While last night was all convivial and congenial, they both woke up in the morning with a bit of tension.
Their Scottish interlude had ended.
Work-wise, Darcy had a lot to catch up with; Lizzy the same with her report.
It was a race back to London, and back to reality. Then, thought Darcy, soon it would be back to Sydney for Lizzy.
They had been travelling together for most of the week and were living in a bit of a bubble. Lizzy's checklist had a lot of ticked boxes thanks to Darcy, and Darcy knew he definitely was attracted to her and wanted to be with her all the time now.
The question now was what to do with this realisation.
XXX
As they left Skye and headed south, Lizzy noticed the tension in Darcy as he gripped the wheel of his car tightly.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
He shook his head. He sighed.
"Spit it out," she encouraged.
He sighed again and simply said "I've enjoyed our time together."
After some silence from her, he continued "And our time together is nearly at an end...and I think I'll miss you."
She was surprised by his honesty but he had always been inclined to be honest with her than deceptive, even if he'd get in trouble with her for it.
She was still uncertain of her feelings towards him but she agreed "I think I've enjoyed your company more than I thought I would have."
He gave her a look.
"Will, you do tend to rile me up."
XXX
After some silence in the car, he asked "What are your plans when you return to London?"
Lizzy responded, "I've this report to complete but I'm using some of my annual leave to extend my stay at my relos. Thanks to your efforts, I have more free time."
He nodded at her acknowledgment. That was what he wanted to happen - more time with him, if she'd let him?
"Would you...would you like to see me again in London?" He asked hesitatingly.
She looked at him. On a date? As friends? As what?
Then he quickly said "You're under no obligation of course. But as I've said, I think I'll miss your company after this week."
She nodded at that. They've been together all this time, and there was a word for it - decompression; decompressing from the time spent together.
"I don't mind spending more time with you Will," she admitted.
Then he looked seriously at her. She wasn't joking or laughing at him when she said it. She was quite serious about it.
It was a tentative step forward, he thought.
XXX
As they neared the capital, Will suggested they meet up at the cheese train again in a couple of days' time.
"I'd like that," she said with a smile. Her smiles tended to flip somersaults in Darcy's heart.
He parked near Waverly station and took her luggage containing her de-boxed shopping to accompany her to the platform.
She stopped and turned to him. "Will, I just wanted to thank you for... for everything. I --"
"Lizzy," he interrupted, "it's fine. I wanted to do it for you."
His eyes held such seriousness and she was taken aback by the emotions they contained. She wasn't sure if she could handle this Darcy.
"I, umm," she hesitated.
He sighed. "It's alright for you, to know, to be uncertain."
She nodded.
"I'll see you in London," he said. And he left her to board her train.