Chapter 23 – At the Opera

Will woke up with a knot of excitement in his stomach. Of course, he couldn't deny that he was a little disappointed that he and Eliza would not be alone – indeed, that was looking more impossible by the day – but at least today there would be no Caroline, who was staying behind.

He and Georgia were meeting the Gardiners and Eliza at the small Derby airport at eleven o'clock, so he rolled out of bed at eight and set about making himself breakfast. Georgia, it seemed, was already up, for she had left her box of cereal out on the counter and the milk by the sink. Will shook his head and cleaned up; he was truly thrilled that Georgia and Eliza seemed to be getting along so well. However, a selfish part of him was worried that Eliza would pay so much attention to Georgia that she wouldn't get to know him at all.

The morning passed quickly. Will got dressed in a navy suit with a light blue button-down shirt underneath which, at Georgia's advice, he left tie-less and open a few buttons. Georgia changed her outfit innumerable times; after the fifth dress, he lost count. She finally seemed to settle on a lavender knee-length dress and sandals, and at half past ten, they finally left the house, leaving behind a stewing and red-faced Caroline.

"Oh, she'll be in such a bad mood when we get back," Georgia said in the car.

"Is she ever in a good mood?" Will asked. Georgia smiled and shook her head.

"No… and she probably never will be, as long as you keep rejecting her," she said with a giggle.

"What, would you rather have Caroline than Anne?" Will said. Georgia groaned.

"No… I'd rather have Eliza," she said simply. Will bit his tongue and looked out the window.

"Georgia…" he said softly.

"What?" she said sharply. "Oh, come on, Will, if you were going to marry Anne you would have done it by now. And you like Eliza, I know you do," she said. Will rested his elbow on the window, marveling at how easily his sister could see through him.

"Georgia…" he repeated, at a loss for words.

"What?" she said again. He looked over at her, his hands suddenly jittery as they approached the airport. He just shrugged halfheartedly, unable to put what he was thinking into words. She sighed huffily, but they were soon pulling up alongside the jet, and she marched out without another word.

The Gardiners and Eliza were standing awkwardly beside the jet. Georgia bounced over to say hello while Will went to confer with the pilot. A few minutes later, the stairs were being lowered and they all climbed aboard. Georgia, it seemed, purposely put herself closer to the Gardiners, so that Will had no choice but to sit next to Eliza. She smiled a little at him as he sat down; she was wearing a turquoise blue halter dress, and her hair lay straight, coming down to just beyond her shoulders. He nodded to her, feeling oddly at ease.

"Thank you again for inviting us to come," she said with a brilliant smile.

"Please, don't. We're really very happy to have you," he replied. She nodded and straightened to face forward.

He felt the need to say something, and so blurted, "The Bingleys were happy to see you again." He was reassured when she chuckled and leaned her head back in the chair.

"I was, too," she said a few moments later, looking over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Caroline seems to be expecting your proposal any day now."

They both laughed; Will was relieved that she thought Caroline just as ridiculous as he did.

"Yeah… although I have to admit I'm a little scared she might buy a ring, a dress, book a church, drug me, and marry me without my knowledge," he said.

Eliza laughed… it was just as musical and wonderful as he had ever remembered it.

"I wouldn't put it past her," she said. He looked at her in alarm.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," she said, nodding gravely before bursting out into chuckles. "Don't worry, I'll look out for you."

"Yeah?" he said, pushing all thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Sure… in fact, maybe I should just have her committed to a mental asylum now. I mean, they'd take her without question, she is seriously unhinged."

He laughed, but was secretly marveling; so far, he had not heard a word of sarcasm come out of her mouth. In Long Island, nearly all of her conversation had been dripping with disdain. He felt a small amount of triumph at this revelation.

"What about Anne?" Eliza said a moment later, her smile gone.

Will furrowed his brow. "Your aunt?" he asked. "No offense, but she's not really my type."

She chuckled, but shook her head. "No, Anne Lundi. I thought… well, I thought you were… involved with her."

Will stared at her for several seconds before answering. Was she envious? No, no, definitely not… it was just his imagination.

"No… no," he repeated. She looked puzzled for a moment, but then seemed to relax. There was an awkward pause, something that they had not experienced in a long time. She then turned to him with a wistful smile.

"How do you like your Mini?"

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

Eliza hardly wanted to get off the plane; she had never been on a private jet before. It was completely luxurious, with leather seats, cashmere pillows, and a never-ending supply of alcoholic beverages. Of course, she had to admit that there was another reason she didn't want to leave the plane: she was actually having a very good time with Will. The change she saw in him never failed to astonish her, and he really was very good company. She wondered if it was at all possible that they could be friends.

"We seem to have enough time," Aunt Anne said as they walked toward Convent Garden.

"Have you ever been here before?" Georgia asked Eliza as she came up beside her and linked her arm in Eliza's.

"No, never," Eliza answered.

"It is absolutely one of my favorite places in the whole world," Georgia said with a giddy smile. "Will used to bring me here all the time as a little kid. And now that he's living in London, he'll have to start doing that again, right, Will?" she said, looking back at her brother.

"Whatever you say, Georgia," he replied.

They walked into the magnificent white building at exactly quarter past two; the performance did not start until three. An usher leapt at the sight of Will and immediately took them up the stairs and into a hallway consisting of nothing but smooth wooden doors.

"Number 95, Lord Darcy," the usher said with a little bow. Will thanked him and then held the door open as everyone filed in.

Eliza couldn't help but gasp when she entered the box. The opera house was even more beautiful inside, with lush crimson curtains and a golden ceiling.

"See what I mean?" Georgia whispered as Eliza gazed around. A shriek jerked her out of her reverie; she turned to see Georgia talking happily with a girl in the next box. Her aunt and uncle put down their things and then left to visit the restroom. The seats were arranged in a sort of straight row facing forward, so that each chair was angled right behind the one in front of it. Will gestured to the last two chairs, and Eliza sat, carefully arranged her turquoise dress around her knees. She took out her program and then turned slightly in the seat to face Will.

"So… what exactly is this about?" she inquired. As much as she loved opera, she had never been very adept at following the plots, especially when they were not sung in English.

Will chuckled softly. "Alright… Ramiro loves Arminda," he started, pointing to the pictures of the singers as he spoke. "The mayor wants to hook up with his garden maid, but the maid is actually a noblewoman who is in love with Count Belfiore, who had stabbed her about a year earlier."

Eliza stared at him, mouth agape. "I'm confused already."

He laughed and patted her on the shoulder. The warmth of his hand startled her and she imagined that he let his fingers stay a little longer on her shoulder than was needed. But he withdrew his hand a moment later and looked back at the program.

"Just listen to the music. Trust me, that's all you can really do," he said. She nodded and pretended to become immersed in her program.

"Crazy Mozart," she murmured under her breath.

"You don't like him?" Will said. She turned back to look at him.

"No, I love him… but these plots! I mean, I know he didn't actually write the libretto or anything, but still…"

"Do you go to the opera often?" he asked.

She shrugged. "As much as I can. Honestly, I prefer the ballet, but sometimes opera can just make you feel…" she made a silly gesture with her arms, unable to put the rest of the sentence into words.

"I know," he said with a significant nod.

She sighed and turned back around, only to find Georgia giggling and whispering with the girl in the next box as both of them gave she and Will significant looks. Eliza flushed and hastily looked to the side, out into the theatre. People were continually filing into the orchestra section; she saw a few, like her, craning their necks to stare at the ceiling or walls. She returned her attention to the stage – she had never had such excellent seats. She suddenly felt acutely awkward; she wanted to talk to Will, but was unsure of what sort of conversation to strike up next.

"How long have you had this box?" she asked a minute later, but then cringed. How blasé, she thought.

"Decades," Will answered. "My mother was fond of the opera. It was one of the first gifts my father ever gave to her."

"Smooth move," she said with a smile. She was glad when he broke into laughter a second later.

"He liked to think so."

"What was your mother's favorite opera?" she asked next.

"La Boheme," he said with a small, pensive smile. "Apparently she saw it dozens of times."

"Apparently?" Eliza inquired, but then bit her tongue. A fleeting wave of sorrow drifted across his face, but then he looked up and met her eye.

"She died shortly after Georgia was born," he replied.

"Oh," she mused, her heart falling. "I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"I know," he said reassuringly. She found herself tempted to place her hand on top of his, which was mere inches away, resting on his knee. But she checked herself, and they soon fell into another silence.

"Father wanted Georgia and I to have the box," Will said a few seconds later. "But he never came back, after she died."

She nodded slowly, gazing at him. Suddenly, all her guilt about having misjudged him before, having let her prejudice blind her, washed over her anew. Her insides twisted as he sighed.

"You know, it's funny," he said with a dry chuckle. "My parents married each other just for money, but they really loved each other in the end."

She smiled a little, but she suddenly felt a bit panicked. What did that mean? Did it mean he would still consider marrying Anne Lundi, because he thought he might grow to love her? He couldn't possibly! A deep, selfish part of her screamed that no, he had loved me! But then, again, she checked herself. She had no right to claim him, to deny any other woman of having him. He had opened himself to her once, and would probably never do so again, to her or any other woman. She didn't deserve him… but neither does Anne Gumby, she thought vehemently.

"Eliza? Are you alright?"

She jerked her head toward Will, who was looking at her as if she had lost her mind. She looked down to find her program crushed in her clenched fist. She took a deep breath and tried to appear normal.

"I'm fine," she said. Moments later, the Gardiners rejoined them, and Georgia took her seat, as well. They all talked as a group about the opera house, the lobby outside, the magnificent box, et cetera. It felt like only seconds later that the lights were dimming and the orchestra began to play.

Eliza quickly found herself lost in the glorious music and stunning costumes. She tried to follow Will's advice and just listen to the music, but every once in a while she snuck a peek at the subtitles, which were flashing on little monitors alongside their seats. By the second act, however, she realized that she completely and utterly lost. This guy loved this girl, but she really wasn't that girl, she was really another, and she was in love with this other man… She leaned back a little in her seat and turned her head slightly to Will; he noticed and leaned forward.

"I have no idea what's going on," she whispered. He laughed softly in her ear.

"Honestly, neither do I," he whispered back.

"Really?" she said with a smile, turning her head to face him. She was surprised to find herself sheer centimeters away from his face. He didn't answer, and instead they just looked at each other for what felt like forever. It was too dark to see his face, but his lips were right there, so close to hers. In the back of her mind, she knew she wouldn't have minded if he had kissed her right then and there, but he pulled away and settled back into his chair. She turned back around and tried to focus on the stage, but by now she was so completely bewildered that she couldn't concentrate. Instead, she could only focus on her own thoughts.

Face it: he loved you once… but he never will again.

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

Will did not pay any attention whatsoever to the last half hour of the opera. He had long since given up on following the plot, but had been at least listening to the music. And then Eliza had turned around… he had never been so close to her before. She hadn't jerked away, as he had expected her to. Instead she had gazed calmly at him, not even bothering to put more than five centimeters between them. Admittedly, he had come very close to kissing her, but he hadn't figured her out yet. So he pulled away, and she turned back around.

He didn't watch any of the rest of the opera; he was too busy staring at Eliza's shoulder, which was almost glistening in the light coming from the stage. What was she thinking? he wondered. She certainly didn't seem to hate him as she once did. But was she starting to like him? It seemed, if he dared to believe it, possible. Not romantically, of course, but she seemed willing to be friends. That was it, he decided, he was just going to have to come out and ask her. Ask her if she had read the letter, if she'd believed it, if she was open to being friends.

"That was just wonderful," Mrs. Gardiner said over the applause as the lights came back on. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Yes… I had no idea what was going on, of course, but I liked it all the same," Mr. Gardiner chimed in. Everyone laughed as they again nodded in agreement.

Will looked at his watch and saw that it was nearly six o'clock.

"Shall we go to dinner?" he asked everyone. They all nodded enthusiastically and he led the way out of the theatre. Georgia trotted alongside him, chatting on about the Richardsons, who had been sitting in the box next to them. He spoke when he had to, but he couldn't help but look behind him every once in awhile at Eliza; she was walking in between the Gardiners, but looked a little dazed. Once, she looked up and caught his eye. She smiled and he had the fleeting urge to ask her for her number.

They entered the restaurant and were seated right away; for a moment Will was nervous that Eliza might think this snobbish, but then he heard her say, "Wow, how fast was that?" He smiled to himself and held the chair out for her; as she took her seat, her hand brushed against his. His fingers felt tingly for a moment, but then he shook the feeling away. It was silly to get excited about something so trivial.

Dinner was extremely enjoyable. Will was grateful that his attention was not entirely focused on Eliza, and the conversation between the five of them was easy and relaxed, although he couldn't help but feel at the end that he wished the Gardiners were Eliza's parents instead of the Bennets.

After dessert and coffee, Georgia and the Gardiners all got up to use the restroom, leaving Will and Eliza alone at the table. There was a single seat in between them, and Will painfully noticed the sudden romantic atmosphere of the restaurant, with its candlelit tables and rose centerpieces. He realized that this may be his only chance to talk to her alone, and so seized it. He took up the seat between them so that, once again, they were barely six inches away from one another.

"Eliza, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you," he started. Her eyes were glimmering in the candlelight as she leaned toward him.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well…"

"William Darcy!" a loud voice suddenly boomed behind him. Will cursed under his breath, but turned around. He found Mark Cleaver standing behind his chair; Mark was an attorney at a firm that often competed with Will's. He was a large, red-faced man with a bushy mustache, and he clapped Will hard on the back as Will stood to shake his hand.

"Mark, how are you?" Will said, forcing his voice into politeness. "Doing alright after we slaughtered you last month in court?"

Mark laughed. "That you did… but hell, I still got paid, so who cares?"

Will laughed civilly, racking his brain for a way out.

"And who's this beautiful young woman?" Mark asked, gesturing to Eliza. Will turned to her, as well; she was standing and shaking Mark's hand.

"This is Elizabeth Bennet," he said to Mark. "Mark Cleaver," he then added to Eliza, who nodded graciously.

"Pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth," Mark said.

"And you, Mr. Cleaver," Eliza replied. Will was secretly pleased that she did not add 'but call me Eliza'.

"Probably boasting about all your wins lately to Elizabeth here, eh, Darcy?" Mark went on. "Don't let him fool you… he's a total mouse in court."

"Somehow I doubt that," Eliza said, with a wink to Will.

"Really?" Mark boomed. "You've hoodwinked her good, Darcy. What's this I hear about you lowering your fees? Losing clients?"

Both Eliza and Mark looked surprised; Mark with vengeful delight, Eliza with a thoughtful gaze.

"Not at all," Will replied. "Just making things more accessible. In fact, last I heard, we had just signed on a few of your former clients, Mark."

Eliza laughed softly as Mark grew even redder. Will winked back at her as Mark's mustache bristled.

"Yes, well… no matter!" Mark went on. He then straightened and puffed out his chest. "Well, nice to meet you, Elizabeth. Darcy… see you in court."

With that he waddled away, and Will turned to Eliza to find her laughing out loud, her head tilted back.

"He looks like a walrus!" she said, placing a hand on his upper arm to balance herself. He laughed as well.

"He really does," he said as her laughter died down. She took a deep breath and then suddenly seemed to notice that her hand still rested on his arm. She took it off immediately and let it fall by her side.

"So…" she said, her voice softer. "You were going to ask me something?"

"Ah, yes, I was," he said, but then saw the Gardiners and Georgia heading back to the table. Eliza turned her head and saw them as well. Her shoulders seemed to fall a little, and he couldn't help but feel very disappointed.

"Some other time," he said quietly. She nodded and smiled a little as the others joined them.

"Will!" Georgia cried as she approached the table. "Mrs. Gardiner said that she would let me take them shopping tomorrow in Derby!"

"Is that so?" he said.

"Aunt Anne, you'll do anything but go to your family's house, won't you?" Eliza said with a laugh.

Mrs. Gardiner smiled. "Yes, actually."

"Eliza, I am so excited to show you… I could not let you leave Derby without going to Sadler Gate," Georgia said, coming over and taking Eliza's hands in her own. "You want to come, Will?" she added.

Will looked at Eliza, who nodded encouragingly. "Of course I would," he said.

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

A/N: There! Not such a terrible stretch between updates… I apologize, however, to those who read the last author's note and thought I would update sooner. I meant tomorrow in the story, not literally tomorrow.

Anyway, I know this is going to sound sad, but we really only have a few more chapters left. Next chapter is their last day in Derbyshire, which means we will then have the crisis and the resolve. The story should end somewhere around Chapter 30-31ish, which means about eight more chapters. I do and yet don't want the end to come… sigh.

Alright, so PLEASE review! Especially now that I'm suddenly depressed about having so little of the story left… review!

Love, luck, and flying Ringwraiths,

Emma the NazgulQueen