Chapter 4:
Elizabeth was so happy she had made it to Thursday. She lay in her bed thinking of how the week had been a demanding one but very rewarding in many ways. Sunday had come to a close with not too many demands coming from her mother. Their mum had spent the entire breakfast asking after the new neighbor and what had happened at the Meryton. Lyn Bennet was in her zone the second she heard that he and Jane seemed to have hit it off… so much so that she had spent an hour talking of how Jane's good nature and her beauty had won Charles Bingley over. Jane barely had to speak and the only few things that Jane was able to say over this 'conversation' was that she had invited Charles and his best friends over to dinner on Thursday. Once this news escaped, their mother went into overdrive. She was full of 'advice' on what to make for the dinner, the best wines to serve, what Jane should wear etc.…
After this excitement had worn down, Lyn then had directed her attention to Elizabeth. Lizzy was then bombarded with questions about George, and what Elizabeth had done the previous evening to try and keep his attention. Elizabeth was berated for conversing with Darcy, whom she had tried to explain was a good friend to George and Charles but her mother had seen it as trying to ruin a good thing that she already had. "What will he think of you talking to his friend like that… in an atmosphere like that!" she had cried. Elizabeth and Jane tried to assuage their mum that it had been as one big group and that the gentlemen were already friends from college but their mother was determined that Elizabeth was going to ruin everything and not just for her relationship with George but Jane's relationship with Charles. Jane and Elizabeth had left shortly after the brunch, both with different outlooks of what had passed at home. Jane shared with Elizabeth in the car that she was planning on doing some of what their mother had suggested for dinner especially in terms of the menu. "It just sound wonderful," Jane exclaimed with joy in her eyes.
Lizzy looked at her sister and saw the dreamy love-struck look in her eyes and knew that she would do whatever it took to help her Jane be happy. Jane had some pretty rotten luck in her early years after college with dating. The men only wanted to get into her pants and Jane was not that sort of woman. Once the men realized that they were not going to get anything and actually had to participate in a relationship, they bolted… Lizzy knew how that went for that was her entire experience with men as well. This is what bonded the sisters together… they had each other's back and had made it a rule that they should try to do as much together when it came to dating as they could… then if it seemed like it was meant to stick they would let things progress without the watchful eye of the other… but they were always there for one another. Lizzy could see that Jane was hopeful that Charles was better than the rest of the trash that she normally came across. Staring out the front, watching the traffic, Jane ask Lizzy her plans for the week since her schedule was more flexible. Jane worked in billing for major companies that hired the firm she was at. It was steady work and meant she would not be able to do as much as she would like to make their apartment appear its best. Jane pleaded with Liz if she could come home early on that Thursday and start making the roast as it would need time to cook and to help clean. Lizzy looked over and saw that grin again… She affirmed that she could do that and if Jane let her have a few late nights early on in the week, she might be able to take off Thursday completely. This was the perks of running your own fashion design label.
Elizabeth stared at her sister once more and wished she felt as giddy as Jane was. Lizzy didn't like the feelings she had when she left her parent's home on that Sunday. She had felt better after her run and had felt at peace with where her life was regardless if she was not beautiful like her sisters our as outgoing… She felt like she was someone worth-while. She had a successful business that was competing for a bid to be a front running label for a new movie which meant all of the clothing would be from her label. She felt like things were well on track with George and she had settled that the bolts of electricity that happened around Will were all from George as well. She felt comfortable with both of them and ok just being friends with Will. But after the short narration to her mum about the evening, and hearing her mother's response, Lizzy was not so sure anymore. She didn't feel like she had flirted with William Darcy too much, just tried to be his friend. She was always a little flirty with her friends… regardless of who they were… She wanted to be his friend especially if he was important to George. There was still some attraction to him that she really could not explain but she would just need to let that die. George Wanted to be with her for the long term and that was something she could count on. Will was new… there was no certainty with him. Given all the lecturing she had received from her mother when she was younger about being the doting Aunt and helping Jane and Lydia with all of their children because she would never be good enough to attract anyone to marry her, Elizabeth appreciated knowing that now she had someone. She would never admit it to anyone… not even Jane… but she always feared that she was going to 'die alone' like her mother had proclaimed for most of her life.
As the work week started Elizabeth went to her office that she rented. It was a small office in a building that shared a floor secretary. Most of the spaces there were rented by other small businesses like hers. It was nice that she still had the privacy she needed by having the floor secretary to announce visitors but also be able to manage most of the business aspects on her own. She could design in peace. That Monday, Elizabeth had been given a pleasant surprise when she listened to her messages. One of her more recent pieces that had been commissioned by the BBC television company was noticed by one of the larger fashion companies in the City of London. The piece they commented on was one that the BBC Company had asked for specifically from her after seeing her designs. BBC often sought new talent to do some of their work in hope that it would cost less in the overall line of things and this piece was a fancy ball gown with meticulous beading and lace for the bodice and a flowing A line skirt made of silk. The dress was done for a modern version of Emma they were finishing. Apparently a member from the Fitzwilliam Fashion Company who was commissioned to help with the production had seen her piece and was impressed enough to talk about it to the higher ups in the company. This lead to the owner of Fitzwilliam Fashions being present on set just to look at her dress during filming had been impressed enough with the design and quality that they called after filming on Friday. The representative from Fitzwilliam Fashion asked if the owner of LB designs would be interested in submitting a few promotional pieces and if so to contact them as soon as possible. Their hope was that the board who made the final decision would carry her designs permanently in their only store in London according to the message. Fitzwilliam fashions was an upper level boutique that catered to many of the more affluent not just in London but all over the world. After affirming by phone that she would gladly submit her pieces for this possibility, Lizzy had set to work to complete some new originals that she hoped would be the key to accomplishing her dream of her designs being known globally. This opportunity would be lots of work but Lizzy could not believe her luck! She worked late on Monday knowing she needed to take off on Thursday and explained to Jane that she would also need to do the same on Wednesday with this new opportunity.
Tuesday carried much of the same tone except she had an unexpected visitor to her office at lunch time. Mary King, the floor secretary of the building buzzed into Elizabeth's office. She announce that there was a George Wickham there to see her and if she was allowed to buzz him in. Elizabeth agreed hoping it would be for a short time. Within a few moments, George knocked on Elizabeth's office door. She set down her pencil designs she had been playing with and opened the door to see his grin and two brown bag lunches from her favorite pub down the road. "Thought I would bring my favorite gal some lunch," George beamed.
Elizabeth was taken aback at the gesture and also a little surprised that he knew where she worked. Setting that emotion aside believing it had to have come across in one of their conversations she welcomed him in. Her office space was always pretty tidy in the event that a business client could come by but with the stress of the last 24 hours due to the potential new client, her desk space was limited. George looked around and settled for a patch of floor. They talked with ease as he distributed the spread. Elizabeth was hoping that he would remember her favorite from this particular pub, a delicious shepherd's pie. George handed her a carry out box and Elizabeth opened to find the Pub's house salad, equally as tasty but she had not grabbed breakfast and was needing something with more sustenance. George had already opened his and had the shepherd's pie already half devoured. Lizzy glared at him and asked… "Did you get two?"
George, looking apologetic murmured "No… You were saying how you were watching what you were eating during our last phone call so I figured the last thing you needed was this I. am just trying to look out for you babe… keep you on track for what you want. "
Elizabeth tried to think through their conversation and remembered mentioning her mother's comments about food but never saying she agreed. "George…," Lizzy retorted, "that was a comment I said my mother mentioned. I don't think I agreed with her and well with this new client that I messaged you about last night, I have not had much time to really eat anything. Would you be willing to let me have a few bites?"
"Oh… well you can have the last few…" George murmured. After a brief pause George posed "Do you think she has a point? I mean she is your mother and has to be looking out for you best interests." Elizabeth sat there and wondered if there was some validity to the statement. I mean if he felt her mentioning it was a clue that she should be concerned then … well she would be. It was an area in her life that always bugged her when her mom commented. She knew she was curvy but she was in no way overweight. A few years ago, she had mentioned her concerns to her doctor and she had informed Elizabeth that she was at a very healthy weight but because she was shorter than most of her sibling her body carried differently. She would never look like Jane with her slight curves. The conversation had always stayed with her but her mum was convinced that Lizzy could diet enough to look like the rest of the family if she tried! She watched what she ate and always worked out but at times she let loose and caved to the calories like those in her favorite Shephard's Pie. Reflecting if it was worth pushing the conversation, Elizabeth thanked George for being so concerned about her desires to be healthy and she did enjoy the delicious salad with its sweet tangy dressing. When she shared this all with Jane later that evening she cooed that Lizzy was so lucky to have a boyfriend as considerate as George. Jane never understood where at times Lizzy and her watching her weight came from… It bothered her to see her sister not confidant in who she was when that was all Jane saw most days. A striking beautiful woman who knew what she wanted for her life. To Jane, Elizabeth was perfect but … everyone was perfect to Jane. The sisters made up for Lizzy's lack of calories but eating a large cheesy pizza and vegging out on the couch watching their favorite sitcom.
Wednesday carried much of the same heavy work and when thinking about needing to leave early on Thursday, the thought made Elizabeth cringe. She never wanted to let Jane down because it was rare that Jane asked anything of Elizabeth. So she bit the bullet and worked through her lunch as well as into the dinner hours. Elizabeth stumbled in to the apartment at 11pm and fell into her bed hungry and exhausted but knowing she didn't have to even go into the office tomorrow because of her hard work.
As Lizzy snuggled in her covers that morning knowing she needed to get up to clean the apartment for the guests, she thought about seeing Charles and William again. She knew that on Tuesday George had mentioned there was a chance he would not be able to attend due to work but he expected her to be mindful of Darcy and how he behaved towards her. Elizabeth rolled over to check her text messages on her phone and found one from George confirming he was not able to attend but he hoped she had a good time getting to know his friends and to be mindful of Darcy again. Elizabeth crawled out, stretched and threw on her favorite pair of sweat pants, sport bra, and hole-filled t-shirt. She put her phone on the charging cradle that doubled as a stereo and placed her favorite music on as loud as she could. Dancing about the apartment cleaning was cathartic. It allowed her the release she needed from the week's stress. She loved being able to design and the freedom it gave her but she still worried how a company like Fitzwilliam Fashions would like what she had put together so far. They were wanting some sketches by the end of the next week and Lizzy wanted to submit them as early as she could. Jane always reminded her that she did add much of this stress to herself but it the end, Liz was hopeful that it would be worth it. She worked on cleaning just about everything dancing and singing as she went. After a few hours of cleaning in just this manner, she placed the beef roast in the roaster along with some broth stock, vegetables and various spices. She placed it in the oven to cook for the next few hours. Lizzy also started on the mixer making her famous dinner rolls. She truly enjoyed cooking for those she cared for and found it relaxing away the last pieces of tension that resided in her body from the week. She normally cooked for her and Jane every night but with working late the last three days, they had survived on take out or Jane brought home from the store some instant bake and eat meals. Lizzy placed a warm cloth on the dough feeling accomplished with all she had gotten done and decided to go ahead and prepare the lettuce, tomatoes, and green peppers for the salad and placed them in the refrigerator.
Elizabeth looked around the apartment and felt completely relaxed for the first time this week knowing that the major chores for the apartment were done, she was ahead in her work for the original design sketches and dinner was prepared as best as it could be for the time. Elizabeth decided that she would spend the time drawing a few ideas she had brewing in her head before taking a long soak in the tub before their guests came over. As she sat down to her desk in her bedroom suite, she yawned and held her head in her hand staring at her favorite quote; "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today[i]". The quote had always pushed her to work hard, to stay up late finishing projects and to think ahead. As she reflected on the new design on her office desk and all she could accomplish with the account from Fitzwilliam Fashion's, the light around her dimmed as Elizabeth's eyes closed.
William was standing at the front door to Jane and Elizabeth's apartment. He had been standing there for about 5 minutes. He was early, he knew he was early but he could not wait to be in Elizabeth's presence. He was trying to do everything to curb the feelings that his brain and his heart did not want to acknowledge. It was his subconscious that betrayed him now every evening for the last 5 nights … taking him back to the bar and the dance and the passion that he dreamed was there. He would wake up in some various state of arousal and have to remind himself that she was George's girlfriend for bloody sake! He loved George like a brother and the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt George. Before he had stepped out of the car that Thursday evening, he had to focus on his breathing. He chanted to himself over and over…'friends I want to be her friend,' just to keep himself in check.
Will thought back to his phone call he had earlier that day with George. Geroge told Will that he was stuck at work tonight and was unable to attend the dinner. Will heard the disappointment behind every word George stated during that portion of the phone conversation. He then listened to the man who knew him better at one time than his own family go on and on about Elizabeth causing Will to think to himself, 'George has it really bad for this girl… and if he knew half of what has been in my brain about this woman this week… he would beat my ass for sure!' George had continued to prattle on about his developing relationship and the hopes he was starting to hold for their future and the more George talked, the harder it became for Will. It became hard for Will to think of being anything but being a good friend and brother like figure to Elizabeth; it became harder for Will not to be incredibly jealous of George that he had found Elizabeth first. After almost an hour of George listing every quality he adored about 'hi Lizzy' Will had to let him go and try to finish up some work before leaving the office.
Now standing outside Jane and Elizabeth's apartment door Will knew he was going to be in for a long evening for the only thing now on his brain was anything but being Lizzy's friend. Will took another deep breath… exhaled slowly and knocked on the door hoping his being early would not be off-setting to the ladies in residence.
Will waited…
And waited…
After about a minute, he knocked again. As he did, the door budged open slightly. Will paused and looked into the door frame. He didn't see anyone and took a moment to examine the door. The lock was not engaged but the bumper didn't fit level with the opening in the frame. "Anyone could just walk on in… even if the door was locked," Will muttered aloud to no one.
As Will silently stepped into the apartment, he was able to compose himself enough to stutter out loudly "Hello? Anyone about?"
At this, he heard a thud come from one of the rooms near the back of the apartment. A few moments later and he heard the voice haunted his dreams utter several swears. Out of one of the bedrooms stumbled the same woman who memorized him several nights ago. She could not be more beautiful in her sweats and t-shirt. She was stunning regardless of no makeup, hair piled high on top of her head and still swearing under her breath. Elizabeth finally took a moment to look up and see William standing there in the entry way. Her blush as she realized who had woken her up only made her more attractive in William's eyes. "What the hell!" Elizabeth said as she shook her head as if to snap her out of her fog and sputtered sleepily, "Thank goodness you were early!"
"Why is that?"
"If you had not arrived when you did, we would be ordering in for our meal!" Lizzy exclaimed. She walked over to the bowl covered with a towel and quickly set about to greasing the nearby glass casserole dish. She uncovered the bowl and the smell of yeast permeated the room.
Moving about the apartment, Will inquired "Can I help with anything? I am pretty decent in the kitchen and would love to be of assistance if I am able."
The relief his offer presented her caused her beautiful face to shine… shine so bright that she could have lit the darkest of nights for days. "I have the makings of a salad in the refrigerator… Care to mix that together? It is not much but it would allow me to still get a shower in while these are baking," She offered.
"Sure… Especially if it will help you out." Will exclaimed, hoping that his excitement of being just in her presence was not too obvious. The grin on Elizabeth's face was all he needed to know that he was appreciated for the gesture. "Go and get yourself together and I will finish up here."
"Thank you so much William. I had planned to be cleaned up and ready by now but I guess a nap was what was on order instead! I have been working some pretty late nights for this new campaign and I guess I just over did it… I'll hustle and be back quick to help finish!"
Will watched Elizabeth round the corner she had just come from. He slowly looked around the apartment, appreciating the home-like feel it presented. He could be very comfortable in an atmosphere like this and as he looked further, he found it reminded him of his parent's home… Pemberley… the home he would someday inherit after his Father passed. While he didn't get to go home often, he cherished the thought that he always was welcome there and could use it whenever he needed to just take a break from life's troubles. Will slowly wandered to the kitchen and started looking around to see what he could do further to help Elizabeth. He could smell the roast and checked on that quick. As he opened the roaster, he noticed that the vegetables looked perfect and that the meat was tender to the point of falling apart. His mouth started watering at the mere look and smell of this divine specimen of food. The smell of the yeast from the rolls was starting permeate through kitchen as well. Will thought pleasantly 'This girl can defiantly cook up a mean meal! She could give my father's cook a run for her money and Mrs. R is the best cook I know!' Will opened the refrigerator and saw all of the item's that Elizabeth had already prepared. 'Wow… She knows how to do this right…' Will contemplated as he placed the lettuce in the large bowl she had left on the counter top. Will added in the tomatoes, green peppers, and found a fresh block of mozzarella cheese. He looked around in the drawers and found in the second one the cheese grater. He made quick work of putting a huge pile of fresh mozzarella on top of the salad. He also had seen in the refrigerator a block of Parmesan. He grated some on top of the mozzarella and went again to look to see what dressings she had. As he looked at the various ingredients, he saw he could quickly throw together Mrs. R's Famous Caesar dressing. It was one of the best he had tasted and William knew that she had received offers to market the dressing but always refused saying it was for family only. The day she taught William to make the dressing was one of the best day's he could remember after his mom fell ill. It was so cathartic to just relax and let his feelings be released into the food he created. As he whipped up the dressing, Elizabeth emerged from the hallway dressed in a floral skirt and a white lace and cotton tank top. She held her shoes in her right hand while scrunching her curly hair with her left.
William could smell her rosewater shampoo from where he stood in the kitchen and fought hard to not look up and stare at her as he casually stated, "I hope you don't mind but I didn't know what dressing you wanted to use out of your collection; so I quickly made up one our family constantly craves with a salad similar to this." Elizabeth by this time had wandered over to him and the smell of her shampoo had gotten stronger. Elizabeth took up a piece of stray lettuce and lightly dipped it in the dressing.
"Oh my goodness! This is possibly the best Caesar dressing I have ever had and Caesar is my favorite so I have had quite a few. Is there any chance I can talk you out of the recipe" Lizzy exclaimed.
"Nope." Will said finally looking up at her. "For family only!" As he said this, he took in Elizabeth's appearance again. She looked wonderful with her tank. The white complemented her growing tan well. Her curves and shapely legs were prominently featured in the skirt. Her hair was still slightly damp from her shower but was styled with a light curls that framed her face. Her makeup was minimal but alluring. All Will could think was how striking she was.
"Please…." Lizzy begged giving him the best puppy dog eye's she could muster. It was all will could do to not cave in right then and there. The look she presented was incredible. Will didn't know how she did it but within a matter of moments, she went from being a good-looking woman to being the most attractive woman he had known. How did George get to be so lucky…? Why could I not have met her first! In his mind he went back to his mantra of only friends… only friends …
Slowly Will started to tease right back at her. "Nope… No go…"
"Darn! I was sure that face would work. It always works on my father. He says it makes it too hard to say no. I guess my puppy face doesn't work on two people now."
"Two," Will ventured slowly. "I know me now… but who is number two?"
"George." Elizabeth stated mater of factly. "He says it not nice to try and abuse my beauty over him. I wish he was here tonight but I am glad I get to know you more especially since you two grew up together. I want to know all the good stories!"
As she said this, the door opened right open and Jane's laugh permeated the front hall. A few moments later Jane and Charles entered into the kitchen. "Lizzy" Charles gushed. "It smells fantastic in here. Please tell me it is almost time to eat because I do not think I can handle smelling this heavenly concoction for too long!"
Will looked at Elizabeth as she blushed at the compliment. "Yes Charlies. Thanks to Will saving the day, we are all ready to eat. Why don't you and Jane go find a wine or two while I dish this out?"
They all agreed and met in the dining room a few minutes later. Will noticed Jane motioned to Charles where the all the wine was stored and encouraged him to go look for one and she would be right there. Jane then pulled Lizzy back towards the bedrooms and he heard her asked "How exactly did Will save the day? Will just smiled and called to Charles if he needed any help with selecting a wine.
Throughout the entire meal, Will was content to just observe his best friend and the girls as they laughed and talked about the regular every day happenings they had observed in Meryton. Some of the funniest moments even caused him to break into a full smile also served as warnings against some of the more notorious busy bodies found in Hertfordshire. The best stories Will heard were of the adventures Elizabeth and Jane had in their youth. It was through these stories Darcy caught a glimpse of the Bennett sisters than one he expected. He was able to see true love and devotion to one another. He also noticed how Elizabeth rarely mentioned things about their mom. Jane would casually talk about their mom but Will observed that it only took one look from Elizabeth at times to plead with Jane to drop the subject that was at hand. Her father was a different matter. They both had plenty of stories and antic dotes about the seemingly well versed gentleman. The evening passed very pleasantly as they continued their conversation into the living area. Jane and Charles wandered to the stereo and found some music to listen to. While they debated what artist to listen to, Elizabeth leaned over to William and thanked him for all the help that evening. "I don't know what I would have done if you had not walked into the door. I know I said it before but I have been pushing myself with this possible new account and getting a series of designs ready I have not been sleeping much. If I get this then it could mean that my designs would be known globally. It is the biggest opportunity that could have ever happened in my career! "
"My pleasure. It was a joy to stop and take some time in the kitchen again," Will stammered. Elizabeth at this point had placed her hand on Williams arm and proceeded to praise him about his dressing trying once more to get the elusive recipe from its owner when a rough voice huffed out over the room. "Glad you are not too broken hearted at my absence this evening, Elizabeth."
"George!" Elizabeth crocked in surprise. Will watched as she leaped from the couch they had settled in and immediately went into George's arms and embraced him. "I am so happy you were able to leave work early! Do you want something to eat?"
Will noticed that she appeared startled by his sudden appearance but thought nothing of it since George had told him the same story as to why he would not be able to attend. Will stood and shook George's hand with a smile. "Man I am so happy you were able to make an appearance," he exclaimed!
"Brother, nothing could keep me from this woman's food. It gives Mrs. R's a run for her money! But you will need to excuse me. I need to have a few moments with MY Girlfriend quickly." George declared.
"No bother. I need to check my phone anyways for any messages from work. Those two are wanting to find something to dance to." Will stammered. He noticed how George emphasized that Lizzy was his and the twinge of jealousy started up again in his gut and as he walked to the corner where he had left his jacket with his phone safely in the pocket. He quickly opened his phone and saw two voice messages. He looked up to watch George smile at Lizzy and ask for a place where they could talk in private. They walked down the hall where Elizabeth emerged earlier in the evening. As Will typed in his passcode, he heard a door shut quickly. 'Great… that is all I need now. To think about what could be going on in that room.'
The first message was Gigi just saying hi. Will was saddened as he listened to her stammer though the message. He knew it would just take time for her to confide in him but it tore him apart that there was nothing he could do at present for her. 'If only mom was here,' he contemplated. The message for Gigi ended the same as always saying how she loved him and that the trip was going well but it still was never enough. The second message however quickly pulled Will out of his reserved thoughts. It was an urgent matter from the United States branch of the Darcy Group. The family had just opened this branch and it had only been operating for 2years and things were struggling greatly. The more Will listened to the message the more he knew what was most likely needed to help his company succeed and branch out. He needed to travel overseas to help facilitate some of the bumps in his company branch. Frustration that his holiday was quickly ending quickly surged as he re-listened to the message. After scratching a few noted concerns that were expressed in the message, he looked up from the small table he had gravitated towards. Will was distracted enough that he didn't observe George come back out of Elizabeth's room alone. He picked up his scribbles and walked towards the common room and noticed that while George was back, Elizabeth was not. Making sure his phone was locked, he wandered back into the living room and asked George "Where is Lizzy," He pondered? "She ok?"
George looked at him with a satisfied grin and responded that she needed a few moments to refresh herself. Will thought quietly to himself 'he had to ask!' As if on cue, Lizzy walked back into the living room and as George stated, she had washed her face and reapplied her make up. Her hair was slightly different as well. Before it had framed her face evenly but now it was parted heavily on one side. As Will looked to her face, he could see that her eyes were slightly pink, almost like she had been crying. "Everything ok?" Will asked.
George retorted, "Yea. All is good." Will looked at his best friend and saw the smile he had previously widen. It took Will a moment to compose himself for he knew that smile from their college days. That was the look George have when he had just gotten lucky with a girl which re-confirmed what Will thought previously… 'he just had to ask…' William had to resolve himself again to be a friend to both of them no matter the attraction he felt with Elizabeth. He had felt like there was a connection of sorts that afternoon in the kitchen but knew he would have to ignore it. Thankfully he was needing to go to the United States. "I hate to do this on such a wonderful evening, especially now that you have arrived George. But I need to leave. I received a message from the company and I am required to travel. I may be gone for a few months."
"Will, is it anything serious?" inquired Charles who had heard Will's statement.
"Yes," Will disclosed. "Sadly it seems that the new management is not able to keep things under control so I have to clean house and train new staff and be sure that things will stay steady for the long term. I will most likely be gone for about two months. I need to leave and pack and be ready to travel in the morning. I am sorry I will not be able to re-join you at Netherfield this weekend Charles."
"Think nothing of it," Charles responded. "I know you have been having issues there and that things like this happen. Just makes me thankful that I am just a general practitioner and not in emergency medicine anymore!"
Will slowly gathered his jacket and moved to the entry way with everyone following him. Goodbyes were exchanged and plans placed on hold until William came home. George came up and gave him their normal exchange and murmured in his ear, "don't worry… we will be fine here while you attend to the empire! I can even call the old man if you wish?"
All he could to was thank him for being willing to check on his family but that they were on holiday for Gigi's European tour and left for 2 months of travel just yesterday. "I hope it snaps her out of her funk" Will murmured so that only George could hear.
"I am sure it will," George affirmed.
Will smiled and then turned and looked at Elizabeth. "It was fun cooking with you this afternoon. I was glad I could help you out."
Will observed her jump when he touched her arm slightly. She quietly stammered a Thank you and backed away from him slightly. Will took one look at the woman he was growing to care for and thought for a moment that there was some trepidation as she spoke to him. Will smiled and hinted teasingly "Maybe while I am gone, I see if I can get permission from the dressing's owner to share it with you."
A smile surfaced upon her lips and a slight giggle emerged. "I'll hope you can convince whomever to share! Safe travels Darcy!"
As Will exited the apartment he reflected how she all of a sudden seemed subdued and tired. It was something he knew well having roomed with George for so many years. He had a tendency to wear the gal out it seemed. He missed the sparkle and spirit he witnessed most of the evening and hoped that she would be recovered by the morning after their quick romp that he assumed happened. There was nothing more he could do except trust George to be the gentleman they were both raised to be. But knowing how he behaved in his youth, if George was wanting something… he normally got it. William walked slowly towards the lift trying to ignore the strange familiar clinch in his gut telling him that something was still off… but then everything had been off since Gigi stopped talking to him. To pinpoint what specifically was odd about everything…. He didn't have any other clue other than being friends with this goddess was going to be challenging and this business trip could not have come at a better time. If anything could distract his thoughts… strenuous work would
[i] Quote said by H. Jackson Brown
