A/N: Happy July my lovely readers! 7 months in to 2020 already! Now this chapter is the longest one I've ever written on any of my works so forgive me for the length if it's too much. Lots of revelations, plots and schemes. We've also got a first date thrown in for one couple so I have to disclose that the idea of their first date was inspired by a video I watched on facebook so it's not original (apologies).
But anyway, enjoy and please let me know your thoughts.
Chapter Seventeen
"Hey, how did it go?" Lydia asked carefully.
Jane closed her front door behind her, leaning back against it as she sighed heavily. She felt exhausted. Confronting her ex-boyfriend, the way she had had it out with him had finally put things to rest. She didn't think she would hear from George again, he wasn't bothered about having anything to do with the twins, he merely wanted to know about the chromosome deletion and what it might mean for his unborn baby.
"I slapped him and shouted at him a lot. What else was I supposed to do?" Jane sighed.
"Pull his intestines out of his body and strangle him with them?" Lydia suggested darkly.
Jane laughed as she shook her head.
"He isn't worth a prison sentence, Lydi."
"So…what did he want?"
Jane walked from her front door, chucking her keys on the side table and moved into the living room. Lydia followed and the two sisters sat on the sofa.
"He didn't want access to the twins, he didn't even bother asking how they're doing. What he wanted to know was if Lucy's condition is inherited." Jane answered.
Lydia frowned.
"Why would he want to know that?" her sister questioned.
"Because George is expecting a baby with someone else and this baby has Down's and the same chromosome deletion as Lucy." Jane sighed.
Lydia's eyes widened.
"How the fuck is that waste of space allowed to reproduce so much?"
"I don't know. I told George that he had to tell this poor woman the truth and then go and get tested for the deletion, that way it can be confirmed if George is the carrier."
"I suppose it gives you an answer too." Lydia mused.
"I never really considered tracking George down to find out if he passed it on to her. When I had the genetics appointment all those years ago, they told me it was either inherited from her father or a spontaneous occurrence in Lucy's genes. Since I got the confirmation that I hadn't passed it on, I just poured all my energy into caring for the twins." Jane said, lost in thought.
"That's what I mean, if George does get tested then it would give you a definite answer that Lucy inherited it." Lydia sighed.
"It can't be a coincidence. The geneticist said that having more children having the same deletion without it being inherited is exceedingly rare."
"Are you going to keep in touch with George about all this?"
Jane shook her head.
"No. I want nothing to do with George. He got his answers and I can now put a firm close on that chapter of my life. At the end of the day, Lucy and Peter are what I need and what I want."
"And what about a certain redhead you have a date with later this week?" Lydia teased.
Jane grinned and looked at her sister as her heart skipped a beat as she thought about Charles. She had decided, after weeks of texting and flirting and more kissing, that she and Charles should have their first date before he met the twins. Having Lucy have a holiday at the respite charity seemed like a good time to have that first date.
"Are you still alright to babysit?" Jane asked.
Lydia nodded.
"I've already cleared it with Peter that we're watching Black Panther and eating our body weight in popcorn. He's really excited that I'm letting him stay up late." She laughed.
Jane smiled widely.
"Of course, he would be. Popcorn, movie and a late bedtime? The kid will be in his element."
"Well I'm going to head home, Lizzy promised me a takeaway for dinner. Message me if you want a chat." Lydia offered.
The two sisters rose from their seats and gave each other a tight but brief hug before Lydia saw herself out. As Jane kicked off her shoes and put her feet up at the other end of the sofa and picked up the TV remote, she heard a knock at her front door. Rolling her eyes, she stood up and walked from her living room to the front door.
"You forget your keys or something, Lydia?" Jane questioned.
But as she pulled the door completely open, she saw that it wasn't Lydia standing in front of her. A complete stranger, a woman looking at her with a pained expression.
"I'm sorry, can I help you?" Jane asked politely.
"My name is Lindsay Younge, I need to know how you know George Wickham." The woman replied pleadingly.
Jane swallowed an inward groan. She had thought after shoving George off her in the carpark at the pub that she had firmly closed that chapter of her life. But now, the woman that George had knocked up was stood on her doorstep and she knew that that chapter of her life wasn't over yet. As she studied the woman, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. The woman was clearly desperate for answers and knowing what she did from her conversation with George, she guessed that Lindsay was coming to terms with her news.
"Come in." Jane offered, standing aside.
Lindsay thanked her and went inside the house. Jane closed the front door and led the woman into her living room, gesturing that they both take a seat on the sofa.
"I'm sorry…George hasn't been answering my calls or texts but the friend who introduced us said he was coming here and told me of the pub he used to go to when he lived here." Lindsay explained.
"I know who you are, George told me that you're expecting his baby." Jane said delicately.
Lindsay nodding, her eyes filling with tears.
"We haven't been together long…but I wanted to keep the baby and we had talks about our future together…but the baby has Down's and a rare chromosome thing and George said he knew someone who had a kid with something similar…were you that person?" Lindsay asked tearfully.
Jane nodded, reaching out to take hold of Lindsay's hand supportively. She didn't know this woman, but she wanted her to feel that what she was about to say wasn't out of malice or bitterness. She wanted Lindsay to know that she understood the pain she would feel once she was told the truth about George Wickham.
"I am that person but you should know a few things and once I've told you, I want you to know that I'm sorry for causing you pain and I understand how you feel." Jane said quietly.
Lindsay frowned.
"What do you mean?" the woman asked.
"The baby you're carrying, it isn't George's first child. Six years ago, I was involved in a serious relationship with him. He moved into my parent's house and nearly a year into the marriage we found out that I was expecting a baby. As it turns out, I was carrying twins. A boy and a girl. And my daughter has the same chromosome deletion that your baby has." Jane replied gently.
Lindsay inhaled a deep breath, looking shocked at the information.
"George would've told me…" Lindsay muttered.
"I'm sorry, it doesn't give me any joy telling you the truth. But it is the truth, the twins will be five in October." Jane sighed.
"Why hasn't he mentioned them before? Or you?" Lindsay asked, lost in thought and shock.
"George hasn't had anything to do with our children for nearly three years. We found out when my daughter was two that she had this condition and it was the reason why she couldn't walk, talk and wasn't hitting milestones that her brother had hit early on."
Lindsay looked at her through tear filled eyes and Jane felt a constant and growing guilt knot in her stomach. Her heart was beating nervously as the other woman wiped her eyes and sniffed.
"George wouldn't…." the other woman cried.
Jane squeezed Lindsay's hand sympathetically as the woman cried. She pulled out a box of tissues from the side table and handed the box to the other woman who took a handful to wipe her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lindsay. But George would. He walked out on me and my children and didn't look back. Even tonight after nearly three years of not seeing him, he didn't ask me how the twins were doing." Jane said quietly.
"What am I supposed to do?" Lindsay sniffed.
"Only you can make that choice."
The woman sniffed again, wiping her eyes with some tissues.
"How do you cope with a child with a disability? I don't really have a support network. My mum and stepdad live in Ireland and my dad lives in Scotland. I live in London, in a cramped one bedroom flat. And what about my job? How can I support a child with a disability?" Lindsay said with a tone of fright in her voice.
"You can do this if it's really what you want, and you can do it without George. That little baby will be yours and I can promise you that they will become the joy in your life. Lucy has her challenges and her struggles, but she is one of the brightest things in my life. It won't be easy; I won't pretend it is." Jane replied.
"How do you do it?"
Jane bit back her tongue, that was one of the questions she hated the most when it came to people asking her how she did raise her daughter who had additional needs.
"You just take one day at a time. Try not to focus too much on the disability but focus on the child. Anything that makes them happy is a positive and try not to compare them to other children their age. But you can do this, Lindsay. If George walks out on this one, get in touch with your parents because you never know what support they may offer, my dad and my sisters have been amazing in supporting me with Lucy and Peter. Get put on the social housing waiting list so you can be put down as needing a two bedroom and if you want to move out of London then look at what services are in other cities or towns that can support you. You can talk to your boss and sort that out when your maternity leave ends. As for other people, if you ever wanted to talk then you have me." Jane stated.
Lindsay looked confused.
"Why would you help me?" Lindsay questioned.
"Because I wish I had someone outside my family who knew what it was like to be hurt by George Wickham. When it happened to me, I was alone raising a special needs child and a typical child, and it hurt like hell when he left me. If George doesn't step up for you and your baby, then I'm always here to help in whatever way I can." Jane answered.
Lindsay sniffed again and quietly thanked her and apologised for intruding before taking her leave. As Jane watched Lindsay leave her house, she wasn't sure if she would ever see the poor woman again but if she did, she promised herself that she would make sure Lindsay didn't feel alone like she once had.
ooOoo
Whilst Jane woke up the next morning feeling that she could move on from the night before and focus on her week with Peter, someone else was finding letting things go an impossibility. Caroline took a deep breath as she placed the key into the lock and turned it, stepping inside quickly and closing the door behind her as she stepped into the house. From her observations she knew exactly where the housekeeper went on certain days and right now, she would be doing the weekly food shop for at least an hour. Placing the key back in her pocket, she headed upstairs to explore Darcy's bedroom in detail.
From a young age, possibly around the time she was in her mid-teens she knew that she was in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy. But never had her desire and want for him been heightened as it was now. Watching that little whore who worked for him get her claws into Darcy and his little brat angered her. And it drove her determination even more to drive a wedge between Darcy and his babysitter.
She reached the top of the stairs and looked through the rooms until she came across Darcy's. She kept the door open as she strolled in and sat on his bed. Caroline picked up the pillow and held it tight against her chest, inhaling deeply trying to catch a sniff of Darcy's scent.
Why couldn't he love her back? What was wrong with him? She was more than willing to step into the role of his wife and take on the role as a stepmother for that child of his. She was willing to fulfil his every desire and every need. She would dedicate her life to being the perfect wife. She'd take care of the private school for the child, preferably a boarding school. She'd keep her body in perfect condition, her hair and nails done weekly so that her appearance was perfect. She'd host parties, attend the charity functions the Darcy family attended and look like the very image of perfection. So, what was it that Darcy had wrong with him?
Caroline placed the pillow back down on the bed and moved over to the wardrobe, pulling out one of Darcy's work shirts and unbuttoned it before putting her arms through the sleeves. Leaving the bedroom, she crossed the hallway to the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The scent of Darcy was now on her. For now, this shirt would have to satisfy her desire for Darcy until she dealt with the whore.
As she got lost in daydreams about what her life would be like as Mrs. Darcy, she was horribly snapped out of that daydream by the sound of the front door unlocking.
SHIT.
Caroline rushed from the bathroom and darted across the hallway to close the wardrobe doors and to place the pillow back in its rightful place before she could think about getting out of the house unnoticed.
As Caroline panicked in the bedroom upstairs, Alice Reynolds was busy putting away the food she had bought had the supermarket. Once the food was all packed away into the fridge and the cupboards in the kitchen, she headed upstairs to put away the toiletries in the bathroom. As she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed that William's bedroom door was closed. Alice frowned, quickly placing the toiletries on the floor outside the bathroom. Usually the bedroom doors were kept open during the daytime to allow for natural light to flow between the rooms. When she had left the house to do the food shopping, she knew that the door had been opened.
There was no sign that William was home. His work shoes weren't on the shoe rack downstairs nor his briefcase in its usual spot under the coat rack. His study was empty. Knocking on the bedroom door, Alice waited to hear William's voice.
"Fitzwilliam? Are you home?" Alice called.
The housekeeper waited for a few moments before she pushed open the bedroom door. She didn't register the person in the room who instantly pushed her out of it. She didn't know what was happening to her until the figure pushed at her more aggressively until she felt herself falling backwards. Alice tumbled backwards down the stairs and landed at the bottom. She could feel the pain all over her body as she lay on the floor and as her eyes closed, her vision blurred that all she could make out was the colour red.
ooOoo
Will sat in the hospital chair, his arms on his knees and his head in his hands as he awaited the news if Alice was seriously hurt or not. Maggie, Alice's daughter, had arrived ten minutes ago and was now speaking with the doctor about her mother's injuries.
It had been Elizabeth and Mia who discovered Alice lying unconscious but still breathing at the bottom of the stairs. They had returned to the house for some lunch before heading out to the local pool for the afternoon. Elizabeth had performed first aid whilst they had rung for an ambulance and then Will had been called and made his way out of work to arrive at Meryton Hospital. When he had arrived, he had tried to find out some more information but the doctor had refused because he wasn't a blood relative. So instead, he called Alice's children and his father and sent Elizabeth home with Mia with the promise he would come home as soon as he knew that Alice was okay.
He had only ever been at a hospital three times in his life. The first had been when he had his appendix out at the age of six. The second time had been when his mother had died and the third had been when his daughter had been born. He had never liked hospitals and he was silently praying that Alice would make it through this terrible accident and be alright. Alice was more than just his housekeeper; she had been his surrogate mother when his had died.
"Fitz?"
Will looked up, seeing Maggie standing in the doorway and he stood up to full height and looked at his friend nervously.
"Is she going to be okay?" Will asked fretfully.
Maggie nodded.
"She suffered no major injuries, so she doesn't require surgery. She's broken her wrist and suffered some trauma to her head so they're going to run some tests." Maggie replied delicately.
"What kind of tests?" Will asked with a frown.
"The doctor said that while she doesn't have any swelling or a bleed on the brain, she has bruised her head that it may cause some short-term memory loss, chronic headaches, that kind of thing. When my mum wakes up, they'll be testing for these symptoms." Maggie explained.
"Can they treat her if she has this?"
Maggie shrugged her shoulders, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear.
"They said they have to wait and see how she is when she wakes. She may suffer or she might not, it depends on the situation. For now, they are monitoring her and letting her rest, she should be awake soon. They're positive she will make a full recovery." She said hopefully.
Will met the blue eyes of his friend and sighed with relief. While it was still concerning that Alice had fell down the stairs and required a hospital stay, it could have been a lot worse and he was thankful that Alice was expected to recover fully. He had been praying that nothing bad would happen to Alice, that she would continue to be a part of his family for more years to come.
"Is there anything you need?" Will asked.
"Could you pack her some clothes? She'll be in hospital for a while and she'll need to take some time off to recover…" Maggie requested.
"Of course. Consider it done. Anything else that Alice, James or you need then please let me know. I have a spare room if you need somewhere to stay." Will offered.
Maggie smiled gratefully.
"I'll be fine, Fitz. Don't worry. I'm staying with a friend who lives just outside the Meryton border. I have to ring James and give him an update." Maggie replied.
"I mean it. Anything you guys need, just let me know." Will stated.
Maggie stood on her tiptoes and hugged him gratefully.
"You're a good friend, Fitz. We're lucky to have you but go home to your little girl, she needs to know that my mum will be fine."
"Call me if there's any change?"
"I will." Maggie promised.
Will left the hospital and took a taxi home. On the way he called his father and shared the news with him and then paid the driver for his journey. When he got out of the taxi and stepped in through the front door of his house, he saw Mia waiting for him in the living room.
"Is Alice okay?" Mia asked immediately.
Will closed the front door and crossed to the living room, giving his daughter a tight but reassuring cuddle.
"She's going to be alright but she's going to take a while to get better, Mia." Will replied softly.
"Can I go and see her?" Mia asked desperately.
"When she's up to visitors I will take you. Now what would you like for dinner?"
Mia smiled and took his hand, leading him through to the dining room and saw that Elizabeth had already started the dinner plans. The table was laid with three plates with three glasses and jug of juice placed in the centre. Knives and forks lay in place next to the plates whilst Elizabeth called for Mia to wash her hands as she served the food.
"Elizabeth…you didn't have to cook…" Will said in surprise.
"I've only made a chicken salad, something light so it's not anything fancy." She said, placing the food into the salad bowl.
"Still…thank you…" Will said gratefully.
Elizabeth turned around, holding the salad bowl and smiled at him. Will grabbed the tongs and the dressing and followed her into the dining room. The two adults and the child sat at the table and Will poured the dressing over the salad and served up three portions. Conversation was mainly about how Alice was doing, what was wrong with her and what the outlook might be. They talked some more about how they could help Alice's recovery with Will stating he was going to look at hiring a temporary replacement so Alice could take paid leave to recover.
"I'll have to email my boss in a little while to do some home working this week." Will sighed.
"Will you have the time to do that?" Elizabeth asked, taking a bite of her portion.
Will shrugged, he honestly didn't know if he would have the time to make some phone calls about Alice's replacement and carry on with his workload. Work was busy right now. His law firm specialised in property development and suing corporations for breach of contract or breaking the law on certain projects. He was personally assigned to certain clients who he had worked with for years and currently, three of his clients were in the middle of launching huge property developments in the midlands. Having to work from home, sort out the temporary housekeeper, do all the housework and look after his daughter when Elizabeth wasn't around was a lot of work. Will realised just how much Alice did around the house. Of course he thanked her for her efforts, he paid her well, he appreciated her work to make his house tidy and homely but it was an eye opening realisation that sometimes he forgot just how much Alice had to deal with.
"I'll work something out." Will replied.
"How long do you think you'll need to sort it out?" Elizabeth questioned.
The three continued to eat as Will explained he would have to call around some agencies and get references before he chose a replacement when he found himself coughing on the last bite of his salad at Elizabeth's suggestion.
"How about I stay with you and Mia for a week so you can get something else sorted?"
Will took a sip of his juice and swallowed before clearing his throat.
"I can't ask you to do that." He said.
"You're not asking, I'm offering." Elizabeth reminded him.
"I wouldn't want you to take on too much…"
"Will it's cleaning a house, preparing meals and doing laundry. As well as looking after your daughter, it's not rocket science."
"Are you sure?" Will asked.
Elizabeth nodded, taking a mouthful of her drink and placed the glass down on the table.
"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help you." Elizabeth replied.
"Thank you. Do you want to go home and get your belongings for a week's stay? I'll also add a top-up to your wages this month for doing this." Will stated.
Her cheeks flushed red.
"Oh…I'm not doing it for the extra money…"
"I'm not going to accept your offer until you accept that I'm paying you for the extra role you'll be doing for a week."
Elizabeth chuckled and agreed to his terms and before he knew it he was clearing away the plates whilst she hurried home to pack her suitcase.
ooOoo
Opening the front door, Elizabeth stepped inside the house to find her mother waiting for her. Fran held two glasses of wine in her hands and a hopeful expression etched on her face. Elizabeth frowned, wondering why her mother looked so hopeful when she had mostly been avoiding her since she had blurted out the reason why she and David were getting divorced.
"Nice evening mum?" Elizabeth asked suspiciously.
"I thought we could have a girly night together. You know…drink some wine, watch a nice film…" Francine suggested.
"Bond over the breakdown of my marriage and the reasons why you disapprove of my divorce?" Elizabeth stated sarcastically.
"Of course not! Oh, you girls are so quick to dismiss my attempts of reconciliation as a chance to criticise you!" Francine shrieked.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs to her bedroom and pulled out a suitcase and started packing enough clothes for her week stay at Will's house. She took a deep breath as she heard her mother's footsteps following her and seconds later her mother appeared in her bedroom doorway.
"Elizabeth…Lizzy…please listen to me…" Francine pleaded.
Throwing in her underwear and socks, she turned to face her mother.
"What is there to say? You haven't exactly been there for me!" Elizabeth shouted.
"I don't know how."
"And that's a pathetic excuse. I told you that I can't have children and that's why David wanted a divorce and you packed yourself off to Uncle Ed's for a week. You ran away and when you came back you didn't even want to talk to me about it. You carried on like everything was normal."
"I'm trying, Lizzy. I needed to get my head around it…" Fran said quietly.
"Well so am I. But I'm not going to apologise for how my life is turning out, mum. I'm getting divorced, I can't have my own biological child, so I'll adopt, or I'll foster when the time comes. For now, I am content with looking after Mia. So, if you don't mind, I need to pack my bag because I'm staying to help my boss out whilst his housekeeper recovers in hospital!" Elizabeth ranted.
Fran exhaled heavily but Elizabeth carried on packing her clothes into the suitcase, ignoring that her mother was still standing in her doorway watching her.
"Elizabeth…all I've ever wanted was to stop you making the same mistakes that I made…" Fran sighed.
She stopped packing and turned to face her mother, feeling frustrated that her mother wouldn't just leave her alone to pack her suitcase. For weeks her mother had avoided talking to her about the subject even though her mother had walked in on a conversation between her and her father about the divorce and reasons why. Her mother had walked straight back out of the room when she twigged what they were talking about.
"Like what?" she asked curiously.
But she could see by the look on Fran's face that her mother was going to remain tight lipped on whatever she had referring to.
"Lizzy…I can't tell you…it's too shameful…" Fran whispered.
Elizabeth nodded and turned her attention back to her packing.
"Please Lizzy…I wish I could make things better for you…I wish you weren't barren and I wish that you could carry your own child but perhaps you could give it another try with David? Talk him round…" her mother suggested.
"I can't do this right now mum." Elizabeth said dismissively.
Without saying another word, Elizabeth watched her mother leave her bedroom out of the corner of her eye and carried on packing. Once she had enough clothes for a one week stay with Will and Mia, she packed her toiletries into a plastic bag and left the house. She drove the short journey to Will's and parked her car on the driveway and was greeted enthusiastically by Mia who was waiting for her at the front door.
"Lizzy, can we have a movie night?" Mia asked eagerly.
Elizabeth locked up her car and brought her suitcases inside the house as Mia closed the front door.
"We'll have to see what your dad says but we will have one this week." Elizabeth promised.
"Okay. Can we watch one of your favourite movies?"
"Sure. I have lots so we can choose together. Now, where's your dad?"
"He's upstairs in his study, he said he had some work emails to sort out." Mia replied.
"Alright. Wait down here while I take my stuff upstairs and then we'll read a chapter of Matilda before you go to bed." Elizabeth instructed.
"Okay Lizzy."
Elizabeth watched as Mia skipped off into the living room as she took her suitcase upstairs and placed her stuff down on the floor as she stood outside Will's office. She knocked on the door and stood in the doorway. Will looked up from his computer and smiled wearily.
"Just tell me where the guest room is and I'll put my stuff in there. I'm going to read to Mia and then send her to bed. Do you want me to tuck her in?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, I'll do it. Thank you for doing this, Elizabeth." Will yawned.
"No need to thank me." She stated with a small smile.
"You're helping me out by offering to do Alice's job for the next week whilst I sort out a temporary replacement. That's a big offer." Will pointed out.
"Anything to help out a friend. A good boss." Elizabeth smiled.
Will stood up from his chair and walked round his desk and stopped in front of her.
"I can't say how much I appreciate having you in my life." Will whispered, cupping her cheek.
"You don't have to say anything, Will," Elizabeth uttered softly, looking into his eyes, "The feeling is mutual."
She closed her eyes as she felt him gently brush his lips against her own. She cupped his face and stroked his cheek lightly with her fingers. She could feel the stubble starting to grow back on his face as she stroked his cheek, feeling the softness of his skin despite the growth. Her forehead bumped against his as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. The kiss deepened, with Will wrapping his arms around her tightly and lifted her off her feet. Elizabeth moaned softly as she felt him press her back against wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Will ran his hands along her frame, placing them on her sides as his tongue met hers, dipping it teasingly before breaking the kiss and looking at her affectionately. Elizabeth opened her eyes, smiling as she caught her breath.
"Do you want to get settled whilst I tuck Mia in? We could have a cup of tea before we turn in." Will suggested with a yawn.
Elizabeth nodded, giving him one last peck before he set her back down on her feet. As she left the study, she felt her heart race as she took her belongings into the guest bedroom. While she felt at ease with her evolving relationship with Will and they had so far found a good working and personal relationship balance, she couldn't help but think if living with Will and Mia for a week would change their current dynamic. She wanted the experience to bring them all closer together, in both personal relationships and working ones. If anything, Mia seemed really excited about the idea of her staying with them for a week.
When she had finished unpacking, she left the guest room and gave Mia a quick goodnight cuddle before heading downstairs to make her and Will and cup of tea. The kettle had boiled, she had poured the water into two mugs with the teabags, added milk and sugar before draining the teabag and throwing it in the bin when Will emerged in the kitchen dressed in some jogging bottoms and a worn t-shirt. She had rarely seen Will in clothes this comfy or casual, of course he worse shorts and a t-shirt whenever she saw him on the weekends but mostly only saw him dressed in his work attire. Her eyes travelled over his body, taking note of arms, bared under the short sleeves of his t-shirt and found herself reliving the memory of being lifted into his arms not even half an hour ago.
She handed him his cup and the two headed to the living room and sat on the sofa. The day had been a long one and one filled with worry. There was still lots to worry about but that was for another day. For now, Elizabeth listened as Will opened up to her about his childhood, specifically the time around when he was a teenager and his mother had died. Georgiana had been a young child at the time and their father had been utterly devastated.
"My mother was the second half of him, together they were complete. When the cancer took her life, my father was lost and didn't find it within himself to get out of bed much unless he needed to eat, wash or use the toilet. Alice was the one who kept Georgiana and I occupied. She got us through our dark days. I remember this one day, it was really windy at Pemberley and we made kites in my mother's favourite colours and once they were finished, Alice took us to one of the hills in the grounds and we flew them. I have never run so fast in my life." Will said fondly.
"She's not going anywhere, Will. The doctors are optimistic she will make a full recovery." Elizabeth reassured him.
"She is like a second mother to me. Even now, I'm thirty-two and she still looks after me like I was another son. The way she is with Mia…my little girl has never really known a grandmother figure…Natalie's parents live in Australia, they moved away after the funeral, so they don't visit often. Alice has that bond with Mia…and I don't tell her enough…"
Elizabeth took his cup of tea and placed the two cups on the coffee table and took his hands, giving them both a tight squeeze. Will looked at her, tears in his eyes and she could see just how much Will loved the ones closest to him.
"She knows. I promise you that she knows. The first time I met her, she told me how her children had been raised alongside you and Georgiana. The way she spoke told me that she thinks and feels the same way that you do about her. You're all a family." Elizabeth whispered softly.
Without saying another word, Will leaned forward and kissed her again. Sensing that this is what he needed, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer to him. What they didn't know as they kissed slowly and softly was that outside the living room window, ducking underneath the pane so she could hide easily, was Caroline Bingley. Her red hair was tied back into a tight bun and she wore darker clothing than what she would usually opt for to try and blend into the background. She seethed as she watched the scene. She wanted to throw a brick through the window and aim it at the whore's head. Why couldn't Darcy look at her the way he looked at the glorified babysitter?
"You know in this country; stalking is a crime." An amused voice said behind her.
Caroline swore under her breath as she fell on her backside. Turning around she looked up to see Richard Fitzwilliam standing on the pavement outside the driveway to the Darcy residence. Caroline crawled away from the window as quick as she could, standing up slowly and dragged Richard out of view of the window.
"You aren't going to tell Darcy, are you?" Caroline whispered in a panicked tone of voice.
Richard raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms, studying her carefully. That smirk on his face made Caroline want to slap him. He knew just how desperate she was not to be found out and he was toying with her, finding it all the more amusing torturing her like this. But would he rat her out to his cousin?
"Why were you spying on my cousin?" Richard asked demandingly.
"You know why! It should be me that he's with. It should be me that he's playing tonsil tennis with on his sofa right now! It should be me by his side living the lifestyle we should be living. Not some whore who looks after his child!" Caroline hissed.
Richard's expression went from amused to anger. His nostrils flared; his eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to the house.
"We have to stop them!" Richard declared, starting to move towards the house.
Caroline tugged on his arm, using all her strength to pull him away from the house.
"Hang on a moment! You can't just go in there all gun's blazing." Caroline hissed.
"Why not?! My uncle has asked me to prevent Fitz from getting together with Elizabeth. If they get together then I can't…"
Richard stopped himself from finishing his sentence. Caroline studied him for a moment, her heart skipping a beat with glee as she realised that she had some leverage on Richard too.
"You want the babysitter, don't you?" she asked with a low cackle.
Richard nodded stiffly, glaring back at the house. But Caroline didn't pay attention to the cracking knuckles and enclosed fists which was what Richard was doing. Instead the cogs in her mind were starting to spin as she realised, she could use this newfound information to her advantage.
"Richard, why don't we go somewhere and have a drink? I think we could be of mutual use to each other." Caroline suggested quietly.
Richard looked down at her curiously but nodded his agreement as the two schemers walked off into the night.
ooOoo
The rest of the week flew by quickly for Jane and she spent it feeling utterly exhausted, but in a good way. She had let Peter choose where they were doing their days out but managed to get her four-year-old son to somewhat understand that she wasn't a millionaire so he could choose three 'big' days out and a few 'little' ones. In the end, Peter had chosen to go to London Zoo, Legoland and the beach in Brighton. The rest of their days out were spent at the local park with a picnic one afternoon and they even attended a screening of Despicable Me in the town centre on the big screen where Peter was happy with a McDonald's for dinner. Having this one-to-one time had strengthened her bond with her son and both were happier for it. On the plus side, Lucy was also enjoying her time away at The Netherfield Trust and had been up to a range of activities which had tired her daughter out so much that she was sleeping through the night for the first time since she was born.
But Saturday night had come, and Jane was in her bathroom trying to decide if she should apply some lipstick. She had put on the new dress she had bought, a black casual dress someone might wear for a dinner out at a nice restaurant and had opted to wear heels for the night since Charles was doing the driving. Her eyes were framed with a light layer of black eyeliner and mascara, the first time in years that she had had the time to put make-up on. But she could not decide on the lipstick.
"Jane, you better come down!" Lydia called from the bottom of the stairs.
Deciding to leave the lipstick, she switched off the bathroom light and walked carefully down the stairs where she saw Peter and Lydia waiting for her.
"He's outside in the car." Lydia said quietly.
"Where are you going mummy?" Peter asked curiously.
"I'm going out to dinner with a friend." Jane said, kissing her little boy on the head.
"What friend?"
"A friend."
"Who?"
Jane chuckled at his curiosity but she wasn't quite there to actually talk to Peter about Charles. It was her first date and she was still determined to take the relationship slowly.
"He's a new friend. Now I'll be home later so you need to listen to Auntie Lydia and go to bed when she tells you to. Okay?" Jane instructed.
"Okay mummy. Love you." Peter said, hugging her middle briefly before skipping off into the living room.
"Have fuuun." Lydia sang teasingly.
Jane rolled her eyes as she exited her house and ran up the little front garden to climb into Charles' car. They had agreed that he would beep once he was outside to save himself being greeted at the front door by Peter.
"You look gorgeous." Charles complimented.
He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss as she buckled her seatbelt.
"Thanks, you do too." Jane said with a smile.
"Now, I don't know if this is what you had in mind but we're not eating in a restaurant tonight." Charles informed her as he drove away.
"Oh?"
He wouldn't give her any clues, he just smiled at her adoringly as he drove. He did make a brief stop, parking the car outside a family owned restaurant that Jane had taken the twins to a few times and left her waiting in the car before emerging with takeout bags and placed them on the back seat before continuing the journey. As Jane tried to keep guessing where they were going, she did know that they were eating out somewhere. It wasn't at Charles' house; he had already said that they weren't eating indoors anywhere. As she was about to give up guessing, he pulled into a small and empty carpark on top of one of the hills that surrounded the town of Meryton.
The sun was starting to set, the sky turning into shade of light yellow and pink mixed with an inky blue. From the hill you could see everything in her hometown, from the street where her parents lived, to her house, to local parks and other spots she and her sisters had frequented during their childhood.
"I had some help from Lydia," Charles explained as they got out of the car, "I wanted to do something a bit different with you. I wanted to get to know you more personally and this spot has become one of my favourite places since moving to Meryton. I thought we could eat some Italian food, watch the sunset and answer some questions about each other that I got off the internet."
Jane got the food out the back of the car as Charles opened the boot and pulled out a picnic blanket and a basket. She felt so touched he would put a bit of thought into this.
"Lydia told you I liked Italian food?" she asked.
Charles nodded and locked up the car as the two went to sit on the grass. They sat down and served up the bruschetta started as Charles took out a small pile of cards and placed them on the blanket facing downwards. They shared the bruschetta, as Jane picked up the first card.
"Given the chance, who would you like to have as a dinner guest?" Jane asked.
Charles thought for a moment.
"Sir Alan Sugar." He replied.
"Wow. I was expecting you to name a footballer or something." She laughed.
"Why's that?"
"I don't know, men like football."
"I do like football but Sir Alan Sugar is a successful entrepreneur so I think he would bring some excellent conversation to the dinner table." Charles stated.
"Fair play."
The two continued to share the bruschetta as Charles picked up one of the cards.
"Would you like to be famous and if so, in what way?" Charles questioned as he read off the card.
Jane swallowed the last bite of her bruschetta and took a swig of her water.
"I suppose I would but not for the fame or the money or anything like that. I'd want to be a blogger and raise awareness and acceptance for people who suffer from conditions like Lucy does. I'd want to be an ambassador for a well-recognised charity who supported those kinds of children." She admitted.
"That's admirable." Charles said softly.
Once the bruschetta was finished, they opened up the dinner dish, a vegetable risotto, and Charles served it up onto two paper plates and handed one to her with a fork. Jane took a bite of the risotto and swallowed, enjoying the flavours as it went down her throat. She picked up another card and read it aloud.
"When was the last time you sang to yourself or to someone else?" she queried.
"It was about a month ago, I went over to Darcy's and had a movie marathon with Mia. Will was finishing up some work stuff in his study and he came down to investigate who was out of tune singing 'I just can't wait to be king' from The Lion King." Charles laughed.
Jane chuckled. Feeling her heart skip as she watched his eyes light up at the mention of his goddaughter. Charles took his turn next, while they continued to eat their risotto.
"What would be a perfect day for you?" Charles asked.
She knew that perfect was impossible, everyday there was something that threatened to turn it stressful. But for her, she knew what her answer would be.
"For me, it's just any day with my kids, just making sure they are loved and happy." Jane replied.
Charles squeezed her hand affectionately, giving her an adoring smile as they finished the last of the risotto.
"Those kids are so lucky." He stated quietly.
She blushed a light pink as she picked up her next card.
"If you woke up tomorrow having gained one new ability or quality, what would you like it to be?"
Charles took his time with this one as Jane put their paper plates and plastic cutlery into the paper bag they were using for rubbish. He cleared his throat before he answered the question.
"I suppose I'd like to have the ability to pick my family, my sister has been pushing boundaries lately and it's affected some people I really care about. I can't really go into too much detail because of the other people but I kicked my sister out of my house and told her I was finished with her. But Caroline always finds a way to worm herself back in somehow. She's already batting her eyelids at our father." Charles sighed.
Jane patted his leg sympathetically as she stretched her arms out behind her and leant back, looking out to the setting sun.
"If only you could choose your family." She muttered.
Charles smiled amusingly as he picked up his next card.
"If you could change one thing about how you were raised, what would it be?" Charles questioned.
Ah. An easy question.
"My mother's criticism. Our whole lives she has made it quite clear when she thinks we have made a huge mistake or gone against her wishes for us." Jane said sadly.
Charles moved closer to her, looking at her sympathetically.
"What did she think your huge mistake was?" he uttered carefully.
She looked at him sadly.
"Not marrying George, having children out of wedlock, not giving my children a father…the list goes on." Jane stated quietly.
"I'm sorry you had to put up with that." Charles apologised.
"If only you could choose your family." She repeated.
Charles looked at the last card.
"Last one, it's yours. What do you want to do after this little questionnaire is done?"
"I'd like to sit here with you for a while, it's so peaceful."
Nodding in agreement, Charles handed the last card to Jane. She turned it over and read it aloud.
"If a crystal ball could tell you one thing about your future life, what would you like to know?" she asked with a hint of curiosity.
Charles cupped her cheek and gently lifted her gaze to his.
"I'd like to know if I've lived a full and happy life with an amazing woman and her children." He whispered.
Jane blushed as she dropped the card, her heart beating faster and faster in her chest.
"Charles…I can't promise…" she began but he stopped her finishing her sentence with a soft caress of his lips against hers.
When he pulled away, he told her that he didn't care if it was only their first date. He didn't care if he was being a bit full-on or too much. He told her that he had decided to tell her tonight that she was what he wanted and her children. That he would do whatever she needed to be happy and he would support her in everything should she choose him. To Jane, he was reaffirming that he wasn't going to run because of Lucy and her extra needs or her bad days. He wasn't going anywhere and that she could trust him completely.
Leaning forward, Jane pressed her lips back to his and the pair kissed for a while as the sun set.
ooOoo
Looking up at the tall tower block where her daughter had once resided with her soon-to-be ex-husband, Francine tucked a greying blonde lock behind her ear, the one which was too short to tie into her bun, and sighed. She knew that this was the last thing that she should be doing. But she needed answers and given that she and her middle daughter weren't on the best of terms lately, this was the only way that she was going to get them. Francine pressed the buzzer and waited for the answer.
"Hello?" the male voice asked breezily.
"David? It's Fran." She replied.
A short pause, but Francine pushed the door open as soon as she heard the buzzer to let her into the building. She headed straight for the lift and waited patiently as it took her up to the thirteenth floor, opening up to a small corridor which led to two doorways. She saw her son-in-law waiting for her outside his front door, smiling curiously.
"Fran, it's nice to see you again." David greeted.
Fran smiled at him, following his welcoming arm gesture into the flat and followed him through to the living room he no longer shared with Elizabeth. The décor remained mostly the same as it had from the last time, she visited this flat, the only differences were that none of her daughter's belongings filled the room anymore.
"What can I do for you?" David asked politely.
Fran took a seat on the sofa and cleared her throat.
"I've come to ask you why you're divorcing my daughter."
David sighed, taking a seat next to her.
"Elizabeth hasn't been happy in a very long time, Francine. You can't expect a caged bird to sing beautifully." He explained.
"So, make her happy. Just because she can't have your baby doesn't mean there aren't options." Francine tutted.
"Adoption isn't really something I would want to do." David stated.
Francine nodded her understanding; she knew that she wasn't the type of person who could adopt either. It wasn't for her.
"But what about surrogacy? Surely a man on your yearly salary could afford to pay for that or try IVF treatments?" Fran suggested.
David shook his head.
"It's not the question of affordability, Fran. It's personal."
Francine snorted.
"What can be more personal? Elizabeth has already told me the reason you ended your marriage-"
"You have Elizabeth's version." David corrected her.
Francine frowned.
"And I suppose your version is different?" she asked curiously.
David sighed heavily and nodded.
"I suppose it's time and I need to tell someone." He said sadly.
And so, Francine listened to her son-in-law's side of the story and for once in her life she remained silent throughout. When David was finished, she watched as he twiddled his thumbs and saw the sadness behind his blue eyes and squeezed his hand sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, David." She apologised.
"Do you understand now?" He asked quietly.
"I think I do."
"Fran…is she happy?" David asked.
Fran shrugged.
"We're not talking much these days." She replied sadly.
There was a moment of silence before Fran spoke again.
"Were you ever told that Thomas and I thought we'd never have children?"
David shook his head.
"No. Nobody ever said. But you had the three girls?" David stated.
"Yes, three beautiful girls. You see, before Thomas and I were married, we got a little carried away the year before the wedding. We'd been courting for two years you could say before Thomas proposed and we set our wedding date a year from the engagement. We hadn't taken our physical relationship far but the first time we did…I fell pregnant." Francine started.
"But Jane isn't….Jane was born a year after your wedding…"
"She was," Francine confirmed, "No…the girls don't know that I had an ectopic pregnancy before I was wed. I was made to feel ashamed for not being married…I was never allowed to grieve our loss and I never really liked to talk about it…they had to take away one of my fallopian tubes and ovaries to save my life and the surgeon who performed the operation said that I might need help getting pregnant again…" she explained, looking off into the distance.
"Oh Fran…" David said sadly.
"Thomas and I were given cash gifts instead of traditional gifts at our wedding. IVF treatments back in those days were new and expensive. We had to use some of Thomas' inheritance from his grandfather to pay for one round, that was all we could afford. We didn't want to wait and see if it would happen naturally after our loss. Chances were small and rare but luckily, Jane was born a year later. Then four years came Lizzy and another four came Lydia." Francine explained.
"Were Liz and Lydia through IVF treatments." David asked curiously.
Francine shook her head.
"No, they were miracles through natural conception. I want you to know that I understand and I'm sorry for the pain both you and Lizzy went through and why you felt you had to end the marriage." She sighed, wiping her eyes.
"I'm sorry for your loss and the pain you've carried around." David apologised.
Fran looked at her son-in-law and gave him a weak smile. She squeezed his hand one more time and got up to make her leave, only to turn around when David said something they had agreed never to discuss again.
"Your secret will always be safe with me, Fran. Elizabeth will never know that you paid me to propose and marry her." David promised.
Her eyes widened; her nostrils flared. And she yelled at the top of her voice.
"She will never know. Because as far as everyone else is concerned you married Elizabeth because you were both madly in love with each other."
David stood up from his seat and nodded his agreement.
"I do love her, Fran. I always did love her. But just between us, we know why I proposed so quickly."
"And it will stay between us," Francine stated firmly, "Because if Elizabeth ever found out that I didn't want her to make the same mistake her sister did, then hell would break loose."
With nothing further to say, Francine left the flat with the answers she came for.