Chapter 45

LizE left all the details to the Lambton staff. Given what she had seen of the workings of the place she assumed they would be over-the-top organized and have everything ready for her and Scarlet. The bulk of the afternoon was taken with those arrangements and LizE chiefly nodded in agreement to questions posed to her about the Pemberley arrangements her thoughts were already there, wondering about one particular occupant. She may have been surrounded by teams of scientists but she was lost in thought determining her feelings for Will Darcy. She certainly did not hate him. Hatred had vanished long ago and she was ashamed of ever feeling any sort of dislike for him.

She had to admit there was also something about being valued and loved. And he not only once loved her, he still loved her, he was still was interested in courting her friendship, getting to know her and her family. He had seemingly forgiven her for her rejection of him and those harsh words, and was using their chance meeting to show he could change and to allow LizE and GEO to get to know each other. She figured they should be enemies and speak with cold politeness if they ever met yet he had changed and either was no longer the aloof, proud man she envisioned or she was somehow able to see it now.

The business whirled around her as preparations were made and she did look up from time to time to view all of the activity and then returned to her thoughts.

"He must really love me to have braved Dr. Heemskerk and come to the Institute this morning with GEO when she'd only just arrived," she concluded. "To have that amount of love and interest and motivation is…eye-opening. I am grateful. I am interested in return. But, this is all so new to be thinking this. How interested in him am I? Am I really asking myself that question?" She stared across the room until someone walked across her line of sight and LizE blinked.

"I have acknowledged my pig-headed opinions about him and been ashamed of having been taken in by George. Yet, somewhere, somehow I had not let go of the fact that he was a proud, cold man and a person not worth my friendship. I am still stuck in that black and white thinking, having put him in a box—Will Darcy CEO—business man, owner of Darcy Rail as if he and his aunt, owner of de Bour Shipping would act in exactly the same way. I might have forgiven him and myself for all of the ugly words we exchanged that day but I have not fully allowed him into any circle of people I would want to consider knowing. And then we met here. And he has been so kind, so open, so sweet. It makes me think again of our week together, our fairy tale week in Marin." Yes there had been verbal sparring then but she put it down to playful banter. And that verbal sparring had softened and deepened that week in Marin and she had not noticed it at the time, not noticed or admitted it, not noticed or admitted that there was a small spark of interest in Grumpy the dwarf. At the time she told herself that his visits were just breaks, relief, from her long days of field work, but now, LizE admitted to herself that since that first day up high in the tree, her Rapunzel day, she had enjoyed his visits. Perhaps that Saturday she had thought he was just a prickly thorn but he was also a handsome prince and there was that missed kiss.

Her comm screen buzzed. Unhooking it from her little should strap she was half annoyed at whatever family member was interrupting her thoughts.

'William H.G. Darcy' read the comm and her heart spasmed while her stomach dropped. Suddenly it was all real, as if all her thoughts had conjured him or his credentials there in front of her. She blushed, the type of blush that runs down your body, your trunk in a wave and spreads outward to your hands and feet.

LizE glanced around to see if anyone was looking at her but the hustle and bustle had died down and she was alone.

Tentatively she touched one finger to her screen and his face appeared. She had not seen his face so close and spent many minutes studying it. His eyes, dark not expressionless and with warmth even, a classic nose, good features, the handsome man's chiseled jaw. He had a small scar on his chin, though, and she wondered about it, probably a childhood accident.

"LizE, we'd love to have you and your aunt and uncle over on Sunday at 5:00 for dinner." He smiled the whole time then twisted the screen to show his sister. "LizE, we'd love to have you come. I really want you to come." GEO began with a small voice, but her second sentence came out more confident and LizE could see remnants of that pimply, braced thirteen year from the picture in Darcy Sr.'s room. The video comm swung back to Will. "You can just text us back yes or no," and then smiling one last time the video ended. LizE played it once more, pausing to look at Will's face for a long time before she video commed him "Aunt Meg, Uncle Ezra and I would love to come!" and sent her reply.


She had no reason to fear Meg and Ezra's curiosity; they did not force her to talk. The circus of the morning had certainly opened and created a lot of questions in both of their minds. LizE and Will Darcy were far more acquainted than either knew about, but curiosity does not justify intrusion into personal matters and for once a niece was not being forthcoming. Claiming exhaustion and a busy day they all retired daily.


Scarlet collected LizE from her rental cottage on Saturday morning. Uncle Ezra had already left to join Will and Chaz for some fishing and wine tour while Aunt Meg rested her knee. "If I get really bored, Myung will come get me for a bite or a cup of tea," she explained and shushed LizE away. LizE was surprised Meg was not more insistent on coming but since the previous evening there was a gentle restraint between aunt and niece.

Scarlet was bubbly in the car; her excitement at returning to Pemberley and being chosen by Will Darcy to come was obvious and she spoke about her excitement and pleasure for a while as they drove. LizE did not rise to the same level of intimacy at sharing her feelings or experiences. Scarlet hinted at wanting confidences but LizE listened without offering any information. Scarlet finally resorted to asking more direct questions about Will Darcy, often information LizE could not answer (his favorite color?) which seemed to confuse Scarlet and eventually made her clam up.

The drive down into the valley took her breath away again. She was grateful for the silence by then, to take in the view and watch as Pemberley House grew in the distance. She couldn't help but recall what Esme had said about its architecture and gazed at it, taking it in anew and with new eyes for architectural details. Esme met them at the door armed with basket of food. She also pulled her comm out to show them a map of the property and with suggestions as to climate and geography of various areas, how accessible they would be via car or foot and where best to search in their two days. She was well-informed of the topography of Pemberley.


They found a way to work together. LizE had established her own process during her time in Marin but as it was all for the Lambton Institute their equipment, any results would be published under their name, so any conflicts about process meant LizE deferred to Scarlet. The area just beyond the house on the road to the vineyards, was a long expanse of trees that had not been touched except for the road since Gerard Darcy had first bought the property. It included the river, a small meadow and a mixture of trees It was accessible by car (appropriate for two days of work); Esme's final comment before leaving them was "the ladies, Georgiana, Lois and Caro thought they might come see you doing your stuff." LizE looked up, startled. She had not considered that Caro would likely be along if the others were.

She worked in silence processing spores from the fern Meg Gardiner had looked at (she had found the same type in another cluster down by the river). LizE had always paired Caro and Will together in those early days, back in Meryton. She had been able to see even then Caro Van Hale's obvious interest in her boss. Her possessiveness, her rapid defense of him or how quick she was to take on anyone who challenged him or insulted him. But with a new-found clarity LizE now realized how much Caro's actions towards her had been motivated by jealousy. Will Darcy must have been smitten with her even back then and enough so that Caro knew or suspected. She might have felt sorry for Caro, to love someone who does not love you back, had not she and Lois tricked Juno into that disastrous luncheon. How the day would fare with visitors could not be guessed at and she returned to work, finishing the statistics about the fern and moving on to a tufty grass she had spied that looked like it had grain origins.

They worked efficiently, both mindful of the two-day limit; both industrious and focused when it came to work for all of Scarlet's questions about Will Darcy in the car. LizE was sitting back on her heels, muddied hands from having dug up the root system of a plant and pulled her hair away from her face to contemplate Esme's basket of foot which currently sat in the back of Scarlet's car. It was not quite lunchtime but she had been working hard and was hungry.

A voice cried out and she stood. The "ladies" of the house were coming to join them. She could see a jeep, though she was not sure if it was Sam's, parked next to Scarlet's compact red car. Scarlet was over a hundred meters off, camouflaged in her neutral-colored field clothes. LizE, having not known she was to do field work had not packed for it but for the office. She had picked her most casual items out that morning: heavy leggings and a white tunic but the white stood out intently under the canopy of trees.

The three women picked their way gingerly towards her as there was no path. Caro led followed by Lois (who dressed the part) then GEO. LizE took the short time to gather together loose bits of equipment before they reached her.

From the first two were many exclamations of false pleasure at seeing LizE again. LizE was friendly enough in return. She had more warmth in welcoming GEO who smiled and said simply "I'm curious."

Caro took in the smear of mud on the side of her forehead and where she had wiped her hands on the sides of her legs, yet GEO's "I'm curious" had held a small amount of joy and Caro narrowed her eyes briefly.

"Oh LizE! We've always heard about your research so we just had to come see you in action!" exclaimed Lois coming up to examine her layout of equipment on the ground.

"Thank you," she replied wiping a stray wisp of hair from her cheek and dotting it with mud in the process. Lois smirked and turned to look at Caro but GEO looked from LizE to the equipment with interest though without saying anything.

Scarlet approached with her heavy equipment bag and LizE introduced her. The two women barraged the scientists with a number of questions and Scarlet replied with interest and very enthusiastic answers though Lois and Caro barely paid real attention to those answers.

LizE's eye trailed off, still in scientist mode and fashioned on a small hosta. She moved quietly over to examine it, touching it with delicate fingers before she ran diagnostics on one of her hand-helds. It came up as documented but she gave it one last gentle pat before standing to see GEO watching her. Instinctively they smiled at each other. Lois, Caro and Scarlet were still talking over each other so LizE came up to GEO to show her the device.

"Oh GEO, did you hear?" called Lois, who clasped a hand on her arm and pulled the young woman away to look or listen to something else. LizE picked up her equipment and paced back to the car, the sounds of the group diminishing as she went. Her stomach growled, reminding her of its need and she wondered at the etiquette of opening Esme's box and then said 'to hell with it' and hauled it out.

"What is it about picnic hampers?" she said aloud before she opened the box and began to sort through its contents. The napkins laid on top were a necessity and she wiped the mud from her hands, washing her hands with water from a bottle. The hamper was packed with smaller boxes, some warm to the touch, others looked like they were insulated and held cold items. She peeled the lid off of one and found small cheesy biscuits, still warm. She ate two, thinking of Cassandra Nicholls. A cooler box held sliced peaches, another some beautiful grapes and she wondered if Sam grew them. LizE hand no idea if wine grapes were also for eating: she suspected not.

She was alerted to the other four women's presence by some retort from Caro about eating without them. While she did not hear the exact words the put-down was clear enough. Lois sniggered, Scarlet bit her lip, but GEO took a step forward to look at the spread of items LizE had opened.

"Esme is an expert at macaroons. I am sure she'd include some. Let me look," and she bent and began to pull out more boxes until she freed the treasure box and passed it around with a true smile insisting everyone try one, "no protests!"

It was the most animated GEO had been which seemed to catch even Caro by surprise and made her look at LizE all the more suspiciously.

"You know your uncle is a funny little fellow," Caro said, "I met him this morning as Will and Chaz left for their fishing." LizE was not sure if that was a put-down as it seemed mild as far as zingers from Caro went. Besides, what was she doing being awake at 5 am?

"I adore my uncle, he is an excellent husband and father," she replied.

"I can't see them fishing all day," said Lois helping herself to items in the basket. "I wonder if they're not done now?"

"I do believe Will's schedule for the day included a visit to the vineyards. Your uncle likes his wine I take it?" asked Caro with a grin.

LizE did not rise to the bait but just popped a grape in her mouth.

"Is he coming out here?" asked Scarlet who had torn the heel off of a crusty loaf of bread and laid it with some cheese.

"It isn't on his official schedule," said Caro.

"I thought he said at dinner last night he was going to check on his research?" said Lois turning to look directly at Caro. Caro alternately glared then shook her head, the attempt at subtly was lost. "Oh!" said Lois, "maybe I was mistaken!" and turned back with an attempt at an innocent smile for Scarlet and LizE.

LizE looked at GEO who was picking at her food, crumbling a block of cheese into small curds. LizE had not thought too much about Will visiting, especially with Scarlet there and with the "ladies" visit the possibility of such a visit had gone out of her head, but now the very real chance he might come made her heart pound. His visits to her, when she had been in the field in Marin, had been special events but it seemed impossible that the same type of rapport would occur here. "Besides," she thought, "I think I've run out of fairy tale roles to play. I don't think I want him to come with so many pairs of eyes to take in both our performances," she smiled to herself.

LizE hunted for the box with Esme's excellent macaroons and instead was rewards with Caro's voice, this time it was quite a quip. LizE did not to rise to the bait and continued to enjoy her macaroon, a mocha-flavored one.

"Hi Will."

"Will, come and join us darling!"

"Mr. Darcy, so nice of you to drop by."

"You didn't leave Chaz in charge did you?"

Four voices in chorus made her look up, her pulse racing, though it was not the mocha macaroon but the sight of Will Darcy making his way towards what had come a picnic and was no longer a working field site. She scrambled to her feet before he reached them.

His eyes drank in the mud on her face. Plant stains dotted her white shirt, mud caked her shoes but her eyes, her beautiful dark expressive eyes shown like the beam of a lighthouse, though instead of warning him of an impending shoreline, it was a beacon drawing him in.

"Back to Cinderella?" he quipped, grinning.

"A tried and true role," she answered. Everyone on the ground looked at them with confusion and a little suspicion.

"I thought I'd check to see how the research was going but I guess GEO had the same idea," he gave his sister a sweet smile. The statement also cut off whatever Caro was about to say.

"Will, come join us," purred Lois in her best hostess voice, "you have to have been up for hours and must be famished." She patted a place next to her.

"Did Esme pack macaroons?" he asked looking down at the assorted boxes.

"Yes," said LizE, diving down for the now half-empty box. She shook it gently. He took two steps and settled next to LizE picking through the box for an apparent favorite. All eyes watched the hunt.

"Looks like the mocha is gone," he frowned.

"Guilty," LizE smiled at him.

"Pistachio is the next best. She's found some local grower who saves her the best of the best nuts for her macaroons." He waved the green cookie confection in front of him before biting it in half and smiling as he chewed.

"Wherever did you leave LizE's uncle?"

"He and Sam are wine-tasting."

"So early?" Caro's remark came out as a sneer not as a question.

"Seems to me you and Lois did the very same thing at lunch yesterday," piped up GEO. LizE tried hard not to grin at GEO so she took the box back from Will.

"What else is good?"

"Strawberry," called GEO. LizE did grin at her then and picked out a pale pink one.

Caro watched LizE nibble, looking from Will next to her to GEO who had stopped destroying her blob of cheese and watched her brother and LizE as well, though wearing a gentle smile.

"So, LizE, how is everyone in Meryton?" Caro asked, wiping her hands on a cloth napkin. "Everyone okay?" LizE nodded as she finished her macaroon.

"Has everyone in town recovered from losing the militia? They seemed such a bright spot in the town's social life. I am sure you must feel their loss." Caro stared directly at LizE. In front of Will Darcy she did not dare to mention George Wickham but the implication was there. Caro was not ready to give up on Will Darcy. She hoped, by mentioning the militia, to take her down a notch in his eyes. In her jealousy, Caro had lashed out at one subject, George Wickham, hoping to remind Will of LizE's past and a potential rival. All Will could do though is consider GEO; he looked hurriedly at her. GEO froze in the act of popping a grape in her mouth, her face draining of color. That small bit of sunshine that had been there when he first arrived had been snuffed out.

"We have soldiered on," LizE answered with an indifferent tone and began to clean up. She looked over at Scarlet who had also apparently finished eating. She nodded and began matching lids to containers. Neither Caro or Lois noticed or helped. GEO remained still, staring down at her crumpled snack, her hands in her lap.

Will stood up, handing LizE a clean napkin, "for Cinderella," he whispered. He was tempted to wipe the mud away himself but watched while she held her comm screen up as a pseudo-mirror to wipe away the dirt.

She and Scarlet got the hamper packed up. Caro and Lois latched onto Will to talk about some plans but GEO stood aloof part of neither party.

"Thank you for the visit," LizE said as she hoisted and maneuvered the hamper into the back of Scarlet's coupe. GEO smiled again.

"We should let them get back to work," declared Will turning back, "though I have something for you LizE." He walked to his car, parked behind the borrowed jeep, and returned with a bottle of wine.

"Pemberley Wine, from our first pressing three years ago," and presented her with the bottle. A sound, sort of a squeak, sort of a gasp, came from Scarlet who looked on with jealous eyes. Hers were not the only ones. Only GEO seemed to not feel left out of the exchange.

His eyes danced with mirth as he gave her the bottle intent only on sharing a moment with her and she could not help but smile, with her eyes twinkling, lips parted in a grin, attempting to control the laughter from bubbling up and shaking her.

"Thank you Mr. Darcy." She put it on the passenger seat, nodded her goodbyes and she and Scarlet walked back to their equipment.


"How awful LizE Ben looked this morning!" cried Caro as soon as LizE and Scarlet were out of earshot. "Did you see the mud on her face and her hair? I swear I have not known someone who has changed so much."

"Too true," agreed Lois.

"And she went straight for the food basket, such a little pig. If I recall she was frequently in the kitchen nibbling on things with Nicholls," continued Caro venting her feelings. However Will felt about her rant he did not show anything on his face but simply opened the side door of his car for GEO.

"I recall, last fall, we were all surprised that the family was considered such a good-looking one as well as so smart. Wrong on both points if you take those wily sisters into account. How anyone could consider that petite, dark thing beautiful is anyone's guess!"

Given all that she suspected, even knew, about how Will felt about LizE Ben this diatribe was not the best way of re-directing his attentions back to her, but she did succeed in getting a reaction from him as one or two emotions passed in quick succession over his face.

"Wasn't there even a time when you thought her pretty in her own little way before you went away and left her behind? I even recall a time you said you preferred blonds." She flicked her hair in emphasis.

"I have always considered her quite beautiful," he replied, unable to to resist her taunts, as he climbed into his car next to his sister and leaving Caro the chore of driving the jeep back to the house.

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They worked in companionable silence for the most part, sharing information when needed and Scarlet stopping to talk business with Sam who came by in the afternoon. Only when the shadows made it impossible to work did they stop for the day and head home, dropping the basket at the house but only encountering Esme Reynolds.

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She shared the details of her research, and only her research, with her aunt who, rested and bored, was an eager audience. Uncle Ezra had beaten LizE home by hours so Meg knew all about his adventures but he repeated them again for LizE's benefit asking "How went the visit with Darcy?"

Here she was obliged to smooth over the details of the visit, the high-handedness of Lois, the jealousy of Caro and the tentative friendliness of GEO. Besides, she had smuggled the Pemberley Wine bottle in from Scarlet's car and hidden it in her suitcase and had no intention of ever mentioning that tidbit.