Chapter Three
"Have you made a decision yet, William?"
A man with dark brown, curly hair and matching eyes looked up from the many pieces of paper that were scrawled across his desk and smiled at his housekeeper.
"I'm already running background checks on the candidates. Did you have someone specific in mind, Alice?" Will asked.
"All nine that were interviewed gave a strong impression. But only one gave me the belief and feeling that they would be an asset for the family." Alice replied truthfully.
William lazily threw his pen on top of the paperwork and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms and yawning slightly. Even at the weekend, he felt so tired after working away all week.
"Which candidate gave you that?"
"The young woman, Elizabeth Bennet."
"Ah. The one who hasn't used her degree as much as she would have liked to." William noted.
"So, she may not have had an opportunity to use her degree. However, it was something she said about needing a fresh start. Wanting something that gave her purpose and the belief that the role we are offering would fulfil that. In that moment, she spoke honestly, and l think she can offer Mia a lot more than just being a glorified babysitter." Alice said defensively.
William nodded as he took in what Alice had said. The woman had been a motherly figure to him when his own mother had died when he was thirteen. There was nobody else in the world whose opinion and advice he trusted more than Alice Reynolds. She had been a constant in his life when he had really needed one. She had helped bring him, his sister and his father closer together during their shared grief of Anne Darcy's death.
"Her checks have already come back clear and I called her previous employer. She worked as a receptionist part-time when she lived in London. Despite her part-time job, her employer cited that she was dependable and trustworthy. He agreed with your view, that she was an asset to the company and he was sorry to see her leave." William stated.
"Will you hire her then?" Alice asked eagerly.
But before Will could answer, he heard a shuffle outside the door of his study. He saw a shadow try to hide behind the door and chuckled.
"You may as well come in, Mia." Will called out.
And in the doorway, his daughter stood. A miniature version of him with a toothy smile. The little girl shuffled over to him and plonked herself on his lap.
"Do you have to hire someone to look after me, daddy? Why can't it just be me and Alice?" Mia questioned curiously.
"I still love you, Mia, darling." Alice said reassuringly.
"That's true. Alice loves us both. But Alice is getting a bit older now and needs to focus on looking after the house because that's her job. She'll still look after you but not as much as she used to." William answered.
"But what if I don't like this person who's supposed to look after me?" Mia asked.
"Then you can tell me or Alice. That won't change. You can still come and tell us things." Will replied.
Mia nodded.
"Did you enjoy going out with Auntie Gee today?" Will asked.
Mia nodded happily.
"Yeah, we had fun. The film was funny, and we went to the park after. Next time, can you come with us?"
"I will," he promised, "What would you like your new childminder to be like, Mia?"
He watched his daughter hesitate before answering. But he could guess what Mia would say. His daughter would want a childminder who was kind, who liked to have fun, who liked to join in on the things she liked doing. Someone who could make her laugh and smile. And just as he silently thought that, his daughter came out and said something that he thought she wouldn't say.
"Well, they have to be funny and nice. But they also have to make you smile, dad." Mia said.
Will blinked.
"They won't be looking after me, sweetheart." He reminded her.
"I know. But if they make you smile, it means that they make you happy." Mia said brightly.
"Do you think I'm not happy?"
Mia shrugged.
"I think you work a lot. I think work isn't fun. Ballet is fun, your work isn't."
Will chuckled, kissing his daughter's forehead.
"I think you're right there. My work isn't fun." He agreed.
Mia let out a yawn and cuddled her father tightly. Will wrapped his arms around his little girl and returned her tight hug. It was the same routine every night. She would come in and sit with him for a few minutes, they would talk or he would ask for her thoughts on something and then she'd yawn and hug him tightly.
"Time for bed, Mia." Alice said kindly.
Mia hopped off her father's lap and went over to the study door with Alice.
"Goodnight dad, I love you millions." Mia yawned.
"And I love you a million times more." Will smiled.
Mia smiled at her father and left the room with Alice, climbing the stairs to her bedroom as Will pushed his paperwork aside and pulled out the notes that Alice had made on the candidates she had interviewed on his behalf.
His relationship with Mia was nothing that he had ever experienced before. He'd been twenty-four when his wife, Natalie, had told him the news that they were expecting a child. It hadn't been part of the plan. He'd only been working at his law firm for a year when he'd been told that he'd be a father and only married for two. It wasn't how he had imagined his life going. He'd made this plan in his head that after university, he'd marry his long-term girlfriend and had proposed to Natalie on the day they had graduated. But he'd always known that Natalie wanted to settle down quickly whereas he had wanted to take things slowly. To enjoy being a husband and make memories and experience things with his wife.
It had taken him a while to get his head around the fact that his plans for life would have to change. Instead of looking at holidays to experience China and Thailand, he was looking at what nursery furniture would look great in one of their spare rooms. His father had gifted him and Natalie the house they lived in, housing wasn't going to be an issue. And Natalie expressed her sudden desire to be a stay-at-home mother rather than work, again that wasn't an issue; he made more than enough to support his wife and child.
Will had supported Natalie through a difficult pregnancy. His wife had severely suffered with morning sickness and needed to be hospitalised on a drip to rehydrate during the early pregnancy. During the second and third trimester, she had experienced low amniotic fluid which required frequent monitoring of growth scans and heart monitors. But the birth had been quite a straightforward experience. The labour was quick, and he had held his wife's hand as she pushed their daughter into the world. And the second he laid eyes on his daughter, he felt a tug on his heart. A good kind of tug. An overwhelming feeling of love and joy as his daughter screamed her first screams as she was placed into Natalie's awaiting arms.
From the moment his daughter had been born, his life had changed for the better. Weekends were about coming home and looking after Mia and Natalie. His bond with his little girl strengthened and everything he did was to make her happy. But his relationship with his wife was slowly changing. Natalie felt that all of their time and energy were on Mia instead of themselves and suggested that they consider making another baby to add to their family. It was a subject they disagreed on. He didn't want another child just yet, he didn't want Mia to feel pushed aside. And while he showered his wife with a bit more attention and love, Natalie craved another child. Something which never came to be.
When Mia was two, his wife had been invited on a hen do, one of their long-term friends was getting married and wanted to spend the weekend in Italy skiing. Skiing had been something Natalie had enjoyed during their teenage years and when asked if it was alright to go, Will had encouraged her to go. It was rare that Natalie got some time for herself and he felt it might cheer her up or provide a distraction to everyday life. So, his wife had kissed him and Mia goodbye and had gone on a skiing weekend. Only he got a call the following day, early evening to say that his wife had died during a ski accident.
He had been made a widow at twenty-six. Mia had lost her mother at the age of two. The bright world he and his wife had shared was going dark. And now six years on, he was a single father trying to make sure that his daughter had a good life.
Alice had been a great pillar of support when Natalie had died. She was originally a housekeeper for his father but felt she was needed more with him and Mia. For the last six years Alice cared for Mia so he could work, his house was tidied and he had a friend to talk to and ask advice for when he needed to. But Alice was getting older and running the house and looking after an eight-year-old was proving too much. It was time to hire a childminder. And he trusted Alice to interview people on his behalf and trusted her judgement. But he also wanted to ask his daughter for some input into what she would need from her childminder.
Pulling out the notes on Elizabeth Bennet, he read through them. Granted, she was qualified to work with children. She had a degree which told him as such. But she hadn't used it once she had graduated from university and it made him wonder why. But at the same time, Alice thought out of all the other candidates who were interviewed for the role, Elizabeth Bennet stood out. Alice believed this woman could give his daughter the care, time and dedication needed. And the woman's previous employer had said that he was sorry to see her leave her job with them.
Just as he had finished scanning through the notes for the third time, Alice knocked on the study door.
"Mia went down alright. Do you need anything?" Alice asked.
"No, I'm fine. I'm going to finish my paperwork then turn in for the night. But tomorrow, could you make a phone call to this Elizabeth Bennet and tell her that I'm offering her the job." Will requested.
Alice nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course. When would you like her to start?" she asked.
"As soon as possible. I'd like her to meet Mia prior to her starting the job though." Will replied.
"Perfectly reasonable. I'll get something arranged. Do you want to meet her prior to her start date?" Alice asked.
Will nodded.
"I think it's best I do. It'll be good to put a face to the name." he replied.
Leaving him to his work, Alice left the study and Will returned to the paperwork he had pushed aside and started to work through it.
ooOoo
It was a nice start to Monday morning. Or not.
Elizabeth woke up before her alarm sounded to the screeching voice of her mother downstairs. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rolled on to her back, letting out a dissatisfied groan.
"Thomas, you know when you do things like this it makes me extremely nervous!"
"For god's sake Fran, I went to the pub, we had a lock-in!"
"Out all night! Not home until an indecent hour! Oh my nerves! I've never been so worried!"
"I text you about it! Maybe if you checked your phone your bloody nerves wouldn't suffer!"
It was something that she hadn't missed when she had lived away from home. Her mother would freak out if her father had gone to the pub and had been invited to stay after closing for a lock-in with a few of his friends. Her father would argue in return and their bickering and shouting could be heard throughout the entire street.
Just until you have enough to get yourself sorted.
She took a deep breath and kicked back the covers, dragging herself out of bed and headed downstairs. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep, not when her parents were shouting at each other. She entered the kitchen and helped herself to some cereal, pouring in the milk into the bowl and pulled a spoon out of the cutlery drawer.
Her father entered the kitchen as she had sat down at the table, putting the first spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
"Morning love, did we wake you?" Thomas asked.
"It's fine." Elizabeth mumbled.
"Sorry Lizzy." Her father apologised.
"Don't worry about it, dad." Elizabeth said.
There was a slight pause in conversation as Thomas filled the kettle up with water and clicked it to boil.
"Do you have any plans today?" Thomas asked.
"I'm still waiting to hear back from the interview I had last week and a few others who still haven't gotten back to me if I'm being offered an interview. But I'm meeting Lydia and Jane for an early lunch before Lydia heads off for uni. And I'm picking the twins up from pre-school with Jane." Elizabeth replied.
"It sounds like you have a long day planned. Are you doing anything with Jane and the kids this afternoon?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm not sure to be honest. We'll probably head back to Jane's to give the twins their lunch but I'm not sure what Jane wants to do. I've offered to watch Lucy so she and Peter could do something together, but she thinks I need a bit longer to settle in before she accepts my offer."
"Don't take it personally, Lizzy. Jane does trust you. It's just hard for her to leave Lucy with anyone who-"
"Hasn't been around in their lives every day?" Elizabeth suggested.
Thomas gave her a sympathetic smile.
"It's nothing against you. Once Lucy knows that you're a familiar person that she can trust, Jane will feel comfortable to accept your offer. Your sister knows that you love the twins, but Lucy only saw you occasionally before you asked me if you could come home because David had filed for divorce. Give it some time. I think it's great that you're picking Lucy and Peter up from pre-school. It's a good way to show the twins that you're back for good." Her father said with encouragement.
"I know. It just…if it hadn't been for David being offered a position in London to further his medical career, I would have stayed and settled down in Meryton…but not everything goes to plan…" Elizabeth sighed.
"What happened with you and David? You didn't specifically say why he turned around and said he wanted a divorce?" her dad questioned.
She didn't know what she was supposed to say, because she knew that if she told her parents the full extent of why she and her husband had separated, her mother would certainly have an opinion on the subject. The truth was, her entire marriage to David Collins had been mostly about her husband's needs and future. David was five years older than her when they had first met when she was nineteen. Their entire early stage of their relationship had been a whirlwind. She'd married him at twenty, right at the end of her second year whilst he worked as a GP. When she had graduated, David had been offered a trainee position to qualify as a surgeon at one of London's top hospitals. So, she'd had to relocate with her husband. And for five years, she had been expected to run the home and only work part-time as a receptionist whilst her husband studied and trained for the role he had always wanted. But that wasn't the only reason her marriage went down the drain.
They'd talked about starting a family two years into their marriage and after two years of trying, Elizabeth had suggested they seek help. The natural way of trying to conceive was apparently not going to work for them and they might need to seek IVF. And when it became evident that she couldn't conceive a child, David had decided that was the final nail in the coffin that was their marriage. He told her he'd spoken to a lawyer, he wanted to divorce, and she had to move back home. She had suggested counselling, but David had refused.
And she knew that if she told her parents the ins and outs of why her marriage had failed, her mother would make her feel even worse about it. Her marriage had been a whirlwind of romance and she had been madly in love. But when it became apparent that David only wanted to focus on his future, his dreams and goals, he didn't think her dreams were relevant. He wanted a housewife. Not an equal. And he certainly didn't want to be with someone who couldn't carry his children. The spark died, and the love was fading. She realised that David was selfish, and her marriage wasn't what she wanted.
In a way, as much as she regretted the way her marriage had ended, it came as a relief. It was her chance to put herself first for a change. It was a chance for her to rediscover herself and find her own dreams, and to set her own path.
"I don't really want to get into this now, dad. I just want to spend some time with my sisters, niece and nephew before I panic over whether or not I got this childminding job." Elizabeth said.
Thomas looked at her with the fatherly concern he usually reserved for when he was truly worried about his children.
"I'm just concerned, Lizzy. You seemed happy and then you call me asking me to come home because you're getting divorced." Her father stated.
"The truth is dad, me and David hadn't been happy for a long time. And now, it's time to start anew." Elizabeth replied honestly.
"You know you have my unconditional support, Lizzy. You can stay here as long as you want, and I'll help you in any way that I can."
"Thanks dad."
She watched her father turn his attention to the kettle as it finished boiling. The talk of her own marriage was something both her parents were curious about. At the same time, marriage was a sensitive subject in her family. Jane hadn't been married when she and George had been together, they hadn't been married when the twins were born and even so when George had decided he couldn't hack being a dad. Lydia was still in university, uninterested in marriage and her own parents had spent the majority of the last thirty years at odds with each other. Elizabeth could hardly remember a time where it seemed that her parents got on.
Before she could dwell more on the topic of marriage, her mobile phone started to ring on the kitchen side. She got up from her seat and pressed the answer button, pressing it to her ear.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Elizabeth, it's Alice Reynolds. I'm calling about the job you applied for." The voice said.
Her heart started hammering in her chest. This was it. This would be either good news. Or bad news. But she remained silent as she took a deep breath to calm herself.
"After considering your application, Mr. Darcy would like to make you an offer of employment. Are you available to come to the house for a meeting with him during the week?" Alice asked kindly.
"Wha…yes I'm available. When would he like to meet me?" Elizabeth stammered, suddenly feeling excited.
"He's around on Friday if you are available. The meeting is just a casual get-to-know-you, so you can both meet each other and sign the contract." Alice reassured her.
"Friday would be fine with me. What time shall I come over?" Elizabeth asked.
"Eleven?"
"I'll see you then. Thank you."
Elizabeth ended the phone call, eagerly looking forward to her meeting with William Darcy on Friday.