Chapter 41

Sunday November 11

Darcy pulled Lizzie closer, reluctant for the upcoming separation. "Come to San Fransisco with me," he tried asking her one last time.

"Will, we've talked about this. You need to focus on your work. I need to be here to work on my prospectus."

"After Thanksgiving Lizzie. Do your remote shadowing from there."

"Will-"

"Or we could go to London. Then you wouldn't have to shadow remotely. We could go sightseeing in the evenings-"

"Will," she said firmly. "I'm still a broke grad student. A trip to London is not an option for me."

"I could-"

"Yes, you could pay for both of us. I know. And maybe someday we will go to London together. But you are not taking me out of the country with you. Not yet." She playfully added, "A month ago we were mortal enemies."

"You weren't my mortal enemy Lizzie," he said kissing her. She melted into him.

When she pulled away she said, "Will, you have to pack. I'm starting to think my presence here is a deterrent."

"Perhaps you should offer me a reward for a job well done after I pack."

"I dunno, I see some sloppy folding," she teased him. He actually had a plastic folding board he brought with him to ensure his shirts were folded precisely. He had admitted he could fold them neatly without it, but didn't like to risk them being uneven and found bringing it easier than a ruler.

...

Darcy stared at Lizzie as he sat in the driver's seat of his rental vehicle. They had arrived back at Charlotte's apartment ten minutes ago but he'd turned off the engine and held tightly onto Lizzie's hand.

She had started to shift uncomfortably as he stared intently at her. She felt guilty for not saying I love you to him, but she wasn't there yet. Or at least she didn't think she was. She couldn't think that clearly when he was with her.

And now he was staring at her like he was committing everything about her to his memory bank. It was a bit uncomfortable. She wanted to say something to break the silence but was worried whatever she said would come out flippant and trite. She had done her best to hid her discomfort, but he must have noticed because he raised her hand to his lips and kissed each finger. Then he said, "I will miss you Lizzie," before releasing her hand, getting out and coming around to her side to open her door.

...

Darcy sighed as his plane took off. He hadn't wanted to be on it. He wanted to be back in Hunsford in a small hotel suite with Lizzie. He'd rather be headed into another day at the office at Collins and Collins on Monday.

Fitz had left Friday evening so he could go out to a new restaurant with Brandon Saturday which meant Darcy was surrounded by strangers on the flight. To his left a very young woman sat, on his right was attractive woman, closer to his age. Normally he ignored his fellow passengers but remembering his decision to treat strangers better he inclined his head to them both. The younger woman smiled brightly at him, like she knew him but was starstruck. The woman closer to his age gave him a coy smile, glanced at his hand and said, "Are you traveling for business or pleasure?"

"Business," he said stiffly.

"We could turn it into a pleasure trip," she said suggestively.

The younger girl next to him seemed to bristle and get upset.

"No thank you," he told her moving his body slightly away from her as she leaned towards him.

"It'd be fun. Have a little bit of release, you seem tense. All that tension needs to go somewhere " she said knowingly. "I'm Rachel."

He gave a tight nod of acknowledgement but didn't introduce himself.

"And you are?" She said with quiet laugh. "I want to know what I'll be screaming later tonight," she said huskily as she trailed her fingers up his arm.

He stiffened and said tightly, "Madame I am not interested in a paramour for the evening."

"Honey, I wasn't envisioning just one evening," she told him.

"He has a girlfriend," the younger girl broke in angrily.

"I don't see a ring. Maybe he'd like an upgrade. Get back to your book sweetheart while the adults discuss," she said condescendingly.

"No thank you Madame. She is quite right, I am in love with someone else. Someone you could never compete with. Please remove your hands from my person," Darcy snapped as she stroked his leg.

She withdrew her hand affronted, "Why I never-"

The stewardess walked over after Darcy signaled her. She ask Darcy, "Is there a problem sir?"

The woman, Rachel, spoke up and said, "I need a different seat. This man as been rude and insufferable. I tried to make some friendly conversation and he bit my head off. I won't spend the entire plan ride next to him. I expect a white wine as well, to sooth me after his behavior."

The stewardess glanced around taking in Darcy's stiff demeanor and the angry countenance of the young girl next to him. She suspected that the woman had attempted to prey on the wealthy good looking man. He really was gorgeous and his tailored suit screamed money. She sighed and said, "If you'll follow me miss, we can accommodate you."

The woman got up and followed the stewardess. Darcy eyed the young woman who was now beaming at him. She looked slightly younger then GiGi.

"I love Lizzie's vlogs," she told him in a rush. "Oh, I'm Marianne. I know your Darcy, I recognized you when you sat down. Lizzie's so cool! She answered one of my questions once. The one about the locked room with you."

Darcy chuckled. As soon as she said Lizzie's name he had relaxed.

She continued enthusiastically telling him how she had shipped him and Lizzie for months. "My father owns Norland publishing. My sister Elinor ask him about you after some of Lizzie's vlogs. He claimed to have met you a few times and labeled you as a respectable fellow. My half brother John said you were a stick in the mud which meant you had to be a nice guy. Therefore I knew you were perfect for Lizzie."

His young companion chattered on about Lizzie. He was content to sit and listen to her go on about how great Lizzie was with the occasional agreement from him. From the topic of Lizzie she moved on to her recent highschool graduation, confirming to him that she had just turned 18 and was taking a semester off to find herself. He wasn't sure what that meant but she seemed to be confident about it.

After the plane had landed and it was time to disembark she eagerly ask him if she could get a selfie with him. He agreed reluctantly. She snapped the photo, thanked him and suggested him and Lizzie name their first child Bennet to keep Lizzie's last name alive.

He chuckled knowing his families naming tradition was to give the oldest male child the mother's maiden name as a middle name. It used to be a first name but some last names hadn't translated well to first names and the tradition was changed. He couldn't help but reflect that Bennet Darcy did sound like a nice name for a boy though.

He pulled out his phone to text Lizzie. She had ask him to let her know when he landed giving him an excuse to contact her right away.

D: I'm back in San Francisco and missing you already.

L: How was your flight?

D: Interesting. I met one of your fans.

L: I'm sorry. I hope it wasn't to awkward.

D: It was fine. You were one of her favorite topics of conversation. I quite enjoyed listening to her praise you.

...

Tuesday November 13

Darcy stood in one of the empty executive offices eyeing it critically. Light yellow, he thought to himself. It was a light, happy color just like Lizzie. Fitz stepped into the door way and knocked to get his attention. Glancing towards him Darcy said, "This desk needs to go. Lizzie would prefer something else I think."

"Ah Darcy, you can't put Lizzie in this office," Fitz told him.

"Why not? She'll need an office while she shadows here. The view is good. There is time to update it to her tastes."

"Blatant favoritism. Lizzie is a grad student. You can't put her in an office normally used by visiting executives. No matter how close you'd like her to be to your office. You might as well just stick a desk in your office for her," Fitz explained. Seeing the look on Darcy's face he quickly added, "That was not a suggestion. It was a joke. Don't."

Darcy frowned at him.

Fitz shook his head and said, "Darce, she has to be with the other interns in the offices reserved for them."

"GiGi won't be in those offices when she interns here next semester."

"GiGi is a Darcy. It's expected that she has an office like this. Lizzie isn't a Darcy." Seeing Darcy's glare Fitz quickly added, "Yet. We have four empty intern offices out of the ten we reserve for them. You cannot justify putting her anywhere else unless you want people to think she is sleeping with the boss."

Darcy flushed and said, "Your right." Then he left the office with Fitz following.

"Ah, where-" Fitz started to ask.

"The intern offices," Darcy said grimly. "She can have the best and I will get it re-decorated before she arrives in January."

"You can't just redo one office and give it to her. You would need to redo the entire hall or it still looks like favoritism."

"Then that's what I'll do."

Fitz sighed. He would have to reign Darcy in during this sudden remodel he suspected. Lizzie would be humiliated if she knew he re-did an office just for her and Darcy's other employees found out.

Thursday November 15

Darcy missed Lizzie. Texting and calling simply weren't enough after being so close to her. He was grumpy and irritable until the saw a text from Lizzie or heard her voice over the phone. That would briefly assuage his loneliness before he sank back down again.

He wasn't sleeping well. He'd tried to put up a good front but knew he wasn't fooling GiGi and Fitz. Last night he'd caught them planning to buy Lizzie a last minute ticket to San Francisco for today. His sister pointed out if she bought it for Lizzie, she would feel obligated to use it and he could see her. As tempted as Darcy was he told his sister no, he didn't want to make Lizzie feel obligated to come up because GiGi bought her a ticket.

That evening after the Pemberley Thanksgiving his sister presented him with a plane ticket for the day after Thanksgiving. She said, "We're going to go see Lizzie and Lyds for the weekend. Don't tell her. It was Lydia's idea and she said it should be a surprise."

Darcy hugged his sister and gave thanks for Lydia and her ideas.

...

Wednesday November 21

Lizzie threw herself at Jane as soon as she saw her in the driveway. Lydia opened the door and threw herself at both of her sisters. They danced around in a loving tight group hug.

As soon as they broke apart Lizzie demanded of Jane, "Was that-"

"Yeah, Bing gave me a ride home from LA," Jane said blushing.

"The carpooling is totes back on?" Lydia said shrieking. "Are you being Binged?"

"It must have been quite the reunion if he's driving you home just to drive right back to LA. Unless you'll both be staying at Netherfield for some Bing time," Lizzie said suggestively.

"Don't make this dirty Lizzie"

"It was dirty before I got here."

"I totes missed you both so much," Lydia said hugging them.

...

"I'm soooooo full," Lydia complained as she reached for another pumpkin spice cookie Jane had made.

Lizzie swatted her hand and said, "Then don't eat anymore," as she reached for her own cookie.

"I totes have space for this."

Chewing her cookie Lizzie glanced at Jane and whispered, "Do you love Bing?"

Jane smiled softly and said, "Yes."

In a rush Lizzie ask, "How do you know?"

"That I love Bing?"

Lizzie nodded and said, "That he's the one?"

"OMG this is about Darceface isn't it," Lydia said gleefully.

"Shhh," Lizzie said with a frantic glance towards the doorway. "Mom will hear."

Lydia began to playfully sing, "Lizzie and Darcy sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage-" She was cut off as a throw pillow hit her face aimed at her by Lizzie.

"I think," Jane said, "that it is different for each person. I'm happier with Bing then without him. For me, I just knew."

"How will I know?" Lizzie whined.

"OMG it is about Darcy!" Lydia squealed quietly.

Lizzie glared at her little sister and said, "How do I know I'm actually in love with him and don't just want to be in love with him because he is a good guy?"

"I think that is a question only you can answer Lizzie," Jane told her with a gentle smile.

"I care about him. I don't want to hurt him. I feel like I'm disappointing him by not telling him I love him."

"He wouldn't want you to claim feelings that you don't feel."

"I think I do love him, I just feel so uncertian. So scared."

"It's okay to be scared Lizzie. There is no timeline on love."

Lydia quietly added, " Don't tell him until you're totes sure Lizzie. Until you know he's the one you want to spend your life with. He's totes intense and deserves a full commitment."

"All or nothing," Lizzie agreed. She had been aware while in Hunsford that Darcy was intense. That he wouldn't settle for partway. After he had left she knew she should think about her feelings and figure them out. Instead she had dived into her prospectus on Collins and Collins, using it as an excuse to put off analyzing her feelings in regard to Darcy.

She could work through it with costume theater, but it felt wrong to share with her viewers something she wasn't ready to share with Darcy. He was such a private guy, he didn't deserve that. Besides she knew GiGi and Darcy both watched her vlog. She didn't want Darcy to see her attempting to work out whether she loved him or not, especially if she didn't come up with an answer yet. She thought she loved him, she just wanted to be sure. She didn't like the idea of letting him down, of hurting him by expose his heart to her viewers like that. She wanted to protect him. So she had decided to ask Jane. Except she was no closer to an answer now then she was before. It had she admitted to herself, felt nice to share it with her sisters, to have their support and understanding.

"For what it's worth Lizzie, I think you already know the answer," Jane told her.

Lydia winked and said, "Totes!"