Beginning, Section II, Next Section
Chapter 10
"We think he's dead."
Elizabeth was positive that she had misheard Charles. Surely he didn't say what she'd thought she had heard. She laughed lightly, "Oh Charles, for a moment there I thought you said dead!!! I must be going deaf!" she looked for some corroboration from Charles, but he just shook his head,
"I'm sorry Liz."
"What do mean you're sorry!" Lizzy shouted. "It can't be true. I saw him in this room just an hour or so ago! You are definitely mistaken Charles!" Saying that Lizzy turned away from them.
Caroline looked questioningly at Charles and ventured to say, "So what did happen?"
"We're still not sure," Charles looked helpless. "The last time anyone saw William was an hour ago when he was seen leaving the room. And then Richard went out to his car, only to find it gone. Then we heard sirens in the neighborhood and several people went to check it out. It turned out that a Black Mercedes (Richard owns one) was badly damaged and had caught on fire. Panicking we rushed to the hospital, but they wouldn't tell us anything. Rich and Jane are still there and I came back for you guys." Charles hung his head.
"It's not true," Lizzy refused to believe it.
"But Liz," Charles looked distressed. "William was the only person with the car keys. I'm afraid chances of his surviving the crash are very low."
"But what are we waiting for," Lizzy snapped. "I want to go to the hospital." With finality she practically ran out of the room; Charles and Caroline close on her heels.
The ride to the hospital was a particularly solemn one. Although the ride was only about 10 minutes long, for the occupants of the car, it seemed like an eternity.
Charles periodically looked at his rear-view mirror to see if Elizabeth was okay. He had known that she would not take his news very well, but even with that in mind her reaction had seemed a little extreme to him for a person who had not seen William in almost 5 years. The reason for that was very clear to him though she might not realize it herself - she loved him. Why else would she be so distraught as she was now? Really, Charles thought, I've not known two people with stronger feelings or greater communication problems than these two. If they'd only let their heart rule their head, they would've been married by now. But who knows, it might still be possible. Charles shook his head. But what am I thinking! For all I know William may be dead by now. This thought did not help in raising his spirits and he stepped on the gas.
Caroline had decided to sit with her friend at the back because she judged that in her present mood Lizzy might need her support. But as Lizzy was not in the mood for any kind of conversation, it gave Caroline time to sort out her own feelings. She didn't know exactly how this news affected her. True, she had been in love with William, kind of, a long time ago. But after pursuing him for major part of grad school she had come to the realization that she could never make him reciprocate. Because of Lizzy….that had torn her apart and destroyed their friendship. But Caroline had forgiven Lizzy many years ago and now they had made up again. Caroline sighed as she remembered her days in grad school. But many unpleasant memories threatened to intrude. She still recalled how she had gone out with Richard only to gain closer access to William. But then she had started liking him… Thinking of Richard she could not help wondering, Do I still like him? Maybe I do. Shaking her thoughts away from Richard she concentrated at the problem at hand. Even though any love she had for William died long ago, no way did she want him dead.
As for Lizzy, her thoughts were much more confused than either of her fellow passengers. She did not know how to define the complexity of emotions she was feeling. It was more than just friendly solicitude; it had a greater depth of feeling. After her initial violent reaction to Charles' communication, she had calmed down a little, but her mind was far from calm. She gave up on denying that she had a very strong concern about William's welfare. But she didn't think that it was love. After all, she rationalized, he had been my best friend. And John's. It's only natural that I don't want to see him hurt. Like any good friend…She could not however get rid of the regret she felt when she thought that the last time she had talked to him, she had been so cold. I actually called him Mr. Darcy!!! What if that's the last thing I'll ever say to him…NO! I mustn't think of that. He will live. He has to.
"We're here," Charles announced and both Caroline and Lizzy jumped, their private thoughts interrupted.
"Where will Richard and Jane be?" asked Lizzy.
"In front of the ER, I imagine," answered Charles getting out of the car. "At any rate, we must hurry. There might not be much time."
Saying that, he rushed towards the hospital building, Caroline and Lizzy following closely. They made it to the ER in record time, considering the fact that it was packed with accident victims and other patients. Caroline spied Richard,
"There they are!" She announced to the other two.
"Jane, what news?" Lizzy cried before she'd barely caught her breath after all the running.
Jane shook her head, "We don't know yet. He's still in surgery."
"Did you see him? Talk to him?" Lizzy was feeling helpless. She needed to know more.
"I had a brief glimpse when they were taking him in," Jane replied, unsure of how much to reveal. "It wasn't very pretty. He had numerous burns and his face! Oh, I could hardly believe it was him!"
Charles sent a warning to Jane with his eyes. Liz did not need to know the lurid details of Will's injuries. Wasn't it bad enough without that? Apparently, Lizzy thought the same as she said, "Stop Jane! I don't want to know!" After a brief pause she added, "Can't I go into the room?"
Turned out, that would be unnecessary, as the nurses opened the door and walked swiftly down the hall. The entire party turned expectantly towards the door,
"So doctor," Richard said. "How is he?"
Dr. Sacra just shook her head, "I'm sorry. There was nothing we could do."
"Noooooo!" Lizzy cried as she fainted onto the floor.
Chapter 11
"I love you, Will." Lizzy looked deep into his dark eyes, searching for any sign of reciprocated feelings there. "I loved you when I married John and even before that."
"Then why did you marry him?"
"You don't understand how it was," Lizzy could feel tears well in her eyes. "John had always been kind and good to me. And he loved me, unconditionally. I loved him too, in a way. But not the way I loved you. I think he knew that, but it was with free choice that I chose to marry him." Lizzy stopped briefly to observe his expressions, then continued, "I couldn't break my engagement with him, it meant too much to him. And then you left and Melissa…"
"I understand," William said quietly. "I just hate to think of all the time we wasted. I could have married you the first time around - in Rosings."
"I know," Lizzy smiled a little. "But let's not live in the past. It's time we moved ahead."
"I agree," William returned the smile. He bent down and…
"Lizzy, are you all right?" Jane peered down at her.
"Where am I?" Lizzy started.
"In the hospital bed, dear," Jane said soothingly. "You fainted."
"Where's Will?"
Jane looked at her strangely, "Now you know, Liz, that refusing to accept the truth can be very destructive for your health. Will died today in a crash and --"
"NO!" Was Lizzy's emphatic reply. "I was talking to him."
"Lizzy, please. Try and get some rest. I'll come back for you soon." Jane gave up trying to make Lizzy see reason. She had to let her have time to absorb the news. Jane was afraid that the deaths of both John and William in such a short time would completely destroy her. But there was nothing anyone could do.
It was a dream, Lizzy thought. But it felt so real. Did I really mean what I said? Lizzy felt faint again. Maybe I should rest a little. Perhaps I'll dream again.
Outside the room, Jane looked helplessly at Charles, "What shall we do about her, Charles?"
Charles had no answer for her.
"I can't believe this is happening," Jane started to cry again. "This was supposed to be a fun and relaxing time for all of us. And here we are in the hospital waiting to get a glimpse of William's dead body. I can't take much more."
"Shhh," Charles comforted her. "Richard and Caroline will be back any moment now. It's going to be all right."
Charles tried to be strong for Jane's sake and his own. But he couldn't swallow the enormity of loss he was feeling. William had been his best and closest friend for almost 15 years. In the beginning he was what could only be described as a "stuffed shirt" but he had soon become Charles' closest confidante and friend. I can't believe he's gone. I never even got to say good-bye.
Meanwhile
Richard and Caroline waited outside the hospital room to identify William's body. The doctors had asked them to wait for a few minutes as they got the body ready. An uncharacteristic gloom suffused the atmosphere.
"I'm sorry, Richard," Caroline said in a small voice as she watched Richard's tear-stained face. "I knew he meant a lot to you."
"Yes, he did," Richard said, his voice choked with emotions. "We've known each other almost since the time he was born. We played together as kids, went to the same college, did grad school together and then worked at the same law firm. I don't know what life without him will be like." With that Richard could no longer hold his tears and he cried freely. Caroline had never seen Richard cry, so she didn't know what to do to comfort him. She reached out and touched his cheeks softly and whispered,
"You're going to be fine. I know that William's death hurts a lot now, but I promise you it will be better. I know, because I went through the death of both my parents."
Richard looked at Caroline, unconvinced. But he was touched by her concern for him. He could see the tenderness in her eyes. He gave her a small smile,
"Thank you, Caroline. I knew I could count on you." He bent down and was about to kiss her, when…
"Richard! Caroline! You have to come here!" Charles came bounding down the hallway.
"What is it, Charles?" cried Caroline in surprise and some vexation at his interruption.
"Come and see for yourselves," Charles said and without any explanation ran back to where Jane had been waiting.
"Let's go," Caroline said in resignation. Charles could be so mysterious and infuriating at times. Maybe William's death had been a greater shock to him than anyone imagined.
Caroline and Richard rushed after Charles and approached the waiting area, where Charles and Jane had been sitting. They stopped dead on their tracks and cried in unison,
"WILLIAM!"
Caroline clutched onto Richard's arm, afraid that her eyes were playing tricks on her. She saw William standing before her, very much alive.
"William!" Richard exclaimed again and moved forward to hug him.
"Yes Rich, it's me." William assured him though with a little surprise. Richard had never been very demonstrative of his affections in public.
"I thought you were dead," Richard said as he stepped back.
"I heard," said William dryly. "Though why you all did, I can't imagine."
But before anyone could reply, Lizzy's door opened and she appeared outside, "Jane, I want to --" She stopped in surprise as she saw William.
After just standing there, stunned, for a few moments, she ran into his arms crying, "William!"
Chapter 12
"William," Lizzy whispered again softly. "I knew you wouldn't die." She felt so safe and comforted in his arms. It felt right. She just clutched on to him, shuddering at the thought of his death.
Meanwhile, to say that William was surprised would be an understatement. He had been absolutely taken aback at her joyous reception of him, and when she ran into his arms…well, it would suffice to say that his surprise and happiness knew no bounds. I've forgotten how good this feels, he thought to himself. If only it would never end.
Suddenly, Lizzy wriggled free of him as she realized that everyone in the room was watching them. What will they think of me? She thought with mortification. More importantly, what will he think of me?
"Sorry about that," She said aloud, adding quickly, "I didn't mean to do that."
You didn't? Why not? "It's okay," he said briefly trying to keep his emotions in check. You heard her; it was just a mistake. Purely impulsive. It didn't mean anything. But strangely, one part of him refused to believe that.
"Anyways," he began. "I want to know what happened here."
"We're trying to figure that out too," Richard answered him. It was kind of amusing in a way, when he came to think of it. He smiled, "We thought you were dead and there was a full-fledged mourning for you."
"But why?" William was still confused. "I had gone out for a stroll and when I came back people were talking about how Richard Fitzwilliam's car had been smashed up. I panicked and asked them whether they knew who was in it, but they said no. So I took a cab and here I am."
"Well, talk about misunderstandings," Charles said with a wry smile. "I heard Rich's car being in an accident and we all rushed here. The doctors told us that there had been a man in the car, so we assumed it was you. Come to think of it, we didn't actually see the body properly."
"But if it wasn't you," Caroline said with a frown. "Who was it?" She looked around the room, but no one had any answers.
"Let's go, find out," Charles said with determination. "But maybe you girls will want to go back to the guest house." He ventured. "It's kind of late."
Lizzy was reluctant, but she said, "You're right Charles. Rachel is there all alone. And besides, what's the use of all of us staying." She looked at Jane and Caroline, "Coming?"
"I guess," said Caroline, though she didn't want to. She wanted to stay and find out everything about the accident, but then she was tired and it might take a while.
"So that's settled," Charles said. Turning to Jane he said, "You can take the car, honey. We'll take a cab." He gave her a kiss; "It might take us some time." Pausing briefly, he added, "I'll miss you."
Jane smiled, "Me too, goodnight."
"Oh please, you two!" Caroline said with mock exasperation. "You sound like you were married yesterday."
Charles just grinned good-naturedly, blew a kiss to Jane and then, left with Richard and William to the hospital authorities.
Caroline turned back to face the other two, "Let's go! I'm beat!"
Jane simply smiled and Lizzy nodded as they headed back to the car. At the sight of the hastily parked car, Lizzy remarked dryly,
"Quite a night, huh?"
"Yes," Caroline smiled at her. She knew she had promised not to talk about William, but she couldn't resist, "I remember that only about an hour ago, you were totally freaking out as we arrived here."
"Was not!" Lizzy cried playfully. Then to Jane, "She always exaggerates, you know."
Jane just laughed, but she exchanged a meaningful look with Caroline. If Lizzy thought that they were blind, it was her problem. They had both seen how distraught she had been for Will and how she had flung herself in his arms. She loved him and he loved her, of that they were sure. But why they couldn't just tell each other that, they would probably never know.
The journey back to the guest house was rather quite as everyone reflected on what had happened. Suddenly, Lizzy broke the silence with,
"Oh my god! I have the best idea." She looked enthusiastically at Jane and Caroline, both of whom were in the front of the car. "Why don't we go to Clarks' for breakfast tomorrow? Just Charlotte and us three! It'll be so much fun."
As they were at a red light, Jane was at liberty to turn her head and exclaim, "Know what? I think that's a brilliant idea! How about it Caroline?"
"I don't know…" Caroline sounded reluctant. "I'd much rather sleep in --"
"Oh C'mon, party pooper!" Lizzy cut in. "You never went with us, even back in grad school. You don't know what you missed! Clarks' serves the best strawberry topped pancakes you'll ever taste!"
"My point exactly," Caroline said with a sigh. "I don't need to eat all that fattening stuff. It won't do any good to my waist."
"Carrie!" Groaned Lizzy and Jane at the same time. Caroline had always been weight-conscious. That and she was a late sleeper; the result of which she never made it to any breakfast treats the girls planned.
"All right, all right, I'll do it," Caroline said with a slight pout. "But it's only because I'm in the holiday spirit." Then a sudden thought hit her, "What about Rachel? Does she get up early?"
"With the sun," smiled Lizzy proudly. "And she just adores pancakes, too! Shows good taste, doesn't it?"
"Like mommy, like daughter," muttered Caroline.
The whole discussion about Clarks' had given a brighter aspect to the party in the car. They laughed and joked about old jokes and for the time being, at least, forgot all about their worries and the recent nightmare.
Presumably, they were among the last people to return to their rooms for the night. Lizzy said goodnight to both of them, and was about to get into her room, when she suddenly said,
"Oh Carrie, Jane, don't tell the guys. I want it to be between us." She giggled. Then turning serious, "But Charlotte…I don't know her room number --"
"I do," said Jane. "I'll tell her on my way up. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Lizzy entered her room and the first sight that caught her attention was Rachel sleeping peacefully, just as she had left her. Thank god for children who sleep tight, she thought with a smile. She knew of many kids who would wake up at the slightest noise. But not Rachel. She would sleep through a hurricane, if need be.
Lizzy undressed and got into bed. But she couldn't go to sleep. Her thoughts were, to her surprise, very much on William. Of meeting him again, of their conversation on the porch, then the dinner party in the banquet hall, and finally when she saw him in the hospital. She sighed. Her emotions were still too complex for her to understand. She knew that she cared for William deeply, still, after all these years. She remembered the thrilling feeling she had experienced when in his arms, a desire of never moving from there. But then, she said to herself, Caroline always said that a problem seems much easier if you sleep on it. Perhaps she's right. Slowly, she drifted into sleep, dreaming of a pair of dark, intense eyes.
Next morning; At Clarks'
"What do you want, Rachel honey?" Elizabeth smiled at her daughter who sat next to her.
"I want pancakes and orange juice." Declared Rachel decisively.
"See Carrie," laughed Lizzy with a sparkle in her eyes. "She has good taste."
"You mean, she has your taste," retorted Caroline.
They placed their orders to the waitress, an efficient young girl with a bright smile. Charlotte grinned at her companions, "Feels like old times, doesn't it?" She paused then added, "Only this time Her Majesty Caroline graced us with her presence!"
"You make me sound so bad," remarked Caroline. "It sounds like I have a huge attitude problem!"
"Got that right," muttered Lizzy.
Caroline made a face at her, then addressed Rachel, "Now listen honey, no matter what your mommy may have told you, Aunt Carrie is very nice and will buy you many candies."
"Trying to bribe the child, Caroline?" Jane said with a smirk. "She loves me without the promise of a candy."
Caroline retorted, "That's because you conspire with her!" pointing at Lizzy.
They all laughed at this remarkably senseless conversation. It felt good; for once they could just get away from all the pressures of daily life and have a good laugh. Suddenly Charlotte said,
"Tell me about yesterday!"
All laughter ceased. "What about yesterday?" Jane managed to say with a quick glance at Lizzy, who looked uncomfortable.
"You know, the hospital scene and what not?" Charlotte sounded very enthusiastic.
"Oh that," Caroline joined in. "It wasn't that exciting. Richard's car crashed and we thought that William was in it. We rushed to the hospital and the doctor said he was dead." Charlotte gasped. Caroline continued, "I know, we all felt the same, some of us more than the others," with a slight glance at Lizzy. "But anyways, it turned out that William was not dead, and who had been in the car and why, I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine."
"I didn't get to ask Charles about that," Jane said regretfully. "I was asleep when he came back and in the morning, he looked so peaceful I didn't have the heart to wake him up."
"Well!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I would never...! And you say it wasn't exciting!"
"We can joke about it now," said Lizzy gravely. "But it was rather traumatic then."
Charlotte exchanged a quick glance with Jane and Caroline, their eyes telling her not to pursue the subject with Lizzy. Charlotte nodded slightly,
"Oh breakfast's here!" They all hungrily attacked their food, not excepting Rachel. They had not eaten much the night before and the food was great.
"Don't you wish, Carrie," said Lizzy. "That you'd come here before."
"Maybe," said Caroline, reluctant to accept the fact. "But the food is great!" She had to admit.
"Look who just came in," remarked Lizzy dryly.
They all turned around to have a look. It was Melissa Reynolds, hanging an expensive looking fur coat on the coat rack. She spied them and nodded in their direction. Lizzy simply smiled briefly in return. Melissa placed her order and proceeded to walk towards their table.
"Oh no, she's coming over!" groaned Lizzy. "Good morning, Melissa."
"Good morning everyone!" said Melissa brightly. Spotting little Rachel in the corner, "And who might this be?"
"This is my daughter Rachel," said Lizzy tightly. "Rachel, say hello to Melissa."
"Hello." Said Rachel obediently.
"Oh! She's adorable!" said Melissa in a high-pitched voice. Lizzy winced. She continued, "So I heard that you all had a pretty eventful night last night." She looked at them expectantly.
"Where'd you hear that?" Caroline asked.
"Oh just here and there," Melissa gave them a huge smile. "And of course William told me himself." She sensed that everyone's attention was caught by the mention of William's name.
"William told you? When?" Lizzy said, trying not to show her eagerness.
"Oh he came by my room last night," she said in a casual manner. Nobody would have guessed that she had been rehearsing those lines for a long time. Then she added, "Oh my coffee's here. Bye you guys! See ya!" with that she was gone to her table.
"AH! That insufferable little…" Lizzy gave vent to all her pent-up anger.
The others didn't know what to say. They couldn't very well point out that William's private life was no concern of hers. Jane comforted her, "She's not worth your time, Lizzy. Let it go." An idea hit her, "Let's go shopping today!"
Meanwhile, Melissa was very satisfied with her recent conversation with Lizzy. It looked like Lizzy was still in love with William. I wonder why he can't see that? she mused. But then again men can be so obtuse sometimes. She drank her coffee, paid and left the restaurant.
As she walked down Hillhouse Avenue, she thought about her plan. It wasn't perfect; rather desperate actually. At any rate, it was a plan. If you want to catch the guy, she thought, you'd have to do the tricks. But she would need some help. Only one name popped to mind.
She located a pay phone and dialed a number. A sleepy voice picked up the phone, "Hello?"
"Hi George, it's me."
"Melissa, honey! So what's up? Where are you?"
"At Yale." She said simply.
"Let me guess. Almighty Darcy must be there."
She replied in the affirmative. He continued, "So what do you need?"
"Help." She said briefly and then explained to him her plan.
He wasn't convinced, "Do you think it'll work?"
"Don't know," She said regretfully. "Anyways, it might."
He still wasn't convinced, "What will I get out of it?"
"Money," she stated. "Lotsof it, if we succeed."
"Then count me in, baby."
Chapter 13
The morning was bright, the birds were singing and William was in a good mood, as rays of sunshine fell on his bed. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy. And he could attribute it all to one person -- Elizabeth. For the first time in almost 5 years had he felt any real happiness. Last night, he had seen some evidence that she still had some feelings for him. He had seen signs of some attachment, and if nothing else, it gave him hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, he could win her this time around.
William sighed as he remembered the divine feeling of having her in his arms, if only for a short time. The way she had whispered his name and expressed her relief at finding him alive. If she completely abhorred me, he reasoned, why would she care whether I lived or died? But then again, he had been wrong about her emotions and reasons once, he could be wrong again. I shouldn't get my hopes too high, he thought, after all there are so many things that could go wrong…
Deciding that it was time he got dressed and ready for breakfast, William got out of bed and headed for the shower, but not before turning on the radio.
You're my sunshine after the rain
You're the cure against my fear and my pain
Cuz I'm losing my mind? When you're not around
It's all (It's all) It's all because of you.
William smiled as he thought that this was exactly the way he felt for Elizabeth. He turned the volume up. This song struck a chord with him.
Baby I? Really know by now,
Since we met that day, you showed me the way
I felt it then you gave me love I can't describe how much I feel for you
I said baby I,
Should of known by now,
Should have been right there whenever
You gave me love
And if only you were here, I'd tell you, yes I'd tell you. Oh yea!
If only you were here…William thought wryly. Yes, he really had loved her from the first day they'd met. Only he hadn't been aware of it till couple of weeks later. But John had the better sense to capture her fancy instantly…
Honestly? Could it be with me?
Like it was before? Neither less nor more?
Cuz when I close my eyes at night, I realize that no one else,
Could ever take your place.
I still can feel,
And it's so unreal,
When you're touching me, kisses endlessly
It's just a place in the sun where our love's begun,
I miss you. Yes I miss you.You're my sunshine after the rain
You're the cure against my fear and my pain
Cuz I'm losing my mind? When you're not around
It's all (It's all) It's all because of you.*
As the last strains of the music died down, William felt his entire good humor leaving him. What if she still didn't want anything to do with him? Would he be destined to regret her for the rest of his life…like in the song? Would his pain never go away?
William shook his head as if to shake away such unpleasant thoughts. I can't accept defeat, he thought, not yet. I must at least give it a try. Just once…He then proceeded to get dressed, all the while thinking about what he would get her for Christmas. After all he only had 2 days to find the perfect gift.
William left his room and headed towards Charles' room. They had planned to meet the night before. As he was walking down the guesthouse's passageway, he had this sudden urge to see Elizabeth, for just a moment and say good-morning to her. She would be up by now, he thought while consulting her watch. She always used to get up so early. He walked till he came to the room with her nametag on it. But what will I say? He stopped in front of the door. Hi Elizabeth, I still love you with all my heart. And you? No, that would never do. He was just about to leave when a voice inside his head told him to stop thinking so much and just do what his heart told him. Gathering all his courage, he knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" Came a groggy voice from inside.
"It's William." He said, praying she would let him in.
"Oh! Come in, William."
He smiled. Maybe the morning won't be so unpleasant after all. He turned the knob and entered the room saying, "Sorry for the intrusion, Elizabeth. I just wanted to say that last night…" He broke off, shocked at the sight before him. "MELISSA!"
"Yes William," She smiled sweetly at him. "Go on, what about last night?"
"I, uh, didn't know…that is to say…." William didn't know how this happened. He was positive that he had seen Elizabeth's name on the door. Maybe I'm seeing her name, too.
"I thought this was Elizabeth's room," He finally managed to say.
"Oh, and why was that?" Melissa said innocently, though she fully well knew the answer. A little foresight had prompted her to ask for a different nametag. She had had this feeling that William might want to pay a visit to Elizabeth. And how would he know that Elizabeth's room was on the first floor?
"Uh…I think the nametag said this was her room…" He said, obviously embarrassed.
"Does it?" She said in an ever so innocent tone. "Let me check…" She got up from her bed and opened the door to see the nametag. "Oh! So it does! How amusing!" Then turning towards William she said, "Well William, now that you're here, why don't you stay awhile?"
"Um…Thank you Melissa, but no. I was just heading to see Charles, when I thought I would stop and…" He trailed, not knowing what to tell Melissa about his intent to visit Lizzy.
"Well, okay," she said, pretending not to notice. "Have it your way. But at least tell me what happened last night. I think I have a right to know."
William looked at her hesitantly. He thought about not saying anything, but then decided against it. After all what difference did it make? "Oh it was nothing very exciting really…" He then proceeded to tell her all about the hospital scene, omitting some details like Lizzy's reaction.
"Oh! How completely awful!" Melissa exclaimed. "Do you know who was in the car?"
"No, the authorities are still working on it, " he said briefly.
"Elizabeth must have been heart broken," Melissa said slyly, knowing that such a statement would evoke some sort of reaction from him.
"NO!" William almost yelled. "That's not true." Then quickly recollecting himself, he said, "I have to go now. Bye, Melissa."
"Good-bye William, have a nice day," Melissa said, adding mentally, I'm sure I will. She was thinking of the best way to tell Lizzy about William's visit, to make it sound to her advantage. But I'll go get some breakfast at Clarks' first.
Twenty minutes later; Guesthouse Lounge.
"There you are, Charles. Finally!" exclaimed William, as he saw Charles coming down, fully dressed.
"You know William," said Charles with a grin. "All of us don't get up as early as you. And we do need time to get ready for the day."
"So where's Jane?" William said anxiously, adding mentally and Lizzy?
"Jane went to have breakfast at Clarks'," Charles said, knowing perfectly well whom William was inquiring after. But he was resolved not to tell him anything till he asked. "She left me a note."
"Oh!" William said. Dammit Charles, what about Lizzy? "Um…She went alone, did she?"
Now he's fishing. Let's have a little more fun. Aloud he said, "No, I don't think so." Seeing William look eager, he added. "Caroline went with her."
"Ah…Caroline?" William said, lamely.
"What about Caroline?" Came a voice from behind them.
"Oh, here you are Rich," said Charles cheerfully. "I was just telling William that Jane went to Clarks' with Caroline, Lizzy and Charlotte for breakfast."
Charles, you moron. Couldn't you tell me that before? "Oh, Charlotte and Lizzy are there too?" William said.
"Yes. Apparently, they all went there together and presumably won't be back till later this evening." Seeing Richard and William's questioning looks, he added, "Shopping."
"Oh!" Richard said. "So where do you want to go for breakfast?"
Charles looked at William and then back at Richard. "Clarks'!"
At the same time that the guys were deciding to go to Clarks', Jane, Charlotte, Caroline, Lizzy and Rachel paid their bills and left. They were strolling down Hillhouse Avenue towards the main shopping center of New Haven.
"Have you all finished Christmas shopping yet?" asked Lizzy.
"Lord, no!" replied Jane, with confirmation from the others. "I'm still looking."
"That's good," said Lizzy. "Because I'm not either. In fact, I have most of mine left."
"You were always the last minute kind of gal, weren't you?" smiled Jane. "But that's okay, you still have some time left." She then looked at Rachel who was holding her hand, "So what is Santa going to bring you this Christmas, Rachel?"
"He's going to get me a Furby!" squealed Rachel. "And a Barbie set and Elmo and…" She continued for sometime.
Jane looked sympathetically at Lizzy. This was a very long list. Charlotte was curious, "What, in the world, is a Furby?"
"It's the toy on every child's Christmas list," said Lizzy wearily. "And it's my nightmare."
"You haven't bought it yet, have you?" asked Caroline in a low voice so that Rachel couldn't hear her.
"No," said Lizzy miserably. "And worst yet, I can't find it anywhere. There's a Furby mania. All stores are out of it. I don't know what I'll do." She moaned.
"I'm sure you'll find it, Lizzy," Jane said. "It can't be that bad. And besides I'm sure Rachel won't mind if she doesn't get a Furby. Will you, honey?"
"No, Santa is bringing me a Furby," said Rachel confidently. "Mrs. Stone said so."
"Mrs. Stone?" Caroline raised her eyebrows.
"She's the lady who baby-sits for me sometimes, back in Boston," explained Lizzy.
"Oh."
Caroline suddenly spied Queen's Boutique, one of her favorite stores in the area.
"You guys, I'm going to go to Queen's for a while," she said in an excited voice. "Want to come?"
Jane and Lizzy looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Charlotte wanted to know.
"Oh don't you remember Charlotte?" Lizzy exclaimed. "Once before our final exams, we'd all come shopping for some odds and ends, when Carrie said she'd be right back from Queen's. We agreed to meet back at the dorm. She didn't return for close to 3 hours. And when she finally did, it turned out that she'd forgotten about exams and was chatting to the manager!"
"I don't remember that!" said Caroline, defensively.
"Of course you don't," laughed Lizzy. "But don't expect me to come with you. I have some serious shopping to do."
Caroline looked at the others and it seemed that they were in full agreement with her. "Okay, then I'll meet you guys later."
"We'll see you in the mall in 2 hours," said Jane.
"2 hours, okay?" said Lizzy emphasizing what Jane had said.
"Yes, yes. I get the point. Bye!"
Caroline waved at her friends as she climbed the steps to the shop. It was true in a way. She had been really obsessed with Queen's back in grad school. But it was an awesome place. It always smelled so good, all herbs and fragrance. They gave good haircuts, manicures, etc. And Caroline had been on very good terms with the proprietress, Jodie. She entered the store with some hesitancy. Maybe Jodie wouldn't be there, maybe things had changed.
"Good morning, how can I help you miss?" A bright young girl greeted her at the reception area.
"Uh…Can I talk to Jodie? Jodie Simmons?"
"I'm sorry Ms. Simmons doesn't come in for another hour. But maybe someone else can help you?"
"No, that's okay," said Caroline. "I'll wait here."
She seated herself comfortably and picked up a magazine. The place hasn't changed at all, she thought to herself. Five years and it's still the same. I remember the first time I came here. I was with Richard…Caroline broke out of her reverie when she heard a familiar voice saying, "And you know of course that William is practically mine. I mean really, what would he see in a tramp like Elizabeth, anyway?"
It's Melissa! Caroline thought. She was getting some manicure done in the main area and in her position couldn't see Caroline sitting in the reception area. Caroline fumed. What did the girl think she was?
Melissa, oblivious to the eavesdropper, continued her chat. "And it's kind of pathetic, I think. Elizabeth is recently widowed and already she's chasing my William. Not that he gives a damn for her, but I mean, how low can she get?"
The hairdresser said something indistinct and satisfied, Melissa said, "You know, 5 years ago William and me had this little thing going on, when he came to the Bahamas and she was so jealous she married some chap. John, I think, is his name. And yesterday, I met a friend of hers, Caroline." Here, she stopped briefly. "And of course, I'd heard of Caroline before. I mean, everyone knew she was mad about William before. I think ma told me about her. She was very polite and everything, but I know she's very jealous of me..."
Caroline could take no more. She got up and walked up to Melissa, "Hello Melissa, fancy meeting you here." She gave her a sweet smile.
Melissa was flustered, lest Caroline should have overheard her. "Uh…Caroline, how nice to see you," she said insincerely.
The hairdresser, sensing that they might have something to talk about, excused herself and went away.
"So Melissa, I've been wondering to ask you. How long have you and William been…um…together?" Caroline stressed on the word 'together' revealing her skepticism.
Melissa looked up sharply, "It's none of your business."
Showing her claws already? "Oh really! Maybe I should ask William then, he being my old flame and all." Caroline was taking a chance here. She didn't know whether William had any relations with Melissa, but she thought not.
"So you heard me," Melissa said.
"Yes, I did. And I must say that you have some pretty interesting things to say."
Melissa stiffened. Caroline continued, "So does William have any idea that you go around bad-mouthing his friends?"
"As I said, it's none of your business," Melissa didn't like the way this conversation was going, but she sure wasn't ready to give into this Caroline woman.
Caroline was tired of Melissa. "Now listen to me, honey. William and Elizabeth love each other. You don't even figure in the picture. So I'd suggest you stay out of it."
"This coming from a woman who had a huge cat fight with Elizabeth over this same William," said Melissa mockingly.
The next thing she knew, Caroline slapped her soundly on her face, the impact of which, shocked them both.
Caroline said evenly, "Now listen to me, you little twit. What I did or did not do in the past is not relevant anymore. You had better stop pursuing William. If I hear you bad-mouthing Lizzy or for that matter any of my friends again, believe me you will be sorry you ever did!"
With that Caroline stomped out of Queen's Boutique, giving a deaf ear to the receptionist who exclaimed, "Wait, Ms. Simmons will be here any moment now."
Chapter 14 A
Caroline stormed out of Queens' Boutique in a fit of rage. She was one of those persons who don't get angry very often, but when they do…boy, you'd better be on their good side. Somehow, Melissa had managed to stir her anger. Caroline was positively fuming.
How dare that little, that little…@%$#& say such a thing? I didn't have a catfight with Lizzy. So we had a little quarrel, so what? Friends fight, now and then. And why in the world should I be jealous of her?! I'm not such a pathetic twerp. Or am I? Caroline was even more confused. Maybe the reason she had reacted so violently to Melissa was because what she had said hit a nerve with her.
Caroline was musing over this as she strolled towards the mall to meet the others. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone come up behind her.
"Boo!"
"Argh," shrieked Caroline as she turned around. "Richard!" Her voice expressed her surprise and pleasure.
"That's the most enthusiastic greeting I've received all day!"
"I'm so glad to see you," she said impulsively moving into his arms.
"What's wrong, Carrie?" Rich was concerned. Caroline looked upset.
"Oh nothing."
"Ok."
"Aren't you going to persist?" Caroline asked.
"No," said Rich flippantly. He knew very well that Caroline always did the opposite of what she was asked.
"But I'm going to tell you anyway," Caroline declared. She felt that Rich would be the best person to talk to about the incident. After all, he probably knew Melissa. And besides it would help clear some misunderstandings between them.
"I knew you would," Richard grinned.
"You know me too well," complained Caroline with a slight pout that Richard found adorable. "But let's go sit in the park. It may take some while."
They crossed the street to the New Haven city Park and found a bench. After seating themselves comfortably, Richard said, "So now can you tell me, what's up?
"It's that Melissa character!" exploded Caroline. "I absolutely hate her. She is an obnoxious, insinuating little airhead who needs to be given a few tips on how to talk without sounding like a twerp!"
"Whoa…what did Melly do to make you this mad?" Richard said, half seriously.
"So she's Melly now?" Caroline snapped. "Wasn't it bad enough that William had to bring her along, that you have to go around calling her Melly!"
Richard's expression darkened when she mentioned William. What do I have to do to remove William from her thoughts? It's hopeless. "Be reasonable, Caroline. We practically grew up together. She was Mrs. Reynolds' daughter, you know. I've always called her Melly. And as for William, he didn't invite her, she came herself."
"You mean, they're not going out?" Caroline sounded anxious. There's hope for Lizzy yet.
"Not that I know of," he said stiffly. She sounds so relieved…god, some things don't change. William can never be replaced.
"Well you should know if they did, as you see him practically everyday," Caroline said. "But that doesn't change the fact that I completely hate her. You know what she said?" Caroline paused to see Richard's expression, then continued, "She said, not in so many words, that I was a stupid tramp that was mad about William!"
"Well weren't you?" Richard said quietly.
"What? So you take her side now?"
"I'm not taking sides. I'm just pointing the obvious. If my memory serves me correctly, you went out with me only to get close to William, and when you finally found out that he would never be interested, you unceremoniously dumped me. I'd say that pretty much covers it."
Caroline dropped her jaw, "Is that what you think? That's all our relationship means to you."
"What relationship?" Richard raised his voice. "You mean the times when you pretended to be interested in me when all the while it was my cousin that you wanted. I wouldn't call it a relationship. That's too strong of a word."
"I can't believe you're saying this," Caroline stood up. "I didn't know you felt that way." She was getting angry. "Maybe I should have ended our 'relationship' or whatever it was earlier since you obviously despise me anyway."
"Yes perhaps it would have been better that way," said Richard bitterly. "And we owe it all to Melly. She gave us the opportunity to better understanding where we stand."
"I don't owe her anything!"
"You're just jealous because she slept with William and you didn't," said Richard mercilessly.
"That's enough!" Caroline almost screamed resisting the temptation to slap him too. "I don't want to talk to you. Ever again. You can go to your precious Melissa and rejoice now. I won't be spoiling anyone's Christmas."
With that and one last parting glance, she ran down the lane out of the park.
Well, thought Richard bitterly, that went well.
Chapter 14 B
Caroline felt tears streaming down her face as she ran out of the park, away from Rich. Their last conversation plagued her. And only one question came to mind: what had gone wrong? She had always depended on Richard for his support and he had never failed her. Back in grad school, he had always been there for her, even when they were not dating. After their break-up, Caroline had noticed no significant change in his behavior. He was always the same jesting, witty, easy-going and fun loving Richard. So she believed that he was not really hurt and they had remained very good friends.
But Caroline could not deny to herself the truth in some of Richard's accusations. Though it hurt her to admit it to anyone, it was true that at one point in her life, the sole purpose of her existence was to gain the attention of one William Darcy. Now that she thought about it Caroline found it quite ridiculous, but that's the way it was. So it was true that initially she went out with Richard only to become closer to William, but slowly as she got to know Rich she began to like him for himself. But then happened the fiasco with Lizzy…and after that Caroline had lost all sense of balance and during that period she had broken up with Rich.
And all the time Richard thought I was using him? Caroline thought. Why didn't he ever say anything? We could have cleared this up long ago. She felt a sense of hopelessness as a realization dawned…she actually loved the guy! After so many years, she still harbored those feelings for him. And it had hurt her irrevocably to hear him accuse her thus. Well I guess it's too late to apologize to him anyway. I heard the low opinion he holds me in…it'd be for the best if I just let it go. She sighed and quietly walked towards the mall to meet her friends.
Meanwhile
After dropping off Caroline at Queens' Boutique, the others walked in the direction of the mall. After walking for some moments in complete silence, Jane suddenly addressed Charlotte with, "Oh by the way, did you know that Bill Collins was looking for you."
"Oh no!" cried Charlotte. Billy Collins commonly referred to as 'The Toad' or 'the Slimeball' whichever you prefer, was a professor of Religion and such at the Divinity School, Yale University. One might ask what was so reprehensible about that, but the catch was that he felt it was his duty to marry one of the 'poor' Bennet girls because he assumed Mr. Bennet's position in the college. And after Lizzy steadfastly refused his advances, much to Mrs. Bennet's vexation mind you, he turned his attention to her friend Charlotte Lucas and thither it had stayed forever more.
"Love is in the air," murmured Lizzy with a gleam in her eyes.
"Stop it Lizzy!" cried Charlotte, vexed. "I declare, that man just doesn't know when to give up!"
"He still bugs you?" asked Jane incredulously.
"Of course he does," sighed Charlotte. "I work across the street from him, remember? Once he even told all my freshmen students that we were engaged and it took rest of the semester for me to get it into their heads that I was not!"
"Is that even legal?" remarked Lizzy, with a slight smile.
"You got off easy Liz," reproached Charlotte. "You don't even live here. But I have to put up with him practically everyday! 'Tis too much." Suddenly she burst out laughing, "You know, once he sent me a poem in French…boy, does he need lessons!"
"He'd be glad to take some, if you would teach him!" said Jane.
Charlotte stuck out her tongue. "I have a feeling I might give into him if he persists any longer."
"Mommy, look over there!" Rachel said suddenly. "That man is waving at me."
Elizabeth looked at the direction that Rachel was pointing at and gasped. It was Billy!
"Oh my g-d Jane! It's him! We have to get out of here." So saying they ran down the street and turned round the corner. "Let's go in this store!" said Charlotte. It was the Yale Bookstore.
"I don't think he saw us come in here," said Lizzy. Looking down at Rachel, "Wasn't that fun, honey?"
"Ooh...yes," squealed Rachel.
"Don't you think we're going too far," said Jane. "I mean we're running away from the poor guy, literally."
"Easy for you to say," retorted Lizzy. "You're not the one being chased by him. Picture this: you are alone in a dark room in Billy's arms, his lips are ---"
"Okay, okay. I get the picture," Jane cut her off with a shudder.
"Well, since we're here why don't we look around?" said Lizzy. "I might even find some neat Christmas presents here."
Jane and Charlotte exchanged glances. That could take hours. Lizzy adored bookstores.
"Actually Lizzy," said Jane. "Why don't me and Charlotte meet you in the mall, say in an hour or so. I'm sure Billy will be gone by now."
"Yeah," said Charlotte. "That way you can look around freely without us bugging you."
Elizabeth eyed them suspiciously, "Are you trying to get out of something?"
Jane put her best innocent face; "Whatever do you mean?"
"Okay. Bye you guys." Lizzy watched them go. "We don't need them, do we Rachel?"
Elizabeth was very pleased to be able to show her favorite bookstore to her daughter. She hoped that one day, Rachel would develop the same love of books that she had. She could spend hours in one without getting bored.
After browsing through some new arrivals, Lizzy found the perfect gift for Jane. It was the complete set of all of Shakespeare's works in one edition: plays, poems, and sonnets.
"This will be perfect!" exclaimed Lizzy. Jane adored Shakespeare and would love the book though it was big and heavy. She bought it and had it sent to her room in the guesthouse.
"Now remember Rachel," she said. "Not a word to Aunt Jane about this. It'll be a surprise, ok?"
"Yes, mommy," Rachel loved surprises.
Elizabeth smiled at her and began walking towards the door, when she bumped into an elderly man.
"Oh…excuse me, ma'am," he said politely, but when he saw her face, he exclaimed, "Miss Lizzy!"
"Harry??!!!" Lizzy was overjoyed. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you'd retired!"
"You know me, Miss Lizzy," he said with a smile. "Never could let go of them books."
Harry was an old employee of the bookstore who had become good friends with Elizabeth when she came there frequently during her college days. They had slowly become more like father-daughter, because he had an interest in her welfare and she told him some things which she would not even tell her own father.
"So Harry…how have you been? How's your wife?"
"I'm fine, but Helen died last summer," he said sadly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know how you feel."
"What do you mean?" Harry said, confused. "You don't mean…Master John…I mean…"
"Yes Harry, he died in a plane crash two months ago."
"Oh no…that must be real tough on you," he said sympathetically.
"Yes, but anyway. This is my daughter Rachel," she said motioning at the little girl.
"Oh…hello there Miss Rachel," Harry said amicably.
"Hello." She said timidly.
"She looks like you, miss," he informed Lizzy.
"Yes, I know. Isn't she cute?"
"Of course. With you and Master John…I wouldn't expect less."
"Thank you, Harry."
Harry changed the topic, "You know, Master William came here yesterday."
"Oh." She said, appearing uninterested.
"He was talking about you, too."
"Really."
"He's very nice."
"I know."
"Give him a chance, then," Harry knew he was crossing limits, but it was for the best.
"What do you mean?" Lizzy was flustered.
"He still loves ya, miss."
"I'm not so sure, Harry, I'm not so sure." Lizzy said softly, then deftly changing the subject, "I'd better be going Harry, I have to meet Jane and Charlotte in the mall."
"Come back again, soon. Bye Rachel." He watched them leave. He thought about William's visit. He had been very upset about seeing Lizzy. Good luck to you both. God knows, you need it.
Elizabeth headed towards the mall, thinking about what Harry had told her. If Harry thought that William loved her, she couldn't give it much credit since William had always been a favorite of his. In fact, William was probably the only person on campus who spent more time than her in a bookstore. Consequently, he had Harry's blessings.
Harry would say something like that, Lizzy thought, without any solid grounds for it. I'm sure William wouldn't actually confess his love for me to him. She shook her head to clear away those thoughts. I'll just have to wait and see.
Meanwhile In The Mall.
"Are you sure it will be ready by tomorrow evening?" William asked the salesperson. "It's terribly important."
"Don't worry, sir," assured Ms. Haycock. "It'll be ready and I'm sure your girlfriend will appreciate such a thoughtful and lovely gift." Ms. Haycock rather liked this handsome gentleman. He had spent better part of the morning looking for a gift for some lady. Too bad he's taken, she thought.
"Um…yes, thank you," he said distractedly. She thinks Elizabeth is my girlfriend! I wish…
He didn't have much experience in buying gifts for ladies, but he did know that they loved jewelry. So Kay's Jewelers had been his destination in the mall. But William had not been ready for the vast arena of choices that attacked him. Finally after some very hard work, he had picked out the gift, but it needed some special engraving done to it. He only hoped it would be ready before the Christmas Eve party.
"I'll be back to pick it up tomorrow," said William as he left the store. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not notice a familiar figure near the store's display window.
"William!" exclaimed Lizzy.
William turned around in surprise, "Ah…Elizabeth…I did not expect to see you here…that is to say…um…where's Jane?" Good going! Just learn how to talk, you moron.
Lizzy laughed at his discomfort, "Don't worry, I won't be bothering you. I'm looking for Jane and Charlotte. I was supposed to meet them and I figured they'd be here." She smiled at him mischievously, "So what were you doing in there?"
"Me? Uh…nothing. I mean, I was helping Charles pick out something for Jane."
Elizabeth eyed him suspiciously, "Really! So where is Charles?"
Damn. She's got me now. "Um…Charles went ahead of me," he said lamely.
Having mercy on him, she changed the topic, "So is Richard here too?"
"He had some stuff to do, but he'll be here shortly."
Elizabeth nodded, then a question struck her, "So what happened in the hospital last night…I mean after we left?"
"Oh that! We weren't able to identify the man in the car. At this point, the authorities think it was some car-thief, but they can't be sure. So they're looking into it."
"But what about Richard's car?"
William smiled at her, "I bet his insurance company are going to have a heart attack…it was an expensive car."
Lizzy nodded understandingly, "Well…why don't we go and look for our friends, then?"
"Sure," William agreed and followed her. He was very puzzled by her behavior to him. It seemed like she'd forgotten all about any fight they'd had.Maybe it's not so hopeless after all.
Ramsgate School of Music, NY.
Georgiana Darcy walked out of her apartment and walked slowly to her new Volkswagen Beetle. It had been a gift from her brother for her 20th birthday. As she headed towards her class, she had a distinct feeling that someone was following her. She checked her rear-view and saw a black Taurus. It's probably nothing, she thought, I'm just over-reacting.
George Wickham smiled to himself. This was going to be fun. At first he had been wary of Melissa's plan, but the more he thought about it, the more it struck him as a good plan. After all what did he have to loose? And it would serve as a wonderful opportunity to get back at those damned Darcys. He smiled ominously once again and stepped on the gas.
Chapter 15
William and Elizabeth strolled at a leisurely pace hoping to find the others. Conversation was not very easy, to say the least. After her first easy, gently teasing chat with William, Lizzy had relapsed into awkward silence. Only Rachel provided some relief as she took it upon herself to talk with William.
"I remember who you are," she said confidently.
William was surprised to hear Rachel's voice; he had been deep in thought. He smiled at her and said, "Oh really?"
"Yes. You took me home yesterday."
"That's right," said William with a faint gleam in his eyes. "So…you didn't tell me…what were you doing outside, by yourself?"
"Looking for daddy," she said simply.
William glanced at Lizzy quickly to see what her reaction was. Lizzy looked very uncomfortable as she gently said, "Now Rachel, remember what I told you…Daddy is not going to be here."
"Yes mommy," said Rachel, though in her heart believing that one-day her mommy would be proven wrong. After being silent for a few moments, Rachel suddenly asked William, "Do you know Santa?"
Taken completely off balance, William managed to utter, "Santa?"
"Yes."
"Um…not personally…I mean…"
"You see when I grow up," Rachel cut him off. "I want to work with Santa. I can help give toys and then I can fly with Rudolf and then I can eat lots of chocolates and then -"
"That's enough sweetie," Lizzy cut in. Knowing that Rachel's future aspirations might culminate into a rather large list, she didn't want to burden William with it. "You don't want to bore Uncle William, do you?"
"No, no," William interrupted her. "No problem at all. I rather like hearing her talk."
And so it went. William and Rachel chatted about a number of subjects, from the merit of Barney to the wicked Angelica of the Rugrats. Although William didn't have the faintest idea what these were, he followed Rachel's queue and managed to say something appropriate whenever Rachel paused to allow him to talk.
Elizabeth fell a little behind as William and Rachel conversed. She watched Rachel hold his hand and talk merrily to him as if it were John. Children adapt better than us grown-ups, I guess. And William seemed to be taking it much better than she had expected. For one who had next to nil experience with young children, he was handling the situation pretty well. Elizabeth couldn't help but think is this for me? Can it be that he is putting up with her only because she is my daughter? The thought seemed oddly comforting to her. She felt that it was proof that William still had some degree of regard for her.
Shaking off her thoughts, Lizzy strained to hear what they were talking about.
Rachel was saying, "…And Uncle Chuckie gave me an Elmo. It was red and it talked when I touched it…" Her voice trailed off. "There's Uncle Chuckie!" she said pointing in front of her and ran towards him.
Lizzy and William caught up with her as she jumped into Charles' arms.
"Uncle Chuckie?" William raised his eyebrows. "Does that mean I get to call you Chuck, too?"
"NO!" Charles said. "It's only for Rachel; her prerogative."
Lizzy smiled, "So have you met Jane and Charlotte?"
"Yes," he said. "They are doing some more shopping and did not want me there. So I have been given the duty to get you all to meet at lunch in Sally's."
"Well, we're here," said William. "But what about Caroline and Richard?"
"They'll get here," Charles assured them. "Eventually."
"Oh Charles! Lizzy!" Came a loud voice from behind them. "I'm here. Finally. I always get lost in this dumb mall."
"Carrie!" exclaimed Lizzy. "Well, you're quite early. So how did your boutique session go?"
"Fine," she said shortly.
Lizzy eyed her skeptically. She didn't look fine. In fact, it appeared that she had been crying.
Charles said, "Now if only Rich would come soon. I wonder where he went." A thought struck him. He addressed Caroline; "Do you know where he is?"
"How should I know?" she practically snapped at him. "It's none of my business."
Aha, thought Lizzy. There's the problem, right there. I have to get her alone. She looked quickly at Charles and William and said, "We'll go to the restroom now." Giving Caroline a look indicating her to follow, she said, "See you guys in Sally's in 15 minutes."
"Sure," said Charles giving them an odd look. Turning to William, he said, "Is it just me or do you have problems understanding women too?"
"All the time, buddy, all the time," William assured him as they moved in the direction of Sally's.
Meanwhile, in the ladies' room.
"So what's up, Liz?" Caroline said impatiently. "Why did you drag me in here?"
"What happened with Richard?" Lizzy was not one for wasting time. She went straight to the matter at hand.
"Nothing that concerns you," she said shortly.
"Really," Lizzy raised her eyebrow.
"Yes," Caroline looked at Lizzy wearily. "Listen, I'm still trying to figure out what happened myself. As soon as I get that done, believe you'll be the first to know."
"You love him, don't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"I don't know, Liz," Caroline said softly. "I thought I did, but I don't; not now. It's all very complicated." She sighed, "Let's not talk about it." Pausing briefly, she said, "But what made you jump to that conclusion anyway?"
"Like you said, Carrie," Lizzy smiled. "Your eyes give you away!"
"Well, I never!" Caroline laughed lightly and they exited the restroom, heading towards their lunch destination, Sally's.
Note: Okay, I just want you to know Sally's does really exist. It's an Italian restaurant located in Little Italy area of New Haven. The pizza's there are divine, if you know what I mean. You got to taste it to believe it.
At Sally's
Fame is a funny thing. It either makes you or breaks you, as they say. But in Sally's case, the former was undoubtedly true. Sally's reputation of serving the best pizzas in the New England area had spread as far as New York and many a busy weekends, one could find satisfied New Yorkers tucking into one of Sally's heavenly clam pizzas.
After waiting in line for almost a half-hour, Lizzy and her party made it into the restaurant. "A table for eight, please," she told the usher who led them to a large round table.
[The table arrangement for reference is: Richard, Charles, Jane, Lizzy, Rachel, Charlotte, Caroline, and William. Richard and William being towards the table's outside.]
They placed their orders.
Jane was in a very good mood, obviously due to a fruitful morning of shopping, "This is the best mall. I've said it before and I'll say it again, nothing in New York can beat this." She looked around at the others happily and got acknowledgment from none but Charles. Richard and Caroline were too busy trying to appear normal and cheerful. Lizzy was busy with Rachel and trying to glance at William. William was wholly engrossed with Lizzy and Rachel's conversation and Charlotte just watched the scene with amusement.
Not noticing the pre-occupation of most of her companions, Jane continued, "Isn't this wonderful! All of us together here at Sally's again. Brings back memories, doesn't it?"
"It sure does, Jane," said Lizzy with a sigh. John had first proposed to her during dinner at Sally's. From her seat, she could even spot the table they had occupied.
"Oh I almost forgot," exclaimed Jane with a shake of her head. "Charlotte and I bumped into Mrs. Pearson, one of the organizers for the reunion. Well…she was telling us about the Christmas Eve party tomorrow."
"Yes," Charlotte picked up the story. "It's a theme ball of sorts. Remember the Christmas ball of 1992, the year before we graduated?" Everyone nodded. "Well…the theme is 'Memories'. And get this; you have to go with the person you went with for that ball. And of course, if that person did not come to the reunion, you can go with someone else."
The entire table was silent for a moment. Charlotte continued, "But that's a stupid idea! I mean, I went with Billy Collins for that one!"
"Poor Charlotte!" cried Lizzy. "What did you do that for?"
"Well…I don't remember exactly…but I do remember that I had left quite early that night."
"So are you going to go with him?" asked Jane.
"I guess…" said Charlotte. "Do I have a choice? I mean, most people will try to follow the theme."
Jane smiled sympathetically at her, then turned towards the others, "So who's going to be your date, Rich?"
"Um…I think I went with Caroline…I'm not sure." Richard said, though he knew that for a fact.
"Oh? Well that works." She smiled at Charles; "We went together, didn't we?"
"Of course, you did!" said Lizzy with a laugh.
"But what about you, Liz?" said Charles and instantly regretted it. He already knew the answer: she had gone with John.
"I won't go," she said shortly.
"Why not?" said Caroline; she wasn't thinking.
"Because I had gone with John."
Caroline looked flustered, "I'm sorry, Liz."
"It's all right."
Suddenly William said, "Um…Lizzy?" She looked at him. "If you want, maybe you could go…um…with me?" William knew it was kind of odd to ask her in front of everyone, but maybe after lunch, he wouldn't have the courage or opportunity.
Lizzy looked amazed; "Do you mean it?"
"Yes, I do," he looked very sincere.
"But what about your date…I mean, the girl you went with for the ball before?"
"I, ah, didn't go last time." He paused and then said, "Will you?"
Elizabeth didn't know what to say. Say yes, you fool, her heart told her. "Yes, I will."
At that moment their pizza arrived. "Oh good, the food's here," said Jane. "I'm famished."
Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas
Lydia Wickham, nee Bennet smiled appreciatively at the tip left to her by her last customer, a blond guy. With the money, was a note. I'm staying in Room 412. Lydia giggled; the guy didn't look that desperate. But he wasn't bad-looking either. Maybe I'll pay him a visit, she thought.
Lydia went around serving her other customers. Presently, her friend Harriet called out, "Liddy! There's a call for you! Some guy named George."