A short story in what I thought Caroline was thinking based on the song "Jolene" by Dolly Parton. I did not have a beta so all the mistakes are mine and I just want to apologize before hand. Hope you enjoy.
Jolene sung by Vicci Martinez from the Voice:
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Im begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
Your beauty is beyond compare
With flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring
Your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, jolene
He talks about you in his sleep
There's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, jolene
And I can easily understand
How you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me, jolene
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Im begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Please don't take him just because you can
You could have your choice of men
But I could never love again
Hes the only one for me, jolene
I had to have this talk with you
My happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, jolene
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Im begging of you please don't take my man
Jolene, jolene, jolene, jolene
Please don't take him even though you can
Jolene, jolene
It is universally acknowledged that when a person falls in love, they will wait until the end of days for their love to be reciprocated. That was the case with Caroline Bingley. She had met her brother's best friend when she was barely eighteen but by the age of twenty-three, she had fallen hard for him. Fitzwilliam Darcy was everything Caroline ever wanted. He was handsome, intelligent and rich. He fought for his right to be successful without anyone's help and he was able to make a name for himself at the tender age of twenty-five.
Caroline loved everything about him. Caroline loved the depths his eyes conveyed, the way his hair looked perfect even when he did not even try to style it, and the deep voice that made you forget your name. However, most importantly, Caroline loved that Darcy was Darcy. He treated everyone the same not matter if you worked at a fast food restaurant or if you were the president. He respected everyone and everyone respected him.
Then why are we still not married?Caroline thought. They had been going out for almost two years and every day would pass without an engagement. She knew marriage was an important step in anyone's life but she was ready. She loved him more than her own life and yet he never treated her with the same love. Darcy was never good at showing affection and Caroline understood that it was part of his personality. Darcy hated to dance and Caroline was ready to sacrifice her love of parties for him. Darcy never talked unless it something amazing and like always Caroline understood. She was ready to be the talkative one in the relationship. Caroline was ready to sacrifice anything in order to spend the rest of her life with him, with her Darcy.
Therefore, it was a blow when he first spoke of a name that would destroy Caroline. Elizabeth Jolene Bennett, even the name made Caroline nauseous. It first started innocent enough, "The company hired a new employer this week." he had told her.
"Really, what's he like?" Caroline would later come to regret her question.
"He is actually a she. She is witty and funny without being unprofessional. Everyone calls her Jolene but her real name is Elizabeth. I rather like Elizabeth myself but she told me only her closest family calls her like that."
"So you've talked to her?" amazed her boyfriend talked with anyone, let alone a stranger.
"Yes. She asked if I knew somewhere to have a drink and I told her about Mikes." Mikes? Mikes the place he takes me every Friday? Caroline thought.
"Was she not able to drink before?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well we do live in LA. There are bars everywhere."
"She is new. She just moved from England where her family moved when she was five. Elizabeth says she missed the states so she decided to move back at the first opportunity she got. She will only be here for a year but we want her to feel at home."
"Hmmm, that is good to know." Caroline replied. Not knowing how to respond. Darcy seemed so thoughtful when talking about her. Elizabeth, did he not even realize what he called her?
The pattern continued for a few more days. Darcy would come to the apartment and talk about what Elizabeth said at work. The way Elizabeth made the entire office crack up when she told a joke. Elizabeth this, Elizabeth that. However, the moment that made Caroline's heart brake was a week after Darcy told her about Elizabeth. It had been a busy day and both of them had fallen to sleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.
It had been a hot day considering how it was June, and they had left the window open during the day. However as night fell, the apartment had chilled to a point where Caroline was freezing. She woke up and shut the window and as she made her way into bed she heard him whisper, "Elizabeth". Caroline tried to ignore it. She made herself think it was just in her mind but then it happened again. "Elizabeth." The worst part was that the moment Caroline got into bed, Darcy reached out to hug her closer, something that was rare in it's self, whispering the words she had always longed for but with the wrong name, "I love you Elizabeth."
Sleep did not come to Caroline; all she thought about were those four little words. "I love you Elizabeth." Why her? I have known him for how long and yet he is calling her in his sleep! Her! What does she have that I do not? I have sacrificed my life, my career for what? To be called Elizabeth?
As much as Caroline wanted to confront Darcy, she knew she would not handle the disappointment. She knew that if he had to choose he would pick Elizabeth, not her.
"Want to go to Mikes?" Darcy asked, startling Caroline.
"But it's not Friday?"
"I know but I thought it would be nice to have some changes." Darcy stated as if it was obvious. Changes? Says a guy that hates it when I move where I place his coffee cup in the morning? "Sure anything you want." Caroline responded.
Caroline could not take it any longer. She had waited for Darcy to come pick her up at their apartment for the past hour and he did not even have the decency to call. Just as she was about to walk into their room the phone rang, "Hello?"
"Caroline, I am so sorry! I was on my way when Jolene and a few other workers decided to go to Mikes as well. I totally forgot to pick you up."
Forgot? Of course, he would forget having Jolene with him. "Are you still going to pick me up?"
"Ya, I am on my way right now! We will be there in five minutes." he said, hanging up before she got a word in.
We? The last thing I remember it my boyfriend was just one person. He wouldn't bring her, would he? No, it must be Charlie! They do work together.
Before Caroline's imagination got the better of her, the door was opened. "Come in, it will just take a second." she heard Darcy tell someone.
"That's fine. Your apartment is beautiful." Caroline heard a female voice say. The voice was not too different but even she can agree there was a mysteriousness about it that captivated her when she heard it.
"Hello I'm Jolene. I was just telling Will I love the apartment." the voice said, seeing Caroline appear from the kitchen.
Will? Not even she called him Will. He said it always reminded him of his mother. "Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I'm Caroline, can I get you something to drink?" she did have manners after all.
"That will not be necessary, we should be going anyways." Darcy spoke, coming from the hallway. He had traded his work clothes for jeans and a tight shirt.
"Wow, there! I don't even recognize you, Will. What happened to mister grumpy?" Jolene laughed and to Caroline's surprise Darcy joined in. There laughs seemed perfect, hers was almost magical and light while his was deep and strong. It had been a while since Caroline heard Darcy laugh and it hurt knowing she could make it happen so easily.
"Have I not told you how much I hate it when you call me that?"
"Why do you think I haven't stopped? You need to know how to have fun, Will."
"And who will show me? You?"
"Let's just say by the time I leave, you won't be called a grouch."
Throughout the conversation, Caroline was able to take a good look at Jolene or as Darcy called her Elizabeth. She was average height, meaning she was the perfect height to look at Darcy's eyes without having to raise her head. Elizabeth was also very curvy. She was skinny compared to most people but she could not be considered a stick like Caroline. However, what stood out the most were her eyes and hair. Her eyes were emerald green and seemed to sparkle every time she talked. Caroline could see how anyone could be captivated by them, especially Darcy who had looked at them every moment he got.
Her hair was not brown but more of an auburn color that seemed to shine when the light hit it a curtain way. It was curly, not a messy curly like some but almost a perfect curly that seemed natural. She had hair that most people would spend hundreds of hours replicating to only have it last a few minutes. Her hair and eyes helped accentuate Elizabeth's skin. It was not tan or pale, but more of an ivory skin tone that made her seem like if she was a porcelain doll.
Caroline knew Elizabeth was a danger to her happiness. She would have said to her relationship but what relationship? Darcy seemed to be absorbed by her and paid no attention to Caroline. Remembering where they were, Darcy repeated that they should be on their way to the bar.
It seemed natural for Jolene and Darcy to talk on their way down to the car while Caroline was left on her own. As they approached the car, Jolene took the initiative and got in the back seat letting Caroline have the front seat while Darcy drove.
"Do you not have a car?" Caroline curiously asked, but it came out as if she was patronizing her.
"My car broke down early this morning before coming to work. Will was sweet enough to pick me up and give me a lift." Jolene said.
"It was no big deal." Darcy reassured.
"Yes it was and I am thankful. I would have gotten lost if I had to take the bus. I still can't get used to driving on the right side of the street." they laughed, leaving Caroline out.
"I told you I can pick you up daily if you can't get used to it."
"And leave behind all the adventure. No way! It feels like if I am breaking a law ever time I drive on the wrong side of the road."
"Just remember we drive on the right side."
During the night, Caroline felt like an outsider. Darcy seemed like a different person, someone that laughed and had a smile every minute. He was no longer the Darcy Caroline knew but he was a different, better version of himself. It hit Caroline that here she was hating the one person that was making Darcy happy. But can she live knowing he was in the hands of someone else? A part of her told her, that if he was happy then she would be happy, isn't that what love is? Does that not what the saying says: "If you love him let him go and if he's yours he will return." Could she let him go after so long? After all the love she felt for him?
"So how long have you known Will?" a voice brought Caroline back to reality. It was the one person Caroline did not want to even think about, Elizabeth.
"I met him through my brother, but we started going out almost two years ago." Caroline marked her territory but Jolene's expressions did not reveal anything.
"You are Charlie's sister, right?"
"How do you know?"
"Charlie was the one that introduced me to will. Will explained you were related, he actually talks a lot about you."
"Really?" Caroline asked shock she was even mentioned.
"Ya, I think it's sweet. My old boyfriend would only mention me when he needed money but Will talks about you in the office. I really like the photo he has in his office."
"Photo?"
"The one where you two are in a garden. He seems very romantic, you are very lucky." Jolene said with a sincere smile.
"So you're here for a few months?" Caroline said, not knowing how to respond.
"I'm kind of being traded around. My contract ends in a year but it depends how I like the states to see if I stay any longer. From what I have seen so far I really enjoy it here but I also miss England."
"It must be different."
"It is. I grew up in Hertfordshire and it's mostly hills and wilderness." Jolene went on, describing the virtuous of England and the culture. The more she talked the harder Caroline found it to hate Jolene. She was not the boyfriend stealer Caroline believed at first but she was just someone…Jolene. Just like Darcy, Jolene did not pretend to be someone else. She gave her opinion openly without giving offense or making others seem dumb. Jolene was not out to get Darcy, Darcy was just a victim of Jolene's power, a power she did not even know she had.
Epilogue
It had been two years ago since Caroline made the hardest decision in her life. It had been two years since she once again found happiness in life. Two years since she moved out of her apartment to start a new life in England. Two years ago on that very day, Caroline broke up with Darcy. To say he was surprised would be the understatement of the century but they both knew it was the right thing to do. They were both going through the motion of being a couple without all the excitement. They had talked for hours, discussing what had gone wrong and how they had got to the point where they wouldn't even kiss each other good night.
"Was it my fault? Did I not put enough effort?" Darcy asked, looking at his hands.
"It was both of us. We both wanted something different and at the end I just realized we were making each other miserable in the process."
"I really care for you, you must know that!" Darcy looked straight into her eyes.
"I know but you don't love me. I need someone that loves me and looks at me the way you look at Jolene."
"Jolene? What does she have to do with anything?" Darcy asked confused.
"For heavens sake! You practically drool all over her! While we were at the bar you stared at her constantly and even danced with her."
"I am sorry. I really am but she…"
"I know and that is why I am breaking it. I want you to be happy and she will make you happy." Caroline explained.
"What are we going to do now?"
"You are going to go to the office and ask Elizabeth out. While I pack up all my things and go to England."
"England?"
"Elizabeth told me about where she grew up and I thought it sounded just like the place I need to be, so I have booked a one way ticket to Hertfordshire."
It had been a hard discussion but one worth it. By the time, Caroline got to Hertfordshire, Caroline felt free. She felt like never before and she was going to take advantage of her new opportunities. She stayed in touch as much as possible but she had given up most of her friends when she started dating Darcy so the only person she talked to was her brother Charlie. It was from him that Caroline found out that Darcy and Elizabeth, for she only recognized Jolene by Elizabeth, had started dating, and on the third date, he had proposed. Elizabeth having fallen for Will the moment they met, accepted and they planned on getting married in less than five months. She also found out that the week before their wedding, Elizabeth's sister had gone to the states and fallen in love with Charlie. They started dating and even thought they took it slow, Charlie proposed a year after Darcy's wedding.
For the most part Caroline lived happy and quietly in a small village called Meryton. She had the privilege of knowing twenty-four families. Caroline's dreams came true one shinny day when an officer from his majesties army came about Meryton. His name was Colonial Bennett, a handsome and intelligent officer. He was everything Darcy was while still being everything Caroline needed. To her greatest surprise, he was also Elizabeth older brother.
Therefore, two years after Caroline left the one man she thought she could not live without; she married the man of her dreams. He pampered her and loved her and their three children for the rest of his life. In retrospect, Caroline Bennett thought her life as perfect as any fairytale.
Remember to comment and let me know what you think!