Chapter 21 – Nice to See You Again

It felt like an eon passed before Will could regain any normal brain activity. Eliza was here… at his home… right in front of him! Was he hallucinating? Was she real? How in the world…

"Eliza?" he managed to stutter. She looked just as stunned as he; her face seemed frozen in a state of shock. He strode closer to her until they were barely three feet apart. He wanted to reach out and touch her, make sure she was real, but then he noticed the look in her eyes: panic.

"Elizabeth?" he asked again.

"Will! I mean, Darcy… I mean, Mr. Darcy…" she stuttered, running a hand agitatedly through her hair. It was longer and curlier than the last time he'd seen her and for a moment he found himself watching it glint in the sun.

"What are you doing here?" he said a moment later, but then suddenly wished he hadn't. Eliza looked positively distraught.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Darcy… my aunt and uncle brought me to England for my graduation gift and we've been running around meeting all of my aunt's old friends for the past week and she used to know your housekeeper Mary… they used to dance together or something, so we came here to see her… but she said you wouldn't be home until tomorrow so we thought it would be okay… but now you're here so we should go… we really should go…" she rambled on, her hazel eyes looking up at the porch.

"No, Elizabeth, please…" Will started; now that she was here, there was no way he was letting her go that quickly. He took a breath to try and gain some composure. "Stay. I arrived home early… Mary didn't even know I was coming today."

She still looked uncomfortable, and was looking at him with an evaluating expression.

"I'm really sorry," she said quietly. He pondered her for a brief moment; what was she thinking at this moment? Her apology seemed to carry too much weight for such a simple miscommunication as his arriving a day early. His thoughts flickered quickly to his letter… but no, he didn't have time to think of that right now.

"Don't be," he said quickly with a smile. He heard his voice shaking a bit. "Have you even looked around yet?"

"Mary took us around the house," she replied.

"But you haven't seen the grounds?"

"Well, no, but…"

"You must. You of all people will appreciate them," he said. She smiled a little, but couldn't quite seem to meet his eye. This was it, he thought, this was his chance. He wanted to start showing her around right away, but he was suddenly acutely aware of his disheveled appearance.

"Please, start looking around. I really should shower, I've been in the car since nine in the morning," he said with a chuckle. She smiled a little wider this time, and it took all of his willpower to walk away from her. He walked calmly to the front door, but once inside, he tore off at full speed. He ran to his room and immediately started the shower, only one thing on his mind: getting back outside to Eliza.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eliza's mind seemed numb with mortification. How could Will be here? Dammit, she thought, I knew we shouldn't have come. What must he be thinking? She thought she saw a glare coming through the startled look on his face, but she couldn't quite look at him fully. There he was, walking right toward her, the man who must hate her. The man whom she'd yelled at, told she hated, the man she had grievously misjudged. As he neared, though, she couldn't help but look at him. Despite herself, she felt a surge of thoroughly unexpected affection as she saw his rumpled jeans, wrinkled shirt, and flyaway hair. She felt tears prick at her eyes, but forced herself to stay composed.

"Elizabeth?" he asked, his eyes narrowed not in anger, but in disbelief. Her heart fell a little at the use of her full name.

"Will! I mean, Darcy… I mean, Mr. Darcy…" she spluttered, feeling foolish. Well, he certainly wouldn't like her anymore if she kept acting this way. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm herself. His steady gaze was unsettling.

"What are you doing here?" he asked; to her ears, the question sounded harsh, and she cringed. What must he think? Probably that she was purposefully throwing herself in front of him again, as some sort of cruel joke. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Darcy… my aunt and uncle brought me to England for my graduation gift and we've been running around meeting all of my aunt's old friends for the past week and she used to know your housekeeper Mary… they used to dance together or something, so we came here to see her… but she said you wouldn't be home until tomorrow so we thought it would be okay… but now you're here so we should go… we really should go…" she stopped herself, realizing she was rambling. She just wanted to make him understand, but she also didn't want him to think that she didn't want to see him… she groaned silently, wishing that he would go inside soon so that she could leave.

"No, Elizabeth, please…" he said. She looked up at him; his voice sounded gentle, amused even. Was that possible?

"Stay. I arrived home early… Mary didn't even know I was coming today," he said. She stared at him, trying to evaluate his expression. Was he being truthful? Did he want her to stay? But how could that be?

"I'm really sorry," she said quietly. For so much, she wanted to add, but stayed silent.

"Don't be," he said, his face creasing into a smile. She stared at him in wonder… he was smiling? Despite her shock, she found herself slightly more at ease under his smile.

"Have you even looked around yet?" he asked.

"Mary took us around the house," she said.

"But you haven't seen the grounds?"

She shook her head. "Well, no, but…"

"You must," he said. "You of all people will appreciate them." He smiled again. She smiled a little in return; it was the most she had seen him smile in so short a period. Her stomach, however, was still in knots, and she was itching to leave.

"Please, start looking around," he said. "I really should shower, I've been in the car since nine in the morning," he said with a laugh. She smiled fully this time, and for a brief moment as he walked away, she almost wanted to stay. But she just couldn't; despite his shockingly warm greeting, she just couldn't quite believe that he didn't hate her. And that made her more mortified than anything.

Eliza turned on her heel and walked quickly into the house. She strode up the stairs and made her way to the porch where her aunt and uncle were having tea. Mary was nowhere to be seen, for which Eliza was very grateful.

"There you are, Lizzie," Aunt Anne said. "We were wondering where you'd gotten to."

"Can we leave?" Eliza blurted out. She hated to make her aunt and uncle leave so abruptly, but for the sake of her sanity, it was necessary. They looked at her in alarm.

"Why?" Uncle John asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, but can we please go?" she asked again, looking imploringly at her aunt. Her aunt took notice, and nodded graciously.

"Of course, Eliza, if you really want to go," Anne said, setting down her teacup and standing. "With my arthritis, I don't know if I could have walked around the grounds, anyway," she said, nudging her husband to stand. Uncle John still looked baffled, but he stood and made his way to the door. Just then Mary appeared in the hallway, and she let out a cry when she saw them making their way out.

"You're leaving so soon?" the housekeeper asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Mary," Aunt Anne said, hugging her old friend. "We've forgotten the time."

"Well, if you're in the area all weekend, perhaps we can meet up again," Mary said, pecking Uncle John on the cheek. "It was very nice to meet you, Eliza."

"You, too," Eliza said as Mary hugged her.

"It was good to see you, old friend," Aunt Anne said as she and Mary hugged once more. Mary walked them downstairs and waited by the front door as Uncle John went to get the car. She chattered on to Aunt Anne about what they should still see in the area while they were here, and recommended a few restaurants. Eliza nervously kept checking the stairs, expecting to see Darcy come down them at any moment. To her great relief, Uncle John pulled up with the car a minute later, and she practically ran down the steps and along the path towards it. She had barely opened the door, however, when she heard it.

"Mr. Darcy! I didn't even know you were home, sir!"

Eliza froze as she heard footsteps crunch on the pebbles behind her. I'm doomed, she thought.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will showered as quickly as he could; somehow he had the feeling that he had to move quickly. He stood in front of the mirror for a moment, noticing the perceptible stubble on his face, but there was no time to shave: he had to get back downstairs.

He threw on a fresh pair of jeans and a button-down blue shirt. Sitting on his plush, four-poster bed, he jammed on a pair of loafers before checking his appearance in the mirror for a fleeting second. He left his luggage half-open and scattered as he dashed out of the room. Winding his way through the familiar halls, he found himself wondering what Eliza was thinking and if his letter had at all changed the way she thought about him. Outside just a few minutes ago, he had enjoyed the fleeting prospect that perhaps it had… but there was only one way to find out.

He hurried down the stairs to find Mary standing at the front door, waving. His stomach flipped when he reached the door to find Eliza and her aunt and uncle getting into a car a few yards down the drive.

"Mr. Darcy!" Mary cried from beside him. "I didn't even know you were home, sir!"

Will spared her a brief smile before leaping down the front steps. There was no way he was letting Eliza leave that quickly. She had her back to him, but she froze, halfway into the car, as he skidded to a halt behind her. The woman who was presumably her aunt turned around by the passenger door and stared at him in bewilderment.

"You're not leaving, are you?" Will said, but then groaned quietly. What a stupid question, he thought.

Eliza slowly turned around, shrugging sheepishly. "We didn't want to bother you," she said, looking him in the eye for the first time.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said with a smile as Eliza's uncle got out of the driver's seat, looking confused. He was a portly, middle-aged man with round glasses and creases around his mouth. Will took a deep breath and then strode forward, his hand outstretched.

"You must Elizabeth's uncle," he said, shaking hands with the elder man.

"John Gardiner," he replied, returning Will's smile as they shook hands. Will could feel Mr. Gardiner sizing him up, and flushed a little; what had Eliza told them?

"William Darcy," Will said as Eliza's aunt made her way around the vehicle. "And you must be Mrs. Gardiner," he said as he shook her hand as well. She was taller than her husband, with thick brown hair, twinkling brown eyes, and a long nose. She grinned at him as she took his hand.

"Call me Anne," she said.

"It's very good to meet you," Will said.

"And you, William. Your estate is just magnificent," Anne said.

"Please, call me Will. And thank you, but that compliment really belongs to Mary… I'm only here a few months a year," he said. It was then he realized that the car was still running.

"Here, Mr. Gardiner, let Mary take your car back to the garage. I insist that you stay and look around the grounds," Will said, stretching out his hand. Mr. Gardiner dazedly dropped the car keys into his hand, which Will promptly handed over to Mary. He gestured that they all walk over toward the lake, and Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner eagerly followed him, Eliza trailing behind.

"Do you fish at all, Mr. Gardiner?" Will asked as they strolled along the lake's edge.

"Every summer since I was five," Mr. Gardiner said with a smile.

"Well if you'll be in the area for a few days, you should come and fish in the lake. I have to admit I don't fish that much myself, but the lake is always stocked and you're welcome to come."

"Well, thank you, Will. That's very generous of you," Mr. Gardiner said, and then for some reason he looked back at Eliza, who was still trailing several feet behind them. Will chose to ignore this and kept walking.

"How long were you planning to stay in the area?" he asked.

"Until Monday," Anne replied.

"Oh, is that all?" Will said, and then bit his tongue. Anne's smile was a bit shrewd as she answered him.

"Well, we could delay going to Yorkshire. That's where my family is… and it's not as if I'm in any great hurry to see them," she said with a chuckle. Will smiled appreciatively as they approached a small gazebo.

"Oh, I'm sorry to be such a party pooper, but I really ought to sit down for a few minutes," Anne said, taking her husband's hand. "My limbs aren't exactly what they used to be," she went on, sitting down in the gazebo.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Will asked.

"No, no, I'm fine. You two go on ahead," she said with a smile. Will felt the knot in his stomach tighten as he turned around to find Eliza still standing several feet away from him by the lake. Her sleeveless purple top was ruffling slightly in the breeze as he gestured forward. She uncrossed her arms and followed, at his side this time.

"So, how are you liking England, Elizabeth?" he asked as they left the lake behind and started on one of the many walking paths. She smiled, seeming to ease a little.

"It's Eliza," she said pointedly. He laughed.

"Sorry… how are you liking England, Eliza?" he asked again.

"I absolutely love it," she said; her voice sounded more at ease, but she was still fiddling with the hem of her shirt in a nervous, fidgeting sort of way. Will was at a complete loss – this was not the confident Eliza he had known – until a thought struck him: she may think that he hated her now, after what had happened. He almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it, but viewing her nervous smile and clear discomfort, he had to think it must be true.

"Good… I knew you would," he said, and then glanced at her quickly, wondering if he had been too bold. She looked up at him in surprise, looking as if she was about to ask him something. But then she looked away and started talking about the gardens, and suddenly he was following her. He strode along, content to listen to the sound of her voice, when an idea hit him. But would that be too bold?

"Eliza," he said during a pause. She blushed and chuckled.

"Sorry, I know, I've been rambling," she said, turning toward him.

"No, I don't mind," he said, smiling. They continued walking, leaving the sunny gardens and heading under the shade of the trees.

"I'm expecting some guests tomorrow, some of whom you know," he started saying. She looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Charles Bingley and his sister Caroline?" he said, a bit timidly. She blushed again and looked down at the ground. No doubt she, too, was thinking back on the last time that name was mentioned between them. His thoughts flickered to his letter once again.

"Oh," was all she said.

"But there's also someone else, someone who would very much like to meet you," he went on. Eliza was still determinedly looking at the ground. "Would I be asking too much to introduce you to my sister, Georgia?"

Eliza looked up quickly, and then suddenly a huge grin broke out across her face. She nodded enthusiastically.

"I would like that very much," she said. He was perplexed by her sudden change in mood, but welcomed it all the same.

"Good… would you and your aunt and uncle like to come over for dinner tomorrow?" he asked, far too excited for her answer for his own good.

"We'd love to."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eliza had never been quite so uncomfortable or befuddled in her entire life. There he was, the man she had brutally rejected, humiliated, and horribly misjudged, smiling and making small talk as if nothing had ever happened. He seemed so… different, somehow. He had greeted her aunt and uncle warmly, cordially invited her uncle to fish on his lake, and had concernedly asked her aunt if she wanted something to drink. At first Eliza was so shocked she forgot that she was in an extremely awkward position. But when her aunt and uncle went to sit down and she had to go on alone with him, her stomach positively erupted into butterflies. We shouldn't have come here, she thought furiously. This is just too embarrassing… for both of us! But then he looked over and smiled. What was wrong with him?

She walked alongside him, but kept a good foot between them. He seemed not nearly as uncomfortable as she was, and slowly, her bemusement overtook her anxiety. He didn't seem to hate her… not in the least. And she knew from Long Island that if he did hate her, he would not make any bones about showing it.

"So, how are you liking England, Elizabeth?" he said after a moment or two. She smiled, deciding to test his seemingly good will.

"It's Eliza," she said in faux exasperation, and to her delight, he laughed.

"Sorry… how are you liking England, Eliza?" he asked again.

"I absolutely love it," she said, her thoughts going back to the time when he'd told her he thought she would like England. That seemed like a very long time ago, now.

"Good… I knew you would," he said; she looked up at him in surprise. Did he remember what he'd said, too?

"Do you know I've never been in an English garden before?" she said, feeling the need to talk. She walked a little further ahead of him, unable to bear his steady, inscrutable gaze anymore. "Well, there's this woman who lives down the street from us at home who pretends to have this great English garden, but one time I found a huge stack of Burpee seed packs in her house… not exactly imported from England, is it?"

She walked along the brick path, chattering for no better reason other than talking made her feel a little more comfortable. Even if there was no possible way he still loved her, she wanted to seem herself.

"So finally my father just hired a landscaper, because it was the fifth year in a row my mother managed to kill everything in the backyard." She paused for a moment, looking out over the scenery. She'd never seen such green grass. The gardens were busy and colorful, the hills beyond them bare and peaceful. For a brief moment, she found herself wondering what it would be like to live here for the rest of her life.

"Eliza," Darcy said behind her. She turned around to face him, unable to keep herself from blushing.

"Sorry, I know, I've been rambling," she said with a sheepish smile.

"No, I don't mind," he said, leading her away from the gardens and onto a path shaded by tall, thick trees. It was a few moments before he spoke again.

"I'm expecting some guests tomorrow, some of whom you know," he said. She furrowed her brow, but half-expected what he was about to say. "Charles Bingley and his sister, Caroline," he went on. There was a brief but horrible moment in which she knew they were both thinking about the last time they had talked about Charles. A part of her wanted to mention the letter, but a stronger part told her to keep quiet.

"Oh," she managed to murmur.

"But there's also someone else, someone who would very much like to meet you," he said a second later. Eliza kept staring at the ground, her senses not fully collected.

"Would I be asking too much to introduce you to my sister, Georgia?" he asked. Eliza's head snapped up, and she turned to him with a grin. He couldn't possibly hate her, not if he was willing to introduce his sister to her. The revelation both pleased and perplexed her, but then she noticed he was still waiting for an answer. She nodded.

"I would like that very much," she said, and it was perfectly true. She had been eager to meet his sister for a very long time.

"Good… would you and your aunt and uncle like to come over for dinner tomorrow?" he asked then.

"We'd love to," she answered. She had no idea what her aunt had had planned, but was certain she could convince her out of it. The idea of seeing Charles and Caroline again didn't so much excite her, but the prospect of meeting Georgia Darcy was enough to overcome her reservations about seeing the Bingleys. She suddenly felt much more relaxed, and was able to listen to Darcy talk about the grounds and house without fidgeting at all. She still knew that he didn't love her anymore, but the fact that he didn't hate her was enough. Her mind, however, soon drifted to the mystery of his new demeanor. He smiled often as he walked her around, and several times it reached his eyes. His voice still held a slight tone of pride, and his speech was still overly verbose at times, but there was a definite and perceptible change. But why? It couldn't have been because of her; in fact, she was still amazed he had even spoken to her in the first place!

They walked on in silence for a while, Eliza every so often asking a question or pointing out a flower. They eventually wound their way back to the gazebo where her aunt and uncle were still sitting. Darcy sat down with them and repeated his invitation to have dinner tomorrow. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were thrilled, and accepted enthusiastically. Darcy again invited Mr. Gardiner to come fish during the day tomorrow, and Eliza's uncle smiled and clapped Darcy on the shoulder. Soon, however, the sun was setting, and Aunt Anne was reluctantly saying that they should be going. Darcy walked with them back to the main drive as Uncle John went to fetch the car.

"It was really nice to meet you, Will," Aunt Anne said as Uncle John came up with the car.

"And you, Mrs. Gardiner. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," Will said as he helped her into the passenger seat. Eliza suddenly felt very awkward again as he opened the door for her, too. She wasn't sure what to say, but luckily Will helped her.

"See you tomorrow, Eliza," he said quietly. She was close enough to see his stubble, and she suddenly couldn't help but smile.

"See you," she said, and then got into the car. He closed the door behind her and they took off, Aunt Anne twirling in her seat to wave goodbye.

"Elizabeth Bennet, I have never known you to lie," Aunt Anne said abruptly, looking at Eliza with mock-anger on her face.

"What?" Eliza cried. "When did I lie?"

"You said he was a snob!" Anne said, starting to laugh. Uncle John was chortling, too, as they drove out of the estate.

"Unless you met another William Darcy in Long Island, you were completely wrong about that young man," Uncle John said.

"I think I did," Eliza said as her aunt and uncle laughed. She sighed and leaned back in the car seat as her aunt and uncle talked on about Will and the estate. But all Eliza could think of was one thing: He loved me…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Hooray! That was a super-fast update if I ever saw one. This chapter was a lot of fun but also pretty difficult to write, so review and let me know what you thought.

I'm hoping to update at least one more time before I go back to school, but maybe if you all review I'll be so excited I'll update twice! Let's see if we can make it to 300 on this one!

Love, luck, and flying Ringwraiths,

Emma the NazgulQueen