Elizabeth woke with sunlight streaming into her room, promising a fresh, clear day to be had outside. Beautiful morning or not, she would happily have turned over and gone back to sleep but for the fact that she was meeting Jane on the golf course at 7am. She knew she would enjoy it once she was outside, breathing in the brisk morning air, but the effort of getting out of bed almost cancelled out her good intentions of exercise and the long-standing friendly competition with her sister. Groaning, she rolled out of bed, dragged herself to the bathroom and washed her face. Picking up a hair band, she stumbled back to her room looping her hair into a high pony tail as she went. She grabbed an old (inevitably paint-spattered) t-shirt from the shelf, picked up a sporty skort lying crumpled on the floor and pulled a pair of socks out of her sock drawer. She wandered down the stairs behind the small art gallery that Jane owned and ran, and which they lived above, directly to the garage, and into her car. Although the sisters lived together, Jane always opted to run to the club and had left half an hour earlier.
Elizabeth arrived at the country club and parked close to the back entrance of the restaurant. She entered the clubhouse using her preferred route, through the kitchen's back door by the loading dock. Elizabeth had never felt entirely comfortable among the club's members, and had formed odd friendships among many of the staff instead. Mr. Bennett had been a member of the exclusive, private club for the past 20 years and the family was considered by most of the newer club members to be local gentry. While many of the other members could claim a much larger fortune than Mr. Bennett, none cared to compete with his status in the small seaside town as a local benefactor to hospitals, schools, and charities. It afforded Elizabeth and her sisters a certain status, but in truth, barely made up for the many other eccentricities of the Bennett family. Mrs. Bennett was tolerated by the women at the club and some were actually fond of her, but she was far too silly to be taken seriously most of the time. Jane and Elizabeth's three younger sisters were respectively painfully awkward, annoyingly immature and embarrassingly forward, in descending order. While this tended to be the general impression among members and staff alike, Jane and Elizabeth were universally liked, and therefore were often kept in the dark as to the specifics of their siblings' and parents' behavior.
Greeting the breakfast staff as she entered the kitchen, Elizabeth wound her way around the preparation tables to the door that entered the restaurant's dining room, grabbing a croissant from a cooling rack along the way. Typically this early in the morning very few members were to be found in the restaurant's dining room. Some might stop in to pick up their own coffee and pastries, but most chose to sit at the tables outside and be served by the wait staff. As she reached the double-swinging doors she was greeted by an older woman in an apron who was busily rolling out pastry dough, "Don't fill up on croissants now Lizzie. I'll have a batch of mini peach, apple and berry pies coming out of the oven by the time you've reached the 18th hole."
"That sounds delicious Mrs. Hill, but probably not what I should be eating for breakfast", she replied, grinning at her favorite chef.
As she spoke, she turned and pushed her back against the door. Elizabeth was an average height, slender, young woman, but she put quite a bit of heft into her movement from years of familiarity with that particular door. It swung open rather faster and more forcefully than she had anticipated, and equally suddenly, stopped short with a bang and a loud grunt originating from the other side.
As the door swung back to reveal its unexpected obstruction, Elizabeth found herself facing a man she had never seen before, who pinched the bridge of his injured nose and grunted again in pained surprise. Elizabeth gasped an instinctive "Excuse me" as the stranger frowned and barked at her, "Watch where you are going!" She tried to begin again, "I am so sorry…" but this time was cut off by the arrival of the club manager.
"Do you require any assistance Sir?" he asked, and then as the man shook his head, he turned to Elizabeth, smirked and queried, "I didn't see your name on the staff roster for the breakfast shift today, Elizabeth". The stranger directed his only comment to the manager, "I'd be grateful if you would train your staff in a little grace and better attentiveness." and then strode away without listening to the response.
"Oh no, Sir, she doesn't actually work here. May I introduce you to…" Turning back to her with a mortified look he said, "Sorry Elizabeth. I should have worded that a little differently".
"No, no, Anthony, point taken. I'll try to remember to only use the front entrance in future."
"But I've given that fellow quite the wrong impression of you."
"I don't care about that, really," she insisted, "Surely you have known me long enough to know that the opinion of a stranger doesn't matter to me. And I can already judge that he would be someone I don't wish to know. He really overdid it with the 'grace and attentiveness' don't you think?
Anthony smirked again. He had not achieved, and retained, his position of employment without learning to always keep his opinions to himself. However, he was never entirely able to suppress the occasional outburst, especially to one of the two elder Bennett sisters.
"Well he is just the guest of a new member here, and beyond this week he is not likely to be frequenting our plain, provincial little club."
"Ouch," replied Elizabeth. "We are a little unsophisticated for the big-city gentleman, are we?"
"Perhaps that was not his spoken opinion, but it was most certainly that of the lady in his party".
Remembering himself, Anthony changed the subject, "I have two messages for you, Lizzie. The first is Jane arrived 10 minutes ago and is at the driving range waiting for you. The second is that Mrs. Lucas has been looking for you for the past day or two. She is extremely anxious to take possession of the two paintings you are apparently donating for the silent auction at tomorrow evening's gala".
Elizabeth wasn't planning to attend the charity gala, but she had promised she would contribute to the silent auction. Mrs. Lucas had been very particular about the two paintings she wanted, and Elizabeth suspected her motives. Elizabeth was beginning to become quite a renowned local artist, but Mrs. Lucas refused to be seen going into Jane's gallery to buy anything painted by Elizabeth. Despite the Bennetts and Lucases being family friends for as many years as Elizabeth could remember, Mrs. Lucas and Mrs. Bennett could not bear to appear to think more highly of the other's children than of her own. Acquiring a painting during a benefit for the local children's hospital would be quite an acceptable alternative to openly admitting her admiration of Elizabeth's talent to Mrs. Bennett!
"Thanks Anthony. I'll seek her out after breakfast." And with that, Elizabeth headed to the ladies' locker room to pick up her golf bag, and went to find her sister.
Jane Bennett was still at the driving range, waiting for her sister to arrive. It was never difficult to find Jane, especially at the club. Wherever she went, men were sure to follow. Elizabeth had more than once made the claim that if she could not find Jane in a crowd she just had to follow the gaze of any man standing in range. It was as reliable as following a GPS tracker. She observed this was just as true today as she sauntered down the hill toward Jane's location. There was Jane, looking like she had just finished a modeling assignment for new sportswear, instead of having just run all the way from their apartment.
"What a disappointment", Elizabeth thought to herself, "Only two men are in attendance today." And then she realized with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment that one of the two was the man whose nose she had inadvertently injured not ten minutes ago. Thankfully Jane saw her from a distance, waved and reached for her bag. Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and waited for Jane to join her, then the two young women headed back the way Elizabeth had come toward the first tee.
"Hi Janey, gathering new admirers I see." Elizabeth gained endless enjoyment from teasing her elder sister. Jane's charms were effortless and she was often completely unaware of the effect she had on men. She was by nature very cautious and composed, even as a young girl, and this was possibly the only reason she had not left a trail of broken hearts behind her everywhere she went.
Jane grinned, "Did you see that one guy Lizzie; the one with the sandy colored hair? His name is Charlie and he has just signed a lease for a year on the Northfield mansion down on Hertford Beach". Her eyes sparkled and she blushed at her sister, who laughed and responded,
"Oh Janey, I can't tease you about your new devotees if you actually notice them yourself!"
The first hole was unoccupied, so they began their game without delay. There was no question that Jane could beat Elizabeth on the golf course any day of the week, but they rarely paid close attention to their overall scores, preferring to track best individual shot per hole, just as they had when they were 9 and 11 years old. In the 16 years that they had been playing this way, Elizabeth had once achieved a coveted hole-in-one, which she openly admitted to be by sheer fluke and on a very short par 3 hole, but Jane insisted that until she managed the same Lizzie would be the better shotmaker. In fact, both girls played very much according to their personalities, and so it was extremely unlikely that Jane would ever risk a drive that fervent, just as it was equally unlikely that Elizabeth would ever have the composure or patience to improve her putting.
Their game followed its own typical pattern, but by the time they reached the green of the fifth hole Elizabeth found herself growing agitated with her sister's slow and measured approach to each ball.
"Really, Jane, aren't you planning on going to work at all this morning? Can we pick up the pace just a little please?"
Jane threw a glance behind her shoulder and blithely replied, "Oh yes Lizzie. I think the pace is going to liven up in a minute". She grinned at Elizabeth as the latter looked back toward the tee and saw the two men from the driving range waiting for them to sink their putts and move off the green.
"Shall we invite them to play through?" Jane asked innocently.
Elizabeth's only response was to sigh and roll her eyes. With no more encouragement required, Jane ran back to the tee and chatted for a couple of minutes with her new friends. Elizabeth tried to focus on her putt, but her irritation at being so neatly played by her sister affected her control and she double-bogeyed the hole.
In the end, Jane and Charlie mutually connived for the two couples to join and play the remainder of the course together. Charlie was clearly very happy with this solution. Jane was modestly satisfied as well, but it took someone like her sister to see that she was quite affected by this man. Knowing this for the rare occasion that it was, Elizabeth was more than willing to accommodate the change in plan. However the fourth person in the party was obviously not of the same mindset and, after introductions, resumed playing with barely another word to anyone.
"This is my sister Lizzie; Elizabeth," Jane immediately corrected herself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Elizabeth. I'm Charles Bingley, but please call me Charlie." He reached out his hand and shook hers cheerfully. Pointing his golf club at his friend, he said, "And this is my friend, Will Darcy."
"We've already had a meeting of sorts." Will said brusquely, but did not elaborate on his statement and instead moved toward the tee to resume playing.
Elizabeth was left to explain to Jane and Charlie, "I bumped into him inside, in the restaurant. And when I say 'I bumped into him' I mean 'the door I was opening met his nose'." She grinned and continued, "I'm afraid I am utterly graceless and chronically inattentive." and with that she threw a quick glance at Will. He didn't appear to recognize his own words in her self-criticism, but Charlie immediately jumped to her defense.
"Oh I am sure it was an accident and Will doesn't look permanently affected by it anyway." he assured her. "I've done far worse to him over the years, especially during school and college football. In fact a real broken nose might actually have made him better looking."
"Oh dear," Elizabeth thought to herself, "Here's the perfect man for Jane. She sees only the good in everyone, and he must encourage and reassure everyone within his reach."
But Charlie's joke about Will's appearance seemed to put the subject into Elizabeth's mind and for the remainder of the course she struggled to keep herself from repeatedly glancing at him. She told herself it was because his features were so strong and determined and he would make a good study for her to sketch sometime. But occasionally when she glanced up, she found him looking intently at her. He barely spoke a civil word, however, and so she interpreted his gaze to be critical in nature.
"He probably still thinks I work at the club. How self-important and snobbish must this man be to think himself too good to play with a club employee." she reflected. To her sister and Charlie, she spoke up and joked, "I do believe Will is unhappy that he is being beaten on this course by the hired help."
"What do you mean Lizzie?" Jane responded.
"Oh, an attempt at humor over our collision inside fell a bit flat with Will, and he walked away thinking that I was part of the kitchen staff." Elizabeth grinned at Will, who frowned and said,
"Well, yes. That and the fact that you have pasta sauce splattered all over yourself. Don't you have the good sense to wear an apron when you are cooking?"
Elizabeth chuckled, but Jane was mortified for both Will and Elizabeth and immediately tried to resolve the confusion.
"Lizzie is a painter, and I have begged her several times to keep her work clothes only for work." She continued, as much from pride in her sister, as habit for marketing her business. "And I am the curator of a small art gallery at the north end of the boardwalk in town. I always have a few of Lizzie's pieces on my wall if you would like to see them. Then again, a few of the paintings inside the clubhouse are hers as well."
They returned to the clubhouse together and parted at the front entry of the building. The men headed directly to an outdoor table, while the women went indoors to shower and change, only after Charlie had received their assurances that they would rejoin the men immediately afterward for breakfast.
Elizabeth began searching for excuses to beg off once they were inside.
"But Lizzie, you only just told Charlie you'd stay. He's already ordering coffee for us." said Jane.
"I sincerely doubt he would notice whether I was there or not Janey. I think he's rather focused on someone else." she said, "And anyway, if I leave then maybe his rude friend might also take the hint and leave the two of you to yourselves."
Jane assured her sister that her presence was not only desired, but it was required. "I can't possibly go back out there on my own Lizzie. I wouldn't be half so comfortable or relaxed if you weren't there with me".
Elizabeth marveled at her sister's capacity to lie so blatantly. It normally wasn't a quality that would be associated with Jane. She was a confident woman whose success in the growth of her art gallery was due in equal parts to her work experience in New York and London, her good eye for artwork, and her great ability to converse with just about anybody and make them feel at ease.
"And I am sure Will was just uncomfortable after mistaking you for an employee. Give him a chance. He's probably just not used to making new acquaintances and friends."
They walked back outside together and found Charlie and Will ordering omelets, juice and coffee. The young waiter noted their arrival and asked for their order, then departed quietly and efficiently. Conversation flowed comfortably among Charlie, Jane and Elizabeth, but Will remained aloof and restrained. Charlie, however, more than made up for his friend.
"Have you been out to Hertford Beach? It is just beautiful there. I will only be able to come down here from New York as often as work allows, but I really look forward to waking up at the beach in a small town this summer."
"That beach is one of my favorite places to sketch," said Elizabeth. "There is a spot up in the dunes where you can sit and watch the sailboats come around the headland and into the marina. At sunset the sky is sometimes so brilliant that it's almost impossible to capture. But I have to disagree with your choice of season. Late Fall is by far the best time to spend there."
Charlie in his accommodating manner assured her that he was looking forward to living there through all of the seasons, and hoped his venture outside of the city would prove to be successful and lead to something more permanent.
Again, Elizabeth became aware of Will staring at her with a frowning intensity. Not to be intimidated by his gaze, she turned to look him full in the face and stared back at him. She registered that he was slightly surprised, but he didn't break eye contact with her.
The moment, whatever it was, was interrupted by the arrival of Mrs. Lucas.
"Lizzie, oh Lizzie, thank goodness I've found you! Did you bring the canvases? I want them hanging on the wall no later than this afternoon in preparation for the big day tomorrow."
Jane introduced Charlie and Will to Mrs. Lucas who deduced the significance of the arrival of new blood to the club and switched gears instantly. Within her first sentences she deftly slipped in the information that she had two single daughters of some significant wealth, and that they would be in attendance at tomorrow evening's event. This didn't seem to have the desired effect however, as Charlie's reaction was to turn immediately to Jane and inquire whether she would also be going.
"Of course she'll be there," Mrs. Lucas chimed in, "It's a tradition among the Bennett family. You'll have the pleasure of meeting Jane's lovely parents and all of her other sisters. There are five girls, you know." Mrs. Lucas herself couldn't tell whether she was aiming to turn Charlie off Jane with the prospect of her large, estrogen-rich family, or whether she was just overly excited and unable to stop gushing, after having planned this event for the past two months.
Jane interjected and dampened the excitement a little, at least for Charlie, "I am not sure yet whether I'll be able to make it. I have a conflict in my calendar that I am unable to resolve. But I am sure my parents and my other sisters will all be there".
Elizabeth observed Charlie's face fall ever so slightly, and not for the first time felt sympathy for another poor sap who had fallen under her beautiful sister's spell.
Slightly disconcerted, but still aiming to please, Charlie responded, "Well, I am sure we would love to come and use the opportunity to meet some more people. It will be a happy bonus if we should be lucky enough to see you there as well." and he carefully and considerately included Elizabeth in his remark.
Soon afterward, the party of new friends broke up, Charlie and Will heading back to the house to continue unpacking, and Jane and Elizabeth driving together back home, only after satisfying Mrs. Lucas with the delivery of her two precious auction items.
On the way home, Elizabeth quizzed Jane.
"What conflict in your calendar could possibly keep you from going to the gala tomorrow night? After that ruse you pulled out on the course to get them to join us, I cannot believe that you would be entertaining notions of another date over seeing Charlie again!"
"But Lizzie, don't you remember that I promised I would stop by to visit Marcia and her new baby tomorrow?"
"Surely you can do that in the morning or afternoon, and still have plenty of time to get all dressed up for the evening at the club as well".
"I guess so. But I thought she might need help with laundry or cooking and I can't say for sure when I'll be done there."
"You might have mentioned that was the reason. You gave Charlie the impression that he has some competition for you."
Jane protested that he couldn't possibly have jumped to that conclusion, and Elizabeth rolled her eyes once again at Jane's naivety. They arrived at home and parked the car. The sisters blew each other flamboyant kisses – another long-held tradition between them – then went in different directions, Jane to open the gallery and Elizabeth up the back steps which led to the apartment.
The building which housed the sisters' apartment and gallery had three floors. The first two levels were for the gallery and shop front and the third accommodated the apartment. From this floor, Elizabeth took a further flight of stairs which led out to the building's roof, and to an odd little conservatory structure which she used as her art studio. It was quite serviceable, but not for the faint of heart during any kind of storm.
Propping herself on the edge of a stool, Elizabeth stared at the canvas of her current project. After a minute or two of silent contemplation, she removed it from the easel, replaced it with a large sketch pad, and began sketching the face of a man, with a rugged jawline, and deeply intense gaze.