Lizzie enjoyed watching the panic grow on Will's face as the phone rang.
"Mrs. Bennet speaking." Her accent was quite clear.
"Uh, hello. This is a," he rushed through his name, "William Darcy."
"Oh. Mr. Darcy. Are you treating My Lizzie well? Of course you are. Is she nearby?" Will sighed as she went on and on with questions about their wedding, and his business, and his family, and everything else in his life. Lizzie stifled a laugh and buried her head in her hands. Just get it over with, Will! You are letting her walk all over you!
"Mrs. Bennet, Lizzie's having a baby." She looked up and watched as Will quickly held the phone as far away from his ear as possible. Nothing? No screaming? No frantic squeals? Did he kill her?
"Mr. Bennet on the phone. Hello? Who is this?" Lizzie sighed. Good old Dad. Always calm.
"Mr. Bennet. William Darcy." Lizzie felt Will relax. She enjoyed how well her husband and her father got along. It wasn't like a bro-mance in anyway, but Will respected him, and her father respected Will back.
"Ah, Darcy. How are you? What did you say to cause my poor wife to faint?" Lizzie couldn't hold it in. She started laughing, quite loudly. "Is that my Lizzie? How is she?"
"She's quite well Sir. Actually, she's pregnant." Lizzie smiled and got herself under control.
"Ah. That explains it. Congratulations. Do you mind if I call you two back later for details? I need to find the smelling salts. Mrs. Bennet is out cold." Lizzie heard both her husband and her father chuckle slightly. Always the gentlemen.
"Yes, of course. Have a nice day, and good luck." Will smiled and hung up the phone. Then he looked down at Lizzie. She started laughing again, and this time he started to laugh with her. She loved his laugh. Maybe it was because she never thought she would ever hear a sound like that come out of him. Maybe it was because she enjoyed laughing with him. Maybe it was just because it was him and everything he did was wonderful. "Do you mind if I wait to call my aunt." His phone rang, and he looked down at it. Will answered it without hesitation, putting it on speaker. "Gigi."
"I am so sorry Will. Please don't be mad at me." Her voice was in a panic. Lizzie sat up. What could cause Gigi to sound like that?
"Gigi. What happened?" He was calm, like he always was with her.
"I told Aunt Cathy, and now she's coming over to see you." Lizzie felt her head spinning.
"Georgiana, why would you do that?" He didn't sound angry, or annoyed, or anything. He sounded like a robot. She is coming. HERE! Last time I saw her. Oh no. Lizzie got up off the couch and Will grabbed her hand. She gave him the most panicked look she had and shook her head.
"I might have also told her you two were married." Lizzie could hear Gigi wincing over the phone, bracing for the worst. Then the doorbell rang. "Oh, Will. I am so sorry. That's probably her."
Will stood up, sat Lizzie down on the sofa, and before hanging up simply said. "I'll call you later." Then he went to answer the door.
"What in heaven's name were you thinking!" It was Catherine. "Marrying a girl like that, from a family like that, with a social status like that? After all the effort I put into you and lovely Caroline Lee. All that work gone to waste. Did you marry her because of her," she stumbled on her words, "her condition?" She stood in the living room, glaring at Lizzie. What is up with her connection to that dog! Its unautural! It was the same glare that she had when she came to warn her off Will. Lizzie just remained seated. She continued. "Oh Ann-ikins, the horror! My nephew married a gold digger and didn't think it important to tell me!"
"Aunt Catherine, please. Leave this house before you say anything that you will regret." Will was stiff, and was that fear on his face? William Darcy is afraid of his aunt. Who in now approaching me. Crap.
"I told you girl that if you chased him, you would ruin him. And now, look. My nephew, the CEO of one of the most praised companies in the country, is tied to you." She spat that part out, making sure that Lizzie knew that she was going to continue hating her. "He is now tied to a woman who has massive student loans and a worthless major. What do you have to say for yourself, now that you know you have ruined him, and Pemberley Digital?" Lizzie stood. I faced her once, I can do it again.
"One, I have no student debts anymore. Two, I have five projects going on right now in my own company that I started six months ago. Three, I will repeat what I have told you before. I do not think it is your place to control who your nephew falls in love with." She looked at Will, who was beaming with pride. "I thought you couldn't insult me any more than you already had. But I was wrong. Now, this is my house as well as Will's and I am asking you politely, to please leave." Lizzie stood there firmly with her hands on her stomach, instinctively protecting it from the witch in front of her.
"This will never be your house." Lizzie gripped her stomach even tighter. "You will never deserve this life."
And with that sentence, Lizzie was sent over the edge. "You will now leave. You will not return unless asked. And you will leave us alone. Goodbye, Aunt Catherine." Will was standing there with his jaw open, Catherine almost dropped her dog, and Lizzie stood her jaw locked.
"Well, I never-"
"Aunt Catherine, I think it is time that you leave." Will stood to the side and motioned to the door. "I also believe that you know the way out."
She was quite proud that she had stood up to that awful twice now. And she loved every minute of it.
"You were quite prolific, Lizzie." She tried to smile but her jaw was still locked. She couldn't say anything. "Lizzie, sweat heart?" She realized she was shaking. "Lizzie?"
