Lizzie was panicking. It was five minutes to 5:00 and she couldn't move. She kept pacing for the door, then back to the mirror, then back to the door, and back to the mirror. She couldn't' get up the courage to just march out that door no matter how many times she looked in the mirror. She just couldn't.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. She told them to open it, as she was currently sitting in the chair, feeling faint. It was her mother, come to shriek about how it was her duty to march down that isle. Or Jane, here to be too kind. Or Lydia to do her little sister thing. She couldn't take it.
"Lizzie," it was Mr. Bennet .The person she needed most right now. The one who would manage to do everything right, despite being the most clueless in the room. In the building, really. "What's wrong?"
"I'm nervous," she sighed, feeling glad to admit it to someone.
"Hi nervous, I'm dad," he said, beaming. And when Lizzie looked at him in astonishment he said, "Last opportunity, really. Thought I should do it once in your life."
She laughed, heartily, and stood up to give him a hug. He had done it again, made her feel good without really trying.
"Thanks Dad," she said. "That was truly perfect."
"Thanks. Anyway, I hear that you can't' go out there."
"Yeah. It's pathetic, really."
"Not really, lets sit for a minute. We have time, don't' worry. They can't start without you." he chuckled at his joke. "Anyway I want you to describe how you feel about Mr. Darcy."
"First of all, you can call him William. Or just Darcy." Lizzie said, "And I feel at home around him. Like I fit. Like we click. We're best friends, really, but I love him too much for a friend. He understands me, he helps me. He loves me. And I understand him, more than anyone. What we have is just, right."
"What I want you to do is take all that emotion that you feel inside you, now, and use it to propel yourself down those stairs. Think about William Darcy, and your feelings for him, and march. Own the stage, if there is one. But there isn't . It's just you two."
"Just us. Just us. Me and his beautiful blue eyes. And words. Just words. Different ways of saying 'I love you'."
"Exactly, Lizzie. Now, as much as it hurts me to let my favorite girl go, I will help you."
Lizzie slid her hand into her fathers, more than grateful.