Chapter 3

Elizabeth stepped on the pedal as she drove the golf cart to the 18th Green. The restaurant was perched on a lake at the edge of one of the golf courses. Looking out the windows, one could see groups putting their way to a finish on the grassy green. Liz found a parking spot and walked inside. Georgiana had texted her saying she had already been seated Liz looked around and spotted her by the window.

Georgiana rose and hugged her when she reached the table, which, no doubt, was the best seat in the room. Each chair boasted a view of the golf course and a waiter was standing nearby waiting to assist them once they settled. Liz would have to get used to this. The girls talked easily for the next hour about their families and lives in general.

Elizabeth learned that Georgiana was a current undergraduate student at a private university in Newport, RI. The campus sounded beautiful from the way she described it. The old redbrick buildings overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, and surrounding the campus were mansions of various archetypes. Georgiana explained they used to be the summer cottages of America's elite families. Many had servant wings, carriage houses, and stables. The numerous rooms were filled with gilded ceilings, elegant chandeliers and rich furniture. All boasted at least one ballroom to entertain guests during the summer months, each family trying to upstage the other. The homes were now open to the public, and Georgiana said she had volunteered from time to time since she enjoyed meeting the tourists as they visited the homes. Georgiana pulled out her phone as she described her university home, flipping through several pictures of her campus and the mansions. Liz admired the unobstructed views of the back of the limestone and marble mansions. She asked Georgiana how she managed to get the photos and she told her a cliff walk ran along the ocean. She swiped and more photos of the walkway showed on the screen.

Liz also learned that Georgiana was studying business and economics, to eventually, as she put it, "help out with the family business." The Darcy's apparently owned luxury resorts sprinkled around the United States and Europe. Her and Will were born in England but their family moved to the States when Georgiana was five. Their parents were tragically killed in a car accident ten years later and Will had raised her ever since.

"Do you have any other family?" Liz asked.

"Our Aunt Catherine and cousin, Anne," she replied. "They live close to our place in New York City. The first hotel our parents opened in the U.S. was in the city and Will didn't want to leave after they passed. I think he feels close to them being surrounded by the buildings and the hotel."

Liz grew uncomfortable with the sudden turn in the conversation and was thankful when Georgiana asked about her studies. She informed her she was in her final few semesters of her graduate degree, studying to teach English as a second language. She hoped to live abroad some day and Liz mostly had Val to thank for leading her in that direction. She had, like Jane, discovered her love of teaching, but did not have the patience for younger kids as her sister did. Teaching college age students though allowed her to do what she loved while instructing those old enough to care for themselves.

When she got a text from her mother asking when she would be home and then another from her aunt asking her to run by the grocery store, Liz regrettably asked for her bill and told Georgiana they would meet up again at the member's cocktail hour on Palm Isle that night. They quickly hugged and Liz walked out to her golf cart. She decided to take the scenic route past the marina on her way to the store.

The automatic doors swooshed open and Elizabeth happily walked into the air-conditioned building. Grabbing a basket, she made her way to the dairy section. Her aunt said she forgot to get mushrooms, potatoes, and more eggs for the brunch she planned to make the next day after church.

Swinging the basket in her hand, she selected out a carton of eggs and was walking over to produce when she heard two familiar voices. Peaking around the aisle, she saw Chris and Will.

"Jane is the most beautiful girl I have ever met in my life," said Chris, still in his shorts and golf polo. "Her sister, Liz, is very nice as well. Don't you agree?"

"Liz is decent enough I suppose," commented Darcy, "but Jane is definitely the most attractive of the sisters."

Liz gasped in horror. Decent enough? Her shock soon turned to anger.

She could not help her appearance. Her plain brown hair at least held some curl to it, and her brown eyes were fine she supposed for she had not heard anything against them. She once had been complimented on her nose, which at the time she thought was odd, but now she would be second guessing that remark until the day she died. Granted she did not wear makeup often, but her skin was clear and she wasn't clumsy. She believed she walked with relative grace and poise. She wasn't too tall or too short, even though Charlotte tended to tease her for her stature, seeing as she was at least several inches taller than Liz. And although she wasn't completely fit, she did take care of her body and was proud of the way she looked. Yet one word from that man ruined all self-confidence and assurance she once possessed.

Liz quickly walked in the direction of the produce. She wanted to avoid all possible risk of running into them for she felt she would not be able to hold her tongue should they meet. She had grown to respect Chris and even though her family was leaving on Tuesday, she believed he would keep in touch with Jane once she was back home. She reached for two containers of mushrooms and a bag of potatoes before stepping in line at one of the counters.

Elizabeth placed the basket on the belt and took out her phone, checking for any messages from Jane. There was one text from Charlotte with a sad selfie saying how much she missed her and one from Jane stating how she had a great time golfing and couldn't wait to tell her all about it. Sticking her phone back in her purse, she took out her credit card, ready to pay as the cashier scanned her items.

"Liz?" she heard a deep British voice say behind her. She cursed inwardly before turning around.

"Hello Chris," she said smiling brightly, intentionally ignoring the one who originally addressed her. She then turned to Will and shot him a scowl. "Will," she said with feigned indifference.

Chris must have noticed for he quickly took control of the conversation. "It's ironic we met you here, we just dropped Jane off."

Liz stepped forward and ran her credit card.

"Really?" she said. "How did you shoot?"

"Quite well," Chris responded. "Although Will here has always beaten me on the links. I mostly go for pure pleasure not the competitiveness."

Will stayed silent, not adding anything further to the conversation.

Liz looked at Chris with a smile. "Oh, I'm sure Will here thinks you played decent enough," slowly enunciating the last two words and directing them at Will.

Will stood there in awkward silence, realization slowly coming to his face. She kept his eye contact for a while before smirking, grabbing her groceries, wishing them a good day, and walking out the door. As she stuffed the bags into the back of the golf cart, she groaned, realizing she would see him again later that night.


"Oh, Liz, it was so much fun!" said an excited Jane as they sat on the bed in their room. Lydia was out gallivanting around with her weekend fling, while dad and their uncle were watching some fishing show in the den. Mom had lured Aunt Val outside, most likely to gossip about Chris now that Jane had answered all of her questions. Liz had finished telling Jane the conversation she overheard at the store and was now sitting on her bed, legs crossed in front of her, listening to her delighted sister dish all about her morning.

"The car drove me to the clubhouse and there he stood waiting for me. He opened my door and gave me a kiss on the cheek," Jane gushed. "We rode together in the golf cart all morning. Chris told me about his studies and his residency training for the next few years. He's very excited about it. We also discussed his parents and hopes for the future. It's amazing how someone who has been through so much can still have such a positive outlook on life. Really the whole thing was like living a date from an episode of The Bachelor." They chuckled. "I also got to know Caroline better," Jane added.

Elizabeth groaned.

"Oh Liz, don't be like that," chastised Jane, "she's very sweet once you get to know her. And the same goes for Will."

"Now that I don't believe," said Liz.

"No, really, he may seem arrogant, but I think he is socially awkward," offered Jane. "He just doesn't know how to present himself."

"Says the person who has never said a cruel word about anybody," retorted Liz. "Seriously, no girl wants to be in the same room, let alone country as someone who called her 'decent enough,' so how can you tell me this same guy who insulted me is misunderstood instead of condescending and prideful?"

"I want to know why you care so much what he thinks of you," Jane challenged. "You've never given the slightest concern before of what people thought."

As Liz was pondering this, Lydia burst into the room. Her skin was already several shades darker than when they'd first arrived. Liz asked her where she'd been and her younger sister happily dived into her story of how Danny had taken her snorkeling to one of the nearby reefs. He'd then taken her to lunch on Palm Isle before swimming in the pool for a few more hours. Liz and Jane learned that Danny was in the Navy and was on leave visiting an old friend who used to serve with him. Lydia eagerly added that she was meeting them at the Raw Bar after the member's event at Palm Isle had finished.

"You both should come!" Lydia eagerly added. "I'd like for you to meet Danny. You'll love him!"

"I would love to, Lydia," said Jane, "but Chris asked me to dinner and a movie tonight after drinks."

"Liz?" egged Lydia.

"Sure," she agreed after a few moments. Lydia shrieked in joy and tackled her onto the bed in a hug. "This is going to be the best night ever!"

Lydia quickly jumped up and said she would start getting ready. As she approached the door, Liz noticed her unsteady walk. She wondered how many drinks her sister already had that afternoon. It was going to be a long night.

"We should get ready too, Liz," said Jane as she began rising from the bed.

"Yes. But first, I want to know what else you aren't telling me," Liz teased. "Two dates in one day? I do believe that is a record." Jane blushed and began modestly telling her more details about her "fondness" for Chris.


Liz avoided Will Darcy at Palm Isle, which wasn't all that hard considering he stood off to the side of the patio the entire time, scowling at the water. Whenever she happened to glance his way however, she noticed him observing her. Though as soon as he saw her acknowledging him, he quickly broke eye contact and faced the water once more. He was probably just critiquing her decent looks again. With that in mind, Liz turned up her nose each time and pretended to be overly invested in whatever conversation she was a part of.

Caroline approached her at one point and they had a somewhat pleasant chat, but Liz still got the impression she secretly wanted to either throw her fruity drink on her or slap her across the face. Chris was his normal friendly self and Mrs. Bennet took every opportunity to either talk with him or brag to her brother and sister-in-law about Jane's good luck. Her mother did also try to strike up with a conversation with Will at one point, but after being his normal cold self for several minutes, she walked away, stating quite loudly how rude Will was and that he could learn a lot from Chris. Georgiana, Lydia, and Liz spent most of the night together. Liz ended up inviting Georgiana to the bar with them afterwards but she declined, saying she already had plans with Will. Liz automatically glanced over at him and he once again had his eyes fixated on her.

Despite having consumed two drinks at the member's event, Liz quickly ordered another as soon as she and Lydia walked into the bar. They arrived earlier than expected and managed to find a table by a window overlooking the water channel. Liz loved the feeling of the bar. The rich wood had various scratches and writing decorated the walls from where people wrote notes about their time there- nothing like the typical Club ambiance. Liz could see one couple close by hunting for their message from their last visit. Since the bar was within walking distance to the private airstrip, wall space quickly filled up. Some days people just flew in to have a quick bite to eat and sign the wall before flying home.

Liz nursed the bottle in her hand and looked out the window. The sun had just set and the sky was fading from a light blue to a deep navy. She loved this time of day. It grew slightly cooler and it seemed as if the entire world was resetting itself.

"Danny!" Lydia called suddenly. She waved towards a blonde man sporting a buzz cut. He seemed laidback despite the rigidity of the military and he had a boyish face that lit up upon locating her sister. Walking behind him was a taller man, and Liz guessed he could not be more than a year or two older than herself. He was broader than Danny, but had a charming face and dark wavy hair. His blue eyes focused on her. He stuck out his hand as they approached the table.

"Gale Wick," he said, his eyes lighting up.

"I'm Elizabeth Bennet," she said, placing her hand in his, "but you can call me Liz."

"I actually prefer Elizabeth," he said with a mischievous smile. "If you don't mind."

"Not at all," Liz responded, immediately captivated buy Danny's friend.

"And Liz, this is Danny," said Lydia, indicating the man beside her. He shook her hand as well before leaning back in his seat and casually draping his arm on the back of Lydia's chair. Lydia shot her an enthusiastic smile.

"So, Gale," Liz began, "Lydia tells me you work at The Club."

"Yes, I have been lucky enough to find a position here."

"Do you like it?"

"Work is work, Elizabeth," Gale responded. They all chuckled. The waitress came by then and took the drink order for the guys. As they waited or her to return, Gale animatedly detailed many stories about club guests. From spoiled children to ensuring drunk guests didn't fall into the pool, it seemed Gale had seen it all. He even said he once saved a stranded guest who got caught in the mangroves.

The waitress returned, placing beers in front of the two men. After taking their food order, she walked away once more.

"I was thinking of kayaking tomorrow," stated Elizabeth in Gale's direction. "Where should I go? I was thinking the mangroves."

"Yes," he agreed. "The mangroves and canals behind the houses is nice. If you're looking to get great scenery however I recommend the mangroves. You can paddle right up to them and in the still waters you can see the fish swimming below you and different birds in the trees. If you want some company, I am actually free tomorrow."

"That would be great," responded Liz, happy to be seeing him again. "My own personal tour guide."

"I have actually done that too," he added proudly.

Lydia ordered another drink, against Liz's protests, and began peppering Danny with questions until their food arrived. Liz learned Danny enlisted in the Navy fresh out of high school. He currently worked as an electronics technician and had served with Gale up until a year ago.

"What happened?" inquired Liz. "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all," said Gale suavely. "I was actually dishonorably discharged after a misunderstanding while we were in one of our ports."

Liz did not know much about military regulations, but she did know that dishonorable discharges were not given lightly.

"I won't bore you with the details," he continued, "but in short, they needed a guy to take the fall, and I happened to be lucky one to pull the short straw. I lost my veteran benefits and let me say it's hard to find work with that on your resume."

"I'm sorry," Liz said sincerely.

"There's good and bad in everything, Elizabeth," he said good-humoredly, "but it's up to you whether you're going to dwell on what could have been or have a positive outlook for what is to come."

"To positive outlooks and new friendships," said Liz raising her glass. The others mimicked her and clinked them together with a cheer.

Gale placed his glass down and leaned back, resting his arm on the back of Liz's seat. She leaned in towards him. Peeking up, she shot him a shy smile. They maintained eye contact until Gale suddenly looked towards the bar. His face fell.

Liz followed his gaze until it landed on his person of interest. There stood Will at the edge of the bar talking with a waitress. They handed him a bag of food and he turned, catching her eye. He eyebrows raised in surprise upon spotting her. His gaze flickered to her right and they quickly furrowed, his mouth forming a hard line.

Liz glanced up at Gale and noticed his face now resembled Will's. They both continued to glare at each other for some time before Will took a step towards them. Thinking better of it, however, he instead shot her a concerned look and walked out the front door.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" she whispered, happy Lydia and Danny were too wrapped up in their own private conversation to notice what transpired.

"You recall me mentioning being the fallout guy?"

Liz nodded.

"He is one of the lucky people I have to thank for that," Gale responded, his words seeping with hatred.

"Well I don't doubt Will is capable of snubbing those not on his social stature," said Liz.

"So you know him?" Gale asked tensely.

"Unfortunately. We met yesterday and he has already made it to the top of my Rudest People I Know list," she teased, hoping to ease the tension. "He's so arrogant and conceited."

"Well, Elizabeth, I do believe we found yet another thing in common."