A/N: It took a couple days longer than expected - I had wanted this up Wednesday, but here we are, again a bit later than planned. In other news, real life seems to be giving me a break as things slow down, allowing more time to read, edit, re-edit and write. Thank you to those who have just discovered this story and are joining us along for the ride. Dear readers, I would not be here if it weren't for your support. Keep those reviews coming. From the bottom of my heart - thank you. -DCM
Chapter 9
With no other plans for the day both decided to make the trip to Bakewell, which boasted of the most well-stocked supermarket in the area, not to mention row upon row of small specialty shops.
There were clothing boutiques, tiny bookstores, cozy bakeries and coffeehouses, each one decorated in the spirit of the season. With snow-lined sidewalks and cobblestone streets the scene was unbelievably quaint, and Lizzy was immediately charmed. She gave in to the urge and moved from one shop to another, admiring the wares of each; occasionally chatting up the person behind the counter who usually turned out to be the proprietor, eager to inspire her interest.
William trailed after her patiently, finding her to be the most interesting part of the morning. Animated, open, and sincere - it was easy to warm up to someone like her, and as the day progressed he found that to be the case, if the smiles on the storekeepers' faces were any indication.
They stopped just past one o'clock at Milton's, the town's oldest café, sitting down to a salad and piping-hot shepherd's pie.
It amazed Lizzy how increasingly comfortable she felt in his company. The lingering awkwardness of the last two days was gone, and time flew by over lunch. She told him of the scope of her work in New York and her new duties in London once the year began; of new friends she had made and those in England she had successfully kept in touch with.
William found himself more than entertained by the amusing stories she told of work and her friends in the city; the pictures sketched in his mind made vivid with her words. She mentioned a few odd colleagues; going into detail about each one's quirky habits, prompting a few laughs on his part.
She listened in turn as he talked about his work: the family corporation, detailing its growth in the past few years, how his responsibilities increased as the architectural company acquired new properties to develop. He talked about Georgiana, and of his cousins Margaret and Anne who were now living in Paris, both of whom she had had the opportunity to meet years ago.
They stood up from the table, both feeling unusually light as they continued their stroll down the town's promenade. Spying the bookseller a few doors down, Lizzy flashed William a smile and made a beeline for it.
He picked up a couple of books Georgiana had declared she was dying to read; and then spent the next half hour wandering around the bookstore, perusing the latest bestsellers. Moving into the Classics section he found her, nose buried deep into a small-sized, worn brown-leather bound volume of Shakespeare.
"'To be, or not' - or more 'a horse, my kingdom for a horse'?"
"Neither! It's a first edition, William," she gushed, showing him the cover. In bold, stamped letters read 'Much Ado About Nothing'. "This troupe from London did a tour and I missed their brief run in New York," she explained. "And reading all those glowing reviews afterwards I felt even worse." She gently, reverently almost - turned the pages to check if it was in good condition.
"Was that the Royal Shakespeare company?"
Lizzy's eyes flew to his face. "Yes! Did you see it?"
He smiled at her enthusiasm. "Georgiana and I took in one of the shows last summer. She was enamored of the actor who played Benedick. I believe they did some shows in New York after their run here. Possibly not the entire troupe, but I think the leads traveled around the U.S."
"Maybe they'll have another go soon." She placed the book back on the shelf. "The theatres will just be a tube ride away for me now, after all."
William followed her out of the bookstore, squinting into the afternoon sun, which was gradually setting on the horizon. Their vehicle, as well as the supermarket, was two streets down and they made their way towards it, Lizzy claiming to have had the day's fill of exploration.
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Nearly an hour later they wheeled the cart to wait in line. As he had taken care of breakfast that morning, Lizzy announced that she would make them dinner and headed off to the butcher's section.
Staples were procured: bread, eggs, milk, yogurt and a variety of cheeses were placed in the cart, as well as bacon, sausages and smoked salmon. He went to pick out some fruit; she went to choose the vegetables.
Soon it was their turn and he unloaded the cart as the clerk scanned the items through, the machine beeping repeatedly in acknowledgment.
"Three boxes of jaffa cakes?" Her tone was incredulous. "And hobnobs too?"
"Holiday treats," he said sheepishly. "And for Georgie."
"I prefer a bit of spice... like ginger nuts."
"I know," he nodded, placing three packages of the aforementioned cookie on the conveyer belt, grinning as her eyebrows rose.
"Oh," she smiled. "Thank you," she added, moving towards the wire rack of weekly publications just by the register. She chose one at random and begin to leaf through it while he finished placing the items on the conveyer belt. William was counting out the bills when she returned to his side, her cheeks flushed a bright pink.
"Are you alright?"
She avoided his eyes. "Mm-hmm. Are you done?" Lizzy grabbed two of the bags and made for the exit. He watched her retreating form, bewildered, then took the remaining two bags on the counter, nodding to the clerk as he left.
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William drove with care back to Blackwell, the sudden snowfall keeping most of his attention focused on the road. He observed Elizabeth's sudden pensiveness, noting how she kept her face turned towards her window; but said nothing, attributing it to fatigue. The radio kept a steady flow of soft classical music, filling the otherwise silent ride home.
All the groceries were stored as soon as they arrived, and William went to build a fire while Lizzy began work on their dinner of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.
Being warmer than the rest of the house, it was decided that they would have dinner in the living room. After giving the low table a once-over, Lizzy grabbed two of the plush floor cushions and set them opposite each other. She had just brought the spoons and napkins out when William entered the room, freshly-showered and barefoot, wearing a gray shirt and faded jeans that looked quite worn. He offered to finish up and she gave him a grateful smile, hurrying up the stairs to her room.
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In the middle of dressing up her phone rang and after giving the closed door a quick glance, Lizzy pressed the speakerphone button.
"Hi Lizzy, how are you doing?"
"Hi Jane, I'm fine," Lizzy replied, hearing Andrea babbling in the background. She pulled a long-sleeved cotton shirt over her head. "The weather's been pretty good as well. We were able to walk around the town today."
"We?" Jane's voice was incredulous.
"Mmm-hmm," she answered absentmindedly, pulling her hair into a loose, messy bun.
"I didn't know Georgiana had arrived," Jane said, her tone confused. Lizzy gave a little huff.
"No, William and I walked. Georgiana is scheduled to arrive the same day you are."
"And you survived!"
"I resent that. I'm not as neurotic as you think I am." She smiled when her sister burst into soft laughter. Lizzy was suddenly thankful she had not mentioned the Benefit ball and wondered if Amsterdam got the English tabloids.
"Apparently not… I'm really glad to hear you two are getting alone fine."
Lizzy smiled. "Yeah. He's being very nice about everything."
"Glad to hear that… we'll be arriving as scheduled, so we'll pass by Blackwell to pick you up on the 23rd. If there are any changes I'll be the first to call. I can't wait to see you, Lizzy."
"Likewise, Jane… give my love to Charles and Andrea."
"Will do. Tell William we said hello."
