Chapter 3

"I'm sorry Lizzie, I just don't believe it!" Jane cried for the third time, "It's farfetched, and he hardly knows you, it's ludicrous to share such a story..."

"Why would he lie to me Jane?" her sister asked, swapping her right hand for her left with the woman who was doing her nails.

"I know you don't like Darcy, Liz. But he's not a bad person. What happened between you two, happened years ago! Don't you think it's time you let go of his rej…"

"Oh stop," Lizzie interrupted her, "George wouldn't lie to me. I believe him."

Jane raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say 'are you that naive?' Lizzie didn't react, just paid her attention back to her manicurist.

After a few moments of silence Jane spoke again.

"Why don't you ask him?" she said, Lizzie furrowed her brow, "Darcy," her sister continued, "If you're so sure of George's honesty, then get verification."

"Do you really think Darcy would admit the truth if I confronted him? Jane, all that would be is a sure fire way to lose my job. Besides, why do I need verification? I trust George."

"Well, I don't," Jane shot back, Lizzie met her gaze with shock and saw only harshness in her eyes.

"Jane..?" she stuttered "You… what…?"

"I don't trust him," she said again, "He feels wrong to me, and I don't think he's right for you. You've known William for a lot longer that George, and I believe that Will is a good man. He's Charles' best friend, just because he rejected you once, doesn't make William Darcy a bad person!" with a huff Jane lent back in her chair, and the lady opposite her took her hand back again, cautiously resuming her delicate painting, of the last nail on Jane's hand.

"Jane…" Lizzie started.

"Don't," she cut her off, "Just, please be careful Lizzie. I don't want you to get hurt." Then she turned away, effectively ending the conversation and leaving Lizzie to stew in confused guilt.

Back at their flat an hour later Lizzie was packing her things into her car before going back out to Netherfield to get ready for the ball and fulfill her work obligations prior to the guests arriving. With her duffle bag in the trunk and her dress hanging in its garment bag in the backseat Lizzie went back upstairs to say goodbye to Jane. Who hadn't spoken more than a few words to her since leaving the nail parlour. Back inside she found the bathroom door shut and the shower running, and realized there would be no time to apologise to Jane now. So instead grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen and went back to her car.

She arrived at Netherfield Park to find several more of her co-workers cars parked around the back next to Darcy's Aston Martin, still sitting in the same spot it had been earlier. At the entrance to the kitchen several white vans from the catering company were parked with their rear doors open, men and women dressed in crisp white uniforms were unloading trays and crates of food for the party. Lizzie collected her things from the car, and making sure her garment bag wasn't dragging in the dust, made her way into the large country house through the kitchen doors. Key staff from Darcy Enterprises had been set up in one of the houses many bedrooms to prepare for the night, and stay after the guests leave. Elizabeth made her way to the room she was assigned, or rather, that she had assigned herself. It was on the second floor and had a huge window, which over looked the lake on the grounds. The large bed was high off the ground and wore a matching bedspread for the décor. She hung her dress on the door to the closet and removed the garment bag so that it could breathe, and placed her duffle on the bed, removed her jacket and left it lying there too before heading back downstairs to prepare for the night.

She found Darcy in the ballroom, directing staff from the table rental company where to place the settings for the dinner. He held her seating chart in his hands and seemed to be managing fine without her, she was leaving to check on the catering staff when he caught sight of her.

"Oh, there you are Elizabeth, I was wondering when you were going to get here," he said, and she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at him. His tone was chiding, and she was biting her tongue to stop from saying something she shouldn't.

"In case you don't remember Mr. Darcy, I was here all morning with you before I left to prepare myself for tonight."

"Yes, and may I say that your manicure looks very lovely," he smiled, she cringed. Smarmy bastard, she thought.

"Well, you seem to be doing fine in here, I might just go and check on the kitchens," she forced a smile and spun to leave before he stopped her with a hand on her elbow. Her skin seemed to be electrified where his hand touched, tingling against his fingers.

"No need Elizabeth, Charlie's managing them," he explained, "But, you can help me here, once the tables are in, we'll need to set out the place cards," he said, passing her anther copy of the seating chart.

"Right then," she said through gritted teeth, she snatched the paper from him and stomped over to the door, the basket on the floor just inside it held the name cards for the tables. Returning to his side she thrust the stack labelled tables 25-50 into his hands and then stomped her way back towards table one.

With the tables and chairs in position William and Elizabeth worked silently as they placed the cards in their correct places. The only other movement in the room was the two girls from the florist who were bringing in the centrepieces and placing them on the tables. As they worked Elizabeth couldn't help but watch him from the corner of her eye. Jane's words coming to her mind as she worked.

Honestly, I don't see how Jane sees any resemblance between Darcy and George. They're so different.

Feeling her eyes on him, William glanced up and caught her staring. She quickly averted her gaze back to the cards for table ten, and missed his cheeky grin.

"Something wrong, Elizabeth?" he asked from across the room, his voice, which was dripping with amusement, echoed off the walls of the large space.

"No! Of course not," she replied, not looking at him. She moved on to table eleven. They finished the job in silence, and then the caterers came to put out plates and cutlery.

"Not long to go now," Darcy said checking his watch "Everything's set, so why don't you go up and get ready?" he said.

"Right," she said glancing down at his jeans and t-shirt attire, "I hope you're planning on changing too before the guests arrive," she said, she wasn't trying to be funny, but he laughed.

"Of course!" he said, his laughter still subsiding "I'm just going to check on the valet's first," then he strode right out the front doors. Feeling irritated, she trudged up the stairs towards her room for the night, and went about getting ready for the evening. The fundraiser ball was their biggest event of the year, but suddenly Lizzie was anxious for the night to be over.