Two chapters in ten hours? I guess I can be impulsive, but if it's not obvious, I think you'll figure out why soon... Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing and adding me to your alerts and favorites!

Chapter 25

Elizabeth had just refolded the newspaper and was finishing her coffee when the house phone started ringing. "Don't answer it!" she called up to Jane. "It can only be Mom, and she'll just make us late."

Still, she walked over to where she could hear the answering machine. "Lizzy! Jane! Answer the phone; I know you're still there. I need to speak to you, Lizzy. It's important... Elizabeth Christina Bennet, I know you're listening to this. Pick up the phone!"

Heading back to the kitchen, she yelled upstairs, "Five minutes, and it looks like you're driving." Not surprisingly, her cell phone began to ring. "Morning, Mom," she answered it.

"Why didn't you answer the other phone? I know you're still home."

"Because we need to finish getting ready and be able to walk out the door in a couple of minutes." She carried her backpack across the room and set it on the chair nearest the front door. "We'll miss our train otherwise."

"Oh fine. Fine. Anyhow, I really don't know if I should be angry with you or thrilled. Have you no compassion for my nerves?"

"What did I do now, Mom?" Elizabeth sighed as she turned on the water to wash her cereal bowl and coffee cup.

"I had to find out from my sister. Yes, your Aunt Harriet called me this morning to ask why I hadn't told her."

"Told her what?" Elizabeth made a face as Jane walked into the kitchen. Turning the phone so the mic was above her head, she asked, "You 'bout ready, Jane?"

"Yeah, just have to wash my cup, and I'll be out." She smiled sympathetically.

"You okay driving today?"

"Sure, no prob."

"I'll head out then." Turning the phone correctly, she said, "Sorry, Mom, we do have a train to catch."

"Well anyway, Harriet was going on and on about it… I can't believe you haven't told me."

Elizabeth grabbed her backpack, and Hamlet immediately blocked her path to the door. "One sec, Mom." She stopped and petted the dog, then kissed his head. "Be a good lug today." With a quick ear tousling, she was outside.

"No wonder you don't tell me anything. It's plain the dog even ranks higher than me!" came the distressed voice from the phone.

"It's his routine; he was blocking the door. I'm just about to get in the car, and I'm all yours." She pressed the alarm button on her remote and opened the front passenger door of Jane's White Mini Cooper convertible.

"So why haven't you told me, Elizabeth? Why did I have to learn it from the paper after Harriet tells me?"

"Learn what, Mom?" her frustration now evident.

"About you and this Fitzwilliam Darcy. You've caught yourself a rich, eligible man, and I have to read about it in the Inquirer!"

"In the paper? Where?" Elizabeth extracted the Philadelphia Inquirer from her backpack.

"What's up, Lizzy?" asked Jane as she climbed into the car.

"I have the paper, Mom. Where is it?" She didn't acknowledge Jane as she opened the newspaper.

"E4, of course," her mother said, as though it was obvious.

She pulled out the "Magazine" section – "Style and Soul" on Wednesdays – and turned to the page entitled "Social Circuit." It hadn't even crossed her mind to look at the page. There were several pictures from the event, but the largest and most prominent was the one taken when they arrived. The caption simply listed their names.

"It's just a picture taken at the gala. I did attend with Will, but…"

Her mother interrupted. "There's more on the next page, under the "Daily Dose."

Her eyes drifted to the next page. "I'll call you back, Mom," she uttered in shock as she pressed the end call button. "Oh God!"

"What is it?" Jane glanced quickly at her sister after she pulled onto the street.

Elizabeth didn't answer right away, but Jane knew she needn't ask again. "There's a large picture of our group, just after we arrived."

Jane nodded, but didn't reply.

"On the next page, in bold italics, it says, "Is Fitzwilliam Darcy Off the Market?" She was silent for a long moment before she began to read aloud. "Fitzwilliam Darcy seems to be full of surprises lately. First, he traded in his executive parking space for a TrailPass to encourage his employees to do the same. Monday night, he arrived at the Prince Gala, not with the typical statuesque blond dangling from his arm, but holding hands with the petite, brunette Information Technology Manager of CBL Investments.

"Darcy did not appear to be the only one charmed by Miss Elizabeth Bennet; she appeared to win over everyone she met. By the end of the night, it seemed the general consensus is that Fitzwilliam Darcy's days as one of Philadelphia's most eligible bachelors are numbered."

Elizabeth did not lift her eyes, but continued to stare at the page.

"I can see why Mom freaked." Jane tried to fill the silence. "But in all, it's quite complimentary."

"Will hates publicity, Jane. How can I look him in the eye after reading this?" She folded the newspaper in her lap, still staring at the bit about Will and her.

Jane reached over and patted Elizabeth's arm without taking her eyes from the road. "You didn't write it, Lizzy. It's not your fault… He may not like it, but he won't blame you. In fact, I suspect he'll be just fine with you."

"Maybe. I can hope. But then there's still Mom."

Jane shook her head. "You had to tell her sooner or later; so it's been pushed up a bit."

"I know. I'm just not sure he's ready to meet her yet. I don't know if he ever will be. I don't know if I'm ready yet." Elizabeth sighed.

"You're not giving him much credit there."

"I suppose not. But Mom..." Elizabeth's phone rang again. "Hi Mom, I'm sorry."

Her mother started right in. "So tell me all about Mr. Darcy! I can't believe my little Lizzy's going to marry a millionaire!"

"Mom! Will and I are nowhere near getting married. Yes, we have been dating, a little, but we've only known each other a month!" A month today!The realization took her by surprise.

"Oh, that doesn't mean anything. A man as smitten as he seems to be is certain to propose soon," replied the eager voice. "Your father and I had been dating only a little longer before he proposed."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Well, we're not to that point yet. We've only started dating, who knows where it will lead?" She wanted to completely avoid that potential line of questioning.

"Well, you should be trying to secure him, you don't catch a man like that every day."

"You know nothing about him other than he's rich, and prominent enough to be considered an eligible catch. That's not a lot of foundation for a relationship."

"He's also rather handsome. You two will have beautiful children."

"Mom!" Elizabeth shook her head. "There's more to life than looks and money."

"Well, maybe if I had met the man! Or if you had at least told me more about him, I'd have more to go on. Maybe you should bring him to dinner tonight."

"I can't ask him to change his plans at a moment's notice. I guess I will try to see what his schedule looks like though."

"How about Friday? He can come over for the parade and stay for barbecue."

"He has guests right now, and I'm sure they have plans." She looked up, and was never happier to see the train station sign.

"I'll see what we can arrange, Mom. We're just pulling into the train station, and I really can't talk about this while standing in a crowd" - not that Thorndale Station was usually very crowded - "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Oh, all right. I'll be waiting to hear from you."

"Bye Mom, I love you."

After she ended the call, she heaved a huge sigh. "She's acting just as I predicted she would. We'll have beautiful children..."

Jane laughed. "One day you'll see the humor in this, Lizzy."

Elizabeth glared at her sister as they climbed out of the car. "One of these days, I may accidentally start talking about Charlie in front of her, Jane."

"You wouldn't dare!"

Elizabeth grinned mischievously and began walking towards the platform.

Soon enough, the sisters were chatting quietly over the seat that divided them, and when Charlie claimed his seat beside Jane, they learned quickly that he – and Carrie – had seen the piece. "She was livid, ranting about writing to the paper and calling for the writer's dismissal. It would have been funny if it wasn't my sister."

Elizabeth didn't laugh, but looked down at her lap. "You okay, Lizzy?" Charlie asked.

"I'm just worried about Will. I just know he's seen it, and I remember how upset he was when his picture was in the paper last month. And that was a positive news piece."

"We'll find out soon enough," Charlie answered. "He should be used to it by now, his picture usually shows up on "Social Circuit" after an event, but the other thing... I guess we'll have to see. Though the fact that he hasn't called either of us to complain gives me hope."

She nodded and bit her lip in anticipation; whether good or bad, she didn't know. Sitting back, she tried to breathe calmly until the train stopped at Paoli. She tensed at the train came to a stop, and a minute later, she saw Will walking up the aisle. He seemed to be wearing one of his sterner expressions, and appeared to be avoiding eye contact, even with her.

Elizabeth dropped her eyes to her lap, beginning yet another review of her morning thus far. Even when she sensed Will sitting down beside her, she didn't look up; and she started when he took her hand. As she sat up, she raised her eyes to his worried ones.

"Are you all right, Liz?"

She forced a halfhearted smile. "I've had a very trying morning, but I'm fine." She took a quick breath, and hoped he didn't notice. "What about you?"

"I'm okay." He looked down and began to play with her fingers. "So you saw the paper?"

"I would have missed it if my mother hadn't called me. I've told you enough about her to imagine what's going through her mind." She tried to pull herself together more; she was supposed to be supporting Will. "But I'm used to her; I was just caught off guard." She slid her fingers along his until they were intertwined. "I'm more concerned about you though. You clearly weren't happy when you got on."

"You know I hate these things... and also that I sometimes stomp around, offended, for a little while; but the moment I saw you..." What his voice lost in volume, it gained in intensity. "You're all that matters." He squeezed her hand.

Elizabeth looked up into his eyes. "I was worried about you."

Small grins emerged on both of their faces, but Will's only lasted a moment, and he gazed inquiringly into her eyes. "I'm glad some of the strain was so easily relieved; but there's more." He seemed to read her without effort. "Your mother..."

She interrupted him, her discontent quite evident. "My mother is just what she's always been; exactly what I've told you. She saw the paper, and thinks I should get you to marry me and make her beautiful grandchildren. She refuses to see that I don't want to run ahead blindly. Major life changes like marriage require time and consideration."

Will nodded quietly as she spoke. He knew she was right, but had trouble thinking of the right response. Finally he asked, "So what did you say? How'd you leave it with her?"

"When we got to the train station, I told her I'd call her tonight, so I have until then to think how to placate her." She tried to smile.

"I'm surprised she didn't demand to meet me," Will teased.

There was no way Elizabeth could stop the blood rushing to her cheeks. "She did... but I'll try to put her off as long as I can. I know it'll have to happen sooner or later, there's no way around it."

"Am I that embarrassing?" he asked, the corners of his lips trying to betray his jest.

"No!" Then she noticed his expression. She dropped her eyes, gazing at their locked hands. "But she can be... and my youngest sisters." She sighed.

"I hope my sensibilities aren't that delicate. Why don't we invite them over to dinner at my house Sunday?"

"No!" She looked up to his face again. "We don't need her inventorying your possessions or suggesting changes I can make when I'm your wife."

"She can't really be that bad, Elizabeth." He truly thought she was exaggerating.

"Ask Jane." She tilted her head toward her sister.

He glanced at Jane, but she seemed to be completely engaged with Charlie. "Okay, I'm still willing to meet her though. Maybe dinner out?"

"I'm game if you are. It should be interesting." She rested her head against his arm, and they sat quietly watching their hands and fingers interact for the short remainder of the trip into the city.