Section I, Next Section
Chapter One
"Jenna, have you seen my satin handbag?" asked Lizzy Bradley to her roommate-and-best-friend-since-first-grade, Jenna Baron.
"No, I haven't. But here's your silk one," answered Jenna, producing a very attractive purse from under Lizzy's bed.
"But I need my satin one. It's blue, and so are my shoes. The silk one's black."
"Well, if we don't leave now, we'll be late, and you don't want to miss this show after you've been saving for two months to see it. So put on your black shoes, and lets go."
"Oh, all right. But if I fall from these six inch heels, it's all your fault!" Lizzy jokingly said while putting on her black heels.
They ran down the steps of their apartment, giggling merrily. They were both excited to be seeing the new Broadway show, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Lizzy was especially excited to be seeing the extremely handsome and talented William Darcy as Sir Percy Blackney.
As they settled into their seats, which were two rows from the front, Lizzy took a peak at the playbill. She skipped forward to William Darcy's photograph/bio. She poked Jenna with her elbow.
"What?" asked Jenna.
"Look," said Lizzy, pointing. "It says he went to Wheaton University. Isn't that where Chuck went?" Jenna was dating a Mr. Charles Bingley, who she met while they were both in Chess.
"Yeah. And he doesn't like to be called Chuck," she replied.
"Okay, okay, okay, now hush," said Lizzy, stopping Jenna's lips. The lights were beginning to dim. She could feel the hair on her arms rising as the orchestra started to play. Before the cast came out, though, she snuck one more peek at you-know-who's photograph.
After the play, Lizzy talked Jenna into waiting at the stage door to meet the actors. It didn't take much persuasion, since Jenna was expecting her to do that, anyway. As they waited apprehensively, for Lizzy's Big Crush to come out, Jenna walked carefully to the dying rose bush across the street and picked the last rose off it. She handed it to Lizzy and said, "Here. Give this to him. Maybe then he'll ask you out. You never know."
"You never know," replied Lizzy, taking the wilted flower. Then she saw Him coming down the hall. Staring, she absent-mindedly threw the flower behind her. She turned to Jenna and said, "He's coming."
She walked up to him and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Darcy."
He smiled obligingly and said, "Yes?"
"Well, um, I was wondering if I could please have your autograph."
"Sure. You got a pen?"
She produced the pen, while Jenna produced the playbill. As he was signing, Lizzy said, "You know, I just loved you as Percy. It's always been my dream to be on Broadway. I just graduated from Oberlin, and I've been auditioning right and left."
He smiled and said, "It's hard, isn't it?"
"You bet."
"Not everybody makes it."
"Well, I will," she said, vaguely offended. You just wait and see."
"I hope so."
"Well, don't take my word for it. Just look for the name Elizabeth Bradley sometime at the Tonys."
He smiled again and said, "I'll do that."
And he left. Lizzy looked at Jenna and said, "Was it something I said?"
"I think that was nice of him, talking to you like that," Jenna replied.
"Why shouldn't he talk to me? It's not like he's the King of Sheba or anything."
"King of Sheba."
"You know what I mean."
"Yes, Lizzy. I know what you mean."
"Jenna, look! He drew a pimpernel next to his name!"
"What? Let me see that. Oh, my God, he did."
They stared it. Jenna said, "He's not a bad artist."
"William Darcy, pimpernel. It sounds charmingly conceited, don't you think?"
The laughed, and continued chatting about the show until they got home. When they got home, their answering machine was buzzing. They continued to chat until one message caught their attention. It was from Lizzy's agent, Madeleine Gardiner. It was so interesting that Lizzy rewound the tape and listened to it again.
"Hi, Lizzy, are you there? Well, I was just speaking to my good friend, Tara Rubin. You know, she's the one who's with Johnson-Lif, and it turns out there's a 4th National Tour of Les Mis in the works. There's an open call audition tomorrow at four. I suggest you sing that ditty you've been working on, you know, the one that goes, "They are not nice, they're mostly noise." Anyway, you get the picture. You know my number. Call me if you have any questions. Bye."
Just then, the machine beeped. For moments, neither of them could speak. Finally Jenna said, "I think she memorized how long an answering machine gives you. As soon as she said bye, it beeped."
Lizzy started laughing uncontrollably. As she made her way to her room, she kept yelling out, "I'm gonna be in Les Mis! My first job and it's gonna be Les Mis!"
Even though it was one o'clock in the morning, she jumped on the Internet and e-mailed everybody she knew. Then she went to bed, still giggling hysterically and occasionally screaming out little bits of nonsense. She knew she was acting crazy, but she didn't care.
Chapter Two
Lizzy got to the audition ten minutes early. She was wearing a short, green floral dress, and in her hand she clutched the music to The Movie in my Mind, he resume, and her picture. Nervously, she scanned the roomful of young ladies auditioning for a role in the ensemble. Personally, Lizzy didn't care if she got a good role or not. She figured she could start small and be an understudy, or something. Some of these ladies were obviously trying to get a lead role. She spotted one with a pointy nose and dark, protruding eyes pretending to look at her music. She could tell she was pretending because every now and then she'd belt out "And I know it's only in my mind!" What an obvious attention-getter! Lizzy was sure that that particular lady would get passed over for Eponine, though. She was way too tall. Because Lizzy didn't care to play Fantine (and Fantine is the only female lead role), she wasn't going to say she wanted a lead role at all.
Promptly at four, Madeleine showed up, a whirl of long black hair and sunglasses. She said, "Lizzy, did you bring your music? Good. Now, how are you with dancing?"
"Just fine. Is that Jenna over there?"
"Oh! So it is. I didn't know she was auditioning."
"Neither did I. I guess her agent brought her here."
"I guess so. Anyway, there are going to be a few changes, you know, things that are different from the 3rd National Tour and this one. Most importantly is that Marius and Enjolras are each going to switch roles on weekends, as are the Eponine and Cosette."
Lizzy raised her eyebrows.
"Really? That's different. How would that work, anyway? Eponine requires a good, strong, belting voice, while Cosette is clearly a soprano."
"That's what I said, but this is the way they wanted to do it."
"It'll be interesting, anyway."
Just then, Jenna spotted them. She waved, and came over, practically running to get away from her agent, Augusta Elton.
"Ugh!" she said. "That lady! I have to get another agent. She keeps telling me how delicate I am! And then she hits me!"
Madeleine handed her her card and walked away, humming a tune to Showboat.
Jenna read it aloud:
"`Madeleine Gardiner: agent and savior for distressed actresses.'" then, to Lizzy, "Is this the card she gave you?"
"No. Mine was purple."
Just then, a man sat down behind the folding table, rang a bell, and said, "All right. My name is Geoffrey Johnson. This is Vincent Lif, of Johnson-Lif Associates. We are here to choose actresses for the new tour of Les Miserables. The requirements are knowing how to sing and act, obviously. So, if you can't do that, I suggest you leave. Now, if you will each take a number and a seat, we will begin auditions now."
Lizzy drew number twenty-five. Jenna picked fifteen. The girl with the pointy nose drew first. She squealed in glee and immediately started auditioning. She introduced herself as Caroline Brahm, and the song she selected was We Got Elegance from Hello, Dolly.
She had an all right voice, but she tripped twice, making her selection very ironic to say the least. The few after her were mediocre. They didn't trip, but one squeaked, another shook so violently her voice developed a serious vibrato. When Jenna's turn came, she blew them away, singing Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again from Phantom of the Opera. Lizzy knew immediately she would be in the production.
Before she could get over Jenna's wonderful performance, she heard her number called. Without hesitating to think, she got up, handed the accompanist her sheet music, and struck an attitude of resignment. Then she started singing. As her voice rang out, clear and simple, she listened to herself sing the words.
They are not nice, they're mostly noise
They swear like men, they screw like boys
I know there's nothing in their hearts
But every time I take one in my arms,
It starts:The movie in my mind
The dream they leave behind
A scene I can't erase
And in a strong GI's embrace
Flee this life
Flee this placeThe movie plays and plays
The screen before me fills
He takes me to New York
He gives be dollar billsOur children laugh all day
And eat too much ice-cream
And life is like a dreamDream
The dream I long to find
The movie in my mindI will not cry, I will not think
I'll do my dance, I'll make them drink
When I make love, it won't be me
And if they hurt me, I'll just close my eyesAnd see
The movie in my mind
The dream that fills my head
A man who will not killWho'll fight for me instead
He'll keep us safe all day
So no one comes at night
To blow the dream awayDream
The dream I have to find
The movie in my mindAnd in a strong GI's embrace
Flee this life
Flee this placeA world that's far away
Where life is not unkind
The movie in my mind
Lizzy walked away from that audition very confidently after being told to return tomorrow for extended auditioning. This meant she was definitely in the show, but now they would decide for the major roles from Valjean to Gavroche
Part 3
Posted on Tuesday, 16 June 1998
After the next audition, Lizzy could hardly believe her luck! She had heard on the Internet that William Darcy was going to be in the cast. How this came about (she thought he was perfectly happy with the role of the Scarlet Pimpernel), she did not know. But at the audition that day, he had been there. Her computer again suffered an e-mail frenzy as she told her college friends about it. She was also amazed at where she was in the cast. Here's a copy of her castlist:
Jean Valjean: Thomas Bennet (an old voice teacher of Lizzy's who is like a father to her since her father died of a sudden brain tumor, but that's another story altogether)
Javert: Richard Fitzwilliam
Fantine: Lydia Brock (Lizzy's third cousin, coincidentally)
Madame Thenardier: Caroline Brahm
Thenardier: Bill Collins
Eponine: Elizabeth Bradley!!!!!
Marius: Charles Bingley
Cosette: Jenna Baron
Enjolras: William Darcy
She sat down on the stage where they were having rehearsal, staring at the list. The director, Mr. Nunn, yelled at her,
"Miss Bradley! We are trying to rehearse Lovely Ladies . Will you please get your feather boaed tail over here?"
She got into place and shook her tail for him to see. She then proceeded to strut with the best of them, learning her blocking in less than two hours, give or take a little, since he did have to take time out for the other thespians. The rehearsal seemed to be going well. Until A Little Fall of Rain , when her mother showed up. She burst into the theater, fur coat flying, waving her bejewelled hand in Mr. Nunn's face. She shouted,
"Where's my daughter?"
Lizzy slunk behind the barricade. She heard Mr. Nunn say,
"I cannot tolerate this! If you want to speak to your daughter, Mrs. ...?"
"Bradley! Now, my daughter is going to be the making of your show, and since you cannot spare her, you must allow me to see her, or she will quit!"
Lizzy was amazed that Mr. Nunn did not fire her right there. She finally spoke up.
"Mother," she said, purposely using the least tender adjective for that person, "I am not going to quit. Now, I'm sure whatever you have to say can wait. Good-bye. So long. I'll see you at Christmas. Say hi to Mary for me. I'll bring her a present. What would she like? Oh, we can talk over the phone. Bye!" She proceeded to shove her mother out the door. She turned around, closing the door behind her, only to find that William was staring at her. Well, everybody was staring, but him especially. She stared right back. Mr. Nunn, or Trevor as he liked to be called, said,
"All right, let's get back to that scene. Take it from the top. Elizabeth, get behind the barricades. Charles, you're expecting an answer to your letter. Caroline, I'm sure that William knows where his rifle is. You do not have to scream it out in the middle of the song."
Lizzy obeyed, noting that William climbed the barricades with alarming alacrity.
"What a great body he has!" she thought to herself, but then remembered she was supposed to be dreaming about Marius. "But Marius is taken, and I could never like someone after Jenny liked him. That would be ... recycling. Sort of. So, I might as well like William." She quickly shook her head. William was too popular and well-liked and immensely connected and talented to notice her. She wondered if he remembered her. Thus far, she hadn't had a chance to speak to him. Eponine and Enjolras aren't together very often, if ever. The only time Enjolras really notices Eponine is when she's dying. She decided to find out.
After rehearsal, Lizzy walked over to William and said,
"Hey. Remember me?"
He grinned and said, "Yeah. You're the one who dreamt of being on Broadway."
"Didn't think I'd get on stage so soon, did you? Well, here I am. Just like I said."
He nodded.
"So, how do you like my acting so far?" she asked him, after a lull in the conversation.
"It's fine."
"Well, don't overdo it or anything."
"No, what I meant was, it's the second day, and you've already got the knack. It just needs polishing."
"Well, just so you know, I think your acting is perfect."
"Thank you. Personally, I think I need to work on my enthusiasm in Do You Hear the People Sing."
"Okay. I have your opinion on me and mine on you. What do you think of ... Caroline?"
"I think she needs to tone it down and stop trying to make Madame a sympathetic character. Did you notice how she belted out, `That would quite fit the bill', etc.?"
"Yeah. That was awful." Lizzy giggled. William smiled. Jenna walked up and said,
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing," they said together.
Part 4
Posted on Wednesday, 15 July 1998
Opening day was getting nearer and nearer and they still weren't fully cast. Surprisingly, they had all the leads. Now all they had to do was scrape together thirty-something ensemble members. They already had about fifteen, so that left about fifteen more. Consolingly, Mr. Nunn, or Trevor as he had instructed them to call him, had reminded them that in the original production, they had been having rehearsals for weeks without a Fantine.
*Author's note: We do not pretend to know whether or not Trevor Nunn actually goes to rehearsals for every tour, but I'm assuming he does for this story. Also, I've never met them so I'm using fictional characters with real names N. :)*
They had a Fantine. Unfortunately, their Fantine did not want to be Fantine. Trevor called Lydia aside. She came over and looked up at him expectantly.
"Lydia," he began.
"Yes, Trevor?" she giggled.
"Do you want to be in this production?"
"Yes, but I don't want to be Fantine."
"Why not?"
"Because Fantine is a wuss."
"How is she a wuss?"
"She just gives up on her man. If I were her, I'd hunt him down like the dog he is."
"All right. Now you have a perspective. Play it out. Make it seem like Fantine want's to get her `man' back, all right?"
Lydia thought for a moment, her outer lip sticking out. She nodded.
"All right, Trevor. I'll do that."
"Good," he sighed in relief. "Now, let's do At The End Of The Day again. And Lydia, you're being fired. Don't look so apathetic. Somebody, bring Miss Brock a dictionary."
Lizzy was amazed at how well Lydia's version of Fantine came out. She still doubted the wisdom of that particular casting move by Johnson-Lif. Lydia wasn't exactly the Fantine-y type. And she did not want a wuss for Fantine in her production. She wanted everything to be perfect. She put her thoughts aside for the moment, however, to learn the footwork in At The End Of The Day. She kept bumping into Charlotte, the girl who had been chosen to play the Factory Girl.
That night, as she exhaustedly crept to her apartment with Jenna at her heels, Lizzy said, "You know, Jenna."
"Hm?" asked Jenna sleepily.
"I'm wondering if I should ask William Darcy out."
"Hm."
"Well?"
"What?"
"Should I ask him out?"
"I don't know, Lizzy. I'm too tired. Ask me tomorrow."
"But we're gonna be in rehearsal again tomorrow. All day, probably. And then I have to have dinner at my parents house, it's Mary's birthday."
"Tell her many happy returns for me. Good-night." Jenna went to her room and collapsed on the bed. She was exhausted. Lizzy was, too, but she couldn't sleep. She got on the Internet. She saw on her buddy list that one of her best friends was on, so she sent her a message.
Lizzy101: Hi. Wanna talk?
MAndM897: Sure. Why aren't you in bed?
Lizzy101: I couldn't sleep. I'm too exhausted from rehearsal.
MAndM897: Oh, that's right, you're in Les Mis now. How's it going?
Lizzy101: All right. There's this guy that I want to ask out. He's in the production, too.
MAndM897: Well?
Lizzy101: Well what?
MAndM897: Well, when are you going to do the deed?
Lizzy101: I haven't decided yet.
MAndM897: Why not?
Lizzy101: I'm not sure he'll say, "Sure, what time? I'll take you to Checkers." He might say, "No, thanks. I'm going to my fiancee's house for dinner."
MAndM897: LOL
Lizzy101: :/
There was a slight pause as both chatters came that close to falling asleep in their chairs.
Lizzy101: Well, gotta go. I'm gonna look for him on the WEB, see if I can find a marital status.
MAndM897: LOL Good idea. Bye.
When Lizzy was properly satisfied that William was not married, she finally went to bed. It was three o' clock in the morning.
Part 5
Posted on Friday, 17 July 1998
The next day, Lizzy was awakened by the shrill sound of her alarm clock. She rolled over and slammed it, trying to crush it like the cartoon characters do. She sat up. The clock said it was seven thirty. She had gotten five hours of sleep. It seemed like more. She shuffled into the kitchen, slowly getting her breakfast ready. She noticed the clock on the microwave: 9:30. She was late for rehearsal! She ran into her room, threw on some clean jeans and a shirt, stuffed her feet into her shoes, and fled out the door cramming a bagel in her mouth.
When she got to the theater, she stopped outside the door long enough to unwrap a stick of Wrigley's Spearmint. After all, today was the day she was going to rehearse her Cosette part for the weekends. And Will was going to be Marius. She then went inside the theater, hoping she didn't look as hideous as she felt.
"Hi, guys. Sorry I'm late. My alarm clock over slept, and I had to punish it."
"Perfectly all right," came the reply. "We have been rehearsing the Eponine scenes."
Oh geez! she thought to herself I'm supposed to rehearse Cosette in this getup?
My God! thought William She even looks good when she's not groomed! He shook his head, and went back to looking love sick, which didn't take much work considering.
The fist scene Trevor wanted them to rehearse together was the wedding. Lizzy rolled her eyes at herself, and got into position. When it came time for Marius and Cosette to kiss, Lizzy was startled by a noise in the audience. It was her mother.
"Will, darling!" she shouted. "What are you doing? You two are just standing there, pecking each other on the cheek! You're in love! Kiss her properly!" She clapped her hands on each syllable of the last word to spur them on. Lizzy cringed with embarrassment. Trevor interrupted.
"Mrs. Bradley! If you don't mind, I am the director; you are the mother of one of my employees. Now please, may I direct?"
Mrs. Bradley stood defiantly at the bottom of the stage. Trevor rolled his eyes and ignored her.
"All right. Now, kiss her, man!" he said. "And Elizabeth, you kiss him right back."
They obeyed.
Later, when they took a break for lunch, Lizzy thought about asking William out right then and there.
"I'll ask him right now," she thought. "No, I can't ask him. I'm a mess. But if not now, when? Nope. Can't be. I have to look perfect when I ask him."
Just then, William walked up to her. Lizzy just about died right there.
"Hi," he said.
"H..hi," she stammered, knocking over her water bottle in the process. She stooped to pick it up.
"Um," he began. "I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight, after rehearsal."
"Um...." She couldn't believe it! Here she was being asked out by William Darcy, and she couldn't accept because her hair was a mess. She shook herself and said, "I'd love to."
"Great. We'll go to Barbetta."
"Great. Um, can we stop at my apartment first?"
"Sure. Whatever."
"Great," she said, with a sigh of relief. Then came a buzzer in the form of Trevor yelling,
"Places, everybody! We're taking it right through!"
Wonderful, thought Lizzy. I get a date and I can't talk about it with Jenna or Thomas because we have to have our first all-the-way-through rehearsal.
"Trevor," she asked, "when are we going to do a dress rehearsal?"
"After you get your costumes, naturally. Andreane will be flying in tomorrow to start fittings." Then, to everybody, "We are wanting to start production in three weeks ... I trust everything will go well?"
"Yes, Trevor," they all mumbled.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Sir, yes, sir!" they all shouted.
Lizzy managed to get through the rehearsal without slipping, although she came near it several times. In At The End of The Day, she nearly forgot to get in line, and almost tripped over Lydia, who glared at her as she had the rights to do.
After going through the show twice, once all the way and once in bits and pieces, Trevor finally called it a day. William came over to her; they linked arms and walked off to the subway, then to Lizzy's apartment, and from there, to Barbetta.
Part 6
Posted on Friday, 17 July 1998
Lizzy was shocked at how quickly they were seated. It seemed as if her friend William had other friends in the restaurant business. On their way to the table, she glanced apologetically at the many people still waiting in line.
"That was quick," she commented.
"Yeah, well, it helps to be friends with the owner," he said, pulling out her chair for her to sit in.
She sat down comfortably in her chair and began peering at her menu. She blanched at the costs and immediately started trying to find something under fifty dollars. William, meanwhile, ordered a bottle of champagne and an appetizer.
"I hope you're hungry," he said smilingly. "The agnalotti is great here."
"Really?" she asked absently.
"Yes, but tonight I think I'll go for the something meatier."
"Like what?"
"You'll see."
They continued to make small talk. Lizzy was worried about actually eating, until William asked if he could order for her and stopped her worrying about paying."
I wonder if he can afford it, she thought to herself, but shrugged it away. It's his business, anyway. If he couldn't afford it, he probably would've taken me somewhere else. She set about to enjoying her evening.
She did enjoy herself. After a chat over canoli, they took a cab back to Lizzy's apartment, where William walked her to the door. As they stood outside the door to her apartment building, Lizzy wondered why he didn't kiss her good-night. Was it too early for him? Was he afraid maybe he had bad breath from dinner? Maybe he just didn't like her as much as he thought he did. This thought depressed her a bit.
William stood there, wondering if he should kiss her. Everything in him wanted to, but he still felt it was a little too early. Besides, what if she didn't want him to?
Finally, Lizzy had enough of wondering. She looked up at him. He looked down at her. Willing herself to do something, she reached up and gave him a nice, long kiss.
William was startled to say the least. He wrapped his arms around her hesitantly. She thought it felt wonderful. When they finally let go, they both just continued to stand awkwardly on the stoop. They looked at each other shyly, wondering what to do next. Lizzy was very embarrassed. During the kiss, she had gotten the impression that he had enjoyed it as much as she had, but now, he seemed embarrassed and nervous. He cleared his throat and started back towards the cab. She waved her fingers at him and he pretended to lift a cap to her, although he wasn't wearing one.
Lizzy wondered what had gone wrong. True, he hadn't seemed to disapprove of her kissing him when she had done it, but now she was second guessing herself. Had it been wise? It was only their first date! As she unlocked her door, she hit her hand to her head.
Stupid idiot! What are you doing, trying to force yourself on him? What does he think of me now?
She got on the Internet and promptly e-mailed MAndM897.
Hi. It's Lizzy. I just got home from my date with William. No, I didn't have to ask him. Yes, I'm thrilled that he asked me. But, the thing is, when he dropped me off after dinner, we were just standing there, and it didn't look like he was going to do anything, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I reached up and planted a wet one on his lips. At first, I thought he liked it, but as soon as I let go, he ran into the cab as fast as he could like I had the plague or something. What should I do? I can't tell Jenna, because (although I know she couldn't be sweeter), she'd might butt in, or tell Chuck and he'd interfere. Do you think he still likes me? Help!
Lizzy
Part 7
Posted on Saturday, 18 July 1998
The next day, Lizzy checked her mailbox before going to work and surprise! A letter from MAndM897 was in it. It read:
Way to go, Lizzy! You just threw your arms around him and kissed him?! Boy, I wish I had the guts to do that. Anyway, in your letter you answered all the questions that you knew I'd ask, only you forgot one. And it is: Was it good? Not to pry or anything, but a human being can only take so much curiosity! As for your other concerns, I haven't the foggiest idea if he still likes you or not, although why he wouldn't, I don't know. I guess you'll just have to wait and see.
Amanda
"That was no help at all," muttered Lizzy. She signed off. Then she headed for her rehearsal.
When she got to rehearsal, she tried to find William, but every time she spotted him, he ducked behind scenery or something, or Caroline Brahm pulled him somewhere. She was getting very frustrated.
"That stupid jerk. Doesn't he know what comes next?" she muttered to herself.
"Excuse me," said a voice behind her. She whirled around. It was William's understudy, George Wickham.
"Yes?" she asked almost pleasantly.
"Well, I was wondering, how long have you two been dating?" he asked. Lizzy couldn't see that it was any of his business, but decided that she needed to vent.
"Well, actually, we went out for the first time last night."
"Oh, so that's what he's up to."
"What?" she asked impatiently.
"Well, you see, Willie's a little bit of a manic depressant."
"What? How do you know? Are you sure?"
George nodded and went on.
"I went to school with him. We were roommates. Every once in a while, when he gets depressed, he finds a girl who he thinks is madly in love with him, takes her out once, and then dumps her. I think it boosts his ego."
"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Lizzy. George shook his head.
"It's too bad he had to pick on a beautiful woman like yourself."
He waited for an answer, but Lizzy was stewing. After a minute, she woke from her reverie and smiled coyly at him.
"Are you hitting on me, sir?"
He laughed charmingly and Lizzy wondered what she had seen in William Darcy in the first place.
"Yes, I believe I am."
"And what would you do if I hit on you back?"
"Well, I think I would ask you politely to come to my house for dinner tonight. Then what would you do?"
For a minute, Lizzy wondered if it would be proper to dine with two different men two nights in a row. But then she remembered that William did it practically every night, so she didn't feel so cheap.
"Why, sir, I think I would be forced to accept."
"Great," said George dropping the little game. "I'll see you again later."
"Okay. Later."
As he left, she looked after him and thought,
"I could do much worse."
Part 8
Posted on Wednesday, 29-Jul-98
When William saw Lizzy at rehearsal, he wanted to go up to her and tell her everything about the other night. About him feeling confused. About not wanting to rush her. About not wanting to get into a serious relationship right in the beginning of what could be a huge production. Everything. But something held him back. He couldn't do it.
"Shut up and do your work, Darcy," he muttered to himself.
And he did. He concentrated so much on his work, he didn't notice what Lizzy was doing ... much. Finally, he was tired of pretending nothing was wrong, so he decided to talk to her. Unfortunately, when he got close enough to see who she was talking to, he saw George Wickham.
William narrowed his eyes, his fists clenched. At least Lizzy seemed to be angry at what he was saying. Wait a minute. Now she was smiling. Oh, great! Wickham was flirting with Lizzy. William didn't want to believe Lizzy was flirting back, but it sure looked that way. He was too late.
He turned away. He had let Lizzy get away. Now George had her, and he hadn't warned her about him. He felt like the biggest heel.
Later that day, Andreane arrived, along with a few boxes of props, including candlesticks, a flag ... and rifles.
Part 9
A letter to MAndM897, later that afternoon.
Hi, it's me again.I found out the most distressing thing today. I can't believe I was so naive! Well, anyway, I was at rehearsal today, trying to get William's attention, when I was approached by a great looking guy I'd never heard about, George Wickham. Anyway, this great looking guy told me that he just happened to go to school with William. You wouldn't believe the stories he tells about him! It seems that William has this habit. Whenever he's depressed, he goes and finds a girl, romances her up, and then dumps her. Just to boost his ego! The nerve!
Well, anyway, I went out with George today. It wasn't as romantic as dinner with William, but I must say that I find him much easier to be around. And he didn't hesitate to kiss me good-bye, so I think this one just might work out. For a while, at least.
I'll keep you posted.
Lizzy
p.s. I'm just dying to tell Jenna, but I can't, because she's going out with William's best friend, Charles Bingley. And you know Jenna can't keep a secret to save her life, so please be my confidante, for now.
After sending that letter, Lizzy sat down on her bed and cried for about an hour. She couldn't tell why she was so depressed. She just couldn't stand the thought that the man she had had a crush on for so long had turned out to be a creep. She sighed. Then she washed her face and got ready to go to her mother's house.
Mrs. Bradley had been awfully upset when Lizzy skipped out of Mary's birthday party the other day. Lizzy had come home from her date with William to four messages, all from her mother, demanding that she get her butt home as soon as possible. Tonight was payback time.
Lizzy stood on her mother's doorstep and rapped twice. She could feel her mother's eyes on her through the peephole. Then the door opened and Mrs. Bradley literally pulled her daughter into the party inside.
"Elizabeth! You finally got here! You'd better have a good reason for not showing up the other night, young lady," admonished her mother as she led her into a room full of people.
"Well, Mom, I went out on a date," said Lizzy, hoping to get away from the subject as quickly as possible.
"A date! Wonderful! Oh, Lizzy, I knew you weren't too unattractive to attract men. Now," said her mother, pulling up a chair and sitting down, "tell me about him. Who is he/"
"Well, Mother, I'd rather not talk about it."
Mrs. Bradley's face fell.
"Didn't it go well?"
"It went fine, Mom, but I'd really rather not talk about it."
"Oh, Lizzy, was it really that bad?" For once, her mother's voice lost some of its volume. She patted her daughter's hand. "It's okay. You can tell me."
"Lizzy knew that whatever she told her mother about her date with William would be all over the city by noon tomorrow. She changed the subject.
"How old is Mary today? Seventeen or eighteen?"
"Eighteen. Why do you ask? Oh, Lizzy, I am so worried about her. She doesn't care a thing about boys! Is that normal? How old were you when you started liking boys?"
Lizzy thought a moment.
"Ten, I think. But it might have been eleven. I don't really remember."
"Oh, Lizzy, do you think she could be ...?"
"What?" asked Lizzy nervously.
Her mother whispered it.
"Gay?"
Lizzy laughed out loud.
"Mary? No way! She likes boys, believe me. She has the hugest crush on Luciano Pavarotti. She just doesn't talk about them like some girls do."
Her mother looked relieved. Lizzy went off in search of crackers.
She heard someone cry,
"Hey, Beth! When are you gonna get a gig?"
She turned around and saw her mother's friend, Mrs. Norris.
Lizzy rolled her eyes heavenward.
"Actually, Mrs. Norris, I'm currently doing a show."
"Really?" asked Mrs. Norris skeptically. "What show?"
"Les Miserables," said Lizzy, taking a sip of punch.
Mrs. Norris's eyebrows shot up.
"I've never heard of it. What's it about? Are you the lead?"
"It's about an ex-convict who tries to make himself a better person. No, I am not the lead. Actually, Lydia, my cousin, is the lead female."
"Really? What part do you play? Are you the convict's love interest?"
Lizzy chuckled at Mrs. Norris's ignorance.
"No, the convict doesn't have a love interest. The part I play is Eponine, the street waif. Eponine is in love with the boyfriend of the convict's adopted daughter."
Mrs. Norris blinked in confusion and muttered.
"Well, it sounds too confusing for me. Perhaps I'll go see Cats again."
Just then, another of Lizzy's cousins, Kitty, exclaimed,
"I can't believe you've never heard of Les Miserables! You'd think that, knowing Lizzy, you'd at least know what it's about."
Mrs. Norris glared at her. Lizzy said, "Kitty, Mrs. Norris can't help it if she's never heard of Les Miserables. I only heard of it because of a fifth-grade field trip. And you only heard of it because of me."
"Yes, well, it is the most popular musical in the world," went on Kitty. "I just can't believe it."
"Well, ... I, uh ..." stammered Mrs. Norris. "That is ... have you tried the cake? I made it myself. It was originally meant for my Maria's birthday, but I just found out that she's allergic to carrots, so I decided to bring it here."
"Actually, I haven't had dinner yet, so I'll have to pass for now," said Lizzy, carefully not touching the cake. It really looked grotesque, as if a dog had trampled through it.
"So, Lizzy," said Kitty after Mrs. Norris huffed off, "Who's your Marius?"
"William Darcy and Charles Bingley," said Lizzy as casually as possible.
Kitty gasped.
"William Darcy! Ohhh!! You have to let me meet him! I saw him on the Tonys when he was nominated for his performance as Charles Darnay. He's gorgeous!"
"Yes, he is," assented Lizzy begrudgingly. "Unfortunately, though, his manners are quite distasteful."
"Oh, really?" said Kitty, changing her mood. "Is he a snob?"
Lizzy thought for a moment.
"Maybe a little, but that's not what I hate about him."
Kitty gasped again.
"Hate? You hate him? Why?"
"Let's just say he's a womanizing jerk."
"Oh, that doesn't sound good. But at least you get to kiss him without dating him."
Lizzy blushed and stammered, "Yeah."
Kitty giggled.
"Hey, what about the other one? What's-his-name?"
"He's attached. To Jenna."
"Oh, well, what can you do? But that's too bad, Lizzy. Both your Marii are taken. Oh, well. Maybe there's somebody else in the show who's perfect for you. Feuilly, maybe?"
"No, Kitty. I wouldn't count on it."
Kitty was disappointed, but kept it up for the rest of the party. Lizzy finally left to escape her family's inquiries about her love life. When she finally got to her apartment, she ran into Jenna, who was sitting on the couch, sipping a cocktail, wearing her pink bathrobe and a silly expression on her face. When Lizzy closed the door, Jenna let out a deep sigh of contentment.
"Oh, Lizzy, I had the perfect night. Charlie and I went out for dinner, then we came up here, and we talked for hours. It was so nice. He is so nice, Lizzy." She sighed again, unable to go on.
Lizzy smiled wryly.
"You had a better night than I did. I had to put up with my family's obnoxious questions and my mother's cat infested house.'
She held her nose expressively.
"When is she going to housebreak those cats?" asked Jenna absently.
"Probably never. She doesn't seem to notice the smell."
"That's hard to imagine," said Jenna, wrinkling her nose.
"Yes, well, I think we should go to bed. At least, I should go to bed. We have rehearsal tomorrow."
Jenna groaned.
"I'm so tired of rehearsals. I want it to be opening night."
"My sentiments exactly."
Part 10
The next few weeks went quickly for Lizzy, despite the tediousness of rehearsals. After a few more dates with George, she could honestly say that she did not care for him as a boyfriend. As a friend, he was great; the sparks just weren't there.
Every time she saw William, she made a point to ignore him. Unfortunately, this happened too often. Even when they weren't rehearsing, Lizzy would often see him wandering around. Usually, he would try to pick up a conversation, stating some trivial fact about the weather or some such subject.
Another problem Lizzy had was William Collins, the Thenardier. He was constantly winking in her direction, smiling smugly, and wiggling his fingers at her. Lizzy did not like this guy at all.
One day, Lizzy was getting a drink from a fountain outside the theater, when she was cornered by Collins. He smirked at her and said,
"My dear Elizabeth, I have noticed how you seem to have a girlish crush on me..."
Lizzy laughed out loud.
"I? Have a crush on you?" she asked incredulously. He smiled sympathetically at her, and went on.
"And although I realize that I am old enough to be your father, I would be willing to give our relationship a chance. What do you say you move in with me tomorrow?"
Lizzy realized that she was about to bruise this man's ego seriously. She tried to put him down delicately.
"Mr. Collins," she said as though the man had been a friend of her grandfather's, "I must say that I have never had any kinds of feelings for you. Except as a co-worker. As for moving in with you," she laughed again, "that is out of the question."
She started to walk away, but he followed her down the hall, towards the door leading backstage.
"Elizabeth, dear Elizabeth, Lizzy," he was saying, "there's no use playing hard-to-get. You've been practically begging me to hit on you for the last three months."
He grabbed her by the arm. She whirled around, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Begging you to hit on me?!" she cried. "Hit on me!? Here's a hit!" And she punched him hard on the mouth. He stumbled across the narrow hall, bumping his head on the wall. Lizzy watched as he slumped to the floor. When she looked up, she saw that William, Charles, Caroline, Lydia, George, and Jenna had all arrived and had seen the whole thing.
"Wow! Lizzy!" said Lydia. "That was better than Jean Claude Van Damme!"
Caroline rolled her eyes and muttered something to William, who ignored her.
George ran to Lizzy and said,
"Are you all right?"
Lizzy nodded, rubbing her knuckles.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks for asking." She glared at both Williams while one took the other's pulse.
"He'll be fine," said William Darcy, wiping his hands on his pants. "He has a hard head."
"I'd call it a thick skull," said Lizzy dryly. "There's not much between his ears."
"He needed that, if you ask me," said George. Then he muttered, "The obnoxious creep."
"I suppose he had some encouragement," said Caroline. When she received no answer, she added, "Men don't just go after women without encouragement."
"Caroline," said Lydia, "shut up. You're giving me a headache."
"It's a talent she has," said Richard Fitzwilliam, who had just entered on a very hilarious scene. At least in h is opinion.
"Speaking of talent," piped up Charles, "why don't we get this rehearsal underway?"
Caroline was about to protest, but just then Trevor poked his head into the hall and yelled at them to get busy, so they all filed backstage. Since they would be opening in Boston the next day, they were in for a grueling rehearsal.
Part 11 A
The next day, as Elizabeth was getting into her costume, she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" she called.
"Hello, Lizzy," came the answer. It was Thomas.
"Hi, Tom. Nice costume."
"Thanks. Lizzy, there's something I wanted to ask you."
Lizzy swirled around in her chair. Her face was smeared with theatrical make-up.
"Yes?"
"What's up with you and George?"
Lizzy swirled back and resumed painting her face.
"Nothing. We're just friends. Why do you ask?"
"I've been hearing some ominous reports about him, Lizzy," he answered gravely.
"From whom?"
"Oh, here and there. It doesn't really matter."
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a piece of paper was pushed through the crack. Lizzy held up a finger at Thomas and opened the door. She peered around for a couple seconds, and, seeing nothing, closed the door and picked up the envelope.
"Who's it from?" asked Thomas.
"I don't know."
"Read it to me."
Lizzy half-smiled, half-grimaced, and began reading:
Please don't be offended by the means with which I have chosen to tell you what needs to be told.I have watched with some alarm your growing regard for George Wickham. I cannot go on any longer without warning you about him.
He has probably already told you that we went to school together, but I am not aware of what else he told you. For the first couple years, he and I were best friends. However, I soon discovered his true character.
Our drama team was putting on a production of West Side Story. We both tried for the part of "Tony". When he didn't get the part and I did, he gradually separated himself from our little group, and soon he was not even coming back to the dorm at night.
In the opening production, I immediately knew something was wrong. The two main things that happened were, well, the floor of the stage had been waxed thoroughly ... more than thoroughly ... and in the first scene, when the Jets and the Sharks are dancing around the playground, four of the Jets and two Sharks fell, breaking various parts of the body. The other was in the Tonight scene.
As soon as Maria stepped on the balcony, there was a loud creak, and the balcony gave way. Luckily, I was able to catch her before she hit the ground and broke her neck.
In the investigation that followed, I found enough evidence to convince myself and a few other people that George was behind it. There were three empty cans of floor wax in his trash can. He had also been seen lurking around the theater. A few days later, he told me that he had, indeed, been behind it. However, when I tried to get him to give himself up, he refused to tell the police anything.
Before I end this letter, I want to tell you also that I'm sorry for running away after our date. I was embarrassed, and didn't want to take advantage of you. If you'll forgive me, I would like to give us a second chance.
Yours, truly,
William Darcy
Part 11 B
When Lizzy finished reading the letter, she looked up at Thomas.
"Well..." she sighed, then she slammed the letter on the desk. "I don't know what to believe."
"I think I do," replied Thomas with a smile. Lizzy nodded. She folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope. Then she hurriedly put the rest of her costume on. After she was dressed, she pecked Thomas on the cheek, shook his hand vigorously, and scuttled out the door.
As she hurried down the hall, she ran across George. He said,
"Hi, Lizzy! Great costume. Planning on knocking out anymore guys named William?"
But Lizzy just walked past him. He looked after her for a few minutes, then shrugged and went on to his dressing room.
When Lizzy got to William's room, she stood in front of the door for a couple seconds. Then she rapped twice.
Part 12
William sat at his dressing table, his head in his hands. His costume was half-on, his hat was hanging over his forehead, and he only had one shoe on. He had told everything in that letter. Now he was wondering how it would be taken. A rap on the door suddenly startled him out of his chair. It was probably Richard, come to say it was time to go on stage. He grabbed his other shoe and straightened his hat.
"Just a minute!" he yelled, making sure the rest of his costume was straight. He opened the door. There stood Elizabeth.
"Oh. Hi. I thought you were Richard." He cleared his throat. "Please, come in."
She stepped inside, and he closed the door after her. They stood there for a second, shifting their weight.
"So," said William.
"Listen," said Lizzy at the same time. They laughed.
"I just wanted to say ... I'm sorry, I guess," said Lizzy.
"Yeah, me, too," said William. He tilted his head inquisitively. "What are we sorry for?"
Lizzy thought for a minute, then said,
"I don't know. What are we apologising for?"
William laughed gently.
"I guess we've behaved rather childishly."
Elizabeth examined her hands.
"At least, I have," she said. "I can't believe I was so immature."
William was about to protest when there was another rap at the door. This time, it was Richard, come to tell William to get on stage.
"Hi, guys," he said. "Now, isn't that sweet? That's just how it ought to be. Eponine and Enjolras. William, come on. It's almost eight o'clock."
"Okay, I'll be right there. Lizzy, we'll talk after the show."
The two men disappeared down the hall, William commenting on Richard's huge hat. Lizzy lingered in the dressing-room for a while, then went to take her place on-stage. After almost the entire cast kicked Valjean out of the inns, Lizzy was watching Thomas finish up the prologue, when George came up behind her and said,
"Wanna go to Dairy Queen after the show?"
She shook her head. He tried a different approach.
"It's gonna be a great show. I can tell."
"How?"
"It's just a feeling I have."
"I just hope there aren't any accidents.
"Huh?"
"Oh, you know, bridges dropping, tables collapsing, stuff like that."
"Oh." George was suddenly very uncomfortable. Lizzy left him standing there, scratching his ear.
Part 13
After their performance, the ensemble gathered in the a large room in the back of the theater. Everybody was excited and wide awake from much caffeine. There was dancing, refreshment, and friendly chatting.
Elizabeth spotted William at a table staring into his glass and ignoring Caroline, who was hovering over him. He looked up, spotted her, and motioned for her to join him. As she approached the table, she noticed he had not changed out of costume, and laughed. She, too, had been in too much of a hurry to change, as had many others in the cast. It was just too funny seeing Eponine and Enjolras sitting together at a table, sipping champagne. William looked at Lizzy, inquisitively.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
She decided he wouldn't get the joke, so she said,
"Oh, nothing."
He nodded his head, took a sip of champagne, and said,
"You were great tonight."
"As were you. I can't wait until we get to play opposite each other."
"Thank you."
Caroline snorted.
Lizzy nodded her head towards Jenna and Charles, who were standing near a window, talking and smiling.
"What do you think's going on over there?"
William looked behind him, smiled, and said,
"I think a lot is going on over there. Poor Charles."
"Poor Charles!" exclaimed Lizzy. "I'd say he's happy enough."
"Yes, he is. I say `poor Charles' because, evidently, he doesn't even realize what's going on around him."
"Neither does Jenna, and you didn't say `poor Jenna'," Lizzy pointed out.
"No, I think she knows what's going on around her. She just doesn't care." He took another sip of champagne. Lizzy grinned, took his glass, and said,
"If you're not careful, you're going to get drunk. And if you're drunk, you'll get it an accident on the way home. And we don't want that, do we?"
"No. I was going to take a cab. But I promise, this is my first glass," he said, reaching for it.
"How can I be sure?"
He grinned, and gave her a gentle peck on the lips. Caroline winced. After he pulled away, she nodded, smiled, and said,
"All right. I think I can trust you." She gave him back his glass. He took another sip.
Caroline tried to follow suit, but her glass was empty. Ever since William and Lizzy had started talking she had paid careful attention to the conversation, waiting for a spot where she could put in her two cents. There was nothing. She motioned for a refill.
Across the room, Lydia was standing, backed into a corner, talking with three or four men from the cast. George walked over, and began listening to the conversation. Once in a while, he would put his own two cents in, but mostly he just stood and smirked at Lydia.
Lydia found this bewitching. She liked a man who would smirk at her, and soon the little group in the corner dwindled down to just the two of them.
After the party was over, several of the cast members went off together, in no particular direction. William saw Lizzy to her hotel room. Bill insisted on showing Charlotte to hers, and she had to force him to leave. A very drunk Caroline hooked up with one of the "students", while Charles and Jenna were the last to leave. They had not noticed the party was over, and did not notice until early the next morning.
Nobody knew where Lydia was. She and George had disappeared hours ago.
Part 14
I purposely avoided boring you with every little detail from the show that night. However, for those of you who are interested, the following is a review from the Boston Globe.
Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing the first performance of Les Miserables at the ________ Theater. There were stellar performances galore, and let me say right now, congratulations to the cast on a job well done. There were, however, a few actors whose performances stood out, whether for their brilliance or lack of it, from the resonant sounds of Thomas Bennet's tortured Valjean, to the coldness of Richard Fitzwilliam's unforgiving Javert.Jenna Baron and Charles Bingley as "Cosette" and "Marius" were lovable, and very convincing of being hopelessly in love. Elizabeth Bradley as Eponine gave a stunning performance as her mature, yet innocent voice quite simply lifted the roof off the building. William Darcy was just as fabulous as always, his magnificent presence just dominating the stage whenever he was on-stage.
The new-and-improved sets, newly tailored costumes, and brilliantly conceived lighting and staging make the show as fresh as on opening night back in --85.
The only thorn in this bed of roses was Lydia Brock as Fantine. Miss Brock sauntered on-stage in the fourth number, hips swinging, hands waving. She was nothing like what the torn, innocence-robbed "Fantine" is supposed to be. During I Dreamed a Dream, I could just imagine her winking at every man in the front row.
Normally, I would say that with the team of Bennet-Fitzwilliam, the trio of Bingley-Bradley -Baron, the immeasurable talents of William Darcy, not to mention the rest of this ensemble, there would be nothing that could go wrong for this cast ... it only lacks a decent Fantine.
Lydia rolled over in her bed. She slowly rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and sat up. The other half of the bed was empty. She heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. She crept over to the bathroom door, turned the knob slowly, and opened the door.
"Boo!!"
George jumped a mile, his razor cutting his chin. Lydia laughed, and kissed him on the clean side of his face. He grinned at her, then rolled his eyes in the mirror. She asked,
"Darling, what's for breakfast?"
"I ordered some omelettes and biscuits."
"Oh!" Lydia squealed in delight, "Yummy! I haven't had omelettes in ages. My mom said I was getting too fat."
George took his cue.
"You? Fat? Never!"
Lydia giggled.
"Oh! Georgie, did you order a newspaper?"
George rinsed his razor off, and started to finish getting dressed.
"No. I thought we'd get one on the way to the mall. Why?"
"Oh, no reason. I was just wondering if there was a review of last night's performance."
George slapped his hand to his forehead.
"Oh! Of course! Why didn't I think of that? Well, I'll order one right up."
As they ate their breakfast-in-bed, George read the newspaper out loud to Lydia, who yawned through it until he came to the section they were both looking for. She started bouncing up and down on the bed, squealing,
"Lemme see! Lemme see!"
He held it away from her, and started reading. Suddenly, his voice stopped, and he grew white.
"What's the matter?" asked Lydia, worried that it said something bad about his performance.
George didn't answer. He was thinking. His eyes had a malicious glint in them. He smothered a smile, folded up the newspaper, and flung it on the chair.
"Darling?" wheedled Lydia. "What's the matter?"
"Oh, nothing," he said, brightening. "Why don't we get ready to go?"
"Oh! Nonsense! Not until I finish that review."
She grabbed the newspaper, and started reading. As she read, her cheeks flushed. Then her face darkened, and she grew angry.
"Augh!" she screamed, hurling the unfortunate newspaper at the door.
George pretended to try to calm her down.
"Oh, hush, hush, hush! He's just an idiot writer, anyway! What does he know? Just because he liked Elizabeth's performance better than yours?"
"Augh!" Lydia screamed again.
He picked her up and dropped her back on the bed.
"Really, Lydia!" he said, panting from shortness of breath. "There's no reason to get so angry..."
"What?!" she roared. "No reason?! They said I stank!" She began beating the pillows, one by one, making the feathers slowly flake out. George held her tightly, making sure she couldn't do any more harm. He couldn't afford to pay for any damages.
"I know they did, ... sweetie. But ..." he paused, "why get angry, when you can get even?"
She stopped struggling.
"What?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.
"Get even," he whispered, quietly, persuasively. "Don't let Elizabeth think she can get away with it."
"But, Georgie," she sniffled, "she didn't write the..."
He chuckled mirthlessly.
"I know she didn't. But she will still gloat, won't she? She'll rub it into your face every chance she gets. But you don't have to take it, you know. You can always bring her back down to size. Shake up her ego. Bruise her confidence. Shatter her sense of security."
"How?" Lydia wailed, "She has everything. Talent, money, friends, a great boyfriend..."
"You've got it!" exclaimed George. "You know what she has. Take it away from her."
"But, Georgie," Lydia sniffled again, "I don't want to rob her. I have great stuff, too."
"Did I say rob?" asked George, innocently. "No, no, no, no, no. I mean, take it away from her."
Lydia was confused.
"Huh?"
George rolled his eyes again, and proceeded to tell her his new plan.
Part 15
Lizzy walked into her dressing room a week later, and found a box of roses on her table, with a card from William. After reading the card, she hugged it to her chest, sighed, and took the roses out of the box. They were an assortment of colors; red, yellow, pink, white, Joseph's coat.. Lizzy sighed again. After the roses were sitting prettily in a vase on her drawer, she began getting ready.
There had been rumors lately that Charles had proposed to Jenna, and that she had accepted. Lizzy had begun watching them even more intently than before, but noticed no change whatsoever. Not even a ring.
However, that night, during the scene where Eponine shows Marius where Cosette lives, there was a special glow around both of them as they declared their love for each other with these words,
This is a chain we'll never break.
Lizzy knew that even Jenna could not act that well.
Lizzy herself also gave a wonderful performance. Of course, when she had to kiss Charles at the end of A Little Fall of Rain, she felt a little bit guilty, and had to remind herself that it was only a play, and if Jenna and William had any sense, they would not be jealous.
William, sensible man that he was, was not jealous. After the play, as they were taking their bows, she flashed a bright smile at him, winked, and made her way to the front of the stage with Charles and Jenna, so the three people in the love triangle could bow together. As they were coming up from their respective bows, Charles did an extraordinary thing:
He let go of Lizzy's hand, clasped Jenna's hands in both of his, and said,
"I have been wanting to say this for a long time. The rumors going around lately have not been true; I have not proposed to Jenna, and she has most certainly not accepted."
By now, Jenna was biting her lip in anticipation, and blushing profusely as her eyes filled with tears. The audience was awestruck, and more than one "Oh, isn't it romantic!" had been heard already. Charles got down on one knee, looked up into Jenna's face, and said,
"I must apologize for putting you on the spot like this. Jenna Baron, will you marry me?"
There were a few sobs in the audience and it sounded as if somebody had fainted. Jenna looked down at Charles' nervous face, grinned through her tears, pulled him up, and hugged him.
"Of course I will!"
Lizzy turned to see what William thought of all this. He was standing there, his mouth slightly open. She winked at him again, and he saluted her. Somebody in the cast started singing the first act finale from The Pirates of Penzance.
Lizzy did not know who the cornballs were who started it, but soon the entire theater was singing, provided they knew the words. That is, everybody except for George and Lydia, who were whispering in the corner.
Part 16
The next day would be Saturday - Lizzy and William's first time playing opposite each other. It was all Lizzy could think about on her way home Friday night. Her excitement threatened to rob her of her sleep. As she tossed and turned in her bedroom, she thought of how she would add her own personality to Cosette. Frustrated, she got up, and prepared herself some warm milk, trying very hard not to wake Jenna. She downed the milk in one gulp, and went back to bed.
Finally, she dozed off to sleep.
She opened her eyes. George was standing in front of her.
"Hello, Elizabeth," he said to her, sneering. "Are you planning on knocking out any more guys named William?"
"Hello, George," she said, wondering why she suddenly had goosebumps.
He ran off suddenly, and she heard a loud bang in the distance. Somehow, she knew William was in danger. She tried to find him, to warn him, but her feet were rooted to the spot. Lydia's face appeared to her, laughing mercilessly.
"What's so funny?" Lizzy demanded, but the ghost did not answer.
She saw William in the distance, beckoning to her, and she ran to meet him. But with every step she took, he seemed to get farther away. The laughter was still ringing in her ears.
"What's going on here?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.
"You reap what you sow," came another voice, and Lizzy saw Caroline Brahm slink off towards William. They linked arms, and Lizzy watched in horror as they walked off together, chatting intimately.
"No!" she cried.
Then somebody knocked on the door.
Lizzy heard a rap on the door, and slowly got up, rubbing her eyes, and went to the living-room to answer the door.
William was standing there, a huge grin on his face, and his hands behind his back.
"Tada!" he said, handing her a huge bouquet of red roses with a flourish.
"Oh! They're beautiful," she said. She took the flowers to the kitchen, to put them in some water. William followed her inside.
"I thought we'd spend the day together," he said as she stood on her tiptoes to get a vase. She turned around to face him.
"What exactly did you have in mind?"
"Nothing, really. I just wanted to see you."
Lizzy melted. He was just too sweet.
"Well," she said, over the running water, "how about if we go see a movie?"
"Okay. Which one?"
She shrugged.
"I have no idea."
He started looking through her refrigerator.
"Hungry?" she asked.
"No, just looking for an excuse. Let's go out for breakfast."
"Where?"
"Baskin Robbins?"
"Ice-cream for breakfast?"
Ten minutes later, they were strolling down the street, looking in the shops, and munching on ice-cream cones.
"That dress is gorgeous," she said, pointing her cone at a sleek, black velvet number in one of the shops.
"Yeah, it would look terrific on you."
They stood there for a minute.
"What are you going to sing for the concert?" William asked suddenly.
"What concert?" asked Elizabeth.
"You know," they started walking again. "The Les Mis-cellaneous concert we're giving for a special Christmas charity thing. Most of the leads are gonna be there. All except Thomas - he's going to 'Frisco to see his sister."
"Oh, yeah. I heard about that. I hadn't really thought about it, actually."
"Hm. I already know what I'm going to sing, I think."
"How many songs?"
"You think they'll let me do more than one?"
"Sure, after all, you're William Darcy! THE William Darcy. Most of the people there will probably be wanting to see you."
He shrugged, finishing his cone.
"I can't imagine why. There are prettier personages there than myself."
"Yes, there are," Lizzy teased. He looked at her reproachfully. She laughed. "Just kidding. Now, do you want to tell me what you're going to sing?"
"No, you're teasing me."
"Well, now you're teasing me, so we're even. Tell me."
"Not until you decide what you're going to sing."
Lizzy thought a moment, leaning on a nearby bench.
"Maybe I'll do Only Love. Now tell me."
He told her.
"Oh, that's sweet!" she said. "I assume you're dedicating it to somebody. Caroline perhaps?"
He grimaced.
"No, silly. You!"
"Oh, Mr. Darcy!" she pretended to fall into raptures. "You are certainly going to steal my little heart away, and then my family will force you to marry me!"
He seemed to think that was not such a bad idea.
Part 18
It was the cast's last night in Boston. It was a Saturday night, and Lizzy was excited to be playing Cosette opposite William as Marius. The performance was going well, despite being a little hectic backstage. Charlotte Lucas has sprained her ankle earlier that day, and could barely walk now, let alone wrestle with Lydia. Lydia was nervous for some strange reason, Lizzy could not guess what. She assumed she had had a fight with George, or something.
Just as Lydia got herself under control, it was time for them to do the complicated At The End Of the Day number. The first act flew by, and before she knew it, she and William were pledging to be true to each other, and the curtain came down.
"Ugh!" she said when they got backstage. "Somebody get me a drink of water. I'm stifling!"
Lydia brushed past her in a rush to get to George. Lizzy wondered what on earth they could possibly find to talk about. She edged a little closer, sipping from her water bottle, trying to look casual, not like she was eavesdropping.
"Georgie, I don't know if we should do this," Lydia was saying.
"Don't worry about it, Lyd. Everything will be fine. We won't even be suspected."
"But what if we are? What if somebody catches us?"
"Stop worrying. All you need to do is...absolutely nothing. Leave it to me. Your part comes later. And stop being so conspicuous. Worrying won't help."
"Sorry, George," Lydia said as she walked off. Lizzy wondered what on earth they were planning. With what she knew of George, she did not think she really wanted to know. The lights in the theater flashed, letting everyone know intermission was over. Everybody scuttled to their places, and Lizzy wondered why intermission couldn't be five minutes longer.
In the next few minutes, Charles organized a rebellion in the streets of Paris, Jenna delivered a message meant for Lizzy, but was intercepted by Thomas. Jenna sang her heart out, declaring her love for ... William. (Lizzy almost felt jealous, but reminded herself that they were only play-acting. Charles probably felt the same way.) Terry Musgrove - the little boy who was playing Gavroche - betrayed Richard, who was condemned by Charles and William, then it was time for Jenna to die in William's arms. After that, Thomas climbed over the `barricade', and let Richard go. Charles told everybody to rest, and Thomas prayed over a `sleeping' William. Terry was `killed' collecting ammunition, and the students rallied for the final battle. From then on, everything seemed to go in slow motion for Lizzy.
Charles had just finished his last line:
"Let others rise to take our place,
Until the earth is FREE!"
Lizzy saw George aim a gun at William. For some reason, her stomach did a flip-flop. Everything was going fine. This was how it was supposed to be. However, when the gun went off - at the proper time, of course - instead of falling to stage right, as directed, William went straight down, landing somewhere near center-stage. Also, he was supposed to land face-up, but now he was face-down.
Lizzy's chest began to pound, as she saw the worry etched on Thomas' face as he checked "Marius'" pulse. That was not acting. Fortunately, since direction now called for "Valjean" to drag "Marius" into the sewer, it was not necessary to stop the play...at least, not right away.
When both men were backstage, Lizzy ran to make sure William was all right. He was awake, but seemed to be going into shock. The bullet had gone into his right side, and out again only a short space after.
"Thank goodness George is such a bad shot," Lizzy thought. She grabbed her cell phone out of her purse, which just happened to be sitting on a nearby chair, and called 911.
"Who is his understudy? We need his understudy...or anybody. The show must go on," somebody said.
Lizzy was too worried to laugh at this corny remark. A question was forming in her mind:
"What was George doing up there? He was supposed to be dead already, one of the soldiers..."
George rushed to the scene, hurriedly putting his new costume on.
"Is he all right?" he asked insincerely.
"I don't know," replied Thomas. "How did a real bullet get in there? They were supposed to be blanks."
George shrugged, and walked off. Thomas had to go, too, for it was time for his `final confrontation' with Richard.
The ambulance arrived. William was by now unconscious. The paramedics carefully lifted him onto a stretcher, and had him in the ambulance in what seemed to Lizzy less than five seconds. She followed them out the theater door, still in her thick green costume.
"Where do you think you're going?" Caroline Brahm asked from the doorway.
"I'm going to the hospital with William," Lizzy said, in shock herself.
"Oh, no, you're not. You have to finish the show. If you leave now, you could get fired. You can go see him after the show. There are only a few minutes left, anyway."
Lizzy shivered from the cold. She knew Caroline was right, although she couldn't bear the thought of finishing the show crying on George Wickham's shoulder. She watched the ambulance speed off, and slowly trudged back into the theater.
Part 19
After the show, as she was about to kneel for her bow, Lizzy's foot stepped on something round, bringing her to her knees much quicker than she had anticipated. Taking an extra long bow, she reached under her gown and pulled out what looked like a bullet. She decided to turn it in to the police, when they arrived, as evidence.
However, after she had changed her clothes as quickly as possible, she found she could not possibly stand around and wait for them to get there. She ran out of the theater, hailed a taxi (miraculously, there was one waiting outside), and headed for the hospital.
Unfortunately, when she got there, the nurses could not yet see to her - they were busy with a diabetes patient whose blood sugar was way too low - and she was forced to wait, very impatiently, in the waiting room (duh. Where else?). A young lady sat next to her, and waited a few minutes before saying,
"Lizzy?"
Lizzy started.
"Do I know you?"
"Sorry. I'm Amanda. You know, MAndM897?"
"Oh, hi, Amanda. Nice to meet you. How did you know I was here? I didn't know you lived in Boston."
"I was in the audience. I saw what happened, and thought you might be here."
"Oh," replied Lizzy, absent-mindedly.
"Was it on purpose?"
"I think so. I heard Ge... somebody plotting this evening." She shrugged. "I didn't think anything of it at the time." Her eyes welled up, her pent-up emotions finally coming to the surface. Amanda said,
"What's going to be done about it?"
"I don't know." She smiled wanly. "I'm not in charge. If I was, I'd ... well, I don't want to think about that. Let's just say it would be awfully gruesome and humiliating."
A nurse came then, and told Lizzy she could see him now. Amanda took her leave, and left Lizzy to visit.
Surprisingly, William was awake. Partially, anyway. One hand was attached to an IV, and he was hooked up to a few machines. He was leaning on the pillows that were supporting his back, and his eyes were half closed. His eyes lit up somewhat when he noticed Lizzy.
"Hi," he said, quietly.
"William," she whispered, her eyes welling up again. "I'm so sorry."
"Why? It's not your fault. Just a fluke. Who could have known?"
She shook her head.
"No. It wasn't a fluke. I heard George planning something today... with Lydia." She looked at her hands. "I should have said something."
"Lydia?" he echoed, wonderingly. "George I probably should have known... but Lydia?"
"You're not angry?"
"Of course I am!" he winced. He began again, more quietly. "Yes, I am angry. But not at you," hurriedly, when he saw her eyes fill up again. "George and Lydia. Of all unlikely conspirators..."
Lizzy fished through her purse for a few minutes, and finally came up with what she was looking for. Holding it up in the light, so William could see, she said,
"I found this on the stage, as we were leaving. I was going to give it to the police, but I left before they got there."
"It took them long enough to get there," he muttered, fingering the bullet. Then he gave it back to her.
Lizzy smiled.
"Would you like me to turn on the television? You look bored."
"I could never be bored when you're in the room, but sure. Why not watch some television?"
Lizzy got up and fiddled with the television set that was attached to the wall, and it finally came on, blaring with an impossible volume. After Lizzy got it turned down to an appropriate level, she again took her place next to William. They smiled at each other, and William laid back on his pillows, to rest.
The channel was set on an old re-run of Full House. William immediately grabbed the remote control away from Lizzy, and began looking for something interesting. When he passed a news station, he paused on hearing his own name.
"Audience members at the _______ Theater were shocked tonight when they found out that one of the actors, a Mr. William Darcy, had been, unbeknownst to them, shot during the play. In fact, the accident happened on-stage, in full view of every part of the auditorium.
"Mr. Darcy was wounded in the right side, and was taken immediately to _________ Hospital, where he is now in stable condition. The bullet was not found anywhere near the body, and the police say it will be crucial to the investigation.
"Mr. Darcy is a well-known actor in the theater business, and had been nominated several times for the prestigious Tony Award. His former co-workers agree that there could be no reason for anybody to harbor any malicious feelings against him. One of the other members of the cast of Les Miserables, Lydia Brock, had this to say about the accident:"
Lydia came on the screen, and Lizzy recognized a slight smugness in her manner, although the reporter obviously did not.
"I can't believe somebody would do that to poor William. Everybody likes him. Really, there's nothing not to like."
"Did he argue with anyone before the show?" the reporter asked, in the way reporters do when they want something juicy to tell the world.
Lydia sighed dramatically and said,
"I did hear him fighting with Elizabeth Bradley before the show. They've been dating for a while now, I think. It sounded like a big deal," she shrugged, "but we can't really say for sure. I never thought Lizzy would do something like that."
Lizzy and William stared at the screen, open-mouthed. The reporter began to talk about the concerns the theater would now have, since audience members might have been hurt. They did not listen to it, though, because William pressed the OFF button with a very angry firmness.
"I can't believe she'd say that," Lizzy said. "To make it look like she's defending me, and still make me look suspicious." She shook her head. "George must have put the words in her mouth. She's not smart enough for that."
"I'll kill them," William muttered. He was not usually a violent man, but now he looked positively dangerous.
"No, you won't. But we will take the bullet to the police, and we will get everything straightened out, and we will ask our lovely producer and director to kindly remove George and Lydia from the cast, for the safety of all of us."
"They'll probably end up in jail."
"Probably."
"Why do you have to be so sensible?"
"Think about it, William. It's the only thing to do."
"You're right, of course. But it would have felt really good to nail George right in the nose."
"We'll just be nailing him in a different way."
Part 20
As soon as William went to sleep, Elizabeth went back to the hotel to get cleaned up. Once there, she realized her room also needed to be tidied. Apparently, today was the maid's day off. After she had taken a shower and put on some clean clothes, she started tidying up. While going through a stack of papers, she came across a folded piece of paper. It was the letter William had written her before opening night. She smiled, and put it in her pocket. She would read it again later.
There was a knock on the door. When she answered it, she saw two policemen staring stonily at her.
"Yes?"
"Elizabeth Bradley?"
"Yes."
"Could you come with us, ma'am? We need to ask you some questions."
"I don't see why you can't ask them here, but sure. Just let me get some shoes on."
That done, she followed them, in her own car, to the police station, where they began their interrogation.
"So, Miss Bradley," one of them began, setting a tape recorder on the table. "Would you like anything before we begin?"
"No, thank you."
"Very well. We have reason to believe you were somehow involved in the shooting last night."
"You're wrong," she said simply.
"Can you prove you had nothing to do with it?"
"Yes, by proving who did do it."
"And who is that?"
"George Wickham and Lydia Brock."
"And what proof do you have?"
Lizzy took the bullet out of her purse.
"I found this on the stage. It probably has their fingerprints on it. Mine are on it, too, but I didn't have gloves on during the performance, of course."
"Anything else?
"I heard them talking during intermission. George was telling Lydia to not worry, it would all work out."
"Could he have been talking about something else?"
Lizzy shrugged.
"It's possible, but hardly likely. George hates William."
"How do you know?"
"I went out with George a couple times, earlier this year. He tried to prejudice me against William, but thankfully William set me straight."
"So you are not angry with Mr. Darcy about the fight you had last night?"
"What fight?"
"We were told you had a fight last night."
"Who told you that?"
"That is of no consequence. Miss Bradley, have you ever held a grudge against somebody? A grudge so deep, you would go to any means for satisfaction? Like, say, trying to kill that person?"
"No!" Lizzy made it sound like that was stupidest question in the world.
"Are you sure you weren't just the tiny bit ticked off at William last night? Maybe this fight you had..."
"What fight? There was no fight." She was getting agitated.
"Are you sue? Several people heard you fighting."
"You are lying. Unless George and Lydia got several people to lie for them, which is doubtful."
"Come on, Miss Bradley. You can tell us if you had a fight. All lovers occasionally have a quarrel."
"We didn't."
"Very well." The officer decided to abandon this particular method, and tried another. "You said you used to date George Wickham."
"Yes, we went out a couple times."
"Why did you break up?"
"I found out the truth about him."
"And what is that?"
Lizzy pulled the letter out of her pocket.
"It's all there."
"Who wrote this?"
"William did. He gave it to me on opening night, as a warning. And I will want it back."
"Very well. One last question, before you go, Miss Bradley."
"Yes?"
"Would you ever consider hurting Mr. Darcy?"
"What kind of a question is that?"
"If you got really angry with him, discovered him with another girl, or something. Would you consider hurting him?"
"No, of course not."
"Why not? I heard you once knocked out a certain William Collins when he made you angry. Why not Mr. Darcy?"
"You said one more question, Officer, and that was your second. But if you really want to know, I'll tell you." She took a deep breath. "It's because I love him, and I would never willingly cause anybody I loved pain."
The officer smiled.
"Thank you, Miss Bradley. You may go now."
Lizzy smiled shakily, she had just realized what she had just said. She left, her head in a whirl. She loved him! She had never said it out loud before, but now she realized she did. She wondered if William loved her. Did he know she loved him? She had to tell him.