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Chapter 18
When Will walked through the door he was attacked by Emma. "Obviously she missed you." Elizabeth said with a laugh. Elizabeth could not control her laughter. There was Will on the floor with a large dog on top of him, licking his face. It was just too cute, but Elizabeth decided that it shouldn't be Emma getting all of the kisses, so she got Emma off of Will and took her place. Surprised at first Will then succumbed to the moment. He really missed his wonderful Elizabeth and he was so happy to be home. It wasn't the same without her. Nights were lonely and while he was working he couldn't get his mind off of her. He knew now that he had fallen and fallen hard. She was the woman of his dreams. Will prolonged the kiss which Elizabeth did not mind at all. So there was Will, surrounded by suitcases with Elizabeth on top of him, and Emma lying next to him. This was exactly the way that Georgie found them.
"Ahem, dinner is ready." A slight blush came over her cheeks as she went back into the kitchen. Will and Elizabeth were embarrassed as well, but laughed. Elizabeth got off of Will and helped him up. She could see that the jetlag was catching up to him and she knew that he needed his sleep, so she didn't linger any longer in the doorway, even though she would have liked to stay in the previous position.
The dinner was delicious and Will was very grateful that he was able to have a nice home cooked meal after having to eat out in restaurants for the past week. He was surrounded by the three women he loved most, Georgiana and one end of the table, Elizabeth next to him, and Emma at his feet. It was wonderful. Will told Georgiana and Elizabeth to wait at the table that he had to see to something. Neither woman knew what he was doing, so they waited patiently at the table drinking coffee and eating pound cake. Will returned with a shopping bag and sat down at the table. He opened the bag and handed Georgiana an ornate box. Inside were numerous pieces of sheet music that were not available in the US. "Oh thank you, I love it." Seeing that Will had something to give to Elizabeth that was of an intimate nature, Georgie said that she was going to take a shower and finish packing her things since she was leaving in the morning.
Once she had gone Will took out a box that held some sort of jewelry in it. Elizabeth was excited and couldn't wait to find out what was in it. "Will, you didn't have to bring me anything." she said as she untied the ribbon around the box.
"I know I don't have to, but I like to spoil you."
"Well don't spoil me too much. You don't want me to become greedy do you.?" Will laughed and Elizabeth finished taking the ribbon off of the box. She opened the box to find a beautiful bracelet with tiny diamonds. Between the gold and the diamonds, the bracelet sparkled in the light. Elizabeth looked up to Will and she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh Will, it is beautiful. Where did you find something. It is almost out of a fairy dream. The way the light catches it makes it look like there are little lights all around it."
"I am so happy that you like it. It has been in the family for years. This bracelet dates back to my grandmother. It was given to her by my grandfather when they were engaged. It has been passed down from generation to generation. I am now giving it to you." Tears welled up in Elizabeth's eyes as she thought about how hard it must be to not have you parents alive. This man was a wonderful man and Elizabeth could not believe that he was hers.
"Will you don't realize how wonderful you are. You have always been there for me whenever I needed you help."
"Elizabeth you know that is not true. You must remember that I wasn't with you when you were kidnapped. If I had been there, none of those horrible things would have happened to you. You don't know how many times I wish that I had been there." Elizabeth held her hand to Will's lips.
"You were there Will. By thinking of you, I was able to stay alive. Also, don't you remember that it was you who saved me in the end. I don't want to ever hear you say that it was your fault. The only person who is to blame is George Wickham and now that he is taken care of, I don't have to worry about him anymore. This is the first time we have really talked about that incident. I thought those memories were erased from my memory. It feels good to be able to talk about it. I don't know why I kept it all bottled up inside of me."
"I am always here and will always listen to you Elizabeth. If you want to talk about that, I will listen and be there for support. All you have to do is ask." Elizabeth smiled. Will was so wonderful and he would always be there for her.
"Well, we won't talk about it now. I know that you are tired and it is getting late. You probably have not slept for a while."
"Yes, I am tired, but I will listen if you want to talk to me. I am not that tired." Elizabeth knew that he wanted to know what went on in those few days and she knew that it would feel good to talk about it, so she agreed to tell him after they got there pajamas on and were in bed, so both got undressed and got ready for bed. Will was ready first so he climbed into bed so happy that he was able to sleep in his bed with Elizabeth and not in a hotel bed.
Elizabeth came into the room with her hair down and dressed only in a little nightgown. Will immediately examined Elizabeth, but mentally slapped himself knowing that Elizabeth wanted to talk to him and he wanted to listen, so he took a deep breath and motioned for her to join him. Elizabeth saw Will's expression and secretly laughed for she too was at a loss for words when she saw Will in the big bed all by himself. She climbed in next to him and he encircled her in one of his arms. She let out a sigh of contentment and then started her story. When she was done, she felt like something had been lifted off of her chest. She saw that Will was angry at what he had done to her, but he tried to keep his temper under control. "Will, I want you to know that I am alright and I will always be okay. Yes it was hard at first, but I have accepted it." She leaned over and kissed Will.
"I know, and I am sorry. I will try and keep my anger at him under control. Besides, I don't want to think about him. I think there are other things that should be taking up my mind," Will said with a grin. Elizabeth laughed and feigned innocence.
"And what would that be?" Will burst out laughing and grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders to continue what she had started earlier.
The next morning Will woke up early and decided not to wake Elizabeth or Georgiana. He took Emma outside for a walk and then made breakfast for everyone. Thinking that this was a good time to call his office he got his laptop and phone and sat down. Elizabeth had to work today, so he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her, but since she was asleep, he could work.
After the brief checking in at the office, he went to finish making breakfast. He tied the apron around his waste and started mixing the waffle batter. He decided that he was going to make his mother's famous waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, so he set to work, and that was how Elizabeth found him when she came into the kitchen. There was her Will covered in flour and wearing an apron. "Mmmm, what smells wonderful?" She said as she looked at what he was making. "Waffles, yum!!! I have not had waffles like that since I was a little kid. My grandmother used to make them for me when my sister's and I would visit." Georgiana came out of her room and joined them in the kitchen. Will told them to sit down and that breakfast would be ready in a few minutes.
The breakfast was delicious and she thanked Will for being so wonderful again. It was just what she wanted. I was getting late and Georgie had to get back to her apartment to finish making arrangements for her trip with Kitty. Elizabeth and Will said goodbye to her and Georgiana said that she hoped to see them sometime before the wedding. Elizabeth had to leave as well, so she finished getting ready and told Will that she would meet him for lunch with Jane and Charles. They were anxious to see him as well and relieved that Elizabeth would not mope around anymore. Elizabeth kissed Will goodbye and left for her office.
Once Elizabeth was gone, Will felt lonely again. He decided to get some work done, so he went into his office for a little while before he met Elizabeth, Jane, and Charles for lunch.
The lunch was great. They talked about the coming wedding and Elizabeth and Jane filled Will in on all of the details that he had missed while he was in London. Elizabeth then informed Will about her mother's invitation to come and stay with her for a few days. Will was hesitant at first, but agreed to go if they only stayed for a few days. Jane and Charles were also going, so Will was more agreeable. Besides, he knew that he had to go sometime, even though he wasn't sure he could handle staying in the same house with Mrs. Bennet. They agreed to go the following weekend and that weekend did no come slowly enough. Before Will knew it, the four of them were on their way down to Maryland to stay with the Bennets. Kitty was not going to be there since she and Georgiana were in Florida, but Mary had come down to see Elizabeth and Jane with their future husbands. Will was glad that Elizabeth was happy, but he wasn't so sure that he would survive the weekend.
Chapter 19
He had been in the house for two hours already, and he was ready to leave. Mrs. Bennet had not shut her mouth since they entered the door. Elizabeth had tried to shelter Will from family members, but there was only so much she could do. He did not know how he was going to survive the entire weekend.
Will and Elizabeth were finally allowed to go upstairs and unpack their things. When they reached their room, Elizabeth saw that it was her old room. It felt weird to be in the room because of all the memories of her younger years. Will smiled as Elizabeth went around the room and took everything in. "How did I ever deserve her?" he thought to himself. He walked over to her and put his arms around her. Elizabeth leaned back into embrace and sighed. She turned around and smiled, a sparkle coming to her eye. "What are you thinking?" Will asked.
"I was thinking, what if after dinner we took a nice moonlit walk along the water. I know my mother is planning some huge family thing for tomorrow, so I say we take advantage of the free time."
"I think that is a good idea, but right now I say we go down and get this first dinner over with. I want to be alone with you and it will be difficult this weekend."
"Let's go then." They walked down to the dining room hand in hand. Everyone was already down there waiting for them. They all looked up as they came into the room and smiled.
"Elizabeth, how are you? Everything okay?" Mr. Bennet asked.
"I'm fine Dad. Everything is okay." Elizabeth said as she kissed her father on the cheek. They were seated next to each other by Mr. Bennet of which Will was greatly relieved.
All throughout dinner, Mrs. Bennet was the main conversationalist. Elizabeth thought that she was going to puke if she heard her mother talk about her and Jane's wedding anymore. She was beyond happiness to be getting married, but Mrs. Bennet was determined to make the event more stressful. Will, however, was being very good. "I will have to reward him later tonight." Elizabeth thought to herself. She raised her eyes to Will and he smiled at her. She could guess the thoughts that were running through his head. They were the same ones that went through hers. Elizabeth grabbed her wine a took a nice long sip, but she almost choked when she felt a hand on her leg.
"Lizzy, are you okay? You are drinking way too quickly. Slow down, it will not disappear." Mrs. Bennet said from the other end of the table as Elizabeth's face grew very red. Will laughed into his napkin and Elizabeth kicked him under the table. Elizabeth picked up her fork, but just as she had put a fork full of food into her mouth, Will's hand had returned. Chills went up her spine and she could not help but sigh. She did not know how she would get through dessert.
Dessert felt like a lifetime, but Elizabeth and Will were finally able to get up from the table. They went into the family room for an hour, but then everyone else went to bed. Elizabeth and Will were left alone, so they decided to go on their walk. The air was cool, so Will wrapped his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders. They walked to a favorite childhood place of Elizabeth's. It was in the woods next to a small lake. The moon reflected off of the water, making it look like glass. Elizabeth could feel the electricity in the air and she looked up at Will. Will lowered his head and placed a kiss on her lips. They were perfectly content to sit there for hours in each other's company, but unfortunately they were interrupted by another couple who seemed like they had a little too much to drink. Elizabeth and Will watched as they practically fell all over ach other. The man and women were probably in their late forties, but they were acting like they were under ten. Elizabeth suggested that they return to the house, but just as they went to walk down the path, the couple ran into them, pushing them in the lake. The water was freezing and both strangers continued to splash around and giggle. "Excuse me!" Will said as he grabbed the man by the arm. "What do you think you are doing?"
"Weeee er...were uummplaying tag." The man said, well tried to say.
"Well, you just got me and my fiancé drenched. Where do you live, I believe we should take you home."
"Artie, help your little Doris out of the big pond sweetie." The women said as she and her husband climbed out. The man helped the women out of the pond and they went frolicking back into the woods. Thinking it better just to leave them alone and because of the cold temperatures, Will and Elizabeth let them go while they tried to rub some warmth back into their shoulders.
"Will?" Elizabeth said as her teeth chattered.
"Yes?
"Thank you for doing this for me. I know that this is a lot to ask of you. You are a wonderful man and I know that I don't deserve you. This past year you have done so much for me. I only wish there was a way for me to repay you." Will stopped walked and looked at Elizabeth.
"Don't you ever say that you don't deserve me. If it is anyone, it is me that doesn't deserve you." Elizabeth tried to interrupt, but Will put his finger to her lips. "I want you to know this now so that you will never doubt yourself again. I love you more thank you can possibly imagine. You are part of my soul and I will never ever leave you or do anything to hurt you. When you feel pain, I feel pain ten times as much. We were meant to be together. Ever since the first day that I saw you when you came off of the elevator at your old apartment." Elizabeth threw her arms around Will's neck and just held onto him. He was the best man in the entire world and she was so lucky to find him.
They held each other's hands all the way back to the house. Elizabeth hoped that nobody was still up so that they would not have to explain their wet condition. Unfortunately, as soon as they walked into the door, they were met by Mrs. Bennet who as soon as she saw them, demanded an explanation. Elizabeth told her about the couple and then told her that she and Will really needed to get out of their wet clothes before they caught a chill. They were allowed to leave, but made to promise to tell everything in the morning. Will and Elizabeth both took showers, then climbed into the warm bed where they promptly fell asleep.
The next morning, both Elizabeth and Will woke up with terrible headaches and sore throats. "This is great. It is bad enough that I have to deal with my mother going on about our wedding, now she will be a nervous wreck with us both sick. I wonder if I just crawl under the sheets, she will forget about me."
"Wishful thinking. I am going to go ask for some medicine, would you like me to get you something?"
"Please, try to find someone other than my mother. Look for Jane, she could tell you where everything is. I believe I will stay right here and not move. It seems to help my head which feels like there are a million knives being stabbed into it."
"I know how you feel, except take that million and double it." Will slowly climbed out of bed and grabbed his head as he stood up. He reached for his robe and walked slowly out of the room while Elizabeth tried to go back to sleep. She hated being sick and worse of all, she hated being sick in her mother's house.
Will returned a few minutes later with Mrs. Bennet in tow. "I knew you two should not have stayed out so late." Elizabeth let out a groan and Will climbed into the bed next to her. He put the pillow over his ears to try and drown out Mrs. Bennet's voice which was making his headache worse.
"I thought you were going to ask Jane?" Elizabeth said under her breath.
"I was, but I ran into your mother in the hallway."
"Mother, can you please give us some medicine and let us get back to sleep. I am sure we will be better later." Elizabeth said as she put her hand to her head.
"We are supposed to meet you aunt for lunch today. She has been looking forward to this for weeks. You are not going to disappoint her are you?"
"If you let us get some sleep now, we will go to lunch with you and my aunt."
"Very well, here is the medicine and some water. I will check back in two hours when it is time to get ready for lunch."
"Alright mother, thank you." Mrs. Bennet left the room and Elizabeth let out a growl. Why did this have to happen this weekend? It is hard enough to deal with my family without a headache."
"Elizabeth, everything will be fine, just get some sleep now." Will put his arm around her and they both fell into a restless sleep.
Mrs. Bennet returned in two hours, but neither Will or Elizabeth felt any better. In fact, they felt worse, but they knew that if they did not go to lunch, they would never hear the end of it, so they got out of bed and got dressed. Downstairs everyone was assembled. "Lizzy," Jane said as she walked towards them, "You and Will look awful."
"We feel awful, but we promised we would go to lunch."
"Are you sure you are going to be okay. We don't need you two fainting in the restaurant."
"It will be much worse if we don't go." The group left the house and Charles volunteered to drive Elizabeth and Will, so they climbed into the back seat where they had a sneezing and coughing contest, well at least it seemed that way to Jane and Charles.
At the restaurant, Elizabeth and Will got worse and worse. Jane did not like the looks of either of them and thought that it was best to get them home and into bed. Elizabeth stood up and got very dizzy all of a sudden, but before anyone could get up, she fainted. The restaurant manager rushed over to her and said that they should get her to a hospital. Jane agreed so she and Charles to Will and Elizabeth to the hospital since Will was just as bad as Elizabeth. Elizabeth woke up in the car and asked what had happened. Jane explained what had happened and then told her that they were on their way to the hospital. "I don't need to go to the hospital. I am perfectly fine. Besides, it is just a cold."
"It is more than a cold Lizzy. I have never seen you faint before because of a little cold." Will and Elizabeth got out of the car when they pulled up to the hospital. Jane also got out so that she was sure that they remained. Charles went to park the car while they waited in the waiting room.
They were seen after about a half and hour. The doctor told them both that they had the flu and that they should remain in bed. He gave them both a prescription for medicine and told Jane to monitor them incase they became delirious. If so, to contact him immediately. There temperatures were already around 103 and any higher would be a sign for caution. "This is great. The weekend that we come to visit my parents, we both get the flu. What else will go wrong?"
The car ride home was quiet. Nobody felt like talking and as soon as they pulled up to the house, Elizabeth and Will went straight upstairs to bed where they remained for the rest of the day. Jane checked on them periodically. She was going to make her routine check and bring them both some dinner, but when she called to them, she didn't get any answer. She walked over to the bed and nudged them both. Elizabeth shook her head and started mumbling something. Will did not make a sound. She knew Elizabeth was delirious and her fever was dangerously high. "Charles, mother, come quickly." she yelled. Mrs. Bennet came running into the room and saw what Jane saw. Charles called for an ambulance for the both of them. This was going to be an eventful weekend.
At the hospital, the doctors checked both Elizabeth and Will out. They both confirmed that they had dangerously high fevers, but that with the proper medication, they would be alright. They also told them that they would have to remain in the hospital overnight so that they could be monitored. Everyone was relieved to hear that they would be alright, but were not happy to hear that they would have to stay at the hospital. Jane talked to the doctors about Elizabeth's previous condition and they assured Jane that they would take extra special care of her. All of a sudden, a nurse came rushing into the room calling to the doctor. "Doctor, Miss Bennet's heart rate is dropping."
Chapter 20
The doctor went rushing into the other room. Everyone that was in the waiting room was in a state of shock. Jane broke the silence by letting out a sob. She was not going to lose Elizabeth now. She had been through so much and she hoped that she could finally be happy. Why did this have to happen?
The doctor returned a few minutes later. He assured them that Elizabeth was fine now. "Ms. Bennet's temperature shot up which caused the drop in her heart rate. I have given her some more medication and we are closely monitoring her. She should be fine now and I don't think we have anything to worry about." the doctor explained to the entire family. Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Everything was going to be fine.
"May we go and see her?" Mr. Bennet asked.
"I really think you should all go home for the night. She needs her rest, so I think that it will be better for her to rest. Mr. Darcy is here with her. Is he a family member?" the doctor asked.
"He is her fiancé." Jane explained. "Would there be any chance to have them moved into the same room. Elizabeth has not had good experiences with hospitals as I told you before. I think she would be more comfortable with Mr. Darcy in the same room."
"I will see that he is moved. Thank you Ms. Bennet. Goodnight. We will see how your sister and her fiancé are tomorrow. They may be able to come home in the afternoon."
"Thank you doctor." The family members all went home. Everyone was worried about the couple, especially Elizabeth. It had not been a year since the Wickham incident.
The next morning Jane, Charles, and Mr. Bennet went up to the hospital. They found Elizabeth and Will looking much better. They were both pale, but their spirits had returned. They spent about an hour with them until it was time for lunch. Will and Elizabeth were allowed to leave later in the day, so Jane, Charles, and Mr. Bennet went home to prepare for their arrival. The rooms had to be remade and new blankets brought in.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Will and Elizabeth were the center of attention. They were looking at a travel magazine. Elizabeth was trying to guess where Will was taking her on their honeymoon, but Will would not say. Some of the nurses and doctors were also trying to guess. They had a little gathering in the room by the time Jane and Charles arrived to bring them home. Their bags were already packed and one of the nurses went to discharge them. Elizabeth and Will walked out to the lobby and signed out. Charles brought the car around and Elizabeth and Will climbed into the back seat where they promptly fell asleep in each other's arms. Charles and Jane looked at each other and shared a loving smile.
"They are perfect for one another," Jane said, "just like you are for me."
Charles squeezed her hand and the rest of the ride was completed in silence.
They arrived at the Bennet household where Mrs. Bennet met them at the door. She pushed them all into the house saying that they would get sicker if they didn't get right into bed, so Will and Elizabeth said goodnight to everyone and made their way to the bedroom where everything was ready for them. They climbed into the large bed and fell right to sleep.
The next morning Elizabeth woke feeling much better. The sun was shining and the man she loves was sleeping next to her. There was nothing that could ruin the moment except...
"Elizabeth? Are you awake? It is past eleven." Mrs. Bennet was standing in the hall yelling and the closed door. Elizabeth grabbed her robe and got out of the bed. It felt good to be up, but she had a feeling that her mother would change her mood. Luckily, Will was still asleep and didn't hear her mother.
"What do you want mother?" Elizabeth said as she opened the door.
"I just wanted to check on you to see how you are. I was also wondering how long you were staying. I must insist that it be at least another week." Elizabeth heard a gasp behind her and knew where it came from.
"I'm sorry mother, but Will and I need to get back to New York. We both have to work and we have a wedding to finish. You wouldn't want our wedding to be less than perfect."
"Of course not darling. I will go fix you some breakfast so that you can get dressed. Wake up your fiancé meanwhile. He can't sleep all day. He will sleep his visit away."
"Alright mother, but we are not going to get anything done if we stand and chat all day." Mrs. Bennet went downstairs while Elizabeth went back into her room. Will was sitting on the bed with a grin on his face. "What are you smiling about?" Elizabeth asked as she jumped on top of him. She rolled around until she was pinned down by his strong arms.
"What are you smiling about almost Mrs. Darcy?" Elizabeth tried to get lose, but Will had her trapped. She felt him release his grip on her arms and she jumped up. Grabbing the pillow from the bed she whacked him on the head. Will grabbed the other pillow and an all out pillow war started.
Meanwhile Jane and Charles were downstairs and they could hear the screams and giggling coming from upstairs. "I guess they are feeling better." Charles said. Jane laughed and they both went upstairs to see what all the commotion was. They came upon the scene of Elizabeth and Will chasing each other with pillows. Charles made the mistake of walking into the room and got knocked in the head by Elizabeth's pillow. Everyone burst out laughing and Charles joined them once he realized what had happened.
"I believe that you are much better today." Charles said between laughs.
"Yes, much." Will said as he placed his arms around Elizabeth. "What day are we all returning to New York. I was thinking the day after tomorrow. I know we all have work and weddings to plan.
"That sounds good to me. What do you think Jane." Charles looked at Jane who agreed with them. Will and Elizabeth got dressed and everyone went down stairs for a late breakfast.
Chapter 21
The last few days with the Bennet's went by surprisingly quickly for Will and Elizabeth. Before they knew it, they were back at work with their normal routine. Things could not be better for the happy couple. It was only a week until their wedding and there was so much to be done. Jane and Elizabeth were running around like maniacs trying to make sure that everything will be ready in time. Will and Charles were excited as well, but they found the week a little hectic. Gifts started to arrive from people that weren't coming to the wedding. "Elizabeth is that you? Will said from the living room where he could hear someone coming in the door.
"Yes, who did you think it was? Caroline?"
"Of course not. It could have been Georgie. She is supposed to come today." Will went to help Elizabeth with the packages she was carrying. "Three more gifts and two vases of flowers arrived today. They are on the dining room table. Would you like to open them?"
"Alright, but let me put on something more comfortable first." Elizabeth took off her suit and put on a pair of jeans and a shirt. She walked into the dining room to find Will waiting for her with a glass of wine. "Just what I wanted. You must have read my mind." The packages on the table were very large except for a small one and Elizabeth wondered who could have sent them. She decided to leave the small one for last and opened the first box. The card was from Knightley Computers. "Is this a competing company?" Elizabeth asked Will, "and are they trying to soften you up?"
"George Knightley is a college friend of mine. He can't come to the wedding because his wife Emma just gave birth to a baby and she had some problems. It was nice of him to send a gift."
"Is Emma alright?"
"Yes, she is fine. They have a healthy baby. Are you going to open the gift?" Elizabeth smiled and opened the box. Inside was a crystal bowel and vase.
"They are very beautiful. You should call him and thank him personally." Elizabeth opened the second box from another company. It was a Monet painting. "Well, you friends certainly aren't cheap." Will laughed.
"This small one is addresses to you" Elizabeth took the box from Will and opened it. Inside was a dead rose and a note which read:
Hope your wedding is wonderfulGeorge Wickham
Elizabeth went pale and sat down. "Who is it from Elizabeth?" Will asked worriedly. Elizabeth silently handed Will the card and box. She saw anger pass over his face but it quickly passed when he saw how upset Elizabeth was. "Don't let him get to you. He can't hurt you anymore."
"I know, but every time I think about him, memories of the past come back. You must think I am being dramatic."
"Elizabeth, you have every right to be upset. Never apologize for being upset. I know how much he hurt you." Will hugged her and ran his fingers through her hair. Things got a little steamier and they ended up on the floor, with all thoughts of George Wickham disappearing from the room.
A few hours later, Will and Elizabeth ate dinner and watched TV. They were waiting for Georgie to arrive before they went to bed. She came and they all told each other what was new. Georgie was just as excited as Will and Elizabeth about the wedding. Will had some work to do, so he left to two ladies to talk of the wedding.
"So, now that Will is gone, I want all the details about the wedding."
"Well, it is going to be humongous. The wedding party alone fills four limos. I can't wait Georgie. I am so nervous though. I will be Mrs. Will Darcy in two days." Georgiana and Elizabeth laughed together and talked about preparations until they both grew too tired to stay awake. "I am so happy that you have some Georgie and I am so happy that we will be true sisters. You don't know how much you have helped over the past months. Your brother is very lucky to have a sister like you and I will be even luckier to gain a sister like you."
"Oh Elizabeth, I am the lucky one because you have made my brother happier than I have ever seen him and you have helped me as well." Georgiana hugged Elizabeth then left to go to her room. Elizabeth got up and went in search of Will. She found him hunched over his laptop with papers surrounding him. His shoulders looked tense and he was running his fingers through his hair. Elizabeth knew that he was under a lot of stress with their wedding and trying to get everything ready for their honeymoon. Will had to make sure that the company would survive without him while he was away. Elizabeth walked over and put her arms around Will's neck. He sighed and leaned back against her.
"Problems at work?" Elizabeth asked.
"You could say that. It seems that my company needs to be led by the hand when doing anything. They don't like the idea that I will be away for a while. I am trying to make everything ready for our departure and it is a lot of work; however, I am not going to complain because the reason for my forthcoming absence is worth ten times the stress. Oh, I meant to tell you, Colleen called and said that he rehearsal dinner is all set for 8:00, right after the rehearsal which is at 6:00. We have the whole restaurant and Colleen said that she took care of everything. All we have to do is show up. Did you make the list of who is going in what limo?" Will said as Elizabeth massaged his shoulders.
"Yes, I wrote everything down. I will read it to you to see if you think it is okay."
Elizabeth left the room and came back with a large folder. She pulled out a piece of paper and sat down in a chair next to will. "The first limo will contain Kathy and Lucas, Mosylu and Heath, Shemmelle and Jeremy Preston, Georgie and John, and Ellie and Dave. The second limo will contain Alethea and Rob, Tabbi and Richard, Sarah and Trevor, Mary and Bob, and Bridget and Henry. The third limo will contain Asia and James, Sania and Jeremy Northam, Colleen and Edward, Lydia and Mike, and Kitty and Eric. The fourth limo has me, Jane, my mother and father, Kimmie and Steve, and Tiki and James. You and Charles are to travel in a separate car with Caroline and Louisa and Louisa's husband." Elizabeth took a deep breath once she finished.
"I hope that is everyone. I think this is going to be the wedding of the year. It will be the largest I know that." Just as Elizabeth put the paper away, Will's cell phone rang.
"Hello." Will said into the phone. Will mouthed that it was work and them rolled his eyes. Elizabeth laughed. She knew that without both Will and Charles, the company would be a little hectic, but Will told them that he would not be able to be contacted while on his honeymoon and that they would have to deal without out him for a couple of weeks. This explained the constant phone calls and meetings that Will was involved in over the past few weeks. Elizabeth left Will to his work and got ready for bed. Tomorrow she had a lot to do and she needed to go into work for a couple of hours to make everything ready for her departure. It was going to be a long two days until the big day.
The next morning Elizabeth woke up at seven and went to work, Will had already left, but left a rose and a sweet note on his pillow, apologizing for being so busy. He said that he would meet her for lunch before she went for her last fitting. At work Elizabeth went to a couple of meetings then explained everything to Joanna, the woman taking over her job while she was away on her honeymoon. She didn't know what she would do without such caring people at work. With all of the time she had missed over the past year, Elizabeth was surprised she still had a job, but everyone was very supportive of her. Before she left for work she stopped into her bosses office and told him that she would see him at the wedding. He told her good luck then she left to meet Will at the restaurant where he took her on their first date.
When Elizabeth arrived, she was given a big hug by the owner of the restaurant. This restaurant had become a second home to Will and Elizabeth and the owner was a good friend to them now. He sat them at their usual table and brought out their lunch. Elizabeth and Will ate a quick lunch because Will had a board meeting and Elizabeth had to get her dress fitted for the last time. She gave Will a kiss and the owner a hug before leaving to meet Jane at the dress shop.
At the dress shop, Elizabeth and Jane both put on their dresses and were poked and pinned for the last time. The fitting didn't last long because there were not many changes that needed to be made. Elizabeth went home to find Georgie and Emma asleep on the couch. Emma woke up and came running to the door with her tail wagging. "Were you a good girl for auntie Georgie today?" Elizabeth said as she scratched behind Emma's ears. Georgie woke up and walked to the door.
"Hey Elizabeth. I hope you got done everything that needed to be done. There are a bunch of boxes that arrived today. I put them in the dining room."
"Thanks, yes I did get everything done. I hope you had a peaceful day with Emma."
"Oh yes, we had a nice day except for the constant interruptions by the Fed Ex man. I think they delivered ten boxes today. You sure are getting a lot of gifts."
"Thanks for signing for them. I don't know what I'd do without you. Will is going to be late because he had a board meeting, so we are on our own for dinner. I was thinking that we call Jane and go to the movies for one last girls night before Jane and I are married." Elizabeth suggested.
"Sounds good to me. I will go get my coat and we'll go."
"Great, Jane said that she would pick us up, so she should be here any minute." Before Elizabeth could sit down, the intercom buzzed, letting her know that Jane was downstairs. "We'll be right down Jane"
Elizabeth and Georgiana didn't get home until almost Elizabeth, but Will still wasn't home. Elizabeth called Will at work, but there was no answer. She assumed that he was still in the board meeting. Georgiana said that she was going to go to bed and Elizabeth said that she was going to wait up for Will and that she would see her in the morning. Elizabeth got her book and sat down on the couch, but after a few pages, she fell sound asleep on the couch.
Will came home around 1:30 to find Elizabeth sound asleep on the couch. She looked so beautiful as she slept and he didn't want to wake her, so he carried her into the bedroom and them took off his work clothes and got ready for bed. He crawled in beside her and she nestled up against him. Will loved when she did this. He put his arm around her and fell asleep.
The next morning Elizabeth awoke once again to find Will gone. She was disappointed to have missed him last night and this morning, but she knew that he had a lot to do. Besides, today was the rehearsal dinner and she was really excited. She spent the whole day making the final preparations for the wedding and Will came home around four. They both took showers and got dressed for the rehearsal. They left in plenty of time to get to the church where they were met by the entire wedding part. All of Elizabeth's family was there. They had just arrived in New York today and were happy to see that everything was running smoothly.
The rehearsal was perfect and everyone made it to the restaurant. Will, Elizabeth, Jane, and Charles thanked everyone for coming and passed out gifts to everyone. They had a wonderful meal and everyone left to get some sleep. Elizabeth and Jane went to Charles's place while Will and Charles stayed at Will's. They were not going to see each other again before the wedding.
That night everyone went to sleep with smiles on their faces. They dreamt of the happy day that was only a couple of hours away.
Chapter 22
*I would like to dedicate this chapter to my great grandmother who died August 19, 2001*
The morning of the wedding shone brightly. The sky was bright blue with large, puffy clouds that looked like giant balls of cotton. Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw that it was truly the most perfect day. She looked at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was 6:30, so she had some time before she was forced to leave the comfort of the large bed. Elizabeth heard the shower, so she assumed that Jane was already up and getting ready. She grabbed one of the many pillows and squeezed it to her body, letting out a little happy noise. She could not remember when she had ever been so happy. After a few minutes of contemplation, Elizabeth got out of bed and put on her robe. The crisp air hit her as soon as she exited the bed, but it was refreshing. She walked into the kitchen to find coffee made and two large bouquets of flowers, one for herself and the other for Jane. Elizabeth opened the card and saw that it was from Will. On the card was written, "To my Elizabeth from her Will." Elizabeth's heart fluttered and her eyes brightened up even more than they had been. Nobody could ruin this day because her happiness was beyond expression.
As she sat down at the table to drink her coffee, the doorbell rang. It was her mother and aunt who had come to help her get ready. A few moments later all of the bridal party members arrived. There were people everywhere getting ready for the ceremony. They focused on Jane first so that Elizabeth could take a shower.
Meanwhile at Will's apartment, Will and Charles were waking up as well. They too wore grins that never disappeared. The apartment there was also filling up with all of the groomsmen. Will and Charles were running around trying to make sure everything was ready while people just seemed to always be in the way. In other situations, this would have made them angry, but nothing could upset them today. Someone had turned the radio on, so everyone stopped to listen. The broadcaster said, "Today is the day that millionaire and highly sought after Will Darcy of Darcy Corporations marries Miss Elizabeth Bennet, an editor at the New York Times. Sharing these nuptials is Charles Bingley, one of Will Darcy's board members. Marrying Bingley is Miss Jane Bennet, the sister to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Many famous guests are expected to attend the nuptials. There will be wall to wall limousines and we wish the couples every happiness." Everyone in the room cheered and Richard, Will's cousin called Elizabeth and Jane to make sure they had heard. They said that they had, but could not chat because of all of the preparations that were still necessary. Everything was hectic in both households in preparation for the big day.
Two hours later the men arrived at the church to be met by news media and other people anxious to get a glimpse of the different people that arrived. The police were doing a good job of keeping the people back, but it was a difficult job, especially since this was New York City. Will and Charles rushed into the church followed by all of the men. The bridesmaids arrived not long after followed by the brides and their family. Elizabeth looked at all of the people that were waiting to get a glimpse of her and she became somewhat nervous. She followed everyone into the church and went to finish getting ready as the guests started to arrive. When the time came for the ceremony to begin Elizabeth got in line with her father and sister. Mr. Bennet first looked at Jane and said, "Jane, you look absolutely beautiful and I know you will be very happy. You have chosen well." He then turned to Elizabeth. "Lizzy, you too look very beautiful and will be just as happy. Your husband is a very lucky man." He kissed both of his daughters before the veils covered their faces. Unbeknownst to Elizabeth and Jane, Mr. Bennet let a tear fall down his cheek. His babies were all grown up.
The music of the processional glided throughout the air and the line started down the aisle. Will stood at the end of the aisle with Charles while thoughts from the past ran throughout his mind. He pictured their first meeting where she had absolutely taken his breath away for the first time in his life. Next, he thought of all the wonderful times they had enjoyed later. His mind turned to the unhappy parts with the kidnapping and the suffering, but he told himself that that was all in the past and everything was all right now. He thought of his proposal and the look in her eyes when she saw the ring. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by the starting of the wedding march. He looked up and saw her for the first time today. Nothing would ever compare to this moment because she was the incarnation of beauty itself. She glided towards him like a fairy while her eyes sparkled like two stars poking through a foggy sky at night. The veil made only the sparkle visible until she came closer. The fabric of her dress shimmered and flowed to the floor. Will felt that this bewitching woman would forever hold him in her trap. Elizabeth noticed the look in her beloved's eyes and she smiled. Will had never looked more handsome than the image before her very eyes. All that surrounded her disappeared and it was only she and Will that remained. She was awakened from her dream when her father lifted her veil. He kissed her on the cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. She knew what he wanted to say to her and she shook her head. He replaced the veil and took his seat by his wife to watch as he saw his most beloved daughters become married women. All who observed the wedding felt themselves to have been transported to another world. The church had been transformed into and fairyland. There were flowers everywhere and the smell wafted throughout the air.
The vows were said and the minister pronounced them husband and wife at last. Will lifted Elizabeth's veil after Charles had already done so to Jane and gave Elizabeth the most tender of kisses ever imagined. When their lips separated, their eyes remained locked, conveying every ounce of feeling. Charles and Jane walked down the aisle first to the cheering crowd and then Will and Elizabeth followed. Everyone cheered the couples as they entered into their lives together.
After signing the marriage certificates, they went outside to where a large crowd had gathered to see the new couples. They walked down the stairs of the church and entered one of the many limousines. The rest of the guests left the church to journey to the reception while the newlyweds sat in silence in the car. Nobody felt it necessary to speak for there were no words to describe the thoughts running through their heads. The outside world was gone for the four people in the limousine.
Chapter 23
The limousines left the church and journeyed towards the reception hall where all of the guests were waiting. Elizabeth looked into Will's eyes and he sighed then spoke in a whisper so that only she could hear, not that Jane and Charles knew that anyone else was in the car with them. "I love you Mrs. Darcy and I want you to know that even though our lives have thrown and still might throw barriers in the way of our happiness, nothing will ever change my feelings for you. You are the center of my being. You are Juliet and I am Romeo. Our souls are entwined in an unbreakable knot. For now and forever, we will always be a part of each other and neither will ever truly leave the other." Elizabeth had never heard such beautiful words before, so she kissed Will and gave him a strong embrace. The couple remained in their embrace until they arrived at the reception hall.
Inside the reception hall, all of the guests were waiting for the couples to be announced. Will and Charles exited the car and helped their new wives. It is hard to get out of a limousine in a large dress as Jane and Elizabeth learned quickly. They stood outside of the door to the reception room until they heard the band make a drum roll to announce their presence. "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time please welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Will Darcy and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bingley. Everyone cheered as the new couples entered the room.
The day was absolutely perfect and no one wanted to see it come to and end. The food was positively delectable and the music was beautiful. When the time for the first dance arrived, the guests cleared an area for the new couples. Will stood first and helped Elizabeth from her seat, Bingley followed in part and both men led their ladies to the dance floor. Tears came to the eyes of every person in the room as they watched the couples float across the floor in loving embraces. Never before had two more perfect couples been in existence. It must have been the work of magic. The music continued and Will looked deeply into Elizabeth's eyes where he saw their familiar sparkle. Time seemed to pass all around them, but in their embrace, there were no interruptions because to them there were only two people in the world.
The sun set and it was time for the newlyweds to depart for their honeymoons. Nobody knew the destination of the Darcys including Elizabeth because Will refused to reveal his secret. The only person that Will had trusted with the information was his cousin Richard who had made sure that all of the arrangements were all in order. Will and Elizabeth were to take the Darcy Corporations private jet in order to assure that Elizabeth would be kept in suspense until their arrival. Before they left, however, they made sure that they said goodbye to everyone and they thanked all who came. Elizabeth hugged her parents and each of her sisters before going upstairs with her new husband to change for the trip. Elizabeth knew that she had to pack clothes for cold weather, so she dressed warmly and she and Will met Jane and Charles at the top of the stairs. They ran down the stairs and through the cloud of rose petals that were being thrown at them. It was a gorgeous night and as they stepped outside, flurries started to fall from the sky and those watching the couples depart could have sworn that there were supernatural forces at work. The path was lit by white lights and it looked like the car was about to embark on a voyage in space instead of into the city. The normal noises of the city were nonexistent to the passengers of the car because to them nothing could go wrong in the world. The day was perfect and was only going to get even more perfect. "So where are you taking me my husband?" Elizabeth asked as she looked shyly up to her husband.
"Oh no you don't. Put those puppy eyes away. You will find out when we arrive. We have a long plane ride, so I thought that we would spend the night in the city then leave for the airport early tomorrow morning because I don't think we want to spend our wedding night on a plane. Besides, I want to be alone with my new wife." Will said as he pulled Elizabeth close to him. They were going to drop Jane and Charles off at their apartment before proceeding to their own.
With Jane and Charles gone, Will and Elizabeth were left alone as husband and wife for the first time and they certainly took advantage of the situation; however, the drive to their apartment was short, so they were forced to remove themselves from each other's arms to exit the car. They did not separate completely because their hands remained together. The snow was still falling, but the couple did not seem to notice. They took the elevator up to their apartment and opened the door. "Now if this is going to be a proper wedding day ..." with this, Will picked up Elizabeth and carried her into the room
"Will, you amaze me everyday. I never know what to expect from you. Will you tell me now where we are going tomorrow? I would love to know what romantic vacation you have planned for us." Elizabeth said as she once again looked up at Will with her puppy dog eyes.
"Do you really really want to know where we are going?" Elizabeth shook her head "We are going into the bedroom right now." Elizabeth threw her head back and laughed. Will tried to put on a serious face as he picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. Elizabeth squealed, but did not try and stop him. He carried her into the bedroom and flung her on the bed.
"Is there something you want Mr. Darcy?" she said with a feigned seriousness.
"Yes, I want you Mrs. Darcy." The night was like no other and by the time that the sun came up, the newlyweds had just fallen asleep in each other's arms.
About two hours later the alarm went off and both Elizabeth and Will groaned, but they had to get to the airport because they were scheduled to fly in two hours. Elizabeth was the first to get up and take a shower. Will went to the kitchen and made breakfast and a lot of coffee. While Elizabeth was still in the shower, the doorbell rang. Will opened the door and accepted the package from the doorman. Will saw that it was addressed to both him and Elizabeth, so he put it on the table next to the food. It was time to take Emma out, so he grabbed a coat, gloves, and her leash and left a note for Elizabeth telling her that breakfast was waiting and that he had gone to take Emma for a walk. On his walk, he passed a newspaper stand. All over the papers were pictures from the wedding and stories about him and Elizabeth. He bought all of the papers and went back to the apartment where Elizabeth was waiting for him. He showed her all of the newspapers and she said that they would have plenty of reading for the plane. They ate breakfast and opened their package. It was from Richard and Georgiana for the flight. The box read, "Do not open until in the air." Elizabeth and Will laughed because they knew that there was probably some sort of joke inside. Will knew that Richard knew the location of the honeymoon, but he hoped that there was nothing in the box that would give it away.
"What do you think is in the box?" Elizabeth asked of Will who seemed to have a smirk on his face.
"I don't know, but I know my cousin and I am afraid to find out. Now enough fooling around we need to finish getting ready because we have to leave for the airport in thirty minutes." Elizabeth and Will rushed around their apartment and got all of their suitcases together. They had a lot of luggage because they were planning to spend a month away. Elizabeth was given permission to be away from work because the person that had taken over for her while she was in the hospital was going to cover for her. They had to make more than one trip to the limousine that was to take them to the airport. The driver helped them bring all of their suitcases down while Elizabeth put Emma on a leash. She will be traveling with them on their honeymoon because Will said that where they were going, they could bring Emma.
When their entourage arrived at the airport and they boarded the plane, Will whispered something to the pilot who was there to meet them, and then he led Elizabeth to the sitting area. "Wow, this plane is amazing. I have never seen an airplane like this before. Whenever I fly, I always have to fly coach where the seats are too close together and where I always end up next to a crying baby. I don't know what to do with so much luxury."
"Well get used to it because the wife of a Darcy always lives in luxury." Elizabeth laughed and kissed Will. They sat down and got ready for the takeoff. The pilot had mentioned that the flight would be about seven and a half hours, so Elizabeth and Will had some orange juice, talked for a little while, then fell asleep. Emma slept at their feet as the plane moved closer and closer to their destination.
When Elizabeth woke up, she saw Will asleep sitting across from her. He looked so peaceful and she remembered that they had not opened the box from Richard and Georgiana, so she went to get it and brought close to them so that they could open it when Will woke up. Elizabeth did not have to wait long because Will's eyes fluttered open after a few minutes. "I knew that we forgot to do something my darling. Shall you do the honors?"
"Of course." Elizabeth ripped open the package and inside there was a bottle of Scotch, a bottle of Champagne, and another envelope that read open upon arrival. Elizabeth laughed at the thought of another few hours of curiosity. "I wonder what is in the envelope. Shall we see what the tabloids had to say about our wedding?"
"Okay, let's see. Shall I read them to you my darling?" With Elizabeth's approval, Will opened the first paper. "Yesterday, billionaire Will Darcy of Darcy Corporations took as a bride Elizabeth Bennet, an editor for the New York Times. The ceremony was shared by the board member Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet, the sister of Elizabeth Bennet." Will continued to read about all of the guests and the comments of the brides. Most of the articles said the same things, but some of stories were interesting. Elizabeth were hysterical over some of the things mentioned like Elizabeth being portrayed as witch who bewitched Will into marrying her so that she could get his money or the one that said Will forced Elizabeth to marry him in order to have control over what the New York Times had to say about his company. "Some of these things are ridiculous. How do they come up with these topics?
The flight did not seem to take a very long time for the lovers because they were happy just to be in each other's company and alone, so when the captain said that they were preparing to land, the lovers were surprised that it was so soon. "Now will you tell me where we are?" Elizabeth said as she put her seatbelt on to prepare for the landing.
"Very well. I suppose I have to tell you now. You don't know how hard it has been for me to keep it a secret for so long. We are about to arrive in London where I will pick up my car at my London flat, and then we will continue to my family's home where I will introduce you to my house keeper who has been like a mother to Georgiana and I. She could not come to the wedding because she has not been well and could not risk the trip. Tomorrow morning we will continue on up to Scotland where we will stay in the Highlands at my family's vacation home. Does this scheme meet with your approval?"
"Oh Will, it sounds absolutely wonderful. I didn't know that you had so many houses. I went to Scotland a few years ago and thought that it was absolutely beautiful. I have been wanting to go back for so long. Thank you so much for doing this for me. I can't wait until we land. London is a wonderful city."
"I am so happy that you approve. I know that you have a great appreciation for the outdoors, so what better place than Scotland. I wonder if there is snow on the ground. The hills will be beautiful covered with snow. I know that I will enjoy every minute holding you in my arms by the warm fire. I can't wait. I was told that Mrs. Reynolds, my housekeeper, prepared everything for our arrival. She has made sure that our stay will be nothing but happy. We have landed, so are you ready for the honeymoon to begin."
The plane landed safely and Elizabeth and Will gathered their things together and got out of the plane. Elizabeth thanked the pilot and all of the crew for the pleasant flight. Will took her hand as they walked toward the airport terminal where the limousine was waiting to take them to Will's London flat. Elizabeth was excited beyond words to be in London. It had been a long time since she had been to this city and she was so happy to be back. Nothing could ruin her happiness.
The limousine ride took about twenty minutes, but Elizabeth didn't mind because it gave her a chance to see more of the city. "If you would like to spend some time in London when we return from Scotland, I can arrange it." Will said as he watched Elizabeth take in her scenery.
"I would love to spend some time in London before we go home. I don't know when I will be back, and I can't come to the UK without visiting London."
"Now that you are married to me, I assure you that we will be traveling a lot and that you need not worry about not getting back to London anytime soon because I spend a lot of time over here in order to take care of my business and the running of my estate."
"I can't wait to start my life with you." With that Will and Elizabeth climbed the stairs up to the flat to start their honeymoon.
Chapter 24
The London flat was not much different from the apartment in New York, but it had a different feel to it. The rooms were large and welcoming, yet there was something about the place that Elizabeth felt. She could not describe this strange feeling and knew that Will would not know what she was talking about, so she chose to keep the feeling to herself. "Oh Will, it is a lovely flat. I hope we will spend time here in the future." Elizabeth said as she kissed her husband who was loaded down with suitcases.
"I am so happy that you like it. I was hoping that you would since I want us to use the place more often. It is so lonely when I am here alone and it will be nice to share it with someone. What do you say to something to eat before we head for Pemberley?"
"Pemberley??" Elizabeth looked at Will with confusion.
"My house, that's right. You Americans are not used to having names for you houses. Yes, the house in England is Pemberley, the main house that has been there for centuries. The vacation house in Scotland dates back to the eighteenth century and it is called Am Measg An Ceò. It means "among the mist" in Gaelic. There is a lot of history behind all of our houses and I hope to be able to share it with you at some point."
"I would love to hear about the history of your family. I have always loved history. In fact that is what my undergraduate degree is, so you will not bore me. It sounds fascinating. Perhaps you could tell me about Pemberley on our way there. How long does it take to get there?" Elizabeth's eyes showed that she was fascinated with what Will was explaining to her. She had always been fascinated in her genealogy, and was curious to learn her husband's.
"It takes about two hours to get to Pemberley, so I will have plenty of time to tell you anything you want to know about my family. I do not know all the particulars, but my father spent much of his retirement tracing the roots of my family. He was able to trace his roots to the eleventh century, so as you can imagine, our family's history is rich and filled with many stories. He was starting to write everything down in a book for our family to pass down and to record in, but he died before he was able to finish it. I have most of his notes, but a large part of the history is still missing. I will hopefully one day be able to finish what he started, but I will tell you this now that my family's past is not always shining. There are moments that I am ashamed to say that the people are related to me. Besides, there are other places that show my family's history. All you have to do is look at the pictures that line the halls and the books in the library. Everything has been preserved, although there was a fire at Pemberley in the mid-seventeenth century, so a lot of the things that used to be in the house were destroyed. In order to fill in the missing places, I require a lot of time to investigate and go through records, but unfortunately I do not have any time to devote to my father's passion. I have resolved myself to wait for retirement and then do as my father did. Of course if you will help me because I know that it would be much easier with two heads than with one."
"Oh Will, I would love to help, but retirement is a long way from now, and I am curious to know what secrets the Darcy family has. Perhaps we can find time now and then to take a vacation from our real lives and go searching for answers. It will also force us to come to England and Scotland more often, and I would do anything for that to happen."
"Elizabeth, you amaze me everyday. I never knew that you would be so interested in the history of my family and it makes me happy to know that you want to help me. My father would have loved you. If only he had lived to see you. I know that he would have embraced you as a daughter of his own. There are many stories that he could tell as he told Georgiana and I at night before bed when we were little. I wish that my parents were alive to tell our children those same stories." Elizabeth noticed the change in Will's tone. He never talked of his parents and she could see the pain in his eyes when he mentioned them even though he was trying not to make it obvious by the way Will did not meet her eyes. Elizabeth knew a way though to get through him and that is with the simple touch of her hand to his cheek. Elizabeth forced Will to look into her eyes.
"Will, I want you to know that you can always talk to me and that you need never try and hide your feelings. I do not know what it is like to lose my parents because I have not experienced it, so I do not know the pain, but I will always be there to listen to anything you have to say. I would love to hear the stories of your parents and I know that they must be wonderful because they raised you and you are wonderful. Please let me into you soul and I will be there to comfort you." Will looked back into Elizabeth's eyes. She understood everything and spoke his needs without him revealing anything to her. How did he find this wonderful person? She was his soul mate and she would never leave him. He smiled at her as a lone tear fell down his cheek. She brushed it away and pressed her lips to his. They shared an embrace that spoke the depth of both of their feelings and then continued loading the car for the trip to Pemberley.
When the car was loaded and Elizabeth and Will had made all of the final preparations, they set off together for Pemberley. Elizabeth was very excited, but anxious all the same. She was about to go to a large estate and meet all of the people that worked for her husband. She felt like she was entering into something out of the nineteenth century when a woman moved into her husband's house after marriage and was introduced to all of the servants as the mistress of the estate. Elizabeth did not want to let her romantic fantasies run wild, so instead she asked Will about the house and what is was like. "Will, how big is this house really. I have heard you mention the actual dimensions, but that means nothing to me and I have heard how many acres you have, but that is more than I can fathom, so if you were to compare your house to something I know, what would you say?" Will knew that Elizabeth was excited about the house, so he tried to humor her and answer all of her questions.
"I honestly don't know how to describe how big the house is because I know of no others that are really like it. As for the grounds, I was hoping to take you on a tour around the grounds. I thought that we could take out two horses that way we could see more of the grounds."
"There is just one problem with that darling. I have never ridden a horse that isn't in a ring with a person holding the reigns. I don't know how well I will fare, but I am willing to try." Will laughed and couldn't wait to see Elizabeth try to ride a horse. He knew that there had to be something that she couldn't do, but up to this point he had yet to learn.
"Well then I will have something to teach you. I finally learn your weakness."
"Don't think that I am not a fast learner. I also look forward to your lessons. Now I will have to look for you weakness." They both laughed and Will told Elizabeth a little bit about who worked at the house. He saw how she took in all of the information and how her eyes flashed from side to side as she tried to grasp every bit of scenery. Will knew that they were going to have a wonderful time on this trip.
When they arrived at entrance to the Pemberley grounds, Will stopped the car. "Why have we stopped?" Elizabeth asked. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing is wrong. We have reached the grounds of Pemberley and I wanted to show you something before we got to the house. That town that we passed through a few minutes ago, Lambton that is, was a place that I spent much time in as a child when my family stayed at Pemberley. I used to run from Pemberley to Lambton as boy."
"Oh Will, the grounds are beautiful. I hope that we will visit often with our children so that they too can run from Pemberley to Lambton." Will started the car again, but drove slowly so that he could show Elizabeth some special spots on the grounds.
"Now I want you to look to you left as we come up to this opening in the trees. You will see the lake and the house." Will slowly drove towards the opening and stopped once the house was in view. Elizabeth gasped when she saw the house. It was humongous and beautiful. It looked like something out of a period movie.
"Oh Will, I have never seen such a beautiful house. It is perfectly situated. I had no idea that it would be like this. I know now why you are so proud of it. It is truly magnificent." Will started the car again and drove up to the house where Mrs. Reynolds met them. She had been watching for the car and saw them coming up the driveway. Will jumped out of the car and gave the old woman a hug. "Oh Mrs. Reynolds, I have missed you."
"Oh Will darling, it is so good to see you so happy. Now I want to meet this wife of yours. I have heard only the best things about her." Will walked over to the car where Elizabeth was waiting. He took her hand and led her to Mrs. Reynolds.
"Elizabeth, this wonderful lady is Mrs. Reynolds. Mrs. Reynolds, my wife Elizabeth." Elizabeth walked into the woman's embrace. She seemed frail and elderly, but when she looked at Will, her eyes glowed. Elizabeth could tell that this woman had an influential part in the life of her husband. Mrs. Reynolds hurried everyone in the house out of the cold. Will was so happy to be back to the house that he loved so much. Many of the people that kept the house running started to appear to welcome Will home. Will introduced them to Elizabeth before they went back to work. Will carried their bags upstairs while Elizabeth stayed to talk to Mrs. Reynolds. Will knew that Mrs. Reynolds had some things that she wanted to ask Elizabeth.
"Well Elizabeth, I see the wonderful influence you have had on Will. I notice a new sense of happiness about him. You have made him so happy and I am so happy to finally meet you. Will has said nothing but the best things about you. I am trusting you to take care of him for me."
"Oh thank you so much. Will has said only the best things about you as well. I know that he loves it here, so I hope we will have many wonderful trips here. It is a beautiful house and the grounds are absolutely spectacular. I can't wait until I can see more of the house. My husband has told me a little about it, but I had no idea it would be like this. I hope to spend a lot of time here in the future." Mrs. Reynolds put her arm around Elizabeth and led her into one of the drawing rooms to wait for Will.
"You two must be famished. Mrs. Potter, the family cook has been preparing dinner for the two of you. She was so happy to have her services used by this family again. She also has been working for the Darcy family ever since Will and Georgiana were little. She made me promise to introduce you, so as soon as Will comes down, I suggest we go meet her."
"I would love to meet all of the people that helped my husband and his family over the years. I know he considers all of you his family."
"It is now your family too Elizabeth, so let me be the first to welcome you to the family."
Will finished putting the suitcases up in the master bedroom and walked toward the drawing room. He stopped to listen at the door and saw how wonderfully Elizabeth was getting on with Mrs. Reynolds. He was so happy that she approved of his choice of wife and was even happier that Mrs. Reynolds was embracing her as part of the family. He walked into the room and Elizabeth looked up at him with a look of love in her eyes. Mrs. Reynolds noticed the exchange between husband and wife and knew that this marriage was going to last forever. The two of them were perfect for each other. "Well Mrs. Reynolds, I'm starving, when will dinner be ready?"
"Oh Will, still only thinking about your stomach. Come along. I told Mrs. Potter that I would bring you and Elizabeth to her as soon as you arrived." Mrs. Reynolds, with some difficulty, got up and motioned for the rest to follow her downstairs. Elizabeth looked at the older woman and knew that she was not well, and knew that she was a very important part of the family. It would be a tragedy to lose such a wonderful woman. She wanted to remember to ask Will what was wrong with her, but focused just then on all of the new people she was meeting.
In the kitchen, was a plump woman bending over the stove. She was humming to herself as she was stirring something on the stove. Elizabeth liked her at once. Will sneaked up behind her and threw his arms around the woman. Mrs. Potter turned her body around and threw her arms around Will. "Oh Will darling. How are you enjoying married wife? Where is this wife of yours? I want to see whom it is who has made you happier than I have ever seen you. Your eyes have a new sparkle to them my darling boy." Will motioned for Elizabeth to come over. Elizabeth approached the two and Mrs. Potter looked her up and down. Elizabeth smiled and Mrs. Potter pulled her into an embrace. "Oh Will, you have chosen well. I my dear am Mrs. Potter. It is so nice to have people in the house again. I miss cooking for this family and I am so happy to see that our Will is settling down at last." Will and Mrs. Potter exchanged news about people that Elizabeth assumed lived near by or were family members of Mrs. Potter. "But enough chit chat. You need you dinner. Go on up to the dining room and I will bring it up."
"Oh Mrs. Potter, is there anything that I can help you with?" Elizabeth asked, but Mrs. Potter scooted them out of the kitchen saying that it was her job to take care of the meals. Elizabeth, although unused to being waited on, said thank you and followed her husband and Mrs. Reynolds upstairs to the dining room.
Later that night when Elizabeth and Will were alone in bed, Elizabeth asked him what was wrong with Mrs. Reynolds. Elizabeth knew that this was a hard subject for Will to talk about, but she was curious and wanted to know. "Well Elizabeth, Mrs. Reynolds has cancer. She lost her husband to it a few years ago. He used to work for my family as well, but died of cancer about three years ago. She has not been doing well as you can see from her appearance. She had hoped to come to our wedding, but she had another relapse and has had to undergo radiation and chemotherapy. The doctor's are unsure how much time she has left, but the cancer has spread and it does not look good. She has always been a part of my family and when she dies, I don't know how I am going to deal with it. I don't want to lose her." Elizabeth put her arms around Will and held him close to her body until he fell asleep. She too hoped that Mrs. Reynolds would get better. She was an important part of this family and would be greatly missed.
Chapter 25
Elizabeth woke up early the next morning because she was so excited about the day ahead of her. She couldn't wait to get up to Scotland, so while Will was still sleeping, she put her bathrobe on and decided to do a little exploring. There were what seemed to be a million doors and Elizabeth was curious to see what was behind each, but she was afraid that she would disturb someone or get lost, so she walked down the halls and looked for rooms that were open. She came to the end and was about to give up on finding open rooms when she came to one finally. She peered into the room and saw a pleasant room with a fireplace and a little sitting room. Over the fireplace was a picture of a woman who bore a strange resemblance to herself. Elizabeth wanted to remember to ask Will about the picture, so she looked around to make sure she could remember where the room was. It was at the end of a long hallway with a window that looked out to a tree covered area. Remembering what was near the room was not a problem; the problem now was remembering how to get back to her husband. She was not really paying attention to where she made her last few turns, so when she walked down one hallway and came to a dead end, she was really confused. She decided that it was best to keep walking since she knew that the stairway had to be around here somewhere. The more Elizabeth walked, the more she got confused as the rooms were getting more and more confusing.
Meanwhile, Will had awoken to find his wife missing. He knew that she was a curious person, so he figured that she was probably exploring. Knowing that he himself could still get lost in the house figured out that Elizabeth was probably also lost, so he put on a robe and went to search for her.
After about a half an hour of walking up and down staircases, Elizabeth was getting very frustrated. She did not think that it was possible to get this lost, but each hallway looked similar and the staircases seemed endless. She sat down on the floor exhausted which is exactly where Will found her twenty minutes later, sound asleep on the floor in the west wing of the house. Will nudged her cheek and Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open. "Oh Will, I thought I was never going to find my way. You are my knight in shining armor. I never realized this house was so big. I will never go wandering again unless I am with someone or have a map. I know what you need in this house. You need those 'you are here' signs." Will laughed and helped Elizabeth to her feet.
"If we are going to make it to Scotland before dark, we need to get ready." Elizabeth and Will walked down the hallway together when Elizabeth remembered the painting in the room. She told Will about it and he said that it was probably an ancestor and that they could go look after breakfast. "My father has a book with all of the names of those in the pictures, so we can look it up after we eat. We must leave for Scotland before lunch though. Oh, and Mrs. Reynolds has Emma in the kitchen with Mrs. Potter. I don't want her to get lost in the house, so she kept her downstairs so that we can eat. I thought we could take her for a short walk after breakfast before we leave." Elizabeth agreed and was looking forward to seeing the grounds and finding out who was in the picture.
Breakfast was delicious and Elizabeth thought that the grounds were absolutely stunning, but her mind was still on the picture in the room upstairs. Will saw that Elizabeth was preoccupied because all he had been trying to talk to her for the past ten minutes and was only getting one-word answers. "Elizabeth, I can see that you are truly very curious about the picture, so why don't I go find the book in the library. Besides, you have not seen the library and I know that you love to read, so you will be able to appreciate it.
The library was absolutely magnificent in the eyes of Elizabeth. Never before had she seen anything like it in the home of someone. Her father was a great collector of books, but he would have been shocked to see anything like this. She would have to bring him to see it sometime. While Elizabeth was perusing the shelves, Will found the book that he was looking for. He motioned for Elizabeth to follow him upstairs and show him the painting. Elizabeth tried her best to explain where the room was and after the third try, they met with success. When Will saw the painting, he too noticed the uncanny resemblance between his wife and the painting. He checked the number on the painting and flipped through the pages of the book he had brought with him. When he opened up the book, he saw a few references to other paintings in which the woman appeared. They were all in various bedrooms and a few in the great hallway. Will looked at the name and then let out a gasp at what he saw. "What?" Elizabeth asked.
When Will had recovered himself he read what was written. "Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy formerly Bennet, born 17**, died 18**. Married to Fitzwilliam Darcy. Mother of Fitzwilliam, Jane, Charles, Abigail, and Thomas." Elizabeth joined Will with a shocked look on her face.
"Now that is just strange. I would love to find out more about this Elizabeth, but I know we don't have time. I will have to wait until we get back, but I cannot get over the fact that that woman who looks like me has my name. I wonder if there are any other similarities. Perhaps we truly are soul mates after all since we seem to model a couple from the nineteenth century. That is so weird and I can't get over it. The woman looks just like me. I am curious now to see what her husband looks like; although, I wouldn't be surprised if he looked like you since he is a family member and there is probably some resemblance." Will looked at the cross reference to find where the page on Elizabeth's husband was and turned to the page.
He then read aloud, "Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, born 17**, died 18**. Married to Ms Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn. Father of Fitzwilliam, Jane, Charles, Abigail, and Thomas." Will saw that one painting was in the great hallway, so he and Elizabeth went in search of it. Will counted the paintings and when he got to the right one he just stood there in front of it. There in the painting was he himself. Neither he nor Elizabeth spoke for some time. This was starting to get really weird. "I don't know what to say. All I know is that I want now to look through the family history even more, but we need to get going because I heard on the news that there might be a snowstorm tomorrow, so we have to get to the house. I promise that we will look into this before we go home." Elizabeth and Will left the hallway and went back to their room. They packed their bags and carried everything down to the car. They said their goodbyes to Mrs. Reynolds, put Emma in the back seat, and got in the car. They had a long drive ahead of them so it was important that they make good time. They were both still shocked at what they had learned this morning, so they sat in silence for a good two hours before Elizabeth spoke up.
"Will, I think we should forget about what we found out this morning and enjoy our honeymoon. I know that we are going to have a marvelous time and if we keep thinking about the paintings then we won't have any fun. It will give us something to look forward to instead of dreading when we have to go back because it will mean that it is close to the end of our trip." Will agreed with Elizabeth, but he knew that his brain as well as hers could not forget what they saw.
"So, I hope you like snow, because I heard this morning that this snowstorm could produce at least a foot of snow." Elizabeth smiled and nodded her head. She loved the snow and couldn't wait to see the beautiful scenery of Scotland. Elizabeth lay her head back and soon she was asleep, but her brain did not stop because all she could think about was the woman in the painting. Her imagination was running wild as she slept, so her dreams were filled with glimpses at the life of the mysterious Elizabeth Darcy.
Chapter 26
When Elizabeth awoke, the green, rocky hills of Scotland were all around. She let out a gasp at the beautiful scenery and did not think there was a place anywhere else like it. The mist seemed to be resting in clumps on the hills. The scenery was out of a dream. She thought that she must have been still asleep because only in dreams could scenery such as this exist. It was as if the land had not been touched by humans and had lain thus for thousands of years with only the fairies to take care of it. The thoughts of the mysterious Elizabeth Darcy disappeared from her head as she looked over to Will. This trip was going to be a wonderful vacation and she knew that they would come back here as often as possible. Neither one of them spoke for the next few hours until they came to the house that was on the edge of a loch, tucked in between two rocky hills. Elizabeth got out of the car and stretched her tight muscles. She let Emma out of the back seat to explore the area. Will walked over to Elizabeth and then put his arms around her. The air was cold and it looked like it was going to snow, but neither seemed to mind since they were warm enough in each other's embrace.
The house was a nice cottage that was not too big, but not too small. It was perfect for the setting. It was away from the village, but close enough so that they could get anything they needed by taking the short half-and-hour drive into the town. When they had driven through earlier, Elizabeth noticed that the people that lived there were very unique. The village including all of the people and the houses and buildings had character. The town reminded her of one that she read about in a novel.
On the first floor of the house there was a small kitchen, a living room, and a small sunroom that led out onto a large deck that overlooked the loch. Upstairs there was a master bedroom, two smaller bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small study. The house was not fancy but was perfect for a vacation home in Scotland. Elizabeth imagined what it was like when Will came here with his family as a young boy. It must have been a big change from all of the luxury that she saw in every other Darcy house. She asked Will about this as he brought in some of the luggage from the car.
"Actually, we came here quite often. This was my mother's favorite place to come. Although she had always grown up in luxury, she wanted to live her life more simply. My father also liked to come here because it gave him a chance to get away from the real world. You saw our house at Pemberley. Besides, this is the one place that we could avoid my Aunt Catherine. She never wanted to come here because it is too rustic for her. She enjoys the life of luxury in which she lives. She can have it too. I love it here because it is a place for me to escape and now I can enjoy it with you. Maybe someday we can bring our children here." Elizabeth smiled at this. "This house has been in the family for a very ling time. It was built in the 1600's, however it has been renovated a few times. There are many stories that go along with this house. But I will save those for later. My grandfather used to sit us in front of the fire and tell us about all of our ancestors that lived in the house. Later today we will go into town and get some supplies. I will introduce you to a couple of people, but after that, it is you and I for the rest of the time here. Let's get the rest of the stuff in the house first and get a fire started. We need to warm the house up so that we don't freeze. I also want to make sure that we have enough firewood because it looks like it is going to snow. There are some heaters in the house, but it can get quite cold here. There are fireplaces in most rooms, so will you start to unpack while I get the wood?"
"Sure, I will make us some coffee too. Then we can go into town before it starts to snow. Where did Emma go? She was exploring the water before, but I don't know where she went."
Will whistled and Emma came running to him. She seemed to have found a mud hole because she was covered in mud. Will tried to stop her, but it was too late she jumped up covering him in mud. He fell over and landed in another giant mud puddle. Elizabeth was hysterical, but Will did not look very happy. She tried to contain her giggles, but soon gave up when she saw that Will started to laugh. They laughed as she helped him out of the puddle. He took the hose and washed Emma off. She didn't like this because the water was cold, but after she was all clean; Elizabeth dried her off and let her inside. Will took off his shoes and then went to jump in the shower. He came downstairs to find Elizabeth waiting with a cup of coffee. Will drank the coffee, and then went to get the firewood.
After everything was set, he and Elizabeth got into the car to go into town. The journey was nice into the town. The snow seemed to be holding off and Will was able to tell Elizabeth about all of the people in the town. "The people that live in this town are wonderful people. You will not meet nicer people anywhere else, but they are also not like people that you meet in a big city or in the U.S.. These people have been living in this town for their whole life and many have never left Scotland. They love this town and it is a part of them. They may seem a bit old-fashioned to one who is not used to living in a town like this, but I am sure they will love you and welcome you with open arms. The people have always had a good relationship with my family and they were wondering when I would ever get married. Many of the older women in this town think that it was because of them that I turned out as successful as I am. These people will always be close to me and I hope that you learn to love them as I do."
"Oh Will, I know that I will like them. From what I have seen of the town so far, I know that the people must take very special care of where they live. They must be wonderful people and I can't wait to meet them. I always love to meet people who knew my husband when he was a young boy. You probably know more about me than I do about you, so I want to learn as much as I can while we are on this trip. So far, it has been full of surprises. I am ready for more."
As they approached the town, Elizabeth saw people peek their heads out of their doors. They passed a few men that were bringing firewood into the town who gave a wave to Will as they passed by. Elizabeth was excited, but nervous. She felt like she was meeting her in-laws for the first time. She hoped that they would like her and would not be too disappointed. She thought that many of them probably wanted Will to marry their own daughters. After all he was a wonderful catch. She was surprised that it was she who had actually managed to capture his fancy. Not that she was complaining.
Will parked the car in front of the market and opened the door for Elizabeth. She could see all of the curious people that were pretending to have some important errand to do, but were really trying to get a closer look at the new Mrs. Darcy. Elizabeth laughed to herself as visions of her own family came into mind. She thought of her mother and her Aunt. They would fit right into this town except for the fact that they would never be able to live this rustically. They were definitely too in need of the amenities of their own lives. She could hear her mother now if she ever came here.
"Where is the mall, and the country club? How can these people live like this? There aren't even real roads. I think that we should go stay somewhere where the animals don't mingle with the people. I demand that we find another town to stay in. I don't know why you like this place so much Elizabeth. Everybody looks dirty. I want to take a shower after just looking at them." Elizabeth laughed to herself then got out of the car with Will.
They walked over to the town store and Will introduced her to Mr. MacDonald. Elizabeth found him to be a very pleasant man. He was quite old and had a very thick accent, so Elizabeth had to listen very closely in order to understand what he was saying. Mr. MacDonald immediately took Elizabeth by the arm and led her over to a group of older women. He introduced her to each lady. Before she could exchange any more than polite courtesies, Mr. MacDonald pulled her outside of the shop to the town center where it seemed that almost everyone in the town had gathered. He made a general introduction to everyone. Elizabeth was quite overwhelmed. She looked over to Will and saw that he had a smirk on his face. She knew that he would have hated to have their positions reversed, but Elizabeth vowed to get him back for this later. There were so many curious people in the town that Elizabeth could not answer the questions a few people first before Mr. MacDonald had pulled her to another group of people.
While Elizabeth was being presented to the town, Will went and got the supplies that they would need for the duration of their stay. By the time he had everything packed in the car, Mr. MacDonald was bringing her to the bakery for some tea and scones. He sat down next to his bride and just watched as Elizabeth answered all of the questions that were asked of her. Before he knew it, the people had switched the topic of conversation to himself. Each person had a different story about what he was like when he was younger. Everyone felt that they had an influential part in the upbringing of Will. Will just shook his head, hoping that they wouldn't embarrass him too much, but he could feel his face getting warm. Elizabeth looked like she was enjoying the embarrassment of her husband and so did everyone else at the table. It was going to be a while before they got back to the house.
Chapter 27
Elizabeth sat in wonderment as all of the people told her of the antics of the young Will Darcy. She was shocked that her proper and reserved husband had been quite the little troublemaker, and she knew that her husband was not enjoying having all of his mistakes explained. Elizabeth listened as the one older woman told her of the time that Will had gotten lost with his cousin Richard. Elizabeth was all curiosity, so told the woman, Mrs. MacKenzie, to continue.
"Well, Will was probably about ten at the time and he was up for the summer as his family usually was during his childhood. Will and Georgiana would stay with their mother and their father would join them on the weekends since he had business to conduct during the week. Well, this was one week when Will's Aunt and Uncle brought their two boys up for a vacation. I am sure that you must have met Edward and Richard, delightful young men. You must work on getting young Richard a wife Elizabeth. Do you have any sisters?"
"Oh yes, I am the second of five sisters, but I am afraid that those that are not married or spoken for are too young for Richard and Edward, but I am sure that they will not be single for long. They are both most amiable men and I enjoyed their company in New York very much." Elizabeth said with a smile. She liked this woman very much and hoped to see more of her in the future.
"Well not if they have anything to say about it," Will interrupted. "They are determined to remain bachelors."
"I bet they will soon change their minds about that," Elizabeth responded. "From the way the were acting with Coleen and Tabbi, they both seemed very close to changing their minds about their life choices."
Everyone laughed and Elizabeth motioned for Mrs. MacKenzie to finish her story.
"Richard and Will decided that they were going to go exploring and show how grown up they were by going out into the wild all by themselves. Some of the girls from the village wanted to go with them, but they said this was only for men and that girls couldn't handle going out into the wild. They set off and were gone for most of the day. In the afternoon, some of the girls were out playing on one of the hills when they heard someone scream. They ran over to where the scream was coming from and found Will and Richard down a hole. The girls, after they finished laughing at the sad sight that Richard and Will made, helped them out of the hole. Never again did Richard and Will claim that they were better again. I hope that your husband's ego was fixed. I never saw two more embarrassed boys."
Everyone looked at Will who was bright red in the face. Elizabeth put her arm around Will as she laughed with everyone else.
"I must say he did manage to rescue me when I was in danger, so I think that can count for something." Elizabeth said with a knowing look to Will.
Will hugged her and looked deep into her eyes. "You rescued me right back by agreeing to become my wife."
There was an audible sigh from the group and more congratulations circulated. Will stood up and thanked everyone for the kind greeting and mentioned that it was looking more and more like snow and that they really must be returning. Elizabeth said her thank yous and bid everyone goodbye.
In the car, Elizabeth grabbed Will's hand and they remained thus for the entirety of the journey back to the house. It had started to snow lightly, but showed signs of worsening as they drove home. When they pulled up to the house, the snow was coming down fast. They ran for the door and as soon as they were inside, Will made sure everything was ready for the storm. Elizabeth made some hot chocolate and brought it into the living room where Will was waiting. For the rest of the afternoon, they cuddled together on the couch and watched the snowfall outside. It was the most peaceful experience Elizabeth had ever had. They were both perfectly content to just sit there and enjoy the fact that all was right with the world and that all that they had been through together was finally settling down and they looked forward to a long and happy life.
When the hour grew late, Elizabeth got up to start dinner as Will stoked the fireplace and set the table. They enjoyed a simple meal of pasta. Their life was perfect. There were no interruptions of the big city and no noises of traffic out the window. They could enjoy themselves without having to worry about all the problems in the world. They talked of different things to each other and decided on a plan for the rest of their honeymoon. Elizabeth wanted to make sure that they would get to see some of the surrounding area after the storm and Will agreed to take her on a tour of the lochs when the roads were clear.
After dinner they decided on an early night since they were both tired from all of the traveling, so they went upstairs to enjoy their first night in the house as man and wife.