to work. I have a meeting to discuss the subjects of this weeks specials in the paper. I will see you tonight. Will you be home or will I have another date with Emma(the dog)?"
"Yes, Charles had to work late tonight, so I will be there. What do you say to making it a girls night. I will order pizza and pick up some movies on the way home from work."
"Sounds great. I will see you later. Oh, please get something romantic. It is the only romance I get in my life. Have a great day. I hope Caroline isn't in one of her moods again. Bye Jane."
"Bye Lizzy." Jane left the restaurant and Elizabeth gathered her things together. She walked back to her office where yet another pile had accumulated of stories and messages. It was going to be a long day.
Chapter 2
Elizabeth walked slowly back to her office. She knew that once she got there, people would not leave her alone. Things were hectic at this time of year with Christmas coming. People were taking off for the holidays and there was still a paper to get out. Elizabeth was glad that her job allowed her the flexibility to take off. She was in charge of editing other people's stories, so she could work from anywhere. It was easier for her to take time because she could take her laptop computer and the writers could e-mail or fax them to her.
When got back to her office, she found one of the younger writers waiting for her. "Ms. Bennet, I was wondering if you could help me. I cannot seem to get this article to flow. It is not working and I have been struggling for a few hours with it. I was wondering if you had any suggestions?" The reporters seemed to be getting younger and younger every year and it made Elizabeth feel old and she was glad when she was able to help him. It made her feel like her experience in the newspaper career was advantageous. Elizabeth then looked down at her desk to see a pile of articles there for her to read, so she went to the refrigerator and got out her favorite cranberry juice and went back to tackle the articles. When she finally closed the last one she saw that it was dark outside. She looked at the clock and saw that it was already 6:30. Time to go. She stood up and stretched her stiff neck. After gathering up her things, she grabbed her coat and briefcase and left the building, saying good-bye to Charlie on the way out the door. The snow had stopped, but the masses of people had not stopped. The street lights were all on and she knew that the subway would be crowded, but she took a deep breath and braced herself for the cold and the crowds.
The subway was very crowded and Elizabeth was smashed between a fat man and a screaming baby. She didn't think that her head could get any worse. She hoped that Jane was home and that she had already ordered the pizza because she was in the need for some comfort food. It had been a long day and the busy subway did not help her any. So, when the subway finally stopped at her station, she rushed up to the street and hurried to her apartment. She said hello to the doorman and tried to run to the elevator before it closed, but she was too late. "This day is just getting better and better." she said to herself. When the elevator finally opened she walked in and pushed the button for her floor. She was glad that no one was in the elevator with her because she let out a small scream to relieve her nerves. The elevator came to a stop on the fifth floor and Elizabeth walked slowly down the hall to her apartment. When she unlocked the door, Emma came running over to her for a pet. The dog wouldn't even let her in the door until Jane came running over and moved the dog. "Oh Jane, this has been a long day. I hope you picked up something good for tonight because after the day that I have had, I need some serious recuperation if I am to do it again tomorrow. Tell me again why I do what I do and tell why everyone seems to be getting younger and younger."
"Yes, I know exactly how you feel, Caroline was on one of her rants today. I didn't think that the day would ever end, but that's enough about work. Come on the pizza is getting cold and we have a movie to watch." Jane said as she pulled Elizabeth inside.
"Let me change and then I will be ready. What movie did you get? It better be romantic. I am in the mood for some tears, so I hope it is good."
"I got An Affair to Remember, so hurry up. I will go get plates and a few beers out. We have a great night ahead of us." Elizabeth hung up her coat and put her briefcase in the corner then continued to get undressed. She took off her suit and put on a pair of flannel pants and a sweatshirt. The dog had followed her into the bedroom so she petted Emma and them put on her slippers. She was comfortable for the fist time today. Back in the living room, Jane had everything set up and she put the movie in as Elizabeth came out and sat on the sofa. The both watched the movie, cried, ate, and drank. It was just what Elizabeth needed on a cold winter day.
After the movie, both women decided that it was time for bed. Elizabeth took Emma out for a short walk and then put her to bed before climbing in her own bed. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. The city was still lit up like a Christmas tree, but that didn't bother Elizabeth. She was off in the land of dreams where she dreamt of a tall handsome mad whisking her away to his castle. She was sorry when her alarm woke her up and the man disappeared. "Man, and it was just starting to get good." she thought to herself. Elizabeth slowly got out of bed and grabbed a towel and her robe. The warm shower felt nice against her cold skin. After her shower she looked outside to see that the snow was still coming down. It would be another cold day. She got dressed and pulled her massive amount of dark brown curls up into a bun. She wore a dark blue suit with a white silk blouse. She put on her watch and saw that she was running late. Jane was already in the kitchen drinking coffee when Elizabeth came out. "Bye Jane, I'll see you at lunch. What Elizabeth didn't know was that at lunch today, Jane and Charles were planning setting Elizabeth up.
Charles Bingley was a very nice man who suited Jane perfectly in appearance as well as character. He worked for his best friend Will Darcy. He has been seeing Jane for a long time and was truly falling in love with her. He knew that Jane was the perfect women for himself. Charles felt sorry for Lizzy. He had known George Wickham and heard about what had happened to her with him. He thought that he had the perfect idea to cheer her up and Jane agreed. He would set her up with Will. Will did not date much and was very involved with his company and his sister. His sister, Georgiana, was a sophomore at Harvard and Will was very protective of her. His parents had died when he was in his early twenties, so he took over the care of his sister as well as the family business. Caroline, Charles's sister, had been after him for years, but Will didn't want her. He was looking for the perfect woman, but he just hadn't found her yet. He didn't like to be pushed together with a strange women as some of his friends had tried before, so when Charles suggested Elizabeth Bennet, Will was against the idea from the start. "Come on Will, I know that you will like her," Charles said as he poured himself and Darcy a cup of coffee. "She is intelligent and very pretty. I know you will love her. It is only one date and besides, you never know, she could be the one that you have been looking for."
"Charles, you know that I hate blind dates and I know that I am not going to like this women. Anyone desperate enough to need to be set up on a date is not my type. Besides, I have a lot of work to do."
"Will, you have not been on a date for some time and Elizabeth is a wonderful women. She doesn't even know that Jane and I are setting you two up, so she is not a desperate woman as you call her. It is only one date and you never have to see her again if you don't want to. Please, do it for Jane and I."
"Very well," Will said in an annoyed tone. "I will go out with her once and if I don't like her, that is it. I am never going to let you talk me into anything ever again. Anyway, how are you and Jane? Are things going well with the two of you?"
"Things are wonderful!! Jane is truly an amazing woman." Charles said as he grinned from ear to ear. Will laughed at his friend. He had it bad and there was no cure.
Meanwhile, Jane and Elizabeth were having a similar conversation. "Jane, you know how I am with men. I do not like to be set up. This guy could be horrible and I will feel bad if I don't like him after you and Charles went to so much trouble." Elizabeth whined.
"Lizzy, you have not been on a date in a long time. It is about time you met someone. Will Darcy is a very nice man and I know you'll like him." Jane said, trying to convince Lizzy. Just then, Jane's cell phone rang. It was Charles with information from Will. Will would pick Elizabeth up on Friday at her apartment and then take her to dinner. "Ok Charles, I'll tell her. Bye honey." Jane hung up and told Elizabeth all of the details. Elizabeth complained some more and then left to go back to work. She was not looking forward to this date, but something inside of her told her that it could be promising. She would just
Chapter 3
I want to dedicate this chapter to my partner in crime Tiki. I couldn't have done it without her. She was a wonderful helper with the outfit for the date.
Friday morning came a little too quickly for the nervous daters. Elizabeth was up early so that she could get a head start on her work in order to have plenty of time to get home and change for the date. Will was in a similar position, for some reason he felt as if this woman was going to be different from the others and he wanted to show her the best side of him. Charles and Jane did not tell him anything about her except that she worked as an editor for the New York Times. Darcy was glad that she seemed well educated. He didn't want to be stuck with some bimbo that would only be after his money. He had enough of those type of women to deal with and he didn't need another one. Will knew Jane, so he hoped that she would be somewhat like her, although he didn't want her to be so nice and angelic. Jane was a wonderful person, but not his type. He liked the more spirited and passionate type. He wondered what she looked like. If she looked anything like Jane he was in luck, although he wished that she would have darker hair. He liked darker hair and he liked curls. A women with curls was his kind of woman. He knew that she was very well respected in her job, but nothing else. Everything else would be left up to tonight when he went to pick her up. All day he had mental pictures in his mind of what she would like . When he went to lunch he wondered if each person that he saw was her. His mind was torturing him and he could not stop thinking about her.
Elizabeth was also having the same problem. She had her perfect man in mind; tall dark and handsome. He was the man that came to her in her dreams and she was afraid to compare the infamous Will Darcy to him. What if he didn't match up to her standards. She had let a man into her heart previously and was hurt, so she didn't know if she was ready to allow another man to see her soul. She hoped that everything would become clear to her and her decision would be made, but she knew that it wouldn't be that simple. If this man was a friend of Jane and Charles's than he must be a nice man, but what if he is too nice and lacks passion. She needed someone that could keep up with her spirit. She needed some one who was willing to accept her for who she was. She was not an actress and she wasn't a puppet. The man that she will fall in love with will love her for who she is, not who they make her out to be. All throughout the day, Elizabeth could not stop thinking about the date. She had been on dates before, but this was different. She was afraid that he wouldn't like her. She did not know what he did for a living. He could be some poor guy that Jane and Charles took pity on for that matter. Elizabeth was in a quandary and this was the state that Jane found her in when she sat down for lunch at her table. "Elizabeth what is wrong?" she asked.
"Oh Jane, what if he doesn't like me? What if I trip and fall? What if I make a fool of myself?" Elizabeth said hurriedly.
"Calm down Elizabeth. Calm down. Everything will be fine. I know that he will love you. You are a perfect match for him. What are you planning on wearing tonight?" Jane asked as she tried to calm Elizabeth down.
"I am not sure, so I was hoping that you could help me. I always wear suits to work and I wanted to wear something different. Perhaps I could wear a dress or a skirt. How fancy is this restaurant that we are going to?" Elizabeth asked of Jane. Although it was more like pleading.
"It is semi-casual, so a dress or skirt will be fine. What do you say if we take off work for the rest of the afternoon and go shopping for something to wear. It will be so much fun." Jane said excitedly. She loved to go shopping and do makeovers, so she was really getting hyper.
"Well, I guess I could finish up my work this weekend. I completed all the things I needed done by tonight."
"Great, Caroline left to visit her sister for the weekend, so I don't have any work to do. The afternoon is yours."
"Okay, let me call my office and tell them to fax the rest of my work to our apartment." Elizabeth called her office and set everything up that needed to be done. She was free to allow Jane to take over.
The two women rushed from store to store until they finally found the perfect one. Elizabeth tried on so many outfits that she thought that she was going to be sick if she saw another piece of clothing, but Jane handed her another outfit. When Elizabeth put it on, she didn't even bother to look in the mirror, she just showed Jane. "Oh Lizzy, this is the one. You look wonderful. Elizabeth had on a black skirt that fell just below the knee with a small slit up the side. For a top, she had a very pale pink shirt with three quarter length sleeves. Elizabeth looked at herself in the mirror and liked what she saw. The outfit seemed to catch her every curve. It flattered her slim yet curvy figure. It was perfect for tonight and she loved it. All she needed now was the perfect pair of shoes and jewelry. Jane led her out of the store after she finished paying for the clothes and took her to a shoe store down the street. There, Elizabeth bought a pair of high healed black strappy shoes. They were the perfect accessory to the perfect outfit. All that was left was to find the perfect jewelry. They decided to go through the jewelry they already owned, so Elizabeth and Jane hurried home since it was getting late and Elizabeth needed to take a shower before he picked Will picked her up. Elizabeth decided to wear a necklace that was given to her by her Aunt and Uncle when she was younger. It was a silver chin with a small diamond. It had matching diamond earrings, so Elizabeth put them aside and jumped in the shower. The warm water felt good on her skin and she let the tension run out of her body. She was not going to worry about this date. Everything would work out and the date would be perfect. Elizabeth washed her hair and rinsed off before stepping out of the shower. She dried off then threw her hair up in a towel. She put on her bath robe then started the long process of drying her long curls. After about a half and hour, her hair was dry, so she went to her bedroom to get dressed. Just as she was finished putting on her makeup she heard the phone rang and she heard Jane talking to Will. He was here and he was waiting for her in the lobby. Now was the time to see if her hard work would pay off, so she sprayed herself with a little perfume, then walked out o show Jane the finished product. "You look absolutely beautiful Lizzy. Will will fall madly in love with you when he sees you. He will not be able to keep his eyes off you all night. He is waiting in the lobby for you. Good luck." Jane said as she kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. "Don't come home too early and I want all the details tomorrow morning. Have a wonderful time." Elizabeth took a deep breath, then she left the apartment.
The elevator seemed to take forever to reach the lobby. When the doors finally opened Elizabeth looked around until her eyes rested on a man standing in the corner. The first thing that came to her mind were three words, "Oh my God."
Chapter 4
Elizabeth stood with her mouth open. There in front of her was the man of her dreams. He was better than the man in her dream. He was tall with dark curly hair. He had a muscular build and looked like he was born in a suit. He had not looked up yet, so Elizabeth had time to collect her thoughts and control her breathing. She took a deep breath and walked toward the man hoping that it was Will Darcy. If not, then she was ready to dump Darcy for him. She would follow him anywhere.
Meanwhile, Darcy had finally looked up and saw the most beautiful women he had ever seen, but it was not her body that captured hiss admiration but her eyes. When she smiled, he could read into her soul by looking into her eyes. They were of a color that was indescribable. they were a very dark color that seemed to have specks of blue and violet. She was walking towards him and he prayed that she was Elizabeth Bennet. She had the perfect hair and the clothing that she wore accentuated every curve in her body. Elizabeth was the first to recover by saying, "are you Will Darcy?"
"Yes, and you must be Elizabeth Bennet." he said after he got himself under control.
"Yes I am. How are you?" Elizabeth asked. She was nervous under his intense gaze and was hoping that he was looking at her favorably and not trying to find fault with her.
"I am very well and you?" he replied, extending his hand. She shook his hand and smiled. "at least I am well now" he thought to himself.
"I am very good." Elizabeth answered nervously. She wondered why a man like this had not been claimed already. He must have thousands of females falling all over him. Will motioned toward the door, so they left together. Outside was a black Mercedes. Will unlocked the door and helped Elizabeth in. She had never been in such a nice car and was afraid that she would break something. Will walked around to the other side and got in the car. He started the engine and headed towards a restaurant that had always been his favorite. It was an Italian restaurant that was not very well known, but had some of the best pasta in the city. It was a small restaurant, but allowed for privacy. Will parked on the street then quickly got out of the car and helped Elizabeth out. "Thank you, you are a perfect gentleman." She said as he opened the door.
"You are very welcome, I was always taught to treat a lady as they should be treated." Will said as a faint blush came to his cheeks. Elizabeth thought that the blush became Will very well. They walked into the restaurant and were greeted by the owner. Elizabeth thought that the restaurant was a wonderful little place and she was surprised when the owner knew Will personally. They were seated at a table for two. The table was positioned so that it afforded some privacy for conversation. Will started the conversation by asking her about her job.
"I am an editor for the New York Times. I love my work even though it can be a bit stressing at times. I am mainly in charge of the specials put out by the paper. Now that I have told you about my job, I am very curious about your job."
"Well I m the owner of Darcy Corporations and...."
"You are that William Darcy." Elizabeth interrupted Darcy. "I am surprised that you are still a bachelor. I can't believe that I didn't realize that you were the same person. I mean you are all over the papers."
"Well yes," Darcy said as once again a light blush came to his cheeks. "The women that seem to chase after me never really go for the real me. All they really want is my money and my power. Who I really am doesn't matter to them." Elizabeth smiled. She knew that she was really starting to like this man and that she was glad that she let Jane talk her into seeing him. "Where did you grow up Elizabeth?"
I am originally from Maryland. My parents still live down there with m youngest sister. I come from a large family and I have four sisters. Jane is the oldest and I am the second oldest. I am not as close to my other sisters, but I still see them occasionally. My sister Kitty attends Yale, so I see her more than the other two. Mary lives in Boston with her fiancé, but that is enough about me, I want to learn more about you. Where did you grow up?" Secretly, Will did not want Elizabeth to stop talking. He enjoyed the expressions she made as she talked about her family and he found it fascinating to watch her. She was so alive and spirited. He knew that he was in danger of falling for even though they had only known each other for thirty minutes.
"Well, I was born in England actually, but I moved to New York when I was very young. My parents died when I was younger, so all I have left is my sister who is currently at Harvard. My Aunt Catherine and her daughter live in England still where my Aunt Sara and Uncle Henry live also with their two sons Richard and Edward. I am close to Richard, but I don't get to see him very much since he is a Colonel in the army. I visit my family every summer when my sister and I go to Pemberley."
"Pemberley?" Elizabeth was curious already.
"Pemberley is my family estate. It has been in my family for thousands of years."
"Wow, that is so interesting. I have always loved England. I attended two years of college at Oxford and I go back whenever I get a chance. Does your business allow you enough time to visit Pemberley every year?" Elizabeth asked with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Yes, I have an office in London so I can conduct my business from both places, but surely you don't want to here about all this. I feel as if I have been talking about myself all night. That pasta of yours looks very good. What kind did you get again?"
"It is pesto would you like to try some" Elizabeth said as she held her plate so that Will was surprised at how easily he was comfortable in her company. He felt like he had known her forever. Will reciprocated so that Elizabeth could take a taste of his alfredo.
When they finished their pasta, they ordered after dinner drinks and talked. They were never at a lost for a topic of discussion. Elizabeth looked down at her watch and saw that it was almost midnight. They had been talking for hours and they seemed to be the only people left in the restaurant. "Oh my, it is very late. I didn't realize that we have been talking for so long." Will looked at his watch and couldn't believe how late it was either. He paid the check and they left the restaurant together. When they got to Elizabeth's apartment, Elizabeth invited him up for coffee. Will said that he had to get home, but he invited her to the opera that he had an extra ticket for since his sister was unable to make it home this weekend. Elizabeth agreed and Will told her that he would call her tomorrow with the details. He kissed Elizabeth on the cheek and then left. Elizabeth stood by the elevator stunned. She couldn't move for a second. Her heart was beating and she felt like heaven had opened to her. She had just had one of the best nights of her life. Everything was magical and she was sad that it had to end. She let out a sigh and then rode the elevator up to her apartment where she was greeted by Emma who came bounding to the door with her tail wagging. Jane was asleep so she was careful not to make a lot of noise. She changed out of her clothes and put on some pajamas. She was too excited to go to sleep so she poured herself a cup of tea and got in bed with her book. After reading for about an hour, she fell asleep to dream the same dream that she always dreamt except this time the man was not unknown to her, he was Will Darcy. She was content to dream away. He leaned down to kiss her and she felt as if she was about to faint when she opened her eyes, there on her bed was Emma and Jane laughing.
"Well it was about time." Jane said as Elizabeth realized that she was only dreaming.
"Good morning. What time is it?"
"It is 9:30 and I want details. From the way you were talking in your sleep, I can tell that the date went well." Jane said as she laughed again.
"Oh Jane, it was absolutely wonderful. I felt as if we had known each other for years. You never told me that he was the Will Darcy. The owner of Darcy Corporations."
"Oh, it must have slipped my mind." Jane said as Elizabeth threw a pillow at her.
"I'm sure it did. I must thank you however. Oh and I won't be home tonight."
"Really, another date already. You two must have really hit it off. Where are you going and I still want all the details from last night." Jane said as she moved closer to Elizabeth. She was so happy for her sister.
"We went to this wonderful Italian restaurant. We were there until almost twelve. We told each other so much. I felt so close to him Jane. I really felt as if I had some connection with him." Jane could see that Elizabeth was on her way to falling in love with him and it was only one date. She just hoped that Elizabeth would allow Will to get close. She knew that she never completely recovered from the Wickham incident. He was the first man that Elizabeth had allowed into her heart and she was very badly hurt by him. She hoped that Elizabeth would give men another chance because Will was her perfect match and Jane would do anything to give her sister happiness.
Chapter 5
Elizabeth waited by the phone all day for Will's call. She couldn't believe how childish she was acting. She felt like she was back in high school, but she didn't care, so when Will finally did call, she picked the phone up immediately. They were to get dinner and then go see La Traviata. Will informed her that she needed to be dressed formally for this evening and that he would pick her up at 5:30. Elizabeth was so excited. Not only was she going out with a wonderful man, but she was going to the opera. She loved the opera. When she was younger her father would take her to the opera and she found it fascinating. The characters possessed such passion with their voices and she found herself overwhelmed by the power of the music. There was one problem with tonight, she had nothing to wear, so she ran to her fashion expert Jane for help. "Oh Jane, I have a great problem. I have to dress formally tonight and I have nothing to wear. I need your help once again with clothing." The two women grabbed their coats and pocket books and raced out the door. It was already 1:30 and Elizabeth had a short time. Luckily Jane knew of a wonderful place to find a dress.
When Elizabeth and Jane arrived at the store, they found that they were the only customers there so they got wonderful treatment. Elizabeth explained to the owner what she needed and gave her size. The lady went searching for the perfect dress while Elizabeth and Jane browsed through the racks of dresses. There were so many beautiful dresses that Elizabeth had no idea which one would be the perfect one, so when the lady returned with a few dresses, Elizabeth was happy to have all the help she could get. The first dress was a long red dress that had spaghetti straps. Elizabeth liked the dress, but decided to see her other options. The second dress was white and also very pretty. She knew that this was going to be a difficult decision. The third and final dress that the lady brought with her was black. It was long and came up very high with an open back. Elizabeth went to try on the three dresses to see which looked the best. All of them were very beautiful, but in the end it came down to the red or black one. Elizabeth could not decide so she bought both and matching shoes. She was sure that the other might come in handy at a later time so she bought a shawl to go over each. It was almost December and it was very cold, so she needed something to cover her shoulders.
They left the shop and headed back to their apartment because it was already 4:00 and Elizabeth needed to shower and get ready. Elizabeth jumped into the shower while Jane prepared everything for Elizabeth. She hung up both the dresses and made a quick call to Charles. She asked Charles about the dresses and they both agreed that red would look very nicely on Elizabeth. Jane put the black dress away and told Elizabeth that she should wear red. "Red I see and did you come to this decision all by yourself or did you have some help?" Elizabeth asked Jane because she had heard her talking on the phone to Charles.
"Well I called Charles and we both agree that Will will love that dress on you. Now hurry and get dressed, you don't have much time." Elizabeth put the dress on and dried her hair. Jane pulled it up with a clasp and then Elizabeth put on her makeup. When she was finally ready she sat down on the couch waiting for Will to buzz up to her. It was not five minutes until he arrived. Elizabeth gave Jane a kiss on the cheek and then grabbed her coat and rushed out the door. She was anticipating what Will would look like in a tux, but she never expected him to look as good as he did. She saw him standing in the lobby with his coat over his arm. He looked wonderful and Elizabeth couldn't take her eyes off of him. Will was also having the same problem. There before him was Elizabeth in a red dress. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and a blush had covered her cheeks. It was going to be a wonderful evening.
Will led Elizabeth too a limo that was parked outside the building and helped her in. She had never ridden in a limo before, so she was very excited. They did not finally start to talk until the car started moving. "You look absolutely beautiful Elizabeth." Will said as he kissed her hand. Elizabeth blushed and asked and thanked him for the compliment.
"Where are we eating dinner if I may ask?" Elizabeth said as she looked into Will's eyes. His eyes were gazing into her own and no one spoke for a few minutes.
"We are going to a wonderful French restaurant that I am sure you will love." Will said as he offered her a drink.
"Is this your limo or is it rented?" Elizabeth asked.
"It belongs to me. I use it a lot for business affairs when I have to pick up clients or if I need to go to the airport. It is nice to have a driver if I don't feel like driving some place." The limo came to a stop in front of an elegant restaurant. The chauffeur opened the door and helped the passengers out. Will led Elizabeth into the restaurant where they were seated right away.
Dinner was wonderful and Elizabeth and Will talked more about their jobs. Elizabeth was curious at just how rich Will was, but didn't dare to ask. He amazed her with something new about him many times. She wished that they had longer to talk, but they had to leave in order to get to the opera on time. The night was getting better and better. After the completion of the show, Will and Elizabeth took a deep breath and laughed when they exhaled at the same time. "I had a wonderful time tonight," Elizabeth said as she smiled at Will. "I want to thank you so much."
"You are very welcome. I had a wonderful time as well." Will led Elizabeth out of the opera house. Outside a blizzard had started. Will suggested that they go to his place which was not very far away before they tried to make it back to Elizabeth's apartment. Elizabeth agreed that it would be alright, so they quickly got into the waiting limo and braved the storm for the few blocks to Will's apartment building. Will lived in the penthouse, so there was plenty of room.. Secretly her wished that the storm would not let up so that Elizabeth would be forced to stay the night. The couple relaxed and drank coffee in Will's apartment while waiting for the storm to let up. It was getting later and later and the weather was not getting any better, so Will told Elizabeth that she was spending the night. She was a little hesitant at first, but with coaxing from Will, she agreed to stay. Will lent Elizabeth some pajamas that belonged to Georgiana and then showed her to the guest room. It was a pleasant room and as soon as Elizabeth changed and got into bed, she fell asleep. Will peeked his head into the room and saw Elizabeth sound asleep. She looked so beautiful with her curls everywhere. He wished that he was the one covered in her curls, but he knew that it was too early for that, so he whispered goodnight and left the room to dream of the lady in the next room.
The next morning, Will found Elizabeth in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She was still in the pajamas and she fit right into the apartment as if she belonged there. Will stood there in his robe staring at Elizabeth cooking bacon at the stove. When she turned around to get something she saw him and smiled. "Breakfast will be ready in five minutes." she said cheerfully as she handed him a cup of coffee. It was at that moment that Will knew that he was in love with this women. It had only been two dates, but she was definately the one for him.
Chapter 6
Elizabeth set the table and then waited for Will to return. She walked over to the window and saw that the snow had stopped and the sun was shining. It was the first day of December and there were millions of people out getting their Christmas shopping done early. Will joined her at the window and Elizabeth let out a sigh. She enjoyed being with him and she felt like they belonged together. Perhaps it was time to let another man into her life. He had been so kind to her, so she felt that it was time to let him know about her past. "After breakfast, there is something that I need to tell you. Not many people know about my past and I feel that it is time that you should know. I feel that we have made a real connection and I want you to know the truth about me." Elizabeth said as she looked deeply into Will's eyes. Will understood that what he was about to hear was going to be hard for Elizabeth to talk about and he was going to be there to help her through it. Both of them sat down to eat and after breakfast they sat together on the couch. Elizabeth explained her whole past. She told him all about what Wickham had done to her and she told him that she was afraid to let another man that close to her again. It was a long time before Elizabeth had recovered from the Wickham incident and she told him that she wouldn't be able to go through something like that again. He had hurt her very badly and she was happy when he was sent to jail for a year, but that year was almost up and Elizabeth feared that he would come after her when he got out.
"Do not be afraid. As long as I am around, I will make sure that George Wickham will not harm you or anyone that you love. Hopefully he will stay away." Will said as he put a comforting arm around Elizabeth. She leaned against him and tried to calm herself, but the tears started to fall. Will embraced her tightly and didn't let go until her sobs subsided. He felt that Elizabeth belonged right where she was. She had been through so much and he was going to make sure that nothing else happened to her ever again. Elizabeth looked up at Will. he was so kind and gentle to her. She felt for the first time in a really long time truly happy. Will wiped away Elizabeth's tears then brought her lips to his. The kiss was gentle, but passionate. It was the most wonderful kiss that Elizabeth had ever experienced. She felt safe in Will's arms and she didn't want him to let go of her. When they finally did separate, they were both smiling. They knew that this was going to be a lasting relationship. Elizabeth had always been one for first impressions, but she learned to be careful. After getting to know Will, she felt like he was the man of her dreams. Everything was perfect.
After a little snuggling on the couch, Elizabeth realized that it was after one and she still had work to do. "I really have to go home now and get some work done. I have deadlines to meet and as much as I would like to stay right where I am, I can't." Will gave her another kiss. "I will take you home. You don't have to change back into your dress, I will pick up Georgie's clothes some other time. Will grabbed his coat and car keys while Elizabeth went to collect her things from the guest room. When she was all packed, they left the apartment together and went down to the parking garage. Will went to his Mercedes and helped Elizabeth in with all her things. She hung the dress up in the back seat and put the rest of her stuff on the seat then climbed in beside Will. Will pulled the car out onto the busy New York street while trying to warm the car up. The heat just wasn't working fast enough. Not many people were walking outside because of the cold temperatures. The passengers of the car were silent' Will reached over and grabbed Elizabeth's hand. She looked over at the man that seemed to make everything better. He was going to be there for her and he wouldn't give up on her as other's have done before her.
The car ride was short and Will helped Elizabeth out of the car. They walked hand and hand up to Elizabeth's apartment. Jane was not home, so Will stayed to keep her company until Jane got home. He had his briefcase with him and his laptop, so both Will and Elizabeth sat at the kitchen table typing away. Both had a lot of work to do and when Jane came home with Charles who was carrying a bunch of grocery bags. Will got up to help Charles and Jane bring in the groceries while Elizabeth started putting things away. Emma decided that she would show herself and came running out. She ran right for Will causing him to drop the three bags that he was carrying. Everyone started laughing hysterically while Will was trying to stop her from licking him. Elizabeth finally took pity on Will and called Emma. Emma, however, had other ideas. She wanted Will to scratch her ears, so Will obliged. Elizabeth, Jane, and Charles could not stop laughing. Emma didn't take well to strangers and they were surprised to find her so friendly with Will. Emma got bored, so she went back to sleeping on Elizabeth's bed. Elizabeth picked up the dropped groceries and put them away. "Lizzy, will you grab the rest of this stuff and help me put them away in the bathroom?" Elizabeth got the hint even though she knew that Jane could have carried everything. Elizabeth followed Jane into the bedroom. "So......." Jane said as soon as they were out of earshot
"So what." Elizabeth was enjoying watching her sister beg for information.
"I want details girl." Elizabeth laughed and said that she would tell her everything later. Jane and Elizabeth went back out to the kitchen where the guys had put the rest of the food away and were sitting on the couch with their feet up.
"Well, you guys seem comfortable." Elizabeth said with a laugh. Will pulled Elizabeth down on his lap and Charles pulled Jane onto his.
"Now we are comfortable" Charles said with a blink of the eye to Will. The four of them all broke out into hysterical laughter. When they got their laughter under control Elizabeth and Jane moved to sit beside Will and Charles. Elizabeth rested her head against Will and Will put his arm around her. Jane and Charles got up to make some snacks and some tea. When they returned with the snack, they found Elizabeth and Will sound asleep. Jane covered them up and then went took Charles into the kitchen so that they wouldn't disturb them. Jane was glad that Elizabeth had finally found happiness. She remembered what Lizzy was like during the trial and after. It was really hard for her and she deserved to be happy again.
When Elizabeth woke she found that there was someone next to her. At first she was startled, but then she remembered where she was, so she settled back into his embrace. She looked at her watch and saw that it was 6:00. Realizing that she had a ton of work to do, she jumped up, waking Will up in the process. "Will, I am sorry that I woke you, but it is late and I have a ton of work to do before tomorrow."
"It is no problem. I also have work that needs to be done. I really should be getting back to my apartment. I have to make a conference call at 7:00 and I can't miss it." Will got up and gathered his things together. He kissed Elizabeth goodbye (lingering for a while in her company)and left the building. Jane shouted goodbye from her bedroom where she was working on some things. Charles had left an hour ago and she didn't want to disturb Will and Lizzy.
"Ok, he's gone. Tell me everything" Jane said as soon as Lizzy shut the door. Elizabeth laughed and told her all about the date. She also told her that she had told Will about Wickham. "Are you sure that you were ready? I mean you have only been on two dates."
"Jane, I must confess something to you. I think that I am in love with him. I know we have only known each other for a short time, but I really feel as if he is my soul mate. He knew what to do just at the right moment."
"Well then, I am glad that you are happy. I can tell by your eyes that you are in love. Aren't you glad that you agreed to go on that date. I seem to recall someone who was not happy about that idea."
"Yes Yes, you were right. Thank you so much." Elizabeth hugged her sister then sat at her computer. She had a lot to do before 8:00 tomorrow morning, so she started working not even stopping for dinner.
At 10:00 Elizabeth finally finished all of her work. Jane had fallen asleep, so she was left to fend for herself. She put a TV dinner in the microwave and got a glass of milk. She relaxed and ate her dinner. It was a great weekend!!
Chapter 7
The next morning, the alarm went off and Elizabeth slammed her hand on it and rolled over. She was in the middle of a great dream and the stupid alarm clock ruined it. "Arghhhhhhhhhh. I'm up, I'm up" she said as she got out of bed and slowly walked to the shower. The warm water felt good and helped her to wake up a little. It was going to be a long day and Elizabeth knew it.
"Lizzy, you are late" Jane called from the kitchen. Elizabeth looked at her clock and saw that she had fifteen minutes to get ready and get out the door. "I made you some coffee."
"Thanks Jane. I am going to need it today. I didn't get to sleep until late last night and with the lack of sleep that I got this entire weekend, I am just exhausted. Although, I am glad at what made me exhausted." Elizabeth smiled as she took a sip of the coffee and ran out the door.
"Bye Jane, I'll see you at lunch."
The subway was crowded as always, but Elizabeth didn't mind. She was floating on a cloud somewhere. Everything was good. She had met the man of her dreams and it was almost Christmas. Things were good, at least they were until Elizabeth got into her office. On her desk
there was a stack of stories for her to read and a million phone messages. Half of them were from her mother. How was she going to tell her about Will. She would never hear the end of it, so she decided that she would call her mother and conveniently leave her weekend with Will out of her
conversation. She dialed the number and her father picked up the phone. "Dad is that you?"
"Hello Liz, how are you?" Mr. Bennet answered.
"I'm great. I am just returning mom's weakly phone call."
"Oh yea, she found another guy for you I think."
"I wonder what this one does. Well, tell her that I am perfectly happy and I don't need her help. Is she around?"
"No, she went over the Marches' house for breakfast."
"Well will you tell her that I called and that I will talk to her tomorrow."
"Yes, I will. So, how is m Liz? Still working hard. I saw the special you did in the paper the other day."
"Yes, I had to write the article because the person who was supposed to do it got the flu."
"When are you going to start writing a novel? I will be your first reader." Elizabeth laughed.
"I think you will have to wait for a while on that one. I have way to much happening in my life right now. I really have to get back to work now Dad, I will talk to you soon. I can't wait to see you at Christmas. I love you."
"I love you too Liz" Elizabeth hung up the phone and started to tackle the papers in front of her. She called Jane and told her that she wasn't able to met her for lunch because of all the work that she still had to do. The pile on her desk slowly started to get smaller. When she lifted the last story off her desk, there was a letter underneath it. Curious, she opened it and saw that it
was from Will.
Dear Elizabeth,
I want to thank you for the wonderful weekend and I was hoping that you had as wonderful a time as I did. Before you read the rest of this letter, I want you to go look behind the picture of Emma on the table by the window.
Elizabeth put the letter down and walked over to the table. There behind the picture frame was a beautiful red rose. A smile lit up Elizabeth's face as she brought the flower back to her desk to finish reading the letter.
Do not ask me how I got this letter and that rose into your office. It is my little secret. I think that you are a wonderful Elizabeth and I am so happy that I met you. I have to admit that you brightened up my rather dull life. My sister is staying with me this week. She finished up
her classes, so she will be with me until after the New Year. I would really like you to meet her. How does dinner tomorrow night sound. I will pick you up. Charles and Jane have already agreed to come and I would love it if you were there. Georgie really wants to meet you. I hope
you can make it. I should be in my office all day. Please give me a call. You will find my private number at the bottom of the page. Thank you again for a wonderful weekend.
Will
Elizabeth couldn't help but sigh. She was so happy that she dialed up Will's number to tell him that she could come and that she would love to meet Georgie. He was not there, so she left a message with his secretary. It was getting late so she decided to call it a day and go home.
She gathered her letter, rose, briefcase, and coat before locking her office. Many people were looking at her as she walked through the office. Kimmie, another editor with whom Elizabeth had gone to college with, came running over. "Hey Liz!!! Did you miss me?"
"Kimmieeeeeee!!!!!!" Elizabeth said as she ran over to hug her friend. "Tell me how was your vacation and how is Steve?"
"We are engaged!!!!" Kimmie showed Elizabeth her ring and Elizabeth hugged Kimmie again.
"I am so happy for you Mrs. Steve Richards. When is the wedding?"
" The invitations are in the mail. The wedding is in the spring and I want you to bring a date. The wedding is in spring on the base. Steve is on leave for Christmas, so I hope we can get together. Oh, I almost forgot, will you be my maid of honor? I have to get back to work. I have a lot of catching up to do. So happy to see you."
"Of course. I would be honored." Elizabeth hugged her friend again and then said her good-bye. She walked over to the elevator and pushed the button for down. When the doors opened, there was Will.
"Will!!" Elizabeth was surprised to see him there. It was as if the Gods were working for her. She got into the elevator with him and as soon as the doors were closed, she dropped her things and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much for the rose and the letter."
Will was startled at first at Elizabeth grabbing him, but he was so happy that she did. He kissed her and she responded. The elevator came to a stop and Elizabeth and Will separated quickly. They did not want to be caught the way they were. Will helped Elizabeth pick up her things then
grabbed her hand and led her to his car. Elizabeth was so happy. The day was getting better and better. Will took Elizabeth home and she told him about her friend's wedding. "Will you come with me to Connecticut for it. She wants me to bring a date. It is in the spring and I will fill you
in later with all the details.
"Wait a minute, what is the name of Kimmie's fiancé?"
"Lieutenant Commander Steve Richards."
"What a coincidence, I grew up with him. I will also be going to the wedding because I am to be the best man." Elizabeth laughed.
"How strange that we have not met before this then. Kimmie has been dating Steve for a few years and your name was never mentioned. Well it looks like you are my date because I am the maid of honor."
Will walked Elizabeth to her door and then left, but not before kissing her good-bye. When Elizabeth opened the door to the apartment, she found Charles and Jane kissing on the couch. She conveniently coughed and when that didn't break them up she motioned for Emma to jump on them. Emma made a leaping jump into the middle of them. Elizabeth burst out laughing and Charles and Jane both blushed. Elizabeth laughed harder. Jane whispered something to
Charles and then ran to Elizabeth.
"We are engaged." Jane said with a big smile as she showed off her ring. Elizabeth gave Jane a big hug and then hugged Charles.
"Well, that makes two in one day."
"Two?" Jane asked confused.
"Kimmie is back and she is engaged to Steve." Elizabeth explained.
"Oh I am so happy for her. When is the wedding?"
"In the spring. The invitations are already in the mail. Are you guys still going to dinner with Will and his sister tomorrow?"
"Yes, we were hoping that you could come too." Charles said as he put his arms around Jane.
"Yes I told Will that I could. Well, I will let you two lovebirds have some privacy. I am going to go to the cafe around the corner for dinner. See you in a little while." Elizabeth grabbed her purse and coat then walked out the door. While she was in the elevator, she called Will. "I have been kicked out of my apartment by Jane and Charles, so I was wondering if you would like to join me for some dinner at the Meryton Cafe."
"I would love too. I remember seeing it on my way home. I will be there in ten minutes. Georgie is staying with a friend tonight, so I was thinking of calling you up, but I guess you beat me to it."
"Great, see you soon. Bye Will"
"Bye Elizabeth" Elizabeth walked to the cafe and got a table for two. She ordered a drink and waited for Will to show up.
Chapter 8
Elizabeth sat at the table and waited for Will to show up. When he finally did, she stood up and motioned for him to join her. They ordered their meal and sat and talked together. Will told Elizabeth about his sister. Elizabeth kept silent about Jane and Charles because she didn't know if Will knew about them yet. They had a pleasant dinner together talking about many things. Elizabeth listened intently to Will talk about his family and Elizabeth talked about her family in Maryland. Everything was perfect until Elizabeth all of a sudden went deathly pale. "Elizabeth?" Will asked. "Are you all right? You look like you have just seen a ghost."
"We must leave here at once. Please may we go now." Elizabeth said as she finally broke her silence. Will saw that she was scared to death of whatever it was that she saw, so he paid the bill and then helped Elizabeth out to his car.
"You are coming home with me and we are going to talk." Elizabeth only shook her head. Will put his arm around her and he could feel her body trembling. What was it that had her so upset. He did not see anything out of the ordinary, but he didn't question her. He would wait until they were at his place.
After arriving at Will's place and sitting on the couch, Elizabeth burst into tears. Will put his arms around her and waited for her sobs to subside. He was determined to end whatever caused this. He never wanted to see his Elizabeth in this state again. Elizabeth held on to Will tightly and she felt comforted. If he was there everything would be okay. Will heard the sobs less and less until they were finally gone. Elizabeth sat up and Will put his arm around her. "He's back." was all she said.
"Who is back?" Will asked with a confused look.
"George Wickham." she responded in a muffled tone before starting to cry again. When she calmed down she explained further. "He came into the cafe with some woman. I don't think that he saw me, but he is back and that means that I am in danger. Who knows what he will do to me after I testified against him and was one of the key people that helped to put him in jail. What am I going to do?"
"Do not worry about a thing. I will make sure that nothing will harm you. I am not going anywhere and I will be by your side. You need never feel unsafe. I have a friend that his a private investigator. I will get her to follow him around to see if there is anything suspicious. Her name is Alethea and she has worked for me before. She helped me when I was suspicious about an employee of mine. It turned out that he was slipping secrets to another company. We caught it in time, but it was close. I am sure that she will help in fact I will call her tomorrow morning. Do not be afraid. I want you to be careful although."
"I will, thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me."
"Think nothing of it. I know that we have not been going out for very long, but there is something that I must tell you." Elizabeth looked up at Will. She saw what he was about to say in his eyes and knew that he would always protect her. "I love you Elizabeth. I think I have loved you from the minute that I set eyes on you."
"I love you too Will and thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I know that I will be safe with you. Will kissed Elizabeth and then said that she wanted to go home and tell Jane about everything. He agreed that it would be good to talk to Jane and that he would take her home.
At Elizabeth and Jane's apartment Jane and Charles were still on the couch snuggling together and whispering words of love to each other when Will and Elizabeth came in. They quickly separated and got up. Jane saw that Elizabeth looked upset and she could see that she had been crying. Will mouthed to her "George Wickham," and a look of fright came to Jane's face. Charles said that he would leave with Will and both would call tomorrow. Will gave Elizabeth another hug and said that he would drive her to work tomorrow. "The best thing is to go about your normal life. Do not act like something is happening. I will see you tomorrow. He kissed her and the two men were out the door. Elizabeth started crying again and Jane comforted her. Elizabeth told her all about seeing him and about the private investigator. Jane was scared that he would try something rash, but hoped that he would try to be a better person. This was going to be a hard time for Elizabeth and she knew that she and Will would be there to support her. Jane sent Elizabeth in for a bubble bath with a cup of tea to calm her down. While she was bathing, Jane called up Kimmie and Tiki, two of Elizabeth's friends from work. They both knew about Wickham and told Jane that they would watch out for her at work. Elizabeth went straight to bed after her bath, but her night was not good. She had nightmares about being chased by Wickham and no one was there to save her. She woke up in a cold sweat twice. The third time she was awakened by Jane who had heard Elizabeth screaming. She tried to calm her down and after ten minutes finally got her to go back to sleep. She felt so bad for her sister and she knew that Will would make sure that everything would be okay.
The next morning was rough for Elizabeth. She did not get much sleep and she was scared that Wickham would try something. Will showed up while Elizabeth was in the shower and Jane told him about last night. Will said that he was going to talk to Alethea later this morning and set everything up. "If you see anything that looks suspicious, I want you to call me and I will come and get you both. Charles said that you can stay at his place and Elizabeth can stay at mine if anything goes wrong. I will take good care of her. You have nothing to worry about." Elizabeth joined Jane and Will and Will saw that Elizabeth did not look as if she was rested. He could see the fear in her eyes and he went right to her and gave her a hug. She held on to him tightly and he rubbed her back. After a few minutes she felt that she was ready to go, so Will handed her some coffee and a muffin then led her to his car. It was going to be a long day.
At her office, Tiki and Kimmie came over and each gave Elizabeth a hug. "We heard about George being back. Jane called us last night. I want you to know that we are there for you. Don't hesitate to tell us anything." Tiki said as she gave Elizabeth another hug.
"Besides, You will be going home to you family in two weeks for Christmas. Everything will turn out. I am sure of it." Kimmie said as they all walked to Elizabeth's office.
"Thank you both. This mean a lot to me. I am so grateful to have you guys as friends."
Nothing out of the ordinary happened all morning. Will called and told her that Alethea was going to check into Wickham and he asked her if she was still up to going to dinner tonight with Jane, Charles, him, and his sister.
"Of course, I can't wait to meet Georgie. It will give me a good reason to keep my mind off of Wickham. I knew that he was going to be on the streets again sometime, but I never expected it to be so soon. Thank you for everything Will. I love you and I will see you tonight."
"I love you too. I think Charles and Jane are bringing you to my apartment tonight, so I will see you then. Take care of yourself."
"I will." Elizabeth said as she hung up the phone. Only two more weeks until she was going to be going home. She knew that she had enough people looking out for her that nothing would happen.
The work day went by slowly, but it was finally time for Will's dinner party. Jane and Charles took Elizabeth over to Will's apartment where Elizabeth was introduced to Georgiana. Jane knew her already from Charles, but was delighted to see her again. Will gave Elizabeth a huge hug and then said, "Georgie, this is Elizabeth."
"I am very pleased to meet you Georgie. Your brother has told me all about you and I hope that we will become true friends." Elizabeth said as she shook hands with Georgiana.
"It is nice to meet you also. I do hope that we shall become friends. I have heard much about you also." Dinner was pleasant and Elizabeth enjoyed the company of Georgiana a great deal. She knew that they would be great friends and she looked forward to knowing her better.
Will saw that Elizabeth was tired, so he said that he would take her home so that Jane, Charles, and Georgie could continue talking. Elizabeth said goodbye to everyone and Jane said that she would see her later. "It is very nice to meet you. I hope to see you again soon." she said to Georgie as she and Will left. Will helped her into his car and then took her hand as they drove the short distance to her apartment. Elizabeth was glad to be home, but was afraid to be left alone at night. Will said that he would stay until Jane got back, so they curled up together and watched a movie. Elizabeth fell asleep, but was awakened by a knock on her door. Will told her to stay where she was and he got up to answer it. He opened the door to find one of the security guards. "Can I help you?" He said to the officer.
"Yes, is Ms. Elizabeth Bennet here?"
"Yes, she is, but she is sleeping. What can I do for you?"
"I have a letter that was dropped off for her. I would appreciate it if you would give it to her."
"Yes, of course. Thank you." Will closed the door and brought the envelope over to Elizabeth who opened it immediately. Inside was a card and on the card all that was written was "I'll be watching you." There was no signature, but Elizabeth had an idea about who sent the note. She started to cry again and Will wondered what it said. She handed him the card and he started to get nervous. "Pack your things. You are staying with me. I'll call Georgie and tell her to tell Jane what is going on. Elizabeth grabbed her suitcase and threw in all that she needed for a few days. She could not believe what was happening to her. How could he do this? When she had everything that she needed. She, Will, and Emma left the apartment to go to Will's. Will said that Emma could stay at his apartment as well because animals were allowed.
They drove to Will's apartment where they found everyone else. Jane ran for her sister and told her that she was going to stay with Charles until everything was made safe again. Elizabeth said that she would be fine with Will and that all she wanted to do was sleep. Georgie hugged Elizabeth also and Charles and Jane left to get everything that Jane needed while Will called the police and Alethea. He came back to find Elizabeth sitting on the bed in the guest room. She wasn't crying, but she looked like she was about to at any moment. She had changed out of her clothes into her pajamas and started to get up to finish preparing for bed. "Will you stay here with me tonight?" She asked of Will. "It would make me feel better."
"Of course. just let me go change. I will send Georgie in here to talk to you. She would love to get to know you better." he responded.
"Thank you. That will make me feel a lot better. I hope that he is caught and I never have to be afraid of him again."
"He will be, he will be." Will left and Georgie came in to talk. Elizabeth was still shaken up when Will returned, so Georgie excused herself so that they could be alone. Will got into the bed with Elizabeth and he enfolded her in his arms. She decided that there was nothing that they could do now, so she fell asleep in the arms of the man she loves.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Elizabeth woke up confused. She forgot that she was in Will's apartment and she forgot that he was in the bed with her, so she was scared for a moment. When she saw Will sleeping peacefully beside her she relaxed and cuddled closer to him. His arms were still wound tightly around her and Elizabeth felt safe in his embrace. Everything would have been perfect except for the face that George Wickham was out to get her. She hoped that Alethea and the police will catch him so that she does not have to worry again. Until they do, she would never feel comfortable by herself.
Elizabeth looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw that she was going to be late if she didn't get up now. She also knew that Will would be late also. He did not set an alarm so she was afraid that he would oversleep if she didn't wake him. She wondered how she should wake him up and finally decided to wake him up with a kiss. She was a romantic and that seemed like the thing to do, so she turned to face him and gave him a kiss. She could feel him slowly responding until he finally opened his eyes. "I know that you must be tired, but you have to get up or you will be late for work. Will looked at the clock and saw what time it was.
"Oh my, I didn't realize that I forgot to set the alarm. It is pre-set in my room, so I have never had to worry about it." Will got up and rushed into the other room to take a shower while Elizabeth went to make some breakfast for herself, Will. Georgie had left early this morning to meet a friend with whom she was to stay with for three days, although Elizabeth had a feeling that the reason she really left was to give Will and her privacy. Will came out of his room all dressed while Elizabeth rushed into the shower and then got dressed. When she returned, she found Will drinking a cup of coffee and on the phone. He was talking to someone from his office she could tell. Elizabeth put her arms around Will and snuggled closely to him. She could hear his voice start to get hurried like he wanted to get off the phone. When he was finally done, he turned around and gave Elizabeth a long and passionate kiss. She responded by throwing her arms around his neck. "Now are you sure that you want to go to work today? I am willing to stay home with you all day if you want me to." Will said once he broke away from the kiss.
"I will be fine. I have my friends Tiki and Kimmie and I will not leave the building alone. I will carry my cell phone and if I get into any trouble I will call you. Don't worry. I am sure everything will be fine."
"I certainly hope so. I don't know what I would do without you. I love you."
"I love you too. Now eat your breakfast because we will be late for work. Well I will be late. I don't think you will be late since you own the company." Elizabeth said with a laugh. They finished their coffee then rushed out of the door. "Wait, we forgot about Emma." Elizabeth said as they had reached the elevator. They rushed back and found Emma asleep in the kitchen.
"She will be fine."
"Are you sure that you want me to leave her?" Elizabeth was afraid that Emma would get confused and she would break something in the apartment.
"Yes, she will be fine. I have had a dog stay there before. There are not many breakables and I'm sure she won't harm anything. Now we better get going before we are late. They rushed to the elevator that took them down to the garage where Will's car was. Will opened Elizabeth's door and she got in. They drove in silence to Elizabeth's office. Will was thinking about Elizabeth's safety and Elizabeth was thinking about what George Wickham wanted.
Will walked Elizabeth up to her office where they were met by Tiki and Kimmie. The two women assured Will that she would be okay, so Will gave Elizabeth a kiss and then left. As soon as he was out of the office, he called Alethea and checked on the progress. "Well Mr. Darcy, I have done a background check on Wickham and saw that he was released on good behavior. He has a parole officer, but did not make his last check in, so he is wanted by the police. I have spoken to the police, and they are going to keep a close watch on Ms. Bennet's apartment and office building. I don't know what Mr. Wickham's relationship was with Ms. Bennet, so until I have more information, I don't know if he is planning on hurting her. I would be careful and make sure that she is never alone."
"Thank you Alethea. You don't know how much this means to me. I will make sure that she is not left alone. Call me when you have more information." Will hung up the phone and then called Jane. He told her everything and she said that she would have Kimmie or Tiki take Elizabeth to lunch and that she would meet them somewhere. Jane however, still hoped that Wickham had changed for the better.
Will drove to his office and his secretary came him to give him all of his messages. He had a lot to do, but he couldn't concentrate with Elizabeth being in danger. He tried to get as much as he could done.
Elizabeth was getting tired of everyone being so overprotective of her, so she went downstairs for a coffee. Tiki saw Elizabeth leave and she followed her. "Where do you think you are going?" Tiki asked when the elevator doors closed.
"I need some peace. I appreciate everyone watching out for me, but I was getting tired of being babied. I needed some peace. The elevator stopped and a group of people got on. It stopped again and all but one got off. It was George Wickham.
"Miss me Elizabeth. I was sad when you didn't write me in jail. I thought that we were close."
"Get away from her you jerk. Who do you think you are scaring her." Tiki said as she stepped in front of Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked as if she had seen a ghost.
"What do you want?" Elizabeth asked with a shaky voice.
"I want you to pay for what you put me through. I was put in jail because of you and I don't think that that was very nice.
"Well you deserved to be in jail." Elizabeth said angrily. She pushed away from Kimmie and tried to get to the elevator buttons, but Wickham pulled out a gun.
"Where do you think you are going?" Elizabeth and Tiki stepped back. "Now listen carefully. I want you two to get out of the elevator and walk to the car waiting out front. Once there I will give you more instructions. When the elevator stopped, George grabbed both of the women's arms and pressed the gun to Elizabeth's back. She flinched when she felt it touch her. What was she going to do? The two women saw the lobby with many familiar faces. George pressed the gun farther into her back. They walked to the car. Where was Charlie and why wasn't he at the elevator? If he had been there she could have mouthed something to him, but he wasn't there. He had always been there. Why did he pick today to not be there.
When they got to the car, George pushed them in the back seat and climbed in. It was a cab, so while the cab driver drove, he sat in the back with the two women. He had already given the driver directions to drive to a parking lot where his car was.
After leaving the cab, George put duct tape over each woman's mouth and around their wrists. He blindfolded them and put them in the back seat. They were both crying and were very scared. "What are you planning on doing?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, I thought that I would make you suffer a little first, but then I have a great plan for later. I see that you have a new boyfriend and that he is a very rich man. I always knew that you were mercenary Elizabeth. You dump me and go after the richer men." Elizabeth felt the anger start to build in her stomach. "My plan is to make a little money off of you. I am thinking of a ransom for you. I know that your rich boyfriend will pay anything for you. I saw how he looked at you, but I thought that I would let him worry for a day or two.
They drove in silence for the rest of the trip except for the occasional sobs from the two women until the car finally stopped. George led the two women into the house. He locked Elizabeth in one room still tied up and he took Tiki back to the car. "Where are you taking me?"
"I don't need you getting in the way and I want you to give this message to Elizabeth's boyfriend. I have to decided to get the money sooner so that I can get out of the country." He drove Tiki back to the office building. When he untied her and took off her blindfold, she saw that it was almost five o'clock. "If you get any police involved in this I will kill Elizabeth. Always remember that I will be watching at all times. All of the instructions regarding the money are in that note. Give it to Will Darcy and I expect that he will comply. I bid you farewell now. Remember no police or Elizabeth dies. As soon as George pulled away, Tiki ran to the elevator and up to her office where she was met by Kimmie who looked worried. Tiki burst out crying and Kimmie took her to Elizabeth's office where she told her the whole story.
"Do you know Will Darcy's phone number?" Tiki asked after she finished telling the whole story.
"It is in Elizabeth's rolodex. When she found it she told Will to get over here as quickly as possible. He tried to get her to tell him what happened, but she was afraid that someone would overhear and leak to the police.
Will arrived ten minutes later and Tiki told him the whole story and gave him the note. He never thought that Wickham would go this far. What was he going to do? He could not lose Elizabeth and he would do anything to get her back. The ransom note read:
I want you to follow every instruction in this note and I don't want any police contacted or Elizabeth will die. I will always be watching. I want you to bring $5 million in cash to central park. Put it in a duffel bag of some sorts and leave it at bench in the northern part of the park. The bench will have a red dot of paint on it and once the money is dropped I want you to leave immediately. I know that you have a private plane and I want it prepared for take off. Once I am on the plane I will send word as to where Elizabeth is. If anything is not done correctly or any police become involved, I will kill your precious Elizabeth. You have 48 hours to comply with this. I will be waiting.