Previous Section, Section III, Next Section

Chapter 19

Posted on Monday, 23 May 2005

What exactly would you say to someone who has just confessed their unending and passionate love to you? I was completely lost for words and confused. I knew how he felt, but I didn't know how I felt. I didn't hate him. I didn't dislike him. I liked him sometimes and I thought he was fine. That was about all I could conclude at that moment in time. So instead of running off, as I would have liked to have done, I told him the truth. "I don't know what to say, Will."

"I understand. I just thought that you had a right to know that someone was thinking about you so often and loved you so much, and I was sick of all the secrecy on my part."

"Thanks, I guess. But, I...I don't know how to reply. I am so confused. My life has been turned upside down about sixty times in the past two months alone and I don't know my own heart."

"You mean that you do not like me."

"I didn't say that."

He laughed an ironic laugh, and said, "But you meant that."

"Will," I cried. "That is totally jumping to conclusions. I thought that I did that a lot, but you are just as bad."

"I beg you, Elizabeth, tell me how you feel about me." He was leaning in towards me and I could almost feel his fine body hovering over mine on the bench. He was trying to look at me and holding his gaze at me so strongly that I could feel the blush creep on my cheek and I had to look away.

I sat there for a few seconds and thought. "I don't hate you, Will. I don't dislike you either. When I first met you, I thought that you were arrogant and rude. Over the course of the next month, you did nothing to prove me wrong and I still thought of you as before. However, the very second I saw you; I felt a huge attraction towards you. I cannot deny that you are the most handsome man that I know..." I could tell that he blushed, even though it was pitch black. He had this aura of shyness that penetrated through him. "...After the trial it was like you were a different person. You were kind, civil and attentive and made me so befuddled that I didn't know what to think. It was like you had changed overnight, and now I know the reasons for this, it makes a bit more sense."

He was total silent. I am sure it was only a couple of seconds but it felt like hours and hours. I tried to change the subject with, "Thank you for the necklace you gave me, and it was the most beautiful of all my presents."

"I didn't know what to get you, so I went to the jewelers and chose the thing which I liked the most."

"You have excellent taste ... May I ask why it was that you decided to meet me out here tonight? It was obviously spontaneous and I had thought that you were a person unlikely to do things in a rush."

"It was Jane's idea."

"Jane?" I questioned, completely unnecessarily. But then, being in the presence of someone you fancy so much does ... I did not just say fancy. I didn't say it, it's not true.

"Yes," he continued. "Your sister came up to me and said, 'I know how you feel about Lizzy.' I had tried to deny it, but then she said, 'You may be able to hide it from her, but I can see through all of it.' I asked her what to do. I was certain that you hated me and that it would be a waste of time to bother telling you, but she said that you would prefer to know and then suggested that I ask to meet you, like I have done."

"Who would have thought it? Jane scheming? Impossible!"

William laughed and said that he didn't think it possible either.

"However, now that you mention it, Jane didn't seem that surprised that I was going for a late night walk. I was confused at the time, so I didn't really pick up on it."

"Elizabeth, I am starting to worry. You seem to have been spending a large amount of your time being confused lately!"

I looked at him, a bit insulted and he obviously detected that I hadn't got his joke and told me that he was only joking and that he didn't think anything could confuse me. Slightly embarrassed by his last remark, I looked around at the beautiful, wintry, night sky.

"The stars are so beautiful tonight, William. I am almost tempted to sleep under them tonight."

"Why don't we?"

"WHAT?" I cried, amused and shocked by his suggestion.

"Why not, Elizabeth? All we need is a couple of sleeping bags and some warmer clothing. It isn't that cold out here tonight."

"You're mad!" I accused him of. "That is the sort of insane and spontaneous idea that I would come up with!"

"You seem to think that I am such a bore, and I am determined to prove that I am the opposite of that to you."

"Ok then." I found myself agreeing to his crazy plan and walking the few metres back to my parent's house to grab sleeping bags and blankets. I didn't know what was going on in this mans head, but perhaps now that he had confessed all to me, he would feel slightly more at ease than before.

Despite my attempts to get back into the house and locate some sleeping bags from my Girl Guiding days unnoticed, it seemed that Jane had waited up for me. She insisted on knowing where I had been all this time.

"I went to meet William, as you are well aware, Jane."

"Lizzy, I have no idea what you mean."

"Very funny, Jane. I know how your mind works better than you do yourself. Will told me about how you had put him up to it."

I ran upstairs, knowing that Jane had followed me. I started tearing out things in my cupboards and wardrobe trying to locate sleeping bags.

"What on earth are you doing?" Jane asked me cautiously, as if I was an escaped nut from the madhouse.

"Trying to find the sleeping bags. Do you know where they are?"

"Yeah ... In the garage I think."

I ran out of the room like an insane elephant, apparently waking everyone up as I went, because my father came out of his room wearing a dressing gown yelling, "What on earth is all this racquet for? Elizabeth. Slow down when you're trampling around the corridors at eleven at night."

"Sorry, Dad." I apologised and then slowed down, waiting until he had shaken his head and then gone back into his room before running again.

Jane was still chasing after me wondering what on earth I was doing. "Lizzy, are you ok? What did Will say to you?" She seemed slightly scared at my weird behaviour.

"Oh, you know, the usual. He confessed his undying love for me, how he couldn't live without me and all that."

"Aren't you taking this a little bit lightly, Elizabeth? It's not everyday that you find out someone is in love with you!"

"Jane, at the mad pace that everything has been going recently, I would not be surprised if I ended up in Greta Green tomorrow."

"Elizabeth, you are worrying me. Where has the safe, sensible sister I always knew gone?"

"I have never been sensible or safe. I am off now to find some sleeping bags and groundsheets so that I can go back to the park where Will is waiting for me so that we can sleep under the stars tonight, as per his suggestion."

"Are you out of your mind? You will freeze to death!"

I stopped my mad running around the house for a second, turned to look at Jane and said with complete seriousness (which the comment did not deserve), "But Jane, you forget, I have William to keep me warm."

Jane's eyes widened and she looked at me as if I was a complete stranger saying, "Who are you and what have you done with my sister? The sister who hates William Darcy more than anyone else. The sister that refuses to believe in romantic things such as midnight stargazing and the sister who promised to restart her life without men."

"I promised to start without men? Was I drunk?"

We had reached the garage, and I had started looking through all the junk that my parents had left to pile up in there. There wasn't actually a car in there, contrary to most peoples' belief that that was what garages were actually for. It was just cluttered with junk and boxes full of stuff that no one was ever going to use again.

"Jane, where are the sleeping bags?"

I could tell that she didn't want to tell me, but Jane, sensible as she was, was the kindest person I knew and she was unable to know something and not share it with someone who wanted to know. I hated using my sister in this way, but it had to be done if I wanted Will to still be there waiting for me.

"They are in that box over there, in the far corner."

I found two sleeping bags, picked up a few blankets from upstairs and found a groundsheet lying around that we could sleep on. I ran upstairs again, and then hearing my father shout "Elizabeth," I walked along the corridor until I got to my room, where I changed into warmer and older clothes, not wanting to ruin the beautiful top I had been given by Jane.

Clad in boots, six sweatshirts, leggings and jeans, I felt like an Eskimo...Sorry, Inuit but at least I felt very warm. I grabbed all my stuff and ran out the door, shouting goodbye. In a strange, but not currently infrequent feeling of affection for William, I ran towards the park quicker than I usually would have done when carrying 2 sleeping bags, four blankets and a groundsheet.

Will came rushing towards me again, ever the gentleman and took the blankets out of my hands so that at least I could see where I was going.

"I missed you," he said, "What took you so long?"

"I was having a lecture from mother Jane," I replied sarcastically. I told him what Jane had said, and he laughed at what I had said about him keeping me warm. It struck me as the kind of laugh that said, "I'm laughing even though it's not funny, because I really wish that would happen." But then I was probably wrong.

"Are you sure that you want to do this? Don't feel that you have to prove yourself someone who isn't boring, I do believe you now!"

"No, this is going to be fun ... Unless you don't want to?"

"Of course I do!" It was going to be fun. It was a bit like camping in your back garden when you were ten years old. Except I wasn't ten. Obviously.

We set to work on how we were going to sleep. It seemed that we had the same plan in our head as to how everything was going to be arranged, and we worked together, laughing and joking and set up everything. The groundsheet was placed in the middle of the field of grass, where we could see the sky at its best. We put two blankets out, one each, and then put the two sleeping bags on top of them. The third and fourth blankets were going to be used when we were in the sleeping bags and freezing cold.

We got in the bags and lay facing each other. I was sensing another moment in which anything could happen. The moonlight was shining through the clouds and Will's face was lit. He was looking at me longingly, gazing into my eyes. I leaned further towards him, yanking my sleeping bag with me. He got closer, and I licked my lips unconsciously waiting for his kiss but he suddenly jumped slightly and then looked up to the sky. "Elizabeth, we didn't think this through properly." As soon as he had said it I understood his meaning, because suddenly the heavens opened and it poured with rain.

Chapter 20

Posted on Monday, 23 May 2005

We were screaming and laughing like giddy schoolgirls as the rain pounded heavily down on us. We grabbed all the stuff and headed towards a shelter which looked like a cross between a bandstand and a conservatory. I suddenly felt like Liezl from the Sound of Music, when she sang her song about being sixteen and going on seventeen, after it started raining and she and Rolf ran into the shelter. Except I wasn't sixteen ... Or seventeen.

"My God, Elizabeth, I'm soaking!"

"I know me too!"

If it had just been me, and I had been on my own caught out in the rain as I was trying to camp without a tent, I would have been thinking about how crap my life was and on a rant as to how everyone was luckier than I was and how it was typical that this sort of thing would happen to me and not someone else. But with William there, everything just seemed really funny and we slumped to the ground of the not-bandstand in hysterical laughter.

The rain was thumping loudly on the shelter and it seemed that it might turn into hail it was so strong. I gradually managed to calm myself down and stop behaving so immaturely. Will did as well, and I got my sleeping bag and lay on the floor inside it. William, ever cautious just stood there uselessly. "I don't bite Will. Come and lie next to me."

He did the same, and we sat staring at each other as we had done before it started raining. I decided to speak and start a conversation. It was clear that neither of us were actually going to sleep that night. "Will. I don't know anything about you. I feel like I am falling in love with a complete stranger. Tell me about you."

I missed my faux pas but he didn't. "What did you just say?" he asked me in a cheeky way that I didn't understand.

"I asked you to tell me about yourself," I said, completely sincerely.

"What else did you say, in the middle of the sentence?"

I thought back, and would have covered my mouth with my hand, if my hand hadn't been trapped inside the sleeping bag. Instead, to show my shame, I stuck my head inside my sleeping bag, so that only the brown curls were showing.

"Come out Elizabeth." I shook my head and pouted. Then I stopped pouting because I realised that I was pouting to myself and he couldn't see me so it was a waste of time. Instead, I was smiling a silly smile, wondering why I had voiced my thoughts out loud.

I could feel William get closer to me and hear his breath over my head. "Elizabeth, I heard you. There is no use denying it now." I slowly lifted my head out of my makeshift hideaway and looked at him as innocently as I could manage. "You are determined to make me pay," I chided him like a little girl.

"On the contrary, Elizabeth. I am determined to make you realise that there is no shame in what you just admitted."

"What do you want me to do?"

"The answer to it lies in admitting it to yourself. Now that you have done that, I just need to hear it once more."

"WHAT?"

"Just say it Elizabeth. For my benefit."

I gave up the game that I was playing. "William Darcy, I think that I am falling in love with you." Then he smiled at me charmingly. Then he kissed me.

It was a sweet kiss. The type that makes you feel like a butterfly high in the sky. He kissed me sweetly and gently, in a way that promised more, but showed the simplicity and thought into the action. He brought his hands up to my face and stroked my cheeks as he sealed the kiss with two little kisses on my lips.

"William," I said breathlessly.

"What?" he asked, his fervour meaning he lacked the usual polite manners he owned.

"Do that again."

He kissed me again and again. My lips were actually starting to feel bruised. Neither of us noticed that the rain had stopped until we realised where this kissing session might have lead to had we not been in the middle of a public park, dressed like we were in the Antarctic, and was I not aware that my sister Jane was standing in her window watching everything.

"Will ... Will..." I finally got his attention and he looked into my eyes, his full of strong desire and I said, "We have to stop."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. It's not that ... Well, what I mean is ... It's just that it is far too soon for me."

He nodded and smiled and made me remember why it was I liked him so much when he said, "I understand."

"I had better go back." I said, the unwillingness showing on my face like a beggar in a ball. "Where are you staying?"

"The Yeoman Hotel."

"Come and see me tomorrow. I'll miss you."

"I promise I will."

We both stood up and picked up all the things. Apart from being very disappointed not to continue my affairs with Will, I was really sad that I couldn't stay out there all night. He walked me to my front door, the third gentlemanly thing that he had done that evening ... Oh no, it was the fourth! Anyway. He kissed me goodnight in a way that left me begging for more, and I reluctantly opened the door and entered the house that I had left an hour beforehand with a half grin and a half frown on my face. The grin was because I had been kissing with Will Darcy in the park, and the frown was because I had only been kissing with Will Darcy in the park.

After I had got over the initial shock of my antics, I went into the darkened living room, turned on the light and collapsed melodramatically onto a sofa. I heard the clock strike midnight and sighed with a cheeky smile on my face and said, to no one but myself, "What a fabulous way to end a birthday."

I slowly got up and looked out of the window. The moon and the streetlights allowed me to see Will, walking very slowly almost in a dream. I knocked on the window, and it was so silent in the streets that he heard it, even from 100 metres away. I blew him a little kiss, and he blew one back and did a gallant bow. I laughed and waved goodnight. My knight in shining armour.

"Elizabeth, we need to talk." Jane was behind me and was speaking in an unusually stern voice.

"Yes Jane."

"What, no arguments or sarcastic comments dearest?"

"Nope."

"Look, Lizzy. I know that you have been under stress and have had to deal with this business with George and everything, but I also know that you have put it all behind you now. The thing that was worrying me was that ... Well, us. You and I have always been the closest of sisters and friends, but over the past three months, something has changed. I know that I have got engaged, and you have been involved in a high court trial, but we don't seem to be bonding as well or as closely as I have always loved. I shouldn't complain, because I have a brilliant fiancé and a lovely new home and family-in-law, but I feel as if our family, the Bennets, well we are all falling apart. Mum and Dad don't talk to each other, you are the most secretive person I know and we haven't been speaking like we used to, Kitty is living 200 miles away, and Mary has only just come back from Albania where she has been for the past two years."

Poor Jane. My poor sister had been suffering so much. Her eyes we streaming with tears when she finished. Sweet and simple Jane. I should have known that she would be the one who couldn't cope. I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. "Look Jane. I love you so much! You're the best sister ever but you have to realise that we cannot always be around each other. You and Charles are getting married! Your loyalties lie with him first, then the Bennet clan. Don't worry about me, I always manage."

Jane nodded reluctantly and sniffed in. "But what about Mum and Dad?"

"Jane, I know that you like to care about everyone, but it isn't anything to do with us really. Do you know what Dad told me when he first came to my apartment after he left her? He told me that the reason they married was because Mum was pregnant."

"But I'm...."

"Exactly what I said. He told me that their son had died after only a week."

"They didn't tell us?"

"Jane our family is full of secrets. We were all close as we were growing up, but now ... None of us shares our deepest feelings and worries with each other any more. I didn't tell anyone about what happened with George, Mum and Dad didn't say about our brother, Kitty hasn't spoken to us for months and months and Mary has been in Albania for 2 years. I am starting to notice a pattern, Jane."

"Well, let's stop that pattern from now on. Elizabeth, what is going on between you and Will Darcy?"

I was about to start saying "Oh, nothing at all," when Jane gave me a look that said, "Don't lie to me, I am trying to chat with my sister" and I felt all guilty and worried so instead I said, "Come on Jane, come to my room and we can chat like the old days!"

Jane smiled and we ran up the stairs like four year olds again. My Dad shouted, "ELIZABETH" again, and I shouted "Sorry Dad!" again. We collapsed on my bed and laughed together. I really felt a teenager once more.

"So, spill it all, Ms Secretive."

"Ok," I started, "Well. I was told by Anne Darcy this evening that Will really liked me and that he had written things like, "Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy" and "I love Elizabeth" all over his diary!"

Jane let out an appropriate squeal here. Obviously, she understood the significance of having a man write sentimental stuff about you on his diary. We were also both on a bit of a high.

"Right, so then I was opening all my presents later on in my room, and I thought I had finished but then there was one which was almost put in the bin but I caught it in time and opened the present first. It was this gorgeous necklace."

I took the necklace from underneath my Eskimo jumper, and Jane gasped. "That is absolutely beautiful," she said, "That is so perfect for you."

"Will gave it to me. I loved it as soon as I saw it, and put it on straight away. Of course, I didn't realise that it was from Will until I opened the card and it said, "Love from Will." Then, there was a little note inside the card asking me to meet him, which was obviously all your idea..."

"I'm sorry I interfered, Lizzy. It's just that he told me what he felt for you at the party, and I said that he would have to tell you because I knew that you would want to know, and then he asked me if I thought you would be willing to go on a midnight stroll and I told him that I thought it was a brilliant idea."

"I'm glad you talked to him about it ... he might never have told me that he loved me otherwise."

"How utterly romantic!" she sighed dramatically.

"It was. Well at the time it wasn't, but ... Oh my God! It has only been two hours since he told me. Not even that! Whoa! It seems like ages! After he had told me, it was all a bit uncomfortable, and I made a comment about sleeping under the stars. He said we should do, and that is when I came home to get the sleeping bags and all the camping stuff. As we were lying under the stars, it suddenly started to rain, and we ran for shelter. When we were sitting in the shelter, I said to him, "I feel like I am falling in love with a man that I know nothing about" and he noticed what I had accidentally said before I did. After a bit of teasing on his part, he kissed me."

"Oh my word, Lizzy. How perfect! Nothing else happened did it?"

"No. I wanted it to though."

"Lizzy!" my sensible older sister abolished.

"I told him I had to go. It would have been too soon."

"That was a very sensible thing to do, darling."

Sensible, but stupid. I was missing his kisses already. He had made me feel so special and loved as he held me close to him in the middle of the park. I forgot all about the troubles and cares that I had had before that day, and concentrated on being loved.

"There was something that I wanted to ask you Lizzy,"

"Yes Jane?"

"Will you be my chief bridesmaid?"

I gave Jane a sweet smile and hugged her as I said, "Jane, nothing would make me happier than to stand up with you at your wedding."

Chapter 21

Posted on Thursday, 26 May 2005

I woke up early after having many, many unrepeatable dreams about Will, which even I blushed about. And that is saying something. I got dressed quickly, into some scruffy clothes because for the first time in about five years I was looking forward to Christmas which was only 2 days away.

No one else was awake as I strolled downstairs and made myself a cup of coffee. I was really in some sort of trance as I stirred and stirred the coffee into a little whirlpool. I didn't see my sister Kitty enter the room in her dressing gown and so I jumped when she said, "Elizabeth, what on earth are you doing?"

"I'm drinking coffee," I replied after I had recovered from the surprise.

"Lizzy, its half past five in the morning."

"I know that."

"After how late you and Jane were giggling away last night, I'm surprised that you can open your eyes at this time."

"I'm sorry, Kitty. Did we keep you awake?" I said, in a genuinely concerned voice.

"No. I was talking to..." she stopped very suddenly, as if she realised she was about to announce a big secret.

"Talking to whom, Kitty? Eh? Jack was it?"

"Maybe..."

"Aha!" I interrupted, "Kitty and Jack, up the tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Lizzy, how old are you? You're acting like you have just turned seven, not twenty-seven. I think you need to go back to sleep!"

"Hey!" I said trying to look like I was offended. "I'm only joking, darling! I think it's great that you have found someone that you like. Just be careful, you don't want to end up like me, totally reliable on one guy at such a young age."

"Lizzy, stop thinking about it. Just move on and forget about it."

"Hmm. I have moved on, but I don't think I will ever forget it. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I promise I will be careful."

I smiled and took a sip out of my coffee, as Kitty said to me, "Done all your shopping then?"

"Yes...Oh no. Not all of it." I had finished shopping until I remembered that I hadn't got Will anything at all. I had briefly considered getting him a present when I had done my Christmas shopping about three weeks ago, but I hadn't expected him to be in Hertfordshire, let alone that he would have been declaring his love or that I would be reciprocating

"Will you come into the town with me later so I can get the last couple of things?"

"I would, in fact I would love to, but I promised Jack that I would meet him so we can exchange presents and that."

"Ooh, where?"

"In Coventry."

"That's quite far to go. It's a little bit of a random area."

"It's ... Well, I'm meeting his parents."

"His parents? Wow!" I gasped, excited for her. "You must be serious about each other?"

"Sort of."

"Don't worry about it, Kitty." I said, understanding her concern and worry. "I guess that is why you are up so early." She nodded slightly, reminding me of myself at her age. Kitty is very like me in looks. Well, she is the closest to me. Jane has beautiful, long, blonde hair. Mary has short, blonde hair. Kitty and I both have very dark, curly, brown hair and she is almost as tall as me, whereas Jane and Mary are both quite short.

I hugged my nervous sister, poured her a cup of coffee and told her that it would all be fine. That left me with the problem of shopping for Will. What was I going to buy him? I was useless at buying presents for people like Jane and my father, let alone sexy men, but it had been so long since I had to buy a Christmas present for a man that I liked romantically that I didn't even have a clue what to get him.

Kitty left at around eight as she wanted to get to Coventry quite early. No one else was yet up and I sat at the kitchen table contemplating whether I should eat a fourth croissant or not. The phone rang and I grabbed it quickly so that it didn't wake up anyone who was still asleep. "Hello," I said chirpily.

"Hi. This is Charles can I speak to Jane please?"

"Of course, hang on a second Charles."

I covered my hand over the speaker and yelled up the stairs, "JANE, YOUR LOVER BOY IS ON THE PHONE! JAAAAANIE! LOVER BOY! JANIE, QUICK, LOVER BOY IS DYING TO TALK TO YOU!"

After I had yelled this about sixty times, Jane came bounding down the stairs in a pretty pink nightgown and almost snatched the phone off me.

"Thanks Lizzy," and she then said, "Hello?" as if she was not excited that he was calling her.

"Yes, I've heard it all," she said after a moments pause. "I know! It's fantastic, isn't it? What time are you coming around today?" Another minute pause here, "Ok then, I'll see you around nine-thirty then." She smiled a silly grin here and then said happily, "I love you too. Bye!"

I looked at Jane knowingly as she put the phone back on the receiver and sighed. "Where is he Jane and why aren't you with him?"

She blushed and smiled at the same time. "He is in a hotel, because I promised I would stay here with all our family, and the house isn't big enough for Charles and his sisters to stay here as well."

"You mean your bed isn't big enough."

"Elizabeth!" I loved making my sweet sister embarrassed, but this time she managed to accept the discussion and said, "That as well."

We laughed together and hugged each other close. Jane looked outside and saw that Kitty's car had gone and asked me where she was. "She has gone to Coventry today," I replied. Jane gave me an inquisitive look and I continued with, "To meet the parents of her boyfriend, Jack."

"Wow," Jane replied.

"That is exactly what I said."

"It seems that Mary is the only one out of us who isn't in a serious relationship."

"What do you mean? I am not in one."

Jane smiled secretly and said, "That's what you think."

"Whatever, Jane." I held up my hand and said, "Talk to the hand, `cause the face isn't listening."

"If that is so, then what is your reaction to the fact that he is coming over in an hour and you haven't washed your hair, you're wearing scruffy clothes and you have croissant crumbs on your mouth?"

"Oh crap!"

I ran up the stairs whilst Jane laughed her graceful head off and my Dad who was coming out of his room yelled, "Lizzy, stop running, the house is going to break at the rate you are going."

"Sorry Dad!"

"Stop, Lizzy!" he ordered and I slowed down and halted next to him. "I'm worried," he continued, "you have been behaving like some giddy schoolgirl all of last night and this morning. I know you were up at five this morning. Now tell me what the matter is."

"Nothing is the matter, Dad. I am just excited about Christmas and everything."

My father didn't look convinced, but sighed and said, "Off you go then love." I then ran straight to my room and began to search for something to wear, because Mary was in the shower. It seemed that nothing in my wardrobe would do. In the end I had to settle for the best thing that I could and lay out a white polo neck jumper to contrast with my dark curls, and a pair of black, low cut jeans, which made me feel quite sexy, even if I didn't think they looked so.

At ten past nine, the clock cult was kicking in again as I kept on watching the time nervously and I ended up having to bang on the door to the bathroom, yelling at Mary to hurry up, "Come on, girl! I know it's dirty in Albania, and you haven't had a wash for a while, but that doesn't mean you can deprive me of my shower."

Mary came out a moment later, covering herself with a towel and said, "Boy, Liz what is your problem?" Jane was walking past from her room, after getting dressed and looking like an angel as usual and started singing, "Love is in the air." Mary laughed and I went to grab for Jane, but being smaller than me, she managed to get away. I just sighed melodramatically and said, "No-one understands me!"

I had a shower as quickly as I could and managed to tame my mop of curls into something that resembled a hairstyle. I got dressed into the prearranged outfit which fitted quite well whilst listening to the radio and singing along. I didn't have to put any makeup on, because even though I only had about five hours sleep, I looked and felt fresh. I was just putting on the beautiful necklace from Will when I heard the doorbell ring.

I looked out of the window and saw Will's car in the driveway. I could see the heads of three people standing at the door, two men and a woman. Someone, presumably Jane answered the door and let them all in, because then she yelled very loudly, so that the entire house could hear, "ELIZABETH, YOUR LOVER BOY IS HERE! QUICK, LIZZY, YOUR LOVER BOY IS DYING TO TALK TO YOU!!!"

I could have killed Jane. At least when I had yelled it, the man I was yelling about wasn't in the room. Or the house for that matter. "SHUT UP, JANE." I yelled back as I descended the stairs to see Mary, Jane and Anne giggling, Charles smiling and William looking embarrassed.

William looked sexy and gorgeous, as per usual and Mary just scoffed whilst we were staring at each other's eyes. They all walked into the living room and sat down as Will took my hands and said, "Good morning, Elizabeth. I trust you had sweet dreams."

I looked at him in a very brazen and suggestive manner and he laughed and kissed me good morning. Unfortunately, this just happened to be as my father was leaving the kitchen in order to go and sit in the living room. He saw me and looked very, very shocked. My mother looked less shocked and more delighted as she had finally decided to grace the morning with her presence and saw us as she descended the stairs.

Will noticed them as well, and was starting to look embarrassed again, so to save another of those awkward moments, I decided to speak. "Mum, Dad, this is William Darcy. He...umm, he represented me and the paper at the trials, but I don't think you have met him yet."

"No, indeed we haven't, Lizzy. It is very nice to meet you, William."

"And you, Mr. Bennet."

"Andrew, please," my father requested. He didn't look as happy as his voice was actually letting Will believe. My mother on the other hand, was very much in awe of this man and perhaps due to what had happened after the last time she had ventured her true opinions at Jane's party, she managed to keep quite silent.

"Will has brought his sister with him. Anne is quite a friend of mine. In fact, I need to speak to her about some shopping together." I turned around and walked into the living room where Jane, Mary, Anne and Charles were sitting together. Will followed, leaving both of my parents stunned and still standing together by the stairs.

"Anne, I was wondering if you would do me a favour," I said after we had all been chatting amicably for about ten minutes.

"Of course," she replied sweetly in a Jane-like-manner.

"You don't know what it is yet! It could be, 'will you go and clean my car or something!'

The room laughed and she replied, quite bravely for somebody so shy, "If you like, I will."

"What, whilst standing in nothing but an apron?"

"Maybe not."

"I'm only joking. I wanted to ask you if you would mind coming shopping with me later on. There are a few last minute things that I need to get, and my sisters both have appalling taste."

"Hey!" Jane and Mary replied in unison and Mary threw a cushion at my head.

"You too can come as well if you like; I just want to make sure that Anne is there too."

"Why don't we all go?" suggested William, ever the genius. "Let's make a day of it?"

I gave Anne and Jane sitting opposite me a glance that said, "Help, I really, really need to buy his present" and also mouthed the word "present" while gesturing to Will and Anne said, "Good idea, Will, but we will have to split at one point, because I need get something small for you."

I breathed again and smiled thankfully at Anne. Will then said, "Something small?" in a teasing voice.

"Yes, Will," I said, "because a little bird told us all that you haven't behaved very well this year, so you are lucky if Father Christmas comes at all."

He gave me a very impertinent look and said, "Is that so? What about you, have you been good this year, Elizabeth?"

"I'm always good," I replied, just before I got up and kissed him on the forehead.

"We'll see about that," he muttered so that only I could hear.

"I'll go and tell Mum and Dad where we are going."

Chapter 22

Posted on Thursday, 26 May 2005

I stood outside the kitchen door and listened as my parents talked together. They were having quite an awkward moment as I arrived there, and even though I couldn't see them, I knew they both wanted to say something to each other. My mother, I had noticed, had been very unlike her usual self since her and my father had spilt up, she had been more resigned and less obvious with her opinions.

"Andrew," she started.

"Yes, Harriet?"

"I wanted to say, that I am very sorry about what I said at Jane's birthday."

"Really?" my father said in a tone that I didn't like at all.

"Yes. It was wrong of me to speak so plainly."

"Rudely, more like."

"Fine. Rudely then. I'm sorry."

I was so proud of my Mum for apologising like she had done. She was such a proud person, who could not admit she was ever wrong, and she had done so and I could tell that she actually meant it.

"I know about you and Eileen Long and I wanted to say that I don't blame you for running off to her."

"Nothing is happening between Eileen and me."

"But my sister said that you were living with her."

"I was. Until today anyway."

"I don't understand."

"Well," he began, "We were together, I suppose, but it ended after a few days, because it didn't feel right. Her husband came home last week anyway, so I was staying with both of them in their spare room and I came back here, not only for Christmas, but to see if you would mind if I stayed here. In the spare room of course."

"Andrew, this is your house too. Of course you can stay here."

Hurrah! My parents were making progress. I knew that if we just left them to it, they would sort themselves out. I walked into the kitchen, praying that they weren't in some sort of embrace, but thankfully they weren't, and my mother just had a smile on her face as she made the tea.

"Hey, Mum, Dad," I said as I walked over to the fridge to get a glass of orange juice.

"Elizabeth," said my father in the 'what have you been up to?' tone of voice.

"Yes Dad?" I replied as sweetly and innocently as I could possibly muster.

"What on earth is going on between you and that man? I thought that you absolutely hated him."

"Yes, Lizzy," added my mother, "I hope that you haven't taken my words about finding a husband as quickly as possible too much to heart. I do want you to love and respect your partner, as well you know."

My father and I looked at each other in shock as we heard what this woman who used to be so brash and loud in her opinions about finding and catching a husband as soon as we could. I think we were both thinking something along the lines of, "where has this sensible woman come from? Which aliens abducted the real Harriet Bennet?"

My Dad recovered first and said, "Yes, Lizzy. I agree with your mother. Why all of a sudden are you staring at each other lovingly and kissing in the middle of the hall when only yesterday, I was sure that you disliked him. 'He is proud and disagreeable' were your words about him. How can your feelings have changed so quickly?"

"Dad, I am twenty seven years old. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself and choosing my own company."

"Your father and I are only trying to look out for you Elizabeth. After what happened last time, you need to be careful."

"LAST TIME?" I yelled, insulted. "You think that the last person I went out with was George Wickham? I have had plenty of other romances and relationships, mother and, incidentally, it was 6 years ago that I fell for George. I believe that I have matured since then."

"Elizabeth, calm down girl." My father was trying to keep the peace in the house and stop all hell breaking loose.

"Calm down, after you have just insulted William, one of the most important people in my life and..."

"Hang on, Lizzy," interrupted my Dad, "I did not insult him. I simply said what you said only a few weeks ago. So don't accuse me of insulting him when I have barely said ten words to the man."

"It's strange that you seem to like him very much almost overnight is the point your father is trying to make, Lizzy." My mother added, her newly acquired sensibility starting to annoy me.

"Mother, since when have you cared one bit about who I like, as long as he is rich and he proposes to me? Since last week! The only reason that you are on Dad's side is because you want to get back together with him and you want to show him that you actually do know how to think rationally and not parrot on like you normally do. 'Elizabeth, you are twenty-seven and you still are not married. Hurry up now and just grab a man and have some kids' is all you have been saying since I was about fifteen. You are such a hypocrite to go parading around like I am the one who has done something wrong when I am doing exactly what you have been telling me to do for the past 12 years."

"That is enough, Lizzy. Your mother and I are not saying that you have done anything wrong at all. We are simply concerned that you are rushing things."

"Oh, but I'm twenty seven...I have to rush things before I become barren and unable to beget him a son and heir," I said sarcastically.

"For God's sake, Elizabeth," shouted my father, "What is the matter with you? It has only been a few weeks since you had to admit to us all what happened with George Wickham, that cad and all we want to do is ensure that you know what you are doing."

They were really making me mad, even though in a tiny and reasonable part of my brain I knew what they were doing and understood their concern. But I was twenty-seven! I might have acted like a child 6 years ago, but I was fully matured by now.

"Fine. Just be assured that I am quite aware of what I am doing. At my age, you had had three children and were already lying to two of them about the existence of the third one."

"That is just damn insensitive, Elizabeth," said my father, his patience wearing thin.

My mother added, "And hypocritical coming from someone who concealed for five years the fact that she had been raped."

"You wonder why I concealed it from you! What a laugh. I could never trust you enough to tell you what happened. Knowing you, you would do some sort of advertisement in the paper, asking for a rich man's sympathy for your raped and suffering daughter."

"Elizabeth, we are going off topic." Dad interrupted again, "I want to tell you what I believe. I think that you are aware of William's feelings for you and that you are reciprocating them because you feel gratitude for what he did by helping you in the trials against Wickham."

Tears came to my eyes after my father said this. Couldn't he see that I truly liked William? That I almost loved William? He was hurting me and I replied with, "Believe what you want, Dad but I am a grown woman and absolutely NOTHING you say will ever affect what I do. SO if you are on some sort of campaign against Will or me, and have been trying to persuade me to say no to a relationship, then you have just wasted ten minutes of your life."

I stormed out of the room, tears about to fall, doing what I always do when I want to cry; going away from other people and not let them see that they have hurt me as much as they really have done. I banged straight into a hard object which was standing by the door and looking into Will's eyes and holding him tight to me, I said, "Did you hear what they said?"

"Yes..."he sounded like he wanted to continue, but was not brave enough to, "They are only looking out for you Lizzy, you know. I'm not taking their side, certainly not, but they only want what is best for you, sweetheart."

"I know," I muffled and cried into his chest. "I know. I shouldn't have been so rude to them. Do you think that they will forgive me?"

"Of course they will. They love you. Everyone makes mistakes and regrets them after."

"Even you?" I laughed, remembering this conversation before.

"Even me, darling."

He held me tight and then wiped away my tears as I wondered what on earth was wrong with me. I had just lashed out at my parents for doing nothing but showing their concern for me. I was being really emotional. Maybe I was pregnant? Oh wait, Lizzy! You have to have slept with someone to be pregnant silly!

I went in to my parents to apologise. They did accept my apology, but it was quite reluctantly done. Especially from my mother who I had obviously offended the most. I was rewarded with a kiss from Will when no-one was looking, who being proud himself, understood the difficulty in apologising when you were sure that you were in the right really.

We couldn't all fit into one car to go to the big shopping centre in the town nearby, so we went in two cars and set a meeting place. Will, Anne and I went in Will's very snazzy Ferrari, and Charles, Jane and Mary went in Charles's equally snazzy Jaguar. Conversation was pretty dry on the way up, with Anne feeling her usual shy self, me thinking about and regretting the horrible things that I had said to my parents and Will lacking the talent of conversation starter. Luckily the radio was on, so we could all be pretending to be listening to the man's cheesy Christmas jokes.

When we all got there, we split up. Jane, Charles and Will went off together and Anne, Mary and I went off in the other direction. Jane's job with the guys was to ensure that neither of them came into the paths of us or decided to try and find us earlier than we had agreed. It also gave her much wanted time with Charles, as William would not get in their way as much as all of us would have done.

I was in a huge dilemma. I had no idea what to get Will at all. Something classier than socks, something less insulting than deodorant like aftershave or similar and something less feminine than jewellery. It wasn't like buying for someone else, where I would know certainly not to buy them books, or earrings, I hadn't even got a clue as to where to start. I felt that I had to get him something really nice after he had bought me a beautiful present for my birthday.

"Anne, you have to help me. I don't know what to buy Will!"

"All we have to do is browse, and you will know when you find the right thing."

"But that could take hours, I'm very picky."

"Come on, we are wasting our time just standing here then aren't we?" added Mary who had been quite reluctant to come shopping at all.

We had two hours to find him a perfect present, and then we were going to meet with the others and do a swap of people so we had an opportunity to get any last minute things for those we hadn't bought for.

For Will, I decided to go for a sort of selection of nice things that I found as opposed to just one present. I had already bought for everyone else except Anne, but judging that she wouldn't be a very difficult person to buy for; I didn't panic and found some nice things for Will that Anne agreed he would like. I got Will a silver Adidas watch, with a blue dial which I thought looked stylish but not so stylish that it would make him look feminine or gay. It cost quite a lot at £80, but I wasn't worried, because although I didn't want to spend lots of money, I had liked this watch when I first saw it and that was the most important thing. I also got him a Parker style posh writing pen which had his initials on.

Anne, Mary and I had gone into the stationary shop and sort of drifted apart as we looked around, and I saw these pens spread out and thought that one would be nice for Will. They only had a selection of initials though, because you were supposed to order the ones that you wanted. I called Anne over to show her and said, "It is a shame they do not have any WD's. I will just have to buy him a plain one."

Anne had smiled and said, "That won't be necessary."

"Why?"

"Because Will's real initials are FD."

"FD?" I replied, surprised he had told us his name was William when it wasn't really. "F for?"

"Fitzwilliam."

"Why doesn't he leave it at that? I think that is a lovely name. It's rare but not too silly or pompous."

"He thinks that it does sound pompous. No one has ever called him Fitzwilliam, except our parents when they were alive. It is a tradition in our family that the first born son of the first born son is named Fitzwilliam."

"I wish our family had traditions! So," I said looking at a pen which had FD on it, "Looks like I will be able to buy him one after all!"

So I got him the pen with FD on its lid, the watch and also a really nice pair of trainers, because Anne said that he hardly ever wore trainers and needed to get out and about more and it would encourage him to wear them if I bought them. I made sure that the shoes were not too much like sports shoes, so he could wear them as casual as well.

It had only been two hours, but we girls were knackered after traipsing around the shopping mall, so we sat down in the prearranged meeting place (which thankfully happened to be a café) and got ourselves some drinks. A few moments later, we saw William walking quite quickly towards us. Just as he was approaching the table, Jane and Charles came into sight, looking all loved up and making me feel very sorry for Will who had just spent two hours in their company.

"Save me!" he joked as I got up and offered him my chair as he looked more tired than me. He sat down and I was about to move and steal a chair from another table when he grabbed my by the waist and ignoring my squeals, placed me on his lap.

"Please let me spent the rest of the day with you, Elizabeth," he whispered into my ear.

"Of course," I whispered back.

Chapter 23

Posted on Sunday, 29 May 2005

Will and I took everyone's shopping back to his car. I made sure to carry his own presents as well as Anne's little extra something that she had got him. As we put the stuff in the boot of the car, he said to me, "Did you buy me anything, Lizzy?"

"Maybe," I replied nonchalantly. "Then again maybe not."

"I got you a present."

"Really? What is it?"

"Come into the car and I will show you," he said in a very suggestive manner.

"I couldn't possibly when it isn't Christmas yet."

"It isn't a Christmas present silly. Never mind, I will just give it to you here."

"Ok then."

"Close your eyes."

I closed my eyes obediently and waited for him to say that I could open them again. I heard rustling of a carrier bag or something and waited as patiently as I could. I suddenly felt his lips attacking mine seductively and his hands shoot around my waist protectively. I opened my eyes only to see him attached to my face involved in a romantic onslaught of my lips. We stood kissing in the middle of the car park and due to the fact that it was two days before Christmas and people were late getting their shopping done, we got several beeping horns.

I was certainly beginning to enjoy the sudden spontaneous kisses that my new love interest was quite frequently dishing out. It felt so wonderful to be on the receiving end of such attentions from a man who I had once called "proud, haughty and rude!"

A good ten minutes passed before we realised that it had been ten minutes and that the others were waiting for us and the food they had ordered us had probably gone cold. When we finally got back to the café they were sitting at when we left, we walked in hand in hand to find that the others had gone. A waiter approached us and said, "Excuse me are you Mr. Darcy?" to Will obviously, not me. After Will's nod, he continued, "A Mr. Bingley and his party said that they had gone off to do some more shopping and that they would see you back at the house at about four o' clock."

"So, shall we go and have a bite to eat?" I asked once we had thanked the waiter and he had left.

"Ok then."

We ordered our food and I commented about the scheming minds of both our sisters and Charles. Will laughed and said, "I feel sorrier for Anne and Mary than I do for myself at the company we have been left in. I am with a very beautiful young woman, whilst they are with two dreamy lovebirds."

"At least they are together with the dreamy lovebirds, unlike poor old you. You had to deal with them alone."

"You will have to seriously comfort me later for the pain I went through."

I hit him playfully on the arm and said, "Yes, poor, poor you." In a very teasing, childish tone of voice, "So, what did the lovers talk about?"

"Wedding plans."

"Was that it?"

"Just about. They were planning what time of year, where it would be, how long it would last, who would come and, it seems that you and I will have to dance at the ceremony, Elizabeth."

"And why is that?"

"Because the best man and the chief bridesmaid always dance together straight after the bride and groom. It is tradition."

"You will have to deal with my lack of talent in the dancing area then. Make sure you are wearing very strong shoes."

Our food came and we began eating. Whenever Will was looking down at his food, I would admire him. I admired the dark, wavy and long locks that were going in no particular direction on his head. He had very deep, intricate eyes that enticed you into them and made you lost completely. His face was shaped perfectly, in a round and oval style, but with manly features that spanned his entire body, especially his shoulders which were my favourite part of him. Broad, broad shoulders, which promised a very muscular and strong chest. Yummy! My mind just flashed back to when I first lay eyes on Will, in the café in Holloway. How I loved his features then was exactly the way that I was admiring them now. It seemed as if we had gone a full circle in our relationship, and now that we were back at the beginning, we could begin again.

"Will," I began once we had almost finished our delightful, lettuce filled salads. "You didn't answer my question yesterday which brought all of this about."

"What question was that?"

"It wasn't a question, but I said, 'I feel like I am falling in love with a complete stranger."

"Oh. Well what do you want to know about me? I'm quite a boring person in all reality."

"What are your passions, your pursuits and interests? If you could do anything you want, what would you do? What is your favourite beverage, or your favourite sport?"

"My passions? I guess that you are my passion." I blushed ever so sweetly and effectively here. "I enjoy sailing and swimming. I like reading. I especially like reading three volume novels."

"Three volume novels?" I thought for a moment and then quoted, "Memory is responsible for nearly all the three volume novels that Mudie sends us."

Will laughed and then said, "Do not speak slightingly of the three volume novel."*

"I bet that you didn't write one!" I joked, happy that he obviously enjoyed Oscar Wilde as well as me. "I read a very funny quote of his the other day ... it was something like ... 'People, who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately.' I found it so funny!"

"Wilde is a complete genius," Will stated and I agreed.

"So you like sailing then?" I questioned, eager to continue conversing with this stranger I loved.

"Yes. In my estate in Derbyshire, there is a beautiful, large lake that I enjoy sailing and swimming in."

"I have never sailed before," I said trying very...OK, maybe not that hard to fight off the image of Will in wet clothes.

"I'll have to take you then," he replied.

"So, do you consider your house in Derbyshire as your home, or the one in London?"

"Pemberley is my real home. It's where I was brought up and is very important to me. But I suppose that my London house must be my official house, because I spend most of my time in it. When I am in Pemberley I am reminded of my parents."

"It must have been so very hard growing up without a mother."

"It was. I am over the losses of them now, but it was really difficult to understand as an eight year old, when she died, I couldn't understand why she had been taken from me. I had to help look after my sister, and my Aunt Catherine moved in with us until I was eighteen, which, on further reflection, is probably how I got my proud and arrogant ways."

"You are not proud ... much anyway."

"Elizabeth, you said to me on the phone, 'But, ARROGANCE comes directly into my mind when thinking of you.' I won't forget it."

"I am so very sorry then, because I was so confused and mixed up with the trial and G and everything that I didn't do the thing which I prided myself on. I didn't judge you correctly and made an idiot of myself."

"You didn't make an idiot of yourself, darling. I was too much in love with you to notice that."

I smiled at him and we got up to leave. We went over to the tills to pay the woman and had a debate on who should pay. "Will," I said, "It would totally disregard my opinion of myself as an independent woman to have you paying for my meal."

"Elizabeth, it would totally disregard my opinion of myself as a gentlemanly man if I didn't pay for you."

"You are not being a gentleman, because you are refusing to accept my wishes."

"Then I cannot win either way, so I shall go with the argument that it was your birthday yesterday and I am treating you."

"You have already got me a beautiful present, now it is my turn to thank you for it."

"Elizabeth, you are being difficult."

"So are you, Mr. Multi-millionaire."

"More the reason why I should pay."

"I know," interrupted the sixteen year old 'I'm trying to earn some extra cash' waitress who was starting to look really bored, "Why don't I pay?"

Out of embarrassment on behalf of both of us for looking so stupid at fussing an arguing over the sake of a tenner, I gave way and told Will that he could pay as long as I did next time.

"I've just realised what my favourite beverage is," Will said suddenly after we had been walking away from the café and towards some of the shops.

"Sorry? Will, you are TOTALLY losing me. In fact, you have lost me."

"You asked me earlier on what my favourite beverage was."

"I did? Why did I do that?"

"I don't know, but you said, what are your hobbies and interests, your favourite sports, and also what is your favourite beverage?"

"So I did. But, I don't really need to know. I was just trying to start a conversation."

"I know, but I have decided what it is anyway."

"Go on then."

"Strawberry Milkshake."

I was confused for a moment, and then I remembered what I had done all those weeks ago in throwing my milkshake on him. "Why on earth would that be your favourite? I was so childish doing that, and I don't suppose you had too much fun trying to clean your trousers later."

"It was the drink that changed me. I think that if you hadn't done that, I would still have thought that it was ok to go around judging and being rude to people. After you did that, and I had gone home and changed, I sat down and thought about how rude I had actually been to you. I didn't like it, and that marked the beginning of my attempt to make my character a better one. You were saying that you were prejudiced, but I was too. I thought when I saw you that you were the waitress café type, and I don't even know why! What I suppose I am trying to say is that I am sorry for what I said, but I am glad that I said it, because it meant that you put me in my place, and then I thought about my character. That's why I regard milkshake so highly!"

"That was quite some speech, Will. I'm impressed."

I stopped him, and we stood to one side of a massive waterfall type fountain, that had, for some reason, been placed in the middle of a shopping centre, and I very boldly and bravely (for someone who was so very confused as to how such feelings for a man could evolve and deepen in such a small amount of time) stretched the tiny distance that came about because of his one or two inch height difference over me, and kissed him on his lips.

He reacted in the way of a violent lover and kissed me back equally as passionately as I was kissing him. He put his hands protectively around my waist, and I felt a surge of desire at the first physical contact we had had apart from the kissing. I was falling very deeply for this man who I was at the present moment involved in kissing. He was so brilliant, but not perfect, as I hated men to be. He was handsome. Absolutely stunning in all reality, he was kind and considerate. He was emotionally strong, protective and caring for his sister and he was very clever. What more could a woman ask for?

* Taken from the second act of The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde.

Chapter 24

Posted on Sunday, 29 May 2005

Love is in the air. Dun dun dun dun dun dun. Love is in the air. Oh my God, what a hypocrite I am. I was dissing Charlotte the other day when she wouldn't stop going on about Billy and she had only been on one date with him. I had only been "going out" with Will for 12 hours and I was talking about loving him already. Although, I wasn't even sure if we were "going out" or if we were "dating" or if he was my "boyfriend." The rules of relationships had always confused me.

Will and I got back to my parents house at about four, to find literally the whole of Longbourn town there. Charles and Jane were sitting in one corner of the living room, loved up and whispering sweet nothings but pretending to be discussing serious matters such as wedding plans which I would undoubtedly hear about later that night.

Two people that I was less eager to see all loved up, were Charlotte and Billy. Now, Charlotte has never been the most romantic of people. In fact, she has never been romantic at all, but for some reason, Billy Collins had opened some sort of loved up vein in her and she was walking around my parents' living room very stupidly, with him on one arm, unable to see the amount of people that were really laughing at her as politely as possible when the subject of their humour was Billy.

"Hey Charlotte," and then an afterthought, "Hi Billy!" I definitely overcompensated. "How are you two?"

Charlotte was just about to answer, when Billy got there before her and butted in, "Marvellous, Cousin Elizabeth, perfectly marvellous. In fact, I was just telling my dear Charlotte how very much I admire your parents' choice in furniture. It almost certainly reminds me of Mr. DeBourgh and his rather fabulous office. Of course, his windows are south facing which is very suitable, whereas yours are east, which could be problematic when it is a summer evening. Anyway, what was I saying about Mr. DeBourgh? Of course, I was going to tell you about a recent project of mine. As you know well, Elizabeth, I work in a very important area of the department of health in the British Government, and a very important case came in the other day regarding the sanitation problems in the public toilets. Now, the first person who Mr. DeBourgh came to see and ask to check it out was me! Imagine, me! I was so very honoured to be the one to sort out these problems in these toilets..."

Perhaps now you can see why it is that nobody ever takes Billy seriously. This speech had been so loud that half the room had heard and been laughing amongst themselves. A part of me felt really bad for Charlotte who was quite embarrassed by now. But a very mean part of me was thinking, 'tough luck, Charlotte, if you want to get married and be a serious person and you want to do it as soon as possible, then you have made your bed with Billy, so lie in it.'

"So, Charlotte," I managed to interrupt Billy as he was about to go into even more detail about how he cleaned out one of the toilets and the mysteries that this toilet contained, "How have you been?"

"I have..."

"Oh, she has been marvellous. Absolutely marvellous. We both have been. I was just saying to Mr. DeBourgh the other day how well my Charlie-Warlie and I have been. He said to me, 'Oh, you must get married to her, Billy. A man is never respectable until he is married. Men who are not married will never get anywhere.'"

I tried to ignore Will's discreet snort in the background as Billy said his last comment. I think that Billy had so much stupidity surrounding him in the air, that it sort of soundproofed the silly laughs and comments that he would receive.

I managed to get away from Billy and left him with Charlotte, his prospective wife. My dad was standing to one side and I walked over to him, smiling at Will as I passed him whilst he was in a conversation with Charles and Anne.

"Dad?" I asked, "Why are all these people here?"

"No idea, Lizzy. I think its some sort of pre-Christmas get together. But it wasn't planned. The Lucas' came over and then the Philips's, and before you know it, the entire population of Longbourn was here!"

"I know I said earlier that I am sorry, but I really am sorry about what I said earlier. I have no idea what came over me."

"That's ok, love. We all lose it sometimes. I was talking to your Will earlier and am more impressed with him than I thought I would be. He seems an intelligent and informed young man and I can tell that you like each other very much."

"I do like him a lot, Dad."

"Very well, Lizzy. I give you my blessing then."

"Blessing, Dad? We have only been going out for a day."

"Ok, but you can have my blessing nevertheless."

I went out to the kitchen to help my mother as she was whipping together some food for all the guests that had just magically appeared. She was humming to herself and making sandwiches, cutting them into perfect little triangles and squares like we used to have them when we were about six. "Do you need any help, Mum?"

"Why yes, Lizzy! Thanks for offering! If you could take out the mini-pizzas and the mini-sausage rolls from the oven and check them so see if they are cooked through."

"So was this little party prearranged?" I said as I washed my hands.

"No, dear. Those artful Lucases came over with Billy Collins, praising him to the sky, as if he and Charlotte were already married! I say, Lizzy, it is a good thing that you refused him when you did. You and young William look so perfect together, darling. I would almost be ashamed if you had chosen Billy over him."

I was still feeling mean from before, with all my rude comments, so I didn't say anything about the fact that she hadn't been saying that at the time, and in fact she had threatened to disown me when she discovered what a prospect I had turned down. Instead I said to her, "How are things with you and Dad now?"

"Better," she said, with a slight hint of sadness over her face. "But they have also been better as well."

"It will take time, Mum, but everything will be back to normal before long, don't worry."

"Do you really think so, Lizzy?"

"Of course it'll be. You and Dad were just going through a bad time. It will all be sorted out soon."

She smiled a sort of 'I hope so' smile and I gave her a short hug, showing my affection like I hardly ever did. She then went back to cooking and began her mini Swiss rolls, humming away as if she were a little girl in love for the first time.

Even though it was probably a dangerous idea for me to be so close to the oven (as Mr. Edwards would testify), because of the usual habit of burning food, I helped my mother prepare some food to lay out on the table so people could come in and have some 'nibbles' as my mother called them.

People started filing into the room, picking up and popping little snacks into their mouths as if this was a party that had been arranged for months. I stood right next to the patio door, looking out into my parents' garden, the one with the half broken see-saw, unused for about ten years, the almost unacceptably long grass and the dying trees which had been planted by Jane and myself in our youth in the hope that they would be as big as the trees in the Longbourn forest.

I felt a pair of hands take hold of my waist, and then looking through the glass at the reflection behind me saw Will. "That isn't the first time I have used the wonders of transparent glass to see you, Will," I said as we stepped outside together.

"When was the first?"

"On the first day of the trial. You called me to your office ... Called me? That sounded like I was a naughty pupil at school and you were the headmaster! Anyway, I went to your office and you were standing looking out of the window. We discussed G and that he was pleading guilty and all, and then you sniffed slightly and I said, 'do you need a tissue?' and you were like 'NO' and then I looked into the window and saw that you had tears streaming down your face."

He was still standing behind me, holding onto my waist, so I couldn't see the reaction on his face. I could feel his body become tense at the mention of G. Before answering me he sighed and thought for a moment. He then began speaking with a forced calmness and sort of a hint of regret, "That was the day that Anne told me that she was pregnant. I had just been about to welcome you in and berate you for not telling me what had happened when she called and told me that she was pregnant and George Wickham was the father." At this point, I turned and faced him and could see the pain in his eyes. The feeling of disappointment in himself. He thought that he had failed his sister and let down his parents. He attempted a smile when he saw me trying to comfort him by taking hold of his hand, and then continued with, "At the time I still didn't know what had really happened between you and George, so I was devastated and distraught that this man had known both the people that I loved the most."

"But you still said the things you did, even though you had just found out that the same thing had happened to your sister," I responded, trying not to sound too much like I was accusing him. I had got over the past. I had got over George and was trying to rebuild my life...with William.

"I know. It was stupid, really. I thought for some reason that because you were ... you were Elizabeth. You wouldn't have been the sort of person to be pushed around at that age. I thought that it was your fault in your case, but George's fault in her case. You seemed too strong."

"Looks can be very deceptive," I replied. Then on a lighter note, I said, "So tell me, Will, when did you first fall in love with me? When was the first moment, the first feeling of love for me?"

Will smiled and put his arms around me protectively. "I don't know exactly when it was. It was ages after I had fallen in love with you that I even realised I had. I was in denial because I knew that you didn't even like me, so I pretended that you meant nothing at all to me, so that I didn't feel so down. Fat lot of use that was! I still loved you just as much as the last time I had seen you, every time I saw you. If I had to place a time on it, I would say that it was when we had that argument over the phone about vanity and pride. You completely fascinated me. But I knew I was definitely in love with you when we were shouting over the phone after the Netherfield party. I was so angry with you about Wickham and so angry with Wickham about you that I went mad. I was also annoyed with myself for falling for you, so I took it all out on you."

"What had I done, though? All this time, I had been impertinent, sarcastic, rude and mean. You knew no good of me."

"I saw you as clever, funny, witty, beautiful, kind and protective. All the qualities that I have always wanted but never found in a woman. I was in love with you. So I was willing to overlook your...impertinence."

"You were in love with me? That was short-lived," I teased, glad that his hands were still wrapped around me.

"You, Ms Elizabeth Bennet, are nothing but trouble to me."

I smiled a pert and childish smile and said, "What are you going to do about that?"

Sort of regretted that. He gave me a look that said, 'just you wait', before he grabbed me tighter around the waist and lifted me up high in the sky. "Put me down, Will. Put me down!" I screamed. All the people in the house were laughing and pointing as my knees were in line with his shoulders and I was yelling hysterically. I was actually really impressed. I was five foot eleven, and not light, coming in at ten stone nine. He lifted me as if I weighed no more than a feather, and his face showed no signs of any struggle at all.

"You are going to pay for that later," I said as he finally put me back on the ground and the people inside started turning once more towards their food, commenting about 'young love'.

"I look forward to it," he replied, saucily, as I blushed and looked away into the garden.

"So this was where my beautiful girlfriend grew up?"

HE CALLED ME HIS GIRLFRIEND!!! AAAAARGH! My mind was having a little party inside. I could hear all the party poppers banging on the roof of my head. I was so touched by the feeling that such a simple way of addressing me created, that I didn't argue and say, 'who said I was your girlfriend?' or similar, I just accepted it and replied with, "Yeah. It was a lovely place to live."

"But you had set yourself on higher shores?"

"Perhaps. I didn't want to live here all my life, if that's what you mean. The people here are lovely, sweet and simple people, but very few of them have any drive or ambition like I do."

"Do you know, Lizzy..." I loved it when he called me Lizzy. The 'Z' sizzled off his tongue and made me want to ... Elizabeth, pay attention, "I went to Oxford as well."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I did."

"I was in University College. Which were you in?"

"Magdalen College."

"But you studied Law, not English."

"Yes. But we didn't graduate in the same year."

"I don't even know how old you are, Will."

"I think you do," he said strangely. I was like, 'Um. NO I don't!'

"I don't, I can assure you."

"Charles told you, though."

I thought it through, and I couldn't recall any time when Charles had told me how old he was. "When did he tell me?"

"On the first day we met."

Oh yeah! The 'Will, you have got to get a life, man. You are...' crap! How old did Charles say he was?

"I cannot remember how old he said you were."

"Guess then."

Uh-oh. Bad Idea. I was bound to guess something really offensive. How old did he look? He looked relatively young, but he acted old. Actually, he didn't act old! He had just picked me up and almost spun me around the garden. That wasn't mature.

"I don't know," I bought some time. Think logically, Lizzy. He cannot be younger than say, twenty five, because of all the legal training he would have needed to get where he is and he cannot be older than about thirty-five, because he looks too young to be that age. So, go for somewhere in the middle.

"Twenty nine?" I asked, thinking that that couldn't be taken very offensively in any case.

"Not far off. I'm thirty one."

Very well and smoothly played, Elizabeth. Genius at work! High five! William and I stayed outside for the rest of the evening, chatting about nothing in particular until Charles came out and told Will that they had better be going. He gave me a very passionate goodbye kiss and hugged me tightly, saying that he would call me in the morning for a chat. I smiled and pretended I wasn't annoyed that I hadn't asked him if I could stay with him that evening.

Chapter 25

Posted on Wednesday, 1 June 2005

"MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!" I yelled as I ran around the house at about half past five on December the 25th. I was really tempted to run into everyone's rooms and jump on their beds and wake them up, but from the loud, "LIZZY!" and "GO AWAY, LIZZY" and "ELIZABETH!" and the snoring from my mother's room, I didn't think they needed any more of a wake up call. Kitty was the only one willing to let me into her room. Jane and Mary threw pillows at my head, and I dodged them in mock annoyance. Kitty had been very secretive with me the day before as I had questioned her about her trip to Coventry, and I was determined to get something out of her.

"So, Kitty," I tried again. "How was it in Coventry?"

"Lovely, Lizzy."

"Is that it? Lovely? Can't you give me a deeper and more meaningful explanation than that?"

"I had a very good time. Jack's parents were nice. His brother was very charming and overall, they liked me as well."

"That's good to know. Except I am sensing that there is something else that you are keeping hidden."

Kitty was really bad at concealing her emotions. Most people could tell when there was something wrong with her, especially the people that knew her well. She sort of wriggled under the bedclothes and turned away from me, saying, "There isn't anything wrong." She was obviously lying.

"Ok then. But if there is, and you need to talk to me, I am always here for you Kitty."

We had spent Christmas Eve as we usually do in the Bennet household. We made our rounds of people that we wouldn't be able to see on Christmas Day, because they were too far away, or had other things planned. These included people like Maddy and Ed, who I was very happy to see. We had only been able to stay for about an hour, but Maddy and I still managed to have a little chat.

"How have you been then, Elizabeth?" she asked me as we sat in the living room with the fire crackling in the background. The others had gone upstairs to see Emily's new playroom, of which she was very proud.

"Elizabeth?"

"What? Sorry Aunt, I didn't mean to ignore you," I said after I realised that she had been trying to get my attention. I tried to convince my brain that I hadn't been thinking of Will, who I wasn't going to see until Christmas day, the next day, when he, Anne and Charles came around for lunch, but obviously, I had been thinking of him so gave up denying it.

"Thinking of a young lawyer were we?" my Aunt Maddy, ever being able to read my mind, asked.

"No," I tried to deny. "Alright, maybe a little bit."

Maddy gave me a disbelieving look. "Fine then, it was a lot!" I admitted.

"I think it is very sweet, Lizzy."

"Do you?"

"It is lovely. It is especially lovely to see you so happy, dear. I haven't seen it for a very long time."

"I feel happy. I feel alive again," I confessed to my understanding Aunt who was more like an older friend than an Aunty to me. "Will is such a great person. I cannot believe that I used to hate him."

Maddy laughed and then smiled more subtly saying, "I think that you two are perfect for one another."

"How do you know? You have barely met him. Only once at Jane's party at Netherfield."

"Also at your own birthday, Lizzy. We did not talk, but that did not stop me watching him from a distance. I do not think he took his eyes off you once the entire evening."

I blushed, saying, "I am sure that he did." But secretly I was obviously very happy that he hadn't. It proved to me that his affection was as strong as he said it was.

It had felt weird not spending the day before Christmas with Will. I think it was something to do with the desire that I had to keep learning and discovering more about him. The part that I knew of him I liked so well that I wanted to know every single thing about him. I knew a bit about him, and had to say, I even knew his shoe size.

OK! You can all put your arms down from the exasperated position they were just in. You can stop muttering things in your heads as well. I knew his shoe size and I was PROUD that I did! He was a size twelve shoe. I SWEAR that it did not come up in conversation. I did not go to him, 'Hey Will. What size feet do you have?' It was all very subtly discovered by me when I bought him his Christmas present. But whatever! 'I know his shoe size, I know his shoe size.' It was chanting around my head like a four year old!

Thankfully, though, William had called me when we had come back quite late in the evening. Turned out that he had been calling me most of the day, and he and Charles had already been around. I was touched to hear of his wish to speak to me and even found his annoyance that my mobile hadn't been on very sweet.

"Hello?" I answered the phone with, not the usual 'Elizabeth Bennet' that I answered with when I was at home.

"Is Elizabeth there?" the very sexy sounding man on the other side of the phone line said.

"Yep, this is Elizabeth."

"Hi ... it's Will ... Darcy."

"Will, I don't expect to have calls from any other Wills! You don't have to tell me your surname!" I laughed into the phone, settling myself onto a chair at the kitchen table for a chat.

"I have been trying to call you all day."

"Why, what is the matter?"

"Umm ... nothing. I just wanted to speak to you. I guess I wanted to hear your voice," he added ever so romantically.

"Sorry we haven't been in. It's sort of a Bennet tradition that we deliver our presents to people who we won't see on Christmas Day to them on Christmas Eve. Did you cope with today without me?"

"Hardly. Anne has been constantly yelling at Charles and me for being useless companions today, as apparently both of us have been dreamily gazing off into space like lovesick fools."

"I like the idea!" I giggled like a little girl.

"Looking forward to tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes. I love Christmas. Especially when I am going to spend it with my handsome boyfriend," I teased and could almost hear him blushing down the phone.

"What sort of time do you want us all to come around?"

"That's quite a tough one actually. If we are honouring tradition, then at approximately half eight, when we are all awake, we all gather around the tree and open presents together. This can take up to two hours, so you had better come after about eleven. We go to the noon church service which finishes by about half past and then have lunch at around one."

"That sounds fine. I have to go and visit my Aunt Catherine and her children Anne and Richard anyway. I should be able to escape from there at about eleven and then drive straight back to Longbourn."

"And then I will be able to give you your presents. We can go for a walk in the park or something, before my mother needs help with the dinner and I will be ordered back."

"You're cooking?" he asked almost incredulously which made me think he was shocked that any of us did any manual labour. "But you said you are an awful cook." When he said that, I realised he meant that he was scared of eating the food that I had cooked, not scared that I had done the work myself.

"I'm not that bad."

"What happened to the setting off the fire alarms and burning everything then?"

"Fine then. I probably will not be cooking, but I might be needed to help with the table or the serving or something, and I would like to be there for my Mum after some of the things that I said yesterday."

"Don't you think she has forgiven you?"

"She says she has, but I still feel very harsh and very cruel. It was so horrible of me to say such things. Even if they are the truth."

Will managed to get me to realise that I had to forget it and just make it up to my mother. He kissed me goodnight over the phone, and I heard Anne enter the room and laugh at him. It made me feel a sudden surge of jealously towards Anne who was currently in his presence, before I reminded myself that she was his sister and I should stop being so damn melodramatic.

As I left Kitty's bedroom at about six a.m. on Christmas morning, I looked out of the window. It was very dark outside, but I thought I noticed something I loved to notice. I walked closer to the window and saw that it was true. I looked at my car bonnet and saw my favourite white, cold and fluffy stuff!

"IT'S SNOWING!!!" I yelled across the house. The others hadn't wanted to get up before, but my three sisters came rushing out of their rooms shouting, "Snow? Really? How wonderful!" and all pushing past me to look out of the window at the snow. It so rarely snowed in Southern England. That was why when it actually did, everyone was so overjoyed.

The excitement of the snow had made everyone wake up and get dressed a lot earlier than usual at Christmas time. We were all around the Christmas tree and exchanging gifts at about half seven, whilst chattering, drinking hot chocolate and warming up a little by the fire.

First, I opened presents that had been given to me by people not in my family, such as Charlotte and Billy who had got me a joint present (worrying) which happened to be a book entitled 'Down with Singletons' (even more worrying, because they had obviously bought it before the 23rd, when me and Will were together. My father, ever aware of my interests and likes bought me a CD of the greatest Classical works ever written. Jane, exercising her talent of always buying people clothes that managed to fit, got me black suede skirt.

I had lots of lovely little things but I am sure I would bore you to death with them all. The pair of flat, cowboy-but-not-cowboy style boots from Kitty were also gorgeous and the white, French-style beret, which Kyle had sent over from San Francisco, was also great. I was actually blessed with having many friends and members of my family with excellent taste.

We all sat eating a very light breakfast at about nine-thirty. It was very light, because we were going to eat a not so light lunch, courtesy of my mother's vast and plentiful culinary range. We were quite likely to have about five courses, with the main course consisting of about 40 vegetables and many, many slices of turkey.

Unsurprisingly, my thoughts were very much with Will at this moment. I longed to know what he was doing and how he was on Christmas day. He was with his Aunt now. I had heard much about this Aunt of his. She was supposed to be a sort of aggressive and formidable woman, always ordering people around and telling them what to do. I was looking forward to meeting her. I would give her a piece of my mind should she be rude to me.

It felt so pleasant and like the old days to be back at my parents' house with all my sisters in attendance, exchanging gifts and laughing about all the old times. My parents were comfortable in each other's presence now, joking and behaving like their almost month long separation had not even happened.

My sister, Mary had given me a book of Christmas Carols for the piano, and as soon as my family were all heading upstairs to get dressed out of their pyjamas and dressing gowns, I went towards the piano, which I hadn't played on for so many years. It had been the piano that my parents had bought me when I got good results on my GCSE's. It was still in good condition, despite Mary's not so tuneful bashing on it, and I sat at the stool and opened the book.

I began by playing 'O Come All Ye Faithful', my favourite Christmas hymn. The arrangement was by no means easy, but I was glad to realise that I still had the knack of playing, even though it had been half a year since I had sat at a piano. Playing made me remember how much I loved playing and how much I had missed it without realising. I didn't have a piano in my apartment, but I was definitely going to get one when I went home.

Jane came into the little room, which was dubbed as the music room, simply because it was where I used to practice my instruments, and sat down and listened to me playing. "What time is it, Jane?" I asked her as I reached the chorus of Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

"I will never understand how you can play and talk at the same time!" she replied when she heard me talk to her and turn my head to look at her.

"Practice, Jane. That's all it is."

"Practice? You haven't played the piano for ages and you can still play it just as well as when you were a teenager."

I smiled at her and responded with, "Music is the one thing that will never leave you in life. You can rely on it. If you could play the violin when you were twenty, chances are you can play it when you are thirty. Why you would want to play the violin at all is another matter."

"I wish that I had learnt how to play an instrument now."

"It's never too late to learn," I said as I finished Hark the Herald with a perfect cadence, from D7 to G.

"You should play later, after we have had dinner, and we can all crowd around the piano and have a sing-song!"

I agreed and left the music room with Jane. It was half past ten, and we all decided to go to the front garden and build some snowmen. All the grandchildren and children of the people who lived in Longbourn could be seen making snowmen and snow angels. They had all wrapped up their children in gloves, hats, coats and scarves, and the children seemed so happy. Even the adults were enjoying the novelty of having a white Christmas and were helping the children by making huge balls of snow for the bodies of the snowmen.

The four Bennet girls started making a Bennet family snow scene as our parents sat in the deck chairs that were usually only brought out in the summer, watching their girls enjoying themselves. Our snow people were fantastic in my opinion. I was too short, Jane was too fat, Mary's head was too big and Kitty's feet were as long as her legs. But that didn't matter. We all stood back and admired our work, laughing and high fiving as we did.

Kitty was looking ever so deviously at me as she said, "Lizzy, look, there is William!"

In a moment of madness and gullibility, I turned to where she was pointing with a happy look on my face, only to see that there was no one there and only to feel a freezing, hard object hit me on the arm. The offending snowball fell to the ground as I turned on Kitty, picking up some snow from the ground and threw it back at her.

Jane and Mary were laughing their heads off at us two as we chased each other around the garden and the streets, behaving even more immaturely than the children who had all stopped what they were doing to laugh at the women who were pelting each other with snowballs. Mary stopped laughing though, as she managed to get in the way of a snowball that was aiming for me but missed and hit her straight in the stomach.

Before long, all we girls were snowballing each other, with no clue as to who was against whom. I heard the clock inside strike eleven and squealed as I realised that Will and Charles were on their way around and we looked completely messy, wearing clothes that were plastered in splodges of wetness, and snow was filling our hair. As that thought went through my mind, a Ferrari that I knew to belong to Will whizzed round the corner at the very moment that Kitty had ran to the other side of the street for protection. Thinking that I could dodge the car and hit Kitty, I threw a large snowball over the road. Inevitably, it whacked William's car from the side as I put my hands over my face in shame whilst Kitty laughed from the other side of the street.

Will got out of his car with a furious look on his face. I was really ashamed of my childish behaviour and looked downwards towards the ground in embarrassment. I saw William bend down and look at where the snowball had hit his car. It had been close in all fairness to me. The ball had only hit the bottom of his snazzy car, about a foot up from the ground. Obviously, I was a really bad shot. I hoped that nothing had happened to his car as he slowly got up, and was about to turn around. I shouted, "Is the car alright, Will?"

"Yes the car is fine! You however, you are not so lucky."

You would have thought that I had learnt not to fall for people's snowball tricks by now, because as he turned around and I had a non-understanding look on my face, I didn't see the white fluff in his hand until it had left his hands and was well on it's way to hitting me in the face.

Chapter 26

Posted on Wednesday, 1 June 2005

So we all had a little bit of a snowball fight. It was only very little, I promise. Luckily, Charles, Anne and Will had been clever enough to bring a spare set of clothing, anticipating that the day might result in a fight. Anne told me all about the snow that they usually get in Derbyshire. "It almost always snows in Derbyshire, Lizzy. The lakes in Pemberley always freeze over so that we can go ice skating."

"Ice skating? I love ice skating. What a fun thing to do on Christmas day!"

"It is fun and it always results in us getting our best clothes that we had worn ready for church all wet! That's why I suggested we bring a spare."

The service at the church was at twelve and because the church was only a five minute walk from my parents' house, Will, Charles, Jane and I decided we had enough time to go for a walk and exchange our presents. Soon enough, we split and Jane and Charles went in one direction, whilst Will and I went towards our bench in Longbourn Park. Obviously it wasn't our bench, but we liked it all the same.

The park didn't look like the park that we used to know. It was a wintry wonderland, with many white paths that were still untouched by the footprints of humans. The trees were laced in glittery blankets that gave the lifeless and dull trees a feeling of warmth, despite the cold.

I was carrying Will's assortment of presents wrapped up and also in a carrier bag, like he was doing with mine. After a count of three, we swapped bags, and not too eagerly opened the carrier bags together. I was first to unwrap the first present, and it was a beautiful bracelet by 'Coeur de Lion.' It was silver, with about ten multicoloured cubes attached. The cubes were all different colours and were covered in silver around the edges. It was so beautiful. I was starting to wonder where Will got his impeccable taste from. "Oh Will, it is beautiful! I love it!"

I put it on straight away and watched as he opened the first of his three presents which I knew to be the pen. He opened it, and I was starting to get a bit worried that he wasn't going to like all the things I got him. He could hardly call them beautiful as I could for his presents.

He saw it and he smiled, about to say something when he noticed the inscription on the pen lid. I interrupted whatever he was going to say with a, "Do you like it, Fitzwilliam?"

"How did you know that was my real name?" he asked and I could detect a hint of embarrassment that he hadn't told me.

"Because I know everything. Besides, I was shopping with Anne. There were no WD's, and then Anne said, 'That doesn't matter, because Will's actual name is Fitzwilliam.'

He laughed and said, "Trust Anne. No-one calls me Fitzwilliam. That is why I never said that it was my name."

"I think it is a great name. I am going to call you it from now on. Or maybe something cheesy like Fitzy. Do you like that?"

He leaned over and kissed me, saying afterwards, "I like everything that you say, Elizabeth."

He admired the watch that I bought him, saying that he had long been in need of a new watch and just hadn't got around to buying one. I opened the other present that he had given me and was shocked when it was an envelope and inside it read, 'Exclusive elite dinner cruise for two.' My eyes brightened even more as I continued reading, 'A romantic dining experience on a magnificent all glass vessel, for a night of fine dining, entertainment and dancing beneath the stars.'

When he saw the shoes I got him, he instantly said, "You know my real name and you know my shoe size! I am beginning to think that there shall be no more secrets to tell each other, Lizzy. How did you know my shoe size?"

I replied simply, with a, "I know your shoe size, because I love you."

Charles and Jane, who had undoubtedly been up to something similar, walked towards us as I sat with my head resting on Will's shoulder. "Come on love-birds," Charles joked as they approached us. "It's time for the service."

The church service was the same service every year. Reverend Wilkinson, the young curate that my mother was always trying to set me up with, took the service. It was quite pleasant sitting in the comfortable church of the town with Kitty on one side of me and Will on the other. The reading was Luke 2. 1-20 and my mother had been asked to do it. She had been very honoured to be asked and had actually been practising at home earlier in the day. Although her voice could be irritating, it was loud and clear, and she managed to catch the attention of the congregation at the very beginning of the familiar passage. "Luke 2, verses 1-20. The Birth of Jesus,

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David..."

The rest of the service consisted of listening to the Vicar talk about the true meaning of the Christmas holiday. This sermon was aimed at the children who all sat in silence and agreed whenever Rev. Wilkinson would ask them if they thought that 'Jesus was the reason for the season.'

We sang some of my favourite Christmas hymns of all time. 'O come all ye faithful' 'See amid the winter snow' and 'Once in Royal David's city' afterwards, there was a lot of pleasant discussion in the garden of the church. My mother seemed quite content to talk to 'those artful Lucases' today. Perhaps because it was Christmas. That was until she realised that she had left the turkey cooking in the oven and had to dash home for the fear that it would burn and 'Christmas would be ruined.'

It was still snowing ever so slightly as we all started to make our way back home. I could feel the flakes getting stuck in my hair and caught on my nose and cheeks. Will and I lagged behind the others. My parents walked together, my sister Mary with them, trying in vain to convince my father of her new philosophical theory on men in the work place. I think that she had turned feminist after realising she was the only Bennet girl left single. Jane walked behind them with Charles. They were discussing their wedding plans, with occasional remarks from my mother who was unable to keep up with Mary's 'cleverness'.

Kitty and Anne had struck up quite a friendship since they had been sort of put together. Even though Mary was actually closer in age to Anne, their personalities were not as complementary as Anne's was with Kitty and they walked together discussing whatever it was that women of their ages discussed together.

In an effort to have some physical contact in a totally public place, Will sweetly brushed the snow off my cheeks and then stopped us and quickly kissed the flakes off my nose. I knew that he was uncomfortable displaying his emotions in public places, so when he did, it made me feel even more special than I already did.

Lunch was fun. My mother managed to get back to the house quickly enough so ensure that the whole house was not set alight. As usual, her cooking was very excellent and everyone actually enjoyed the meal. When we had finished all four courses, which didn't take that long, we all sat in the living room by the fire in a very nineteenth-century way and pulled crackers.

At about two thirty, we all went into the music room at Jane's insistence, and I sat at the piano whilst they all sang Christmas tunes. Had it not been Christmas, and if I had been in a worse mood, I would have said, "You are singing completely out of tune!" Because they were. Well, Anne was not. But she was singing so quietly and shyly, that it wasn't influencing the others enough. Regardless of that, we were having a very merry time. The proper way to spend Christmas with the ones that you love.

Perhaps the view that all British families watch the Queen's speech at three in the afternoon is true, because everyone apart from Will and I left the music room to go and sit in the living room to watch her giving her annual message of good cheer.

"You are simply marvellous on the piano, Elizabeth," he said in a very low and husky voice as he walked closer and closer towards me whilst I tried to occupy myself with playing random chords and tunes.

"Thank you, Fitzwilliam."

"That is not my name."

"Yes it is, Fitzwilliam."

"You are going to pay for that!"

I wanted to pay for it. He had got even closer to me and had put his hands on my shoulders, stroking them in time with someone's 6th Sonata in something, causing me to find it very difficult to actually concentrate on pressing the keys.

"Will, that is unnerving."

"What is?" he asked, feigning innocence and certainly showing no intentions of stopping the loving stroking.

"You know what."

"It's my revenge. You can call me Fitzwilliam or Fitzy as much as you want, but I will still hold power over you. You cannot take it."

"Ha!" I laughed, "My resolve is not as weak as yours. You are a man, Will. I have more power over you than you would actually believe possible." It was true. I could see the desire he had for me in his eyes. He didn't know I could see it, but it was plain to see and I loved the feeling that I could make him feel that way.

"I do not have a weak resolve. I will wait as long as you want, Elizabeth, such is my love for you."

"You may be in luck," I said in a casual type of way. His eyebrows went upwards and he looked at me, asking me to explain further. I stopped my pretence of joking. "Tonight, I want to stay with you."

He was immediately happy and swept me into his arms dramatically, kissing me all over my face like a little puppy. I laughed and said, "Calm down, Will." His response was only to increase the amount of kissing he was acting on.

"Come on, we are going to miss the speech."

I almost had to drag him out of the room and detach his lips from my face so we could go and watch the TV with everyone else. They were all sitting down looking at the screen and when we came in laughing, they all went, 'Ssssh!' and held their fingers to their mouths as we crept in. Will sat in the only spare place on the sofa and I nestled myself at his feet, allowing him to play with my hair and massage my shoulders relaxingly.

The speech mentioned the same topics that it did every single year. The wish for world peace, the wish for an end to world hunger and the wish that Britain would be united in opinions on this holy day. All the people present were comfortable with each other. To be sure, my mother was loud and taxing. Will could be aloof and seem disagreeable. Mary was fun, but often she was terribly tiresome. Anne was the shyest person I had met and found it difficult to voice her opinions. But despite all our differences and problems that we had with each other, we were able to come together at this time to celebrate Christmas and be a family.

Charles, Jane, Will and Anne were all going up to Yorkshire that evening. It had been arranged weeks beforehand, meaning that I did not receive an invitation. If I wanted to spend the rest of the day with William, then I would have to go with them. Jane and I went to make tea after the speech and I spoke to her about it then.

"Janie?"

"Yes, Elizabeth?"

"You know you are going to Yorkshire? Well do you think Charles would mind if I came along too?"

"Of course not. I am sure that he wouldn't mind at all, Lizzy. Was there a particular reason that you wanted to go?"

"Other than to spend some time with my favourite sister and her fiancé before she leaves me forever and goes off and gets married? No, no reason at all."

She laughed and replied with, "So the fact that Will and his sister are coming makes no difference at all to you?"

"Will is going? He didn't tell me. How very rude of him."

"Very amusing, Elizabeth."

Charles walked into the kitchen, with his habitually large grin on his face, asking if we needed any help making the tea. We then realised that we hadn't actually started to make the tea at all. He laughed and helped make it and then Jane asked him if it would be ok if I went.

"It would be delightful to have you stay with us, Lizzy," he replied chirpily. "We are leaving in an hour though. Can you be ready by then? I thought that women took days to write their lists and pack their bags."

"Oh no, I can be ready now!"

I was overjoyed and very happy to be going with them. Another few days would be spent in the company of four wonderful people, three of whom I couldn't wait to get to know better. Will and Anne were cheerful when I told them I would be joining them, Will even gave me a cheeky grin as Charles told my parents that there were plenty of bedrooms, so having me would not be an inconvenience and also asked if they wished to join us. My father very tactfully said 'thanks but no thanks' in such a way that my mother dare not argue.

It turned out when we got there, that there really were plenty of bedrooms spare. Fifteen in fact. I had been in this house before, but only briefly for Jane's party, so I had not realised quite how large it was. In reality, I didn't need the huge, beautifully furnished and lavish room that Charles told me I could have. The reason was that a goodnight kiss from William, standing at the door to his rooms inevitably led to something else, which in turn led to something different which turned out to be rather enjoyable. This all led to me falling asleep in Will's arms and in his bedroom. It hadn't actually been planned, but I wasn't complaining.

Continued In Next Section