Chapter Six
Libby woke the next morning to the sound of Jane bustling about their shared bedroom.
"What time is it?" She mumbled,
"Oh, morning Libby, I didn't wake you, did I?" She asked sweetly, "It's about one...you missed breakfast."
"Shit." Libby groaned, before throwing off the covers and clambering out of bed,
"A...er," Jane started tentatively as Libby grabbed a cardigan and pulled it on, walking over and picking up her hair brush, fixing her appearance in the mirror, "A certain Mr Darcy was very concerned about your where abouts, Libby...and...I didn't hear you come in last night, you were at the library pretty late...?"
"What-er...what are you talking about?" Libby stuttered, her mind flashing back to the feel of Will Darcy's broad shoulders and toned stomach under her small hands and the taste of coffee on his breath as his hot lips devoured hers,
"ELIZABETH! You're blushing!" She exclaimed, "What the hell happened last night?"
"Nothing!" Libby insisted, Jane fixed her with a look and Libby sighed,
"We...we got in a fight-"
"Libby! Really, what was it this time? Oh, and me and Chuck thought things were going so well, you're still going-"
"Jane, thats not all...we, we got in a fight about whether or not the two main protagonists should...should kiss at the end of the script. Baring in mind we were going to have to perform this at some point..."
"Libby! I can't believe you were refusing to kiss him!" Jane scolded and Libby chuckled, placing the hair brush down and running her hands through her now untangled hair,
"It was the other way around actually...he...he didn't want to kiss me-" Libby's mind flashed back to the night before,
"Now do you see why I cannot kiss you in front of Miss Simmons?" he asked, his voice had been so low and so husky and she didn't think she'd ever seen his perfect eyes so dark and full of passion and...lust...for her, "I wouldn't be able to control myself, God I'm struggling to hold onto what little willpower I have left now." She recalled his swift intake of breath as her thigh grazed his hardness. She'd done that to him. She'd felt so safe as he'd cradled her, his mouth hot on hers, leaving trails of fire all over her body.
"So I started yelling, I called him an arse and prissy, you know and then...he kissed me." She breathed it out like it was a secret and Jane stared at her! Before she grinned,
"Oh my god! I knew it! I so knew it! I told you, Libby, I so told you that he liked you! Oh my god! Ahhhh!' She exclaimed, running over and hugging Libby, "This is amazing!"
"Yeah, well, it was just a kiss, I have no idea what that...means?"
"It means, that myself and Lottie were right so-" Jane was interrupted by a nock on the door. The two girls exchanged glances, it wasn't Lottie, she would have just barged in, and there was no way it was the matron, she never visited on weekends. Jane walked over and opened the door,
"Will!" She said smiling,
"Can...is...is Libby in her, I..." he stammered, causing Jane to glance back at Libby who was violently shaking her head, she shot her an apologetic glance before returning her attention to Will,
"Yeah, she's only just woken up, I've got to go check some last minute details for later with Chuck...I'll be back in a bit." She said, before slipping out past Will and leaving the pair alone.
"Hey," Libby said, quietly, refusing to look at him, he just stood in the door way drinking in her appearence. Jane wasn't lying when she'd said he'd just woken up, she was stood in front of him, a tiny pair of black shorts on and a cardigan that was wrapped tightly about her small frame.
"You weren't at breakfast," he stated, walking towards her,
"No, I...I overslept..." She looked up finally and caught his eye, he smiled easily at her and she caught her breath. The tension was palpable in that room and her eyes shifted lower towards his lips. He was still walking towards her, stopping just in front of her, his cool blue eyes searching her caramel ones, she looked up at him, suddenly noticing quite how tiny she was in comparison to him. He looked back down at her and smiled, reaching out and tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear,
"I just...I wanted to apologise. Last night...that was never how I'd planned it and I'm sorry...i really...I like you Elizabeth." Under any normal circumstance, she would have teased him for the cliche move he'd just pulled but this was different. He'd just told her he liked her. Will Darcy liked her! Suddenly, she was grinning at him, and before she had a chance to think, she was leaning up on her tiptoes and brushing her soft lips against his.
The kiss was slow and gentle and in every way perfect as Libby unfolded her arms and allowed them to snake up around his neck. Will Darcy got quite a shock when he slipped his hands inside her cardigan, expecting to find t-shirt and instead, finding nothing. He pulled back in order to look at her. Black cotton shorts mussed up hair, puffy lips and a black bra. It was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen,
"God you're beautiful." He breathed, kissing her again. Unfortunately, the moment was short lived, because there was a knock on the door as Jane called,
"Is it safe to come in?" Libby and Will laughed as she stepped away and rubbing at the nape of his neck,
"Yeah," He called and Jane entered followed by Lottie, Jane was carrying garment bags as Lottie carried a pile of expensive looking boxes,
"I'm really sorry, Will, but we're gonna have to kick you out, we only have six hours to get ready and things need to start happening," Jane explained apologetically as she laid the garment bags down on her carefully made bed. Will noted then that you could clearly tell the difference between where Libby slept and where Jane slept; Jane's bed was neatly made, her dressing table and bedside table both neatly ordered, as was her desk. Everything was colour co-ordinated and tidy. Libby's side of the room however, was quite the opposite, he makeup and beauty products were scattered all over her dressing table and there were books littering her bedside table and desk. The term 'lived-in look' sprung to Will's mind. He chuckled then as he noticed the horrified expression on Libby's face,
"Six hours!?" She exclaimed, "She fucking hours! Why do we need six hours?"
"Because," Lottie explained, "There's showering and hair washing, then hair drying, then facials, manicures and pedicures, then waxing, then hair, then makeup, then we have to actually get dressed. We're all going to be helping each other too. It takes a long time."
"Jesus," Libby breathed, before turning to Will, "I'll...I'll see you later," She smiled, and he nodded, leaning in a pecking her on the lips - an act that shocked the both of them - before scurrying out.
Lottie and Jane both turned to a very embarrassed Libby,
"Details, now." Lottie said, before adding, "Oh, and we so told you so."
Seven o'clock came around surprisingly quickly, and, while Libby continued in the belief that six hours to get ready was a little excessive, but, to say it paid off would be an understatement, Lottie took off at about six to meet up with some other friends, leaving just Libby and Jane to complete the finishing touches on their appearance and get more and more nervous. Ar quarter to seven, there came a sharp wrap on the door. Libby turned to Jane and they exchanged nervous smiles before Jane went to open the door. Chuck and Will stood there, smiling as Jane invited them in. Libby's breath caught in her throat as he came into view. He looked like one of the princes from the fairytales her father used to read her.
"Libs," Will breathed, and Libby shuddered at his use of the nickname. There weren't many people that she let call her 'Libs',
"Hey, Will." She said shyly, she could feel the heat of his gaze on her, intense as ever, she was so beautiful. the dress, falling just bellow her knee in a deep, midnight black had a full, puffy skirt and a tight bodice with no straps, highlighting her small, but in proportion, bust. The shoes she was adorning were also black, stilettos curtesy of the fact that she was a good couple of inches shorter than him when wearing flats, this just meant that kissing her would be all the easier. Her hair was loose and natural, just the way he loved it, framing her beautiful face. She was flawless.
"God, you look...you look so beautiful, Elizabeth." He breathed coming to stand in front of her, she smiled,
"You don't scrub up so bad yourself, William." She smiled and he grinned offering her his arm,
"Shall we go then?" Chuck asked, and the four of them walked out of the door and towards the main hall.
The decorations in the main hall were beautiful. Tables with white lace covering them and eight chairs arranged about them. The chandeliers looked beautiful and reflected the moonlight outside.
Libby descended the elaborate historic looking staircase on the arms of Will. She couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of the place. Their was a string quartet playing. A string quartet. How very british, she thought, and laughed at the idea. They walked over and sat at a table, besides Patrick and his date and Lottie and her date, Richi Collins. They chatted, all of them for hours, getting up, wandering around the room and being introduced to knew people. Libby's hand joined securely with his the only thing stopping Will from bolting as countless younger students came up asking for autographs etc. Libby was amazing though, she handled all of it so well, it was a few hours later, night had fallen and a lot of the younger students had retired, Libby, Will, Jane and Chuck sat drinking fake champagne and orange juice. Chuck and Jane danced a couple of dances and eventually, Will leaned over to the girl sat beside him, laughing and joking with her friends,
"Dance with me?" Will whispered, and she smiled, nodding, "Of course." He stood up and offered her his hand as he lead her onto the dance floor. Most of the people still at the ball were dancing by this point, twirling around in a kaleidoscope of coloured dresses and black tuxedoes. He lead her right to the very centre of the dance floor and wrapped his arms about her waist as she looped hers about his neck and they started to sway in time to the music,
"I love this song." Libby breathed, and Will just smiled. They continued dancing in a peaceful silence before Libby spoke again, "It's you're turn to say something Will," she chided, "I've commented on the song, now you should comment on how lovely the room looks, or how many people showed up."
"Of course, which do you wanted to hear?" He asked, playing along with her game, his mind distracted by just how beautiful the girl in his arms was, by just how much he wanted to kiss her, to tease her, make her his.
"You're impossible, William." She laughed, and he smiled, and yet again she was caught by just how beautiful he was when he smiled,
"And you're stunning."
"Wow, cheese central there!" She teased and he shrugged,
"I don't care. It's true, you are easily the most beautiful women in the room."
"Well, now I know you're lying; Jane's here." She smirked, and he sighed. She really couldn't see it, could she. Jane was pretty yes, but Libby, had that flare in her eyes, that complete mystery. She was intriguing, a puzzle that he couldn't help but want to solve.
"Tell me something, Will." She asked, and he smirked,
"While that dress looks beautiful on, I can only imagine how much better it would look off." She feigned shock,
"Mr Darcy! Maybe you are a misogynist after all," he laughed, twirling her around before bringing her back to his chest and pulling her tighter against him, "But I meant something real, something no one else knows. Tell me of your sister, Ana, your parents, I want to know."
"Why?"
"So I can better make out your character." he laughed, but conceded,
"My father...lives in England, actually, he moved there when him and my mum got divorced. I was about seven. She didn't know she was pregnant at the time, of course." His face clouded over then, "She...she died, giving birth to Ana, so me and Ana got shipped off to live with dad. He...wasn't much of a father though, sent us both to boarding schools back here as soon as we were old enough. Ana's at an elementary school called Ramsgate Academy..." He stopped,
"Will...I'm...I'm so sorry." She breathed, and he smiled sadly down at her,
"It isn't your fault, Elizabeth Bennet." And then, he kissed her, soft and gentle at first but they quickly got lost in each others embrace. Will was the first to pull away, panting for breath as he straightened his appearance, "If we don't stop now my restraint will completely go and I'll end up groping you in the middle of the dance floor." She laughed at this, before going up on her tiptoes and whispering,
"And would there be something truly wrong with that?" she nibbled his ear gently before pulling away completely as she went to walk, he groaned, reaching out and pulling her back to him, kissing her soundly, she laughed against his lips pulling away, but this time, dragging him with her when she went to go back to the table.
"There you two are! Wondered where you got too," Lottie asked, grinning wildly and swaying.
"Is she drunk?" Will whispered to Libby and she laughed in disbelief,
"It would seem so," Will went to sit back down, but Libby smiled and shook her head,
"I'm really tired now actually, so Will was gonna take me back to my room, I'll...I'll see you in the morning guys." She said, before turning and leading Will away.
The moment they were up the steps and round the corner, hands linked, he turned to her,
"What are you doing, Libs?" he asked, she just smiled at him,
"I'm tired." She replied, and he shrugged, starting to walk in the direction of her room again. Libby's mind was whirling. Had someone spiked the punch? She suddenly felt drunk. Her mind was spinning but all she could think about was Will, the way he smelt, the way he tasted the way he looked in his tux. Oh jesus. She needed to get away from him, from his intoxicating presence so she could just think, it was all happening far too quickly.
"We're here." He said when they reached her door. She nodded,
"We're here," There was a pause as they both looked at each other, "I had an amazing night, Will." she said and he nodded, before leaning down and kissing her. It was only meant to be a quick goodnight kiss, but just as he started to pull away, he tiny hands reached up and knotted in his hair and she was deepening the kiss. Before either of them really knew what was happening, the door was open and they were stumbling through, mouths still locked together. His large hands traveled down her body, grasping at the puffy material of her skirt as her hands skittered over his broad back,
"Libby," He moaned, and she grinned, before squealing as he lifted her up, reattaching their lips, tongues dulling for dominance. He picked her up, her legs automatically encircling his waist as her core pressed against his manhood. At this, Will pulled back,
"Libby, you have to know, if you keep kissing me like that...I won't be able to stop myself." She stopped, her breath ragged and her heart thumping. Split second decisions. Now, or never. Now. Libby very deliberately pressed her lips against his her hands moving to undo his tie,
"I like you too," She whispered, before they tumbled back onto her bed.