Darcy was running late. His last meeting was supposed to end at 5pm and his driver was already waiting outside his family business office at Barangaroo. It was now 5:30pm and the people Zooming in from London were reluctant to indicate the direction of their decisions.
"Gentlemen, may I suggest that we postpone any further discussions and convene again on Monday. This will allow us the weekend to consider carefully our next steps", Darcy proposed this politely but firmly.
The two men in London looked at each other and seeing no rush in deciding anything more concretely, agreed with this suggestion.
"Very well Darcy. This idea of yours needs further consideration. We will discuss this again on Monday but if we could have the meeting at 11am our time or 8pm your time, we may be able to bring along colleagues who have the subject matter expertise", the older of the two countered.
Darcy sighed. Another late night meeting. Oh well, he may as well spend Monday morning at Netherfield.
"Fine. I'll see you both Monday. Have a good weekend."
Darcy turned off his screen and picked up his leather weekender bag. Dinner was supposed to start at 7pm at Netherfield. With this Friday night traffic, it might take his driver 30 minutes to get to the heliport. Thankfully it wasn't raining. Sydneysiders don't drive well in the rain.
They arrived at the heliport soon enough and he told his driver to wait for his call as he was rather flexible with his weekend schedule and was unsure whether he'll return to Sydney late Sunday or Monday.
After his undergraduate studies at Cambridge, he enrolled at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and gravitated towards the helicopter pilot course where he earned his wings. He spent four formative years at Sandhurst where he enjoyed his identity as Will Darcy, pilot; as opposed to FitzWilliam Darcy, heir to the vast Pemberley fortune.
He left Sandhurst after his father's sudden death and took on the burden of the responsibilities of intergenerational wealth. Flying a helicopter took him away, however briefly, from these responsibilities. Every time he flew his helicopter, it reminded him of his brief anonymous freedom at Sandhurst.
Piloting the aircraft, he followed the M5 which was bumper to bumper. He could see the sea of red lights and a prang just outside the Liverpool turn-off. He wouldn't drive on a Friday afternoon if he could help it.
Soon he passed the Nepean and the landscape changed from sprawling suburbia to forest and the inclines of the mountain range that demarcated the Southern Highlands. He flew lower as he neared Sutton Forest and spotted the H sign on the Netherfield property.
Landing safely, he got out after the blades stopped spinning and retrieving a bottle of Talisker from his bag, he headed towards the house.
XXX
'What the hell is wrong with Sydneysiders on a Friday?' Lizzy internally screamed in her head.
She was slowly snaking her way down the M5 towards the Liverpool exit and spotted the three-car collision which had caused the slow drive of people curious to know the damage caused by the collision.
"Bunch of rubber neckers", she muttered. She noticed all occupants of the cars were mulling outside exchanging contact details. No lasting damage done, thank God for small mercies she thought. She simultaneously hated and was fearful of seeing or thinking of any car accidents.
She had left her workplace early at 3pm and got home just before 4pm. James had his own set of keys now and insisted that he was too old for after school care.
They both left with their Umbro sports bags which functioned as weekender bags. Lizzy ensured that James had aired his sports bag after Wednesday night training because it stank of damp, grass and smelly socks.
By the time they got on the M5, it was already 5pm and they still hadn't left Sydney metro.
XXX
"Charles darling, just got a call from Lizzy. They'll be late by several hours so she said to please start dinner without them," Jane said to her husband, returning to the main living room where everyone had gathered.
From the Bingley side were: Caroline, Louisa and her indolent husband Rupert.
From the Bennet side: John and Frances, Mary, Kate and her boyfriend David, and newly single Lydia.
With these types of gatherings, the Bingleys were always outnumbered so Charles had also invited two colleagues from his Eton days who had now migrated to Australia to even up the numbers: Ben and Ollie.
Ben was a couple of years younger and had caught the eye of Lydia. To Lydia's delight he spoke Spanish, having spent summers at his grandparents' place in San Sebastián.
Ollie was the quieter of the two but also older. He tried to engage with Mary who was too shy to speak to strangers, so he wandered back to the bar and got another drink. Charles' last guest to arrive, Darcy, had arrived earlier but wanted to freshen up.
Once Darcy returned to the main room, Caroline announced that dinner was ready and to make their way to the formal dining room. At the head of the table sat Charles, and at the other end sat Jane. Jane had two empty seats on her left for Lizzy and James and on her right was her mother Fanny.
"Jane, she is always late to Netherfield" whispered Fanny, careful to ensure that she wasn't overheard.
"Better late and safe mama. You know how careful she is when driving down the Hume."
Darcy overheard Jane but did not say a thing. He was sat next to Caroline and a couple seats across from Fanny.
"Well Will," Caroline intoned, "what do you think of the clean lines of the dining room? Took me ages to get the tradies from Sydney to fix it!"
Darcy looked around the room. It had been several years since he stayed at Netherfield. Out went the dark wood panelling and in went the Cape Cod inspired colours that were currently in vogue.
"I think they did a good job with it."
This comment made Caroline's glean and smile with triumph. Darcy was brutally honest and she would take this compliment and run with it.
By the time dinner had finished and speeches toasting to Charles' good health and stories made decrying Charles' antics, it was closer to 10pm. The guests were informed that there would be a brunch picnic set on one part of the estate and there were horses available for those who sought a ride.
Darcy wanted a dawn ride to stretch his legs and told his host and fellow guests that he was going to have an early night.
As he walked up the stairs towards his designated bedroom, he passed by a window overlooking the gravel drive and saw the lights of a car making its way slowly towards the house almost consciously trying to lessen the noise the wheels were making.
He stopped at the top of the stairs and watched the occupants alight from the car. It was Lizzy and James. The outdoor sensor lights had automatically turned on and Lizzy looked exhausted, while James looked drowsy as if he had just been woken up.
In the soft yellow light, Darcy could almost see the tenderness on Lizzy's face. She had an understated natural beauty. She was tired but her brown curls cascaded past her shoulders framing a nice silhouette. He saw her take a deep breath and knock on the door. He saw Fanny peek from a downstairs window curtain and he could hear some rapid but quietly hushed conversations being said.
As she walked past the bottom of the stairs, she sensed she was being watched and turned to look to where Darcy was standing.
Darcy was in the shadows and could not be seen but her eyes stared at that phantom space as if she was issuing or accepting a challenge. She lifted her chin higher as if to say she was not afraid of whoever the phantom was. Darcy held his breath, fearful of making a sound that indicated his presence to her.
After a few seconds, Jane joined her with James in tow and directed them towards the dining room for a late night feed.
Once they were out of sight, Darcy exhaled. He hadn't realised he was still holding his breath until then. He went to his bedroom and sat on the bed thinking what a long weekend this was going to turn out to be.
He didn't know what this all meant but he knew she was going to change his life in some form or other. He felt and tried to ignore her electric touch when she shook his hand angrily at the audition. Now, she was here again in his presence.
He was not afraid but he was apprehensive. He had underestimated her impact on him, however brief it was. All of this stemming from an overheard insult. He sighed and tried to get some sleep. It was going to be a restless night.