"You're joking." Elizabeth stared at her friend with wide eyes.
"Just because he isn't good enough for you doesn't mean he can't ask another girl, Lizzy!" Pink dots appeared on Charlotte's cheeks. "I don't want to be the only girl coming to the wedding alone, so why on earth would I refuse him?"
"But …"
"He is as good as any other guy, Lizzy. You know that I'm not romantic, so I might as well go with him."
"Go with him? You can't be serious, Charlotte! You want to be the girlfriend of Bill Collins? You know that he is an id–"
"Hush! He may be the only man that ever wants me, Lizzy. I'm not rich, I'm not pretty; I have nothing to attract a guy. He may not be the smartest man in town, but I'm sick of being single!" The dots on her cheeks were bright red now and her hands trembled as she stormed away. At the garden fence she turned around. "Don't you dare judge me, Lizzy" she said calmly, a tear running down her face. "Don't you dare judge me."
Still shaken by Charlotte's words, Elizabeth walked back into the house and joined her mother and sisters in the living room. Mrs Bennet was sitting the sofa with Lydia and Kitty, talking what to wear for the wedding and how to style their hair, while Mary was playing the moonlight sonata on the piano in the corner, not noticing that her family was tired of hearing it over and over.
"Oh my God, is it true?" Lydia asked as soon Lizzy opened the door. "Are Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins together?" She and Kitty looked at each other and giggled. Elizabeth said nothing, but that was enough of an answer for her sisters.
"Oh my God!" Lydia said excitedly.
"Charlotte and Mr Collins …" Kitty shook her head in disbelief. "Really? I thought she had better taste!"
"Well, they're both ugly," Lydia replied. "But still … he's a clergy! How boring's that!"
Elizabeth sighed and walked over to her oldest sister Jane who was sitting quietly at the window, typing on her phone. Sun was shining on her face and made her hair glow golden.
"Say hi from me", Lizzy said and sat down beside her sister.
Jane had been too engaged in her conversation to hear her sister coming and jumped a bit. "Oh, it's you, Lizzy. Has Charlotte already left?"
Elizabeth nodded. "How is your Charles?"
Jane blushed. "He's not my Charles, Lizzy. And how did you know I was texting him?"
"You only smile like that when you think of him. You two are so cute together."
Jane put her phone aside and took her sister's hand. "Oh, Lizzy, " she said, "if only I could see you so happy! If only there was such a man for you."
"What a shame I turned down Bill Collins, you mean?"
"Be serious, Lizzy. I'm sure there is someone out there who is just perfect for you. What about Charles's friend Will? He seems to like you."
"Like me? Will Darcy? Didn't you hear how he talked about me?" Lizzy pouted playfully and made her voice sound lower. "She is tolerable, I guess, but not pretty enough for me."
"I'm sure his opinion of you has changed," Jane said, smiling. "You should see the way he looks at you. Maybe you should give him a second chance."
"Goodness, Jane," Lizzy laughed. "I thought matchmaking was Mum's job."
"What is happening?" their mother inquired at once. "What's my job, Lizzy?"
"Nothing, Mum."
"I believe Jane was talking about finding a boyfriend for Lizzy, although I don't think that girls our age need a boyfriend already, it is so rarely true love. I think –"
"Yes, yes, Mary, go back to your practice. Now, Lizzy, I think that is a splendid idea. Not that I hadn't said it for years, but will anyone listen?" Mrs Bennet leaned over. "So, who is the lucky guy? I hope he is handsome. Oh, and rich of course. Handsome and rich and with good manners, like Jane's!"
"Mum, please. I'm not interested in a boyfriend."
"How can you say that, darling? Of course you must have a boyfriend, you are 17 years old! And you need someone to take you to the wedding. It is in two months' time, my dear, you must be quick! All your sisters have a partner." She looked over at Mary who was busy attacking the moonlight sonata again. "Well, most of them, anyway."
"That's right, Lizzy. Denny and Carter asked us weeks ago", said Kitty. "Of course Lydia wanted to go with George Wickham, but he asked this horrible Mary King-girl…"
"Ugly thing with red hair and freckles" Lydia said. "I don't know what he likes in her!"
"Her money maybe?" Lizzy muttered.
Jane shook her head. "Don't always think the worst of people, Lizzy. He might really like her. Are you maybe a bit jealous?"
"George and I are just friends, Jane! Now please go back to talking to your boyfriend, I have to read this book for school."
Jane didn't say anything more on the topic, but Lizzy felt her sister's eyes on her when she picked up the book and began to look at the words without even realising what they said. Yes, it was true, she did like George Wickham, but only in a friendly way. Still, she would rather go to the wedding with him than with someone as proud and arrogant as William Darcy. Why did Jane think that he liked her? William was far too arrogant and proud to like anybody except himself.
"Elizabeth!"
Lizzy stopped and spun around. William Darcy was walking through the high grass towards her. What on earth could he want from her?
"Hi", she said and walked on before he could catch up to her. It took only a few moments though before he was walking beside her, slightly out of breath.
"Are you on your way to Meryton?" he asked in a cheerful small talk-voice, running his fingers through his dark brown curls.
"Yes."
"What are you doing there?"
"I'm going to my friend's place." Lizzy walked a bit faster but he easily kept up. Didn't he get it that she wanted to be alone?
"That's nice."
He fell into silence and for a while they walked together quietly. Lizzy could already see the first houses of Meryton in the distance when he began to talk again, his words strangely formal, as if he had rehearsed what to say.
"In vain I have struggled, it will not do." He stopped, looking at her with an expression she couldn't read, nervously tucking at his shirt. "You must allow me to tell you how much I admire and love you."
Lizzy stared at Will with surprise. For a moment, she couldn't make out what he had said. Her body seemed to be frozen and it was only when he lowered his lips to hers that her senses came back to her. She stumbled backwards, shocked. The situation seemed so surreal that it was nearly funny.
William looked at her with an expression that was somewhere between hope and distress. "I have come to feel for you, Elizabeth, almost from the very moment I met you. I fought against my family's expectations, our age difference and even my own better judgement … it will not do. Please release me from my struggles and be my girlfriend."
For what felt like minutes, none of them said a word.
"Say something," he finally pleaded.
Elizabeth slowly shook her head. "I can't," she said and turned.
Will grabbed her arm. "Is that all you have to say?" He looked like a little boy that didn't understand why he was denied to have some sweets.
"What else do you expect me to say? I'm sure the feelings that have stopped you from asking me sooner will help you to get over it. How could you expect to get a 'yes' by insulting me?" Lizzy felt her cheeks beginning to burn. Still her she kept her voice quiet and steady. "Nothing would make me go out with you, even if you had asked me in nicer way. Goodbye, William."
She teared away from him and walked away. She found it hard not to run, but she was determined to appear calm and untouched. Her thoughts, however, were a wild mess.
"How in the world could he expect me to go out with someone like him?" Elizabeth muttered to herself and kicked a stone out of the way. "Him, of all men!" He had never done anything nice in her presence, she thought, or even had a conversation with her that wasn't full of sarcasm and dislike. And now he thought that he was in love with her!
"If that is love I'll happily stay single forever", Lizzy mumbled as she pushed the doorbell to Charlotte's apartment.
Two weeks later, Elizabeth and Jane were helping their mother clean the living room while Mr Bennet, Kitty and Mary fought over the TV-remote. Lizzy still didn't have a date for the wedding and Mrs Bennet complained about it at every possibility, but Lizzy didn't care. She was happy though that nobody except Jane and Charlotte knew about William Darcy asking her out.
Lydia came into the room, dressed in a tiny pink dress that showed more than it concealed, her favourite handbag over her shoulder. Lizzy noticed that her sister had dark rims under her eyes and seemed pale, which not even her excessive makeup could conceal. No wonder, with all those late nights recently.
"Mummy, can I have some more money? It's my friend's birthday soon", Lydia said pleading.
"Of course, my dear." Mrs Bennet searched for her purse and handed Lydia a fifty-pounds-note, which she took without a word of thanks.
"I'm going to my friends place, I won't be home for dinner", Lydia shouted to her mother, already halfway out the door.
"All good, darling. Have fun!" Mrs Bennet waved after her youngest daughter happily. "Oh, she is so popular, my sweet little Lydia."
"Where is she going all those evenings?" Mr Bennet asked. "Isn't she a bit too young to be in town so late?"
"Oh my dear, how can you say such a thing? She just has so many friends and they're trying hair styles and makeup for the wedding. Don't you worry about her."
"Well, then," grumbled Mr Bennet. "And what about you, Kitty? I don't believe that you're already all sorted. Why are you not with your sister? Normally you follow her everywhere."
Kitty mumbled something about homework and left the room. Lizzy and Jane exchanged a confused look and went out of hearing range of their parents.
"Did something happen between Kitty and Lydia?" Jane asked.
Lizzy shrugged. "I guess they had a fight. I'm sure they'll be over it soon."
"I hope so… Lydia has been to Meryton for nearly every afternoon this and last week and Kitty always stayed home. That's not like them at all. They must've had a big fight."
"Don't worry about them, Jane. They'll be best friends again before we know it."
Late in the same night, the Bennet's landline started to ring, the sound echoing in the quiet house. Elizabeth had just gone to sleep and tried to block out the penetrating sound but without success. The phone stopped ringing, just to start again a few seconds later. Sighing, Lizzy got up and walked down the stairs where she was met by Jane, Mary and Kitty. Her parents were already in the living room and Mr Bennet had finally picked up the phone.
"Hello?" he said, his voice tired and annoyed by the late disturbance. The clock on the wall showed that it was past midnight.
For a while the room was quiet. Mrs Bennet and her daughters tried to listen to the conversation, but could hear nothing.
Mr Bennet grew pale and his expression turned from annoyance to fear. After a few more words he put down the phone and turned to his family with trembling hands.
"Lydia is … she's at the hospital. She was found unconscious in the streets. She's in a coma."
Mrs Bennet let out a gasp and covered her mouth with her hands. Jane and Lizzy grasped each other's hand and Mary mumbled a prayer. Only Kitty didn't seem to be as shocked as the rest of her family, but there was no time to ask, as everyone quickly put on some clothes and then hurried to the car.
There was a tense silence in the car as they drove to the Meryton Hospital. Lizzy only remembered fractions of what followed. White walls, bright light, a small room with Lydia in a bed, her skin nearly as pale as the sheets, her lips dry and blue, makeup smudges around her eyes. She lay perfectly still and seemed to be sleeping, would it not be for the breathing mask over her mouth. The doctor explained that she was in a coma but was likely to recover soon, that they had found traces of heroin and other drugs in her blood. Lizzy didn't hear most of it.
After a while, Mr Bennet asked his daughters to stay in the waiting room and promised to tell them as soon as anything happened. Especially Kitty seemed to be glad to finally leave the room. Elizabeth wondered how much she had known about all this.
As soon as they entered the waiting room, two young men rose from their seats and came over to them. It took Lizzy a few seconds to recognise them as Charles Bingley and Will Darcy. What were they doing here?
Jane asked the same question, which led to a confused look between Charles and William.
"We were here the whole time," Charles finally said. "Will was the one who found her and called an ambulance, didn't you know?"
"Will, please let me thank you. On behalf of all my family. If you hadn't found Lydia …" Elizabeth didn't dare finishing that sentence. Her sister's fate still affected her, although Lydia had recovered quickly and was now at a rehabilitation centre where she was doing well. When her family had visited the day before, Lydia's biggest worry had been that she couldn't attend the wedding.
They had also found the person responsible for selling her the drugs. Lizzy couldn't believe it in the beginning that George Wickham – charming, handsome George Wickham – had been playing a double game the whole time. He had been arrested the day after Lydia was found and was having a trial later in the month for possessing and selling class A drugs. Lizzy doubted she would ever see him again.
As for William, Elizabeth' view of him had changed quite a lot over the past days. He had told her that his own sister had been a victim of Wickham and he had recognised the symptoms that Jane had told Charles about her sister and therefore been looking out for Lydia and Wickham.
Will and Lizzy were now walking to Meryton together and she finally thanked him for all he had done, but he shook his head in answer.
"If you thank me, let it be only from yourself," he said. "You must know that I only thought of you."
They walked a little while in silence, then Will abruptly stopped and took her hand. "You're not someone who would play with my feelings, Lizzy – if your feelings are the same as they were last months, please tell me. My feelings and wished haven't changed. But one word from you and I'll never mention it again."
Lizzy couldn't help but smile and she squeezed his hand a little. "My feelings … my feelings are so different now. In fact, they're quite the opposite," she said quietly and lifted her eyes to meet his.
For a long time, they looked at each other and slowly, Will's lips began to curl into a smile, before he lowered his mouth to hers. And this time, Lizzy kissed him back.