The day of the party arrived and Will was in attendance. He decided last minute to ask his sister if she had wanted to go. He was hoping that telling her last minute would be enough to not make her go. She usually took a long time to get ready. Trying to finding an outfit for her that was not to exposing, not to plain, not to nun-like and not to flashy. Unfortunately for Will his plan backfired. His sister had ran upstairs and gotten dress in five minutes. It was so unnatural he couldn't help asking her.
"How did you change so fast? You usually take hours."
"Charles had told me of the party, I was only discouraged that you wouldn't want me to go, but I had picked a dress just in case."
Will couldn't help but smile at his little sister. She looked lovely in her dark green dress with her hair pinned up.
"You're looking more like our mother everyday."
Georgiana blushed and accepted her brother's hand and they began to make their way to the door. They were almost out when they heard a loud voice, "William, where are you!"
Will told the man at the front door to say that he had taken his sister out for a movie and they quickly fled.
"This is the most exciting. Charles should have more parties for us to escape to." Georgiana exclaimed as they hopped into the car and drove off.
They reached the party in good time. The Bennet family was already there and so was a few of Will's classmates. He dreaded seeing Rick Collins who was chatting away at some unfortunate girl. The young Darcys greeted Bingley family at the door. Charles was already inside talking with Jane. Will found himself searching for Lizzie and spotted her talking a girl he had seen before at the museum. He had seen them together a lot together there and guessed they were good friends. He wanted to make his way closer to where they were, but felt Georgiana holding onto his arm tightly. If he let her go then she will be swept away by Caroline and her friends. Will decided to take her to the dance floor. The music played a slow song and it allowed him a few glances at Lizzie while talking to his sister. Georgiana felt his distance and notice him staring in one specific direction. She looked over her shoulder and saw that he was looking at two girls.
"Which one is Lizzie?"
"The one on the left wearing the deep blue dress."
"She really does look pretty." Will agreed and then quickly reprimanded himself for thinking so.
"Will you introduce me to her?"
He agreed to do so after the dance and they walked over together. The two girls talked a little to each other when they saw them approaching. Will's chest grew tight and he made the introduction.
"Lizzie, my sister would love to meet your acquaintance."
Lizzie looked surprised but accepted.
"Georgiana, this is Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth this is Georgiana."
Lizzie laughed, "You don't have to be so formal, Lizzy is fine."
"It's nice to finally meet you Lizzie, I heard a lot about you."
Lizzie looked at Will, "Good things? I'm sure your brother can't find too many of those."
"They were all good I assure you."
"Will has probably exaggerated then."
Georgiana kept defending her brother while he could see that she was only trying to tease him while keeping Georgiana active.
"Georgiana, I think Lizzie is only teasing."
"Am I? Tell me Will, what should my request be from you? I have been giving it some thought but haven't found anything that would amuse me more."
Georgiana looked between the two, "What favor?"
"Your brother lost a bet that he issued. I have yet to decide on my request. What do you think I should ask from your brother?"
Will blushed as the girls started scheming against him and was amazed at how his sister who was defending him earlier was now willing to feed him to the wolves.
He looked around the room for a distraction and was feeling all the misfortune of catching Ricky's eye. The stout boy walked over to them and interrupted the girls.
Will watched Lizzie to see what she thought of the boy. Her eyes showed amusement but also a hint of annoyance. He was pulled into conversation by Ricky.
"I was not informed that you knew my little flower, Lizzie." Will's eyes grew wide and he stole another glance at Lizzie who was no more embarrassed than disgusted.
"Yes, how do you know Lizzie?"
"My father knows hers and we grew up together before my father left to become a pastor under the church of your great aunt Lady Catherine de Bourge. Her family will lose the house after her father dies so I thought it wouldn't hurt if there was a little connection between our families so their family will not be destitute when this unfortunate event takes place which might not happen for a long time."
Will was still thinking over the part where he said connection between the families. Was he trying to hint that he was dating Lizzie? It was too comical. He looked over at Lizzie who looked exasperated and wanted to leave. Ricky then asked Lizzie to dance. Even though she said she was tired and didn't care to dance Ricky didn't take the hint.
"Would you want me to find you a seat or get you a cold beverage?" Lizzie didn't answer before the boy ran off to get her a drink.
"Please don't come back." she said under her breath. Will smirked and found the connection absurd. Lizzie was too clever for Ricky and would walk all over him. She needed someone who could handle her teasing and could temper her wild behavior and outburst. Someone who was intelligent who could converse with her. Ricky couldn't respond correctly to half the things she said.
Lizzie did give and let Ricky take her to the dance floor. Will was grossed out by the way Ricky would hold her close when she clearly didn't want to be held at all. The dance was a waltz and Ricky was doing it completely wrong. Lizzie was leading while Ricky tried to keep up. Will smiled and decided to step in. He asked if he could finish the dance with Lizzie and Ricky gave him her hand. Lizzie arched an eyebrow as Will put his hand gently on the small of her back and she rested his on his arm.
"You didn't have to feel the need to free me."
"As much as it was comical, I couldn't help but feel grossed out. If you were my sister, I wouldn't let someone hold you like that."
"What?" Lizzie laughed and Will felt he needed to clarify.
"I wouldn't let my sister dance with someone who made her uncomfortable."
"You seem like an attentive brother. As I don't have any, I don't know that feeling."
They continued the dance in silence. A lot of eyes watched them as they danced and Lizzie seem to notice. "We seem to have caught a lot of attention."
"It's probably because I don't dance very often."
"Really? By the way your dancing now I wouldn't have guessed."
"I never said I couldn't, I just don't feel like dancing."
"Yet you felt like dancing with me. I guess I should feel honored."
Will took it as teasing and decided to not say anything.
"An acquaintance of mine has mentioned you to me. The stories he told me were quite interesting. Do you know someone by the name George Wickham?"
Will's eyebrow knitted together and he looked around as if the utterance of his name would make him appear.
"By that expression I guess you do."
"I've known him since I was young, but broke off that god-forsaken relationship."
"What happened?"
"It's none of your business."
Lizzie didn't say anymore and Will was frustrated. Why did she have to mention George? Everything was going great. How did she know him? He now wanted to ask her this last question but Lizzie was blanking him. They separated after the dance and Will returned to his sister who was standing with Richard.
"So, how was it?"
"I don't really want to talk about it right now." he walked over to the concession table and overheard Mrs Bennet talking loudly to no one in particular.
"They make such a cute couple. I'm sure they will be dating in no time."
If I have something to say in this, they will never date. Will was more motivated in his decision by the behavior of the two young Bennet girls and their mother. Mr Bennet didn't attend the party so Will had no idea about him. Mary the middle child sat down in a corner reading a book and took no interest in the party. The two oldest he had nothing against. He stood there with his drink and watched Charles and Jane dance to another song. He then heard Mrs Bennet say that she also hoped there will soon be a connection between Lizzie and Ricky.
Will felt certain that that would never happen, but couldn't help looking over in her direction. Sure enough Collins was messing with her again. At least she had her friend there for some support.
Georgiana walked over to her older brother and he gave her a hug.
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
Georgiana nodded, "I do feel sorry for Lizzie. Collins is like a male version of Caroline."
Will felt he should have told her not to say such things about their host's daughter, but he found it amusing and he knew Charles would probably agree.
"I'm sorry that you didn't get much time to talk to her. I know you really wanted to."
"Oh I'm fine. I wanted to see her more than anything. I knew I would probably not have enough courage to talk. She is really friendly and I found her pleasing, much nicer than what Caroline said."
"You asked Caroline? When?"
"Well you weren't really talking much so I called and asked her on the phone."
Will remembered Caroline on the phone a couple days ago and how she had been distracted from the group. That must have been Georgiana on the phone.
The party finally ended and the Darcys got in their car and drove off. Georgiana talked about the party and what Richard and her talked about. She talked about Lizzie and how kind she was. She talked about how nice Jane was to everyone included her, who she had just met.
When they arrived home the man at the door was waiting for him with a message.
"The missus wants to speak with you immediately."
Will walked to the front room where his aunt was seated and looked like she had been sitting there for hours. He addressed his aunt who had been reading a piece of paper and seemed to be concentrating on something that was hidden behind an envelope.
"You wish to speak with me, aunt."
His aunt, Lady Catherine looked up and laid the envelope on her lap. Will saw that it was a picture she had been looking at.
"Tell me William, who is this girl you've been seeing recently."
"I haven't been seeing any girl, aunt Catherine."
Lady Catherine held up the picture of him and Lizzie walking together in the city, them sitting together at the concert, them eating at Giordanos.
"Aunt Catherine, what your pictures fail to show is that I was with Charles and Lizzie's sister." Will instantly regretted saying so much.
"And were you with this Lizzie tonight?"
Will's silence said everything for him. "You are not to see her again. You understand, you are to be for Anne." Anne was a girl who was plain and sickly, but was wealthy and had great connections. His had been trying to working to get them together since the Darcy children had came to live with her after their parents death. She would say that it was the wish of his mother that she should date Anne, but he had never heard her say it herself. With this he felt he had no ties to Anne. He was never interested in the small girl. He felt that a breeze could blow her away and that he would break her if he touched her.
He chose to let his aunt kept talking and let her deceive herself. When she let him leave he ran up the stairs to his room. He came up with a great plan to split up Charles and Jane with hopefully little damage to either if she really had feelings for him. He wasn't convince tonight that she returned his feelings other than was flattered by them. This could be the very thing he needed.
Thinking of the party he remembered Lizzie and that lead to their dance which lead to George. George. How did he weave himself in their family, and what stories did he tell her?
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the party. When will Lizzie use her favor? What did George tell Lizzie? What is Will planning on doing to split up Jane and Charles? Review and share your ideas, I love hearing what you have to say. I'll try and post the next chapter soon.
