A/N: Happy Thanksgiving Day for all of you who celebrate this day. I hope you like this chapter. I have to recognize the help of my son who assisted by correcting some big errors. Other errors remaining are entirely my fault. I hope you enjoy. Here is the next chapter. Until next month.
Chapter 11 - Thanksgiving at North Carolina
"I disagree with you Nathan and further contend that Adam Smith believed in regulations!"
"Are you out of your mind Lizzy? You seem to have forgotten the power of the 'Invisible Hand'. Adam Smith claimed that in a free market, no regulation of any kind would be required to guarantee that the mutually beneficial exchange of goods and services took place, since this 'invisible hand' would guide the free market participants to engage in trade in the most mutually beneficial manner. Regulations would obstruct this process. Therefore Adam Smith was absolutely and categorically opposed to regulations!"
In her Social Responsibilities of Business class at Georgetown University, Lizzy was engaged in a debate with another student. This class taught how to master a method for solving problems related to ethical and legal dilemmas originated in the business world.
Lizzy took her tablet, clicked once and then replied, "Yes Nathan, he was for the most part opposed to regulations, but he understood the true nature of man, to him this wasn't a rigid notion. Allow me to quote the man himself: '…When the regulation, therefore, is in favor of the workmen, it is always just and equitable...' End quote. In addition, Adam Smith recognized the inevitability of establishing some regulations, quote: '…The proposal of any new law or regulation of commerce which comes from this order… ought never to be adopted, TILL after having been long and carefully examined...' End quote. What about the regulations he suggested to restrict the power of the banks? Quote: '…The obligation of building party walls, in order to prevent the communication of fire, is a violation of natural liberty exactly of the same kind with the regulations of the banking trade which are here proposed…' End quote. Would you want me to carry on quoting the man?"
The professor laughed at this and interrupted the discussion. "Thank you Elizabeth, you are absolutely right. No need for more specifics at this time, this will be our topic for next week. Nathan also made an excellent point. As it has happened to many historical figures, from Jesus, to Mohammed, to our own Adam Smith, just to name a few, their teachings and beliefs have been compartmentalized, separated into isolated dogmas, by their followers. Subsequently, their different successors have emphasized only those dogmas supporting their own agendas and ignored those opposing them, resulting in… Before I go on a tangent, let's stop this debate now and focus on our upcoming test. Elizabeth, you're going to love this, I want all of you to concentrate on Adam Smith's theories, primarily his views on ethics, which we will apply to the current business environment in our own country. I promise it'll be an interesting exploration!"
The weeks before Thanksgiving break were very busy for all our friends. The ongoing romance between Jane and Charles was flourishing; they were seldom separated for long, although Jane, good girl that she was, never spent a single night away from the apartment. That was a bit frustrating for Charles who, while not yet ready for a long term relationship, was fully committed to his angel! He was a patient man.
Fall season, a bustling time in Congress, found Charlotte fully engaged in her new role at work of lobbying the lawmakers, promoting the agendas of her clients. She was constantly on the move, all over Capitol Hill, whenever and wherever she was needed. Sometimes Lizzy the idealist, the 'multi-multi-multi-millionaire idealist', as Charlotte jestingly called her, would give her grief about her lobbying job. Charlotte always countered that her company only did business with reputable organizations advocating for legitimate causes. Therefore, the public at large generally benefited from her hard, honest work. Lizzy knew that was true but she enjoyed the banter with her friend too much to agree without a good debate.
Meanwhile, nearby in Reston, Virginia, on a balmy fall morning, Louisa Hurst was having breakfast with her sister Caroline in her spacious townhome. James was away on business while Caroline was staying with her. It was Louisa's first trimester and her belly was beginning to swell. She and James were overjoyed with the upcoming addition to their family. He was taking an exaggerated care of his wife that was almost comical, although it seemed charming to almost everyone. Except to Caroline, to her it was almost unbearable to watch, she was virtually disgusted with the ridiculous spectacle put on by her sister and brother-in-law.
"I can't believe it! Louisa, why did you let your husband do that to you? Nothing fits you anymore. You're looking so pale and sickly. And you're no fun anymore, you can't even have a glass of wine, meanwhile he goes and parties the night away!"
"Stop disparaging my dear James! You know he's in a medical convention. Believe me; he would prefer to be here with his wife and his baby to be."
"He's in Las Vegas Louisa, for crying out loud! And you know the saying, what happens in Vegas, stays in..."
"Shut up Carol! That's the venue for the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual convention; he didn't choose it! Every night we video chat until we both fall asleep. Will you please stop slandering my dear husband! Why are you being so negative? Does this mean you're not planning on having any children?"
"At this rate," a dispirited Caroline replied, "I'll be an old maid before he proposes and we marry. I'm giving him only one child for holding back for so long! What's he waiting for? What do I have to do? And now he's having second thoughts!"
Louisa sighted. "Now I understand why you're in such a sour mood. Please Caroline; you have to forget about William. He doesn't love you, he'll never propose to you. He told you that already. You're still young and so very beautiful. You can find a good man easily. Please sister, go in the dating market. James and I have a few colleagues who are good candidates. They have..."
"No! I'll never give up on William! He's all I want. One day I'll be Mrs. Caroline Darcy and will have all the many advantages bestowed by that illustrious name. I won't settle for less. Since you're my sister I expect you to help me catch him instead of discouraging me!"
"Caroline, that's not going to happen, you two have never been romantically involved. He already told you in no uncertain terms..."
"I don't care what he says! He always seeks me out, doesn't he? He's obviously confused about something or maybe there's someone else. I'll find out what's going on with him. If there's another woman, I'll crush her! I'll stop at nothing to secure him!"
"My dear sister, you're deluding yourself. Please let it go; it's a lost battle."
"Never! This is war and I must regroup and go on the offensive!"
"You're frightening me Caroline. We both know you're not vicious! You're better than that. You need a distraction. Why don't you focus your energies on those beautiful dress designs you always make? You have such a great talent. Please sister, I implore you, give up this hopeless dream. Allow me to introduce you to some of my..."
"Stop! I'm leaving now because you're unsupportable this morning. All this stress is getting to me. I'm going shopping for a new dress to calm my nerves. I'll be at the club later, getting a spa treatment, including a full body massage from Pierre. His marvelous hands will melt all this tension in my body. Ta-ta Lulu."
At that very same moment, three hundred miles away at his Penthouse in NYC, Robbie was feeling stressed out as well, albeit for an entirely different reason. He was fully absorbed with his PhD studies and full time job. Since the night of the Meridian Ball, he hadn't had a single moment when he wasn't occupied with anything related to either of them. He was looking forward to Lizzie's and his father's visit on Thanksgiving week. Though in all honesty, he'd rather sleep off the entire holiday weekend!
His father kept hinting that he wanted him to come back home to initiate the process of taking charge of the family business, but Robbie was determined to complete his doctorate and then he would make a decision. He still had a long year and a half to finish.
Lizzy suffered a big disappointment when the first week of November Mr. Benes told her that he was having important contract negotiations in some hotels in Florida that were dragging, therefore he could not join them in NYC. A day later Robbie confessed to her that he was going to be very busy but she could stay in his apartment and he would spend some time with her.
Lizzy missed her brother so much! However, the prospect of spending her free week pretty much alone on his Central Park penthouse wasn't very appealing. She knew her brother meant well and he would make time for her, but she also knew that he was extremely busy and she wasn't going to be a distraction for him. She wanted him to rest though knowing him, he would insist on going places just to indulge her. She had to make alternate plans.
Thanksgiving week finally arrived! Charles was spending the holidays in his North Carolina country home with Jane and his family. Netherfield Park, a large, modern, Mediterranean style mansion, was located thirty miles north of downtown Raleigh. The estate was surrounded by tennis, basketball and racquetball courts, a swimming pool, a circular trail roughly blazed through hilly North Carolina country; a two acre fully stocked fishing lake, and its own apple orchard.
Charles invited Darcy and Jane's roommates to come with them as well, but they had other plans. Charlotte, as was her tradition, was visiting her parents in Upstate New York with all her siblings.
Darcy was also spending the holidays with his family in his country estate, Pemberley House, on the south of Virginia. This magnificent stone building was a replica of the original Pemberley House from the county of Derbyshire on the north of England. They were both assets of the Darcy family. The Virginia mansion, although newer, slightly smaller, and more elaborate than the original, also retained a similar connection to nature. Tucked into the woods along a calm river bend, it was surrounded by myriad of trees, far reaching woody hills and soft valleys. It was a paradise for nature lovers. The prides of both estates were the magnificent wineries bearing the same name. Since he was roughly two hours north of Netherfield Park, Darcy had promised Charles that he might visit them on Friday or Saturday if his family allowed him.
Lizzy had accepted an invitation to spend the entire Thanksgiving week break with Mary and the Gardiners in North Carolina. Originally they were set to take a chartered plane to Raleigh. The weather for this time of year was so unseasonably warm that Lizzy wanted to drive her convertible. She asked Mary, who agreed wholeheartedly. It took a three-way call with the Gardiners to soften Mr. Benes and Robbie to finally allow Lizzy to drive those long five hours. Even then, they kept calling Lizzy non-stop to give her hints on driving on that 'dangerous' I-95 highway -drive carefully, pay attention, no phones, no distractions, be alert, etc.- on a vain but unsuccessful attempt to convince her to cease and desist. Given that the Gardiners lived in North Raleigh, about half an hour south of Netherfield Park, Lizzy promised Charles that she might visit them if she had some free time during the holiday weekend.
The Thursday evening before Lizzy's planned departure for North Carolina, Charlotte and Jane were preparing a surprise meal for her. They were taking a very long time while not letting her come into the kitchen. After an agonizing couple of hours, Lizzy was so hungry and it smelled so delicious that she finally couldn't resist and went to the kitchen. What she saw shocked her beyond measure. The food had already been done. But that wasn't what shocked her the most. Charles was there as if by magic! He was carrying a giant roasted turkey and there was enough food to feed an army!
Before Lizzy had time to react, the trio burst out laughing as if they were naughty children, while at the same time the doorbell rang announcing a visitor. Lizzy was so confused that she went and opened the front door without checking who it was. She received the surprise of her life when she found Robbie and Mr. Benes smiling at her. Before she had time to react again, Charlotte, Jane and Charles came behind her and yelled, "Surprise!"
It would be almost impossible to describe what happened next: screams, jumps, cries, hugs, tears, it was pandemonium. Lizzy was a hurricane of delight! They proceeded to have their own pre-Thanksgiving meal. Throughout the night, her men kept repeating the same warnings and advice about the long drive; they even offered to take her and Mary to North Carolina that same night. Lizzy's resolution, of course, prevailed. They had a wonderful night although it was cut short because Friday was going to be very busy for all of them.
Lizzy and Mary left on Saturday morning. The suitcases were loaded in a limousine which was serving as unofficial escort, Lizzy's reluctant concession to pacify her relatives. It was a perfect day for a long drive. While driving in the long highway, our adventurers reveled in the sensation of the sun in their faces, the fresh air, the loud singing along with the radio… the freedom! They were the PG version of Thelma and Louise! They arrived in the early afternoon energized and hungry; they didn't eat in the way because Alice Gardiner had promised them that she was going to cook one of Lizzy's favorite meals, 'arroz con pollo estilo Boricua con tostones' (Puerto Rican style yellow rice with chicken with fried plantains), a meal Alice had learned to cook in her many trips to the island. Lizzy wasn't disappointed, it was delicious!
Lizzy spent a fun, relaxing week with the Gardiner family. She had some heart to heart conversations with Mrs. Gardiner whom she missed very much. She enjoyed each minute spent with her aunt Alice, as she had always known her, along with her adopted family.
Thursday morning Lizzy set up to watch on TV with the Gardiner's the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from New York City, but she could only watch a few minutes. She went to her room immediately after it began and didn't come back until it was over. She forced herself not to let that episode affect the festivities. When she returned, she was composed and appeared as happy as she had been before. No one mentioned the morning events; from that moment on everybody had a very cheerful celebration, especially when the big succulent turkey made its appearance on the dinner table already spread with all kinds of delectables.
Friday was a lazy day for our friends; everyone was too stuffed to do anything significant but sit around, watch movies or sports on TV, and doze off. Except for Lizzy, she did something entirely new and exciting with her adopted family. For the Gardiners, Black Friday, the Christmas Sales Kickoff Day, was almost as sacred as Thanksgiving Day. They had turned it into a military operation. The two older boys spent the whole night lined up in front of the electronics super store. Mr. Gardiner and his younger daughter went to the giant sporting goods store at midnight. Lizzy, Alice and Mary woke up at two in the morning to line up in front of the huge department store.
Each member of the family had been assigned one or two specific sale items. Since Lizzy was a neophyte, Alice had to provide an introduction to the mission Lizzy was to undertake. She even prepared a map of the store with specific directions and details about the two items Lizzy was supposed to seize. When the store doors opened at 7am, Lizzy went flying beginning her quest.
It was such a fun adrenaline-charged experience to navigate around and do battle with all those determined ladies for the two pretty discounted blouses! By noon, they all returned home with their bounty. The rest of the day was spent retelling the stories of their morning heroic acts, eating leftovers and doing absolutely nothing. Lizzy had so much fun that day!
Saturday morning Lizzy received a call from Charles telling her that Jane had suffered a case of food poisoning and he had to take her to a hospital in Raleigh. Lizzy went directly to the hospital. Worried for her friend, she was about to inquire in the front desk when Charles came out with Jane in a wheel chair.
"Sorry Lizzy, I shouldn't have scared you so much. It seems Jane only had a very bad case of indigestion but she's feeling better now, after they cleaned her stomach. All she'll need is some rest. Since you're here, why don't you visit us for a few hours? You can go back to your friends later tonight."
"Well, I was going for a long jog in the park. I'm not dressed appropriately for a formal visit, but I will go with you. This way I can make sure Jane is comfortable."
"Don't worry Lizzy, you look fine, this is a perfect day to be outdoors and you're suitably dressed. Nobody will fault you for that."
When they arrived at Netherfield House, they opened the door to find Louisa, James, Caroline and Darcy waiting for them in the entrance of the mansion. When Lizzy saw Darcy she flushed, but was able to disguise her discomfort behind the mask of her concern for Jane. After the customary greetings she accompanied Jane to her room to help her settle down so she could get some rest. In her haste to depart from the present company, Lizzy failed to notice Caroline's disdainful looks. After Lizzy and Jane left, Caroline began to make some offensive comments about the poor chit's unfashionable appearance, lack of manners, etc. Fortunately for Darcy, who felt compelled to defend Lizzy's honor, he didn't have to create a scene because Charles silenced Caroline by chewing her out on the spot for her rudeness in disparaging a guest of his house.
Lizzy herself wasn't feeling very comfortable either. 'Had I known he was here I wouldn't have come! How unfortunate that Jane had to get sick today.'
Jane and Lizzy chatted for a few minutes until Jane fell asleep from exhaustion. Lizzy remained in the room a little while longer, reading a book she had found on the room. After half an hour, just as she was preparing to return to Raleigh, Charles came in and invited her to play tennis. Lizzy loved tennis and couldn't deny herself that pleasure, especially with the beautiful weather they were having that Saturday morning. After borrowing a tennis outfit from Jane, she left with Charles.
Caroline was already in the tennis court with Darcy and James. When she saw Lizzy, she sneered and said, "Charles we've been waiting for you to play a doubles match. Are you finally ready or are you going to invite the whole staff as well?"
Lizzy just shrugged off at her incivility, she was eager for a game, even with the present company. It had been a while since she last had played tennis (in the summer in Puerto Rico with Robbie and her dad).
"Lizzy and I are ready now. Who are going to be our victims?"
"Will and I always play together since we make such an amazing team. What about James? He was waiting to play with you."
Lizzy smiled, amused when she noticed Darcy's discomfort when Caroline staked her claim. "You go ahead and play James; I can practice by myself on the wall."
"No Lizzie, you have to play, I just finished a set with Will which left me exhausted. Besides, I have to check on my dear Louise."
They began the match. After warming up, Caroline requested to be allowed to serve first and everyone obliged her. On her first serve, a slow speed slice placed just in front of Lizzy's service box, Caroline emitted a loud cry prompting Lizzy to stop playing, running quickly to her side.
"What's wrong Caroline, did you get hurt? Have you pulled a muscle? Do you need help?"
Caroline was annoyed but Charles was the first one to react, cracking up laughing. "This is so funny Lizzy, you don't know that Caroline is a grunter."
"That was a grunt? It sounded like a howl! Are you ok?"
Caroline was now exasperated. "Yes, I'm fine, get used to it! Haven't you heard that grunting is very stylish in tennis nowadays? That point is ours; Eliza probably stopped the game because she couldn't return my fabulous serve."
Lizzy rolled her eyes and returned to her position to resume the match. She missed Caroline's next serve because this time she was giggling. She immediately stopped her mirth when she spied Darcy giving her a knowing smile.
"Eliza, you're running out of excuses. Now I'm beginning to doubt if you're good enough to play with us. Should we call James to take over for you? That is also our point. We're up 30-love."
That was Caroline's last point of the whole match. Her next serve received a swift forehand return by Lizzy in the left corner just inside the doubles sideline. Lizzy and Charles proceeded to return successfully all of Caroline's weak serves to win the first game.
When it was Lizzy's turn, with perfectly executed overhand serves in absolute silence, she hit four consecutive aces in the corners of the service lines. It was evident who the real tennis player was and who was the pretender.
Charles was good, especially returning serves, although Darcy unquestionably was the best player on the court. His serve was powerful and he was very fast and accurate. Lizzy thought he could give Robbie a run for his money. However, Team Darcy had a weakness and in order to win, that weakness had to be exploited. Each time Lizzy had the opportunity, she would hit it strong in Caroline's side causing her to either miss, hit it long, outside, or in the net. A few times Caroline sent the ball flying outside the court fence! She moaned, pouted, blamed the court, the racket, Darcy, and everything except for the real culprit. Lizzy was relentless in her attack. At one point Lizzy and Darcy had a 14 shot rally until Lizzy send the ball flying to Caroline, making her miss the volley wide.
"Will, you were playing with Eliza! Why didn't you get that one?"
"Because that ball was on your side!"
Finally the set ended with a score of 6-3, the three games were made by Darcy with his superior game play; he even broke Charles' serve once. Not only did he play almost entirely by himself, his partner was an albatross around his neck. After the set ended Caroline claimed exhaustion from the hard game she had played. Lizzy on the other hand was just warming up. She challenged Charles and he accepted. She was relentless on her attack, moving all over the court, dispatching him easily 6-2.
Darcy offered to play against her but she politely declined declaring that she wanted to jog for a while before returning home. Darcy knew she wanted to keep on playing, but not with him.
She inquired about the length of the hilly trail around the park and when Charles told her it was five miles long, she was satisfied. After Charles ensured her that it was safe, she setup on the run.
When Darcy saw Lizzy for the first time that day, his heart wanted to explode. He wouldn't dare approach her, and was overjoyed when she came down to play with them. Her tennis outfit fit her so stunningly that he couldn't resist openly gazing at her like a lost puppy. Luckily no one was paying attention to him. If he previously believed she was beautiful, now he had to adjust his earlier estimation.
Her soft brown curls were playfully cascading down her back. When she smiled, her fine eyes sparkled with animation. When she smirked, her inviting, sensuous lips parted just a tiny bit. Her shapely, graceful figure was accentuated in a modest dark green tennis outfit. Her delicate shoulders, her toned arms, her long, gorgeous, sexy legs... She was the goddess Aphrodite who came down from Mount Olympus to tempt him!
Caught up as he was in his own rapture, Darcy wasn't aware that when Lizzy glanced at him, her thoughts were similar to his but with a polar opposite reaction. She likewise thought he was the finest-looking man she'd ever seen, from top to bottom. She couldn't deny her strong attraction to him. Though each time she would begin to soften her heart, she would recall the barrage of insults he hurled that night. No matter how much Charlotte tried to convince her otherwise, she still thought the same about him and couldn't forgive and forget, despite her traitorous feelings.
When Elizabeth revealed her tennis prowess, Darcy's admiration continued developing its own momentum. He was so proud of her. Of her strength, her intensity, her speed, her self-control, the gracious yet forceful way she brushed aside Caroline's rudeness, the fact that she wouldn't give an inch to her enemy. Her enemies, he reluctantly had to concede.
Poor Caroline, all her life she had worked so hard, though not too hard it seemed, to obtain those talents she believed were indispensable to secure a rich husband. Then that nobody showed up eclipsing her in every achievement. Regardless, she wasn't concerned about Eliza as a potential rival. Even if Darcy acted like a lovesick teenager around her, she was certain he would never attach himself to a Puerto Rican girl, no matter how perfect the chit seemed. Eliza was just a passing fancy. Caroline could scarcely fathom the idea of Eliza being the cause of Will's recent change in attitude and personality. Impossible, there was someone else or something else the matter with him.
Darcy wanted to be with Elizabeth so badly! When she was playing with Charles he kept a constant watch on her, despite Caroline's incessant chatter and attempts to monopolize his attention. When the game concluded in a routing by her he wasn't surprised. After she left for her jog around the park, he decided to return home. He couldn't stand Caroline anymore so he took a quick shower and left after saying goodbye to the others, sans Elizabeth, who was still jogging.
Charles attempted to coax him to stay but Darcy was determined to leave. The person he wanted to spend time with wouldn't give him the time of day, and the one he didn't wouldn't leave him alone! He decided to go for a ride around Raleigh, stopping for a snack at a diner downtown. An hour later he setup in the three hour drive back to Pemberley.
He took the route towards Netherfield which was on his way home. He was concentrated on the road when suddenly he spotted a vanishing cloud of smoke and a silver convertible parked on the shoulder in the opposite direction. He was going so fast he almost missed the unmistakable brown curls of his beloved. He did a quick U-turn and parked behind her car.
When he came to her, Lizzie was sobbing so hard her shoulders were shaking. Suddenly alarmed, he almost shouted with more feeling than civility, "Elizabeth! What happened to you? Are you hurt? Please tell me you're fine!"
When Lizzie saw Darcy she calmed down. After a few more seconds, she finally was able to mumble, "I'm fine thank you. My tire exploded. The car almost went out of control and I ended up here. Oh, I was so scared! It felt like I was living through a horrible nightmare!"
She began to cry again, urging Darcy to take control of the situation. He opened the door, removed her seatbelt, took her in his arms, carried her to his car, and sat her in the back seat. He slid next to her and unconsciously did something he'd wanted to do for a long time; he began to caress her curls affectionately while whispering calming words. His actions had a magic effect on her. She settled down and stopped crying.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Do you want me to call your insurance company?"
"Right after the accident, I received a phone call to confirm I was fine and they sent for help."
"That's comforting. We'll wait here until they arrive. Are you sure you're Ok?"
"I think so. I'm only a bit nervous."
"That's understandable. Please rest until they arrive, I promise you'll feel better real soon."
She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, experiencing a sense of security that soothed her. As for Darcy, the sensation of being so close to her was breathtaking. It felt so good for both of them that they decided to remain in silence while taking comfort in the other's presence.
In their state of complete absorption, they missed a pair of black SUVs with tinted windows approaching fast from opposite directions, arriving at the same moment a minute later. Both cars slowed down to a crawl stopping for a few seconds, as if inspecting the scene. In a few more seconds, they sped up again.
The emergency crew towed Lizzy's car to a dealer in town. Mr. Benes found out almost immediately after her near accident happened. He was relieved when it was reported that she was okay. Then he was pleased when he learned that Darcy had assisted Lizzy and had remained by her side the whole time, and later on drove her to the Gardiners.
Lizzy couldn't refuse Darcy's request to take her home after he had been so chivalrous with her. When they began the ride, Lizzy perceived that Darcy had suddenly altered his demeanor; he seemed anxious. Now she was concerned; in that moment she conjectured that it had been an unfortunate idea to allow him to take her home. She was grateful for his assistance, but that didn't mean she had changed the way she felt about him. She was afraid he would return to his old ways and say something unflattering. After his generous performance that day, she didn't want to argue with him, at least not in that moment. When he began to talk she was apprehensive.
"Elizabeth, Miss Benes, can you please hear me out? I promise I'm not going to make you uncomfortable by repeating any proposals or make any type of demands from you. I just want to express the feelings I have bottled up inside me which I need to relieve. Please lend me your ear; you don't have to say anything. Would you grant me my wish?"
She was hesitant, but she owed him. With a nod, she acceded to his request. She had no expectations; there was nothing he could say to change her mind. She would just listen in silence, unwilling to put up a fight. Not today.
"As you may know, and if not, now you will, I'm a successful executive who frequently makes high-stakes deals worth millions with national and multinational corporations. Since I took over my company, I have virtually transformed our vision and strategy and have been very successful. I'm used to making important decisions quickly and decidedly. So far this formula has worked very well on account of my boldness, excellent judgement and understanding of business, among other factors. By the look in your face, you surmise that I'm also a shameless braggart. This is definitely not my intention. Please bear with me. I will explain later why I'm telling you this."
"In five miles, turn right onto Exit _ towards _"
"From the very first moment of our acquaintance, I have behaved so uncharacteristically contrary to the way I was raised by my excellent parents. My unqualified conduct, my manners, and my expressions during the whole of it, have been inexpressibly painful for me to recollect. I have wronged you in so many ways. I've slighted, teased, infuriated, and demeaned you. I caught you in a vulnerable state and took an improper advantage. I shocked you with an impulsive, premature and insulting marriage proposal. Finally, to my absolute humiliation, I unjustly maligned you with false accusations in the most abominable way. There is no plausible excuse I can offer. I wish I could beg your pardon a million times, but that wouldn't be enough to compensate for my ill-treatment. Ever since that fateful night, I have been doing an extensive introspection, in an attempt to learn from my mistakes. This has been an intense learning process for me, or should I say, a relearning of the basic tenants of civility, comportment and humanity that I have forgotten and needed to retrieve from the far reaches of my brain."
"Turn right onto _ and then turn left."
"Now I'll explain why I mentioned my business experience. Please understand that this is part of my own introspection. I believe that I have treated you as if you were one of my prospective companies. Before you dismiss me as a lunatic, please allow me to explain."
"Turn left onto _." The constant interruption from the GPS device allowed Lizzy to attempt to process some of the information the confusing man was providing. It also allowed Darcy to think of his next words.
"From the very first moment I laid eyes on you, you made a strong impression on me. As I do with a company I contemplate to buy or do business with, I made my initial assessment. I didn't have enough… no, I virtually had no information about you, although that didn't stop me from uttering the cruelest most arrogant judgement I could conceive. Caroline was my enabler. I'm not shifting the blame to her, she is the way she is but it is I who has allowed her to behave the way she's accustomed and to treat me as if I'm her property, even when I've never given her any indication of my affection. Instead of censuring, or setting her straight, I was complacent and indulged her, but worst of all, I became like her. These last few weeks I've been trying to make her understand that we'll never be a couple, but she's very stubborn. I could cut ties with her altogether, but I can't because of Charles, who's like a brother to me. I've tried to distance myself from her. The only reason I came today to Netherfield was for Jane's sake and for the remote possibility that you might... Sorry, I lost my train of thought. I believe Caroline won't stop pursuing me until I'm safely married."
"Proceed to _ and then turn right."
Lizzie blushed and he noticed.
"Forgive me again, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I was just expressing a fact. Allow me to continue. After our first encounter, my initial judgement of you underwent a complete transformation. From the first moment you rebuked me, you became like one of my rising companies, you were a blossoming star. My estimation increased exponentially with every interaction until it reached the point of no return when I was captivated by your extraordinary singing performance. I was the Phantom to your Christine. Just as a star company, I had to have you. You weren't perfect in my narrow minded view, you needed some adjustments, but I would mold you to my specifications! What an arrogant, thoughtless, senseless, bastard I was! No wonder you despise me so much!"
"Turn right onto_ and then turn left in one mile."
"Then, as would be expected, came the catastrophe. My whole performance that night was so abhorrent that I can no longer think of it without feeling crushed by all the force of my disgrace. In all my interactions with you, I failed to realize the only thing that mattered. I was dealing with a human being, the most pure, perfect, innocent, amazing, talented, lively, independent, spirited soul I've ever met. I foolishly allowed my vanity, my pride and my prejudice to ruin, maybe forever, the best chance I'll ever have at happiness."
"In five hundred feet, turn left onto _."
"The only positive thing which resulted from this trying experience is that I am committed with all my heart and my soul to become a better person, a person worthy of someone like you. Please don't feel uneasy, as I told you before, I'm not asking you for..."
"Turn left onto _. Your destination will be on your right in one mile."
Lizzy was feeling a multitude of emotions but she hid then as well as she could. The car accident was now occupying a second place in her mind. She was grateful he didn't require a response because she was very confused and wouldn't know what to say. She had much to think about. He noticed her discomfort and decided not to say anything else. They remained in a tense silence the rest of the way.
The GPS mercifully put an end to their misery. "You have arrived. Your destination is on your right."
They finally arrived at the Gardiner residence. With palpable relief she got out of the car before he could carry out his obvious intention to open the door for her. After closing the door, she leaned forward in the passenger window and gave him a shy smile. With all the sincerity she could muster, she looked him deep in the eyes and said,
"Thank you Mr. Darcy. Today you were my knight in shining armor."
"You're welcome Miss Benes. Thank you for listening to me. Good bye."
She remained frozen in the same spot watching him turn around at the end of the cul-de-sac. When he passed by her, she was looking at him with wonder, as if she was seeing him for the first time. He slowed down, gave her a quick nod and took off. She continued watching the car until it disappeared.
After a big argument, lots of pleading and begging from her brother and her father, Lizzy remained set in her determination to drive back to DC on Sunday morning, even if she had to rent a new convertible. She argued that she was an exceptionally safe driver. Her accident had been a one in a million occurrence. In fact, she had been commended for maintaining control of the wheel and steering in the right direction, against the pull of the car.
Most importantly, she had the presence of mind to stop gradually, avoiding a more serious accident. She did all that under the effects of extreme mental distress. They didn't argue that point, on the contrary, they were very proud of her! What they did was to insist, in vain, that it was better not to tempt fate twice in a row.
It took a trump card from her father to finally break her resistance. In the end, Lizzy returned to DC in the limousine with Mary. Her car would be waiting for her at home. How did her father accomplish such an improbable feat? He actually cried; he didn't shed rehearsed, manipulative, crocodile tears. No, Mr. Benes actually had a genuine emotional meltdown, which Lizzy felt powerless to neutralize.