Chapter 14

A/N: Sorry, I've been getting writer's block for so LONG. Chapter 14 up! (blows streamer)

Additional Notes: As a boring, uninteresting side note, I view Elizabeth's 'final' coat as dark blue with polka dots, made of wool, about knee-length with a traditional collar. Shouldn't I be putting this in the story? Yes. Absolutely. But it just doesn't belong there.

Elizabeth is supposed to look kind of like Keira Knightley, Elizabeth Taylor, and Salma Hayek all mixed together. Except with light, kind of peach-white skin. Well, in my story. Good luck picturing that. ; ) It just occurred to me. Weird, eh?

I don't know anything about Tottenham Court Road. Only that it's really famous, and in the heart of London. My geography is probably totally inaccurate. And you know what? (crowd screams, "WHAT?") I don't really care! (crowd cheers)

Disclaimer: Jane Austen's. : ) : ( : ) : ( (Yes, this is an ill-fated attempt to make an unoriginal disclaimer original).

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Caroline sat on her pink ottoman, outwardly calm but inwardly vibrating with tension, every nerve in her body taut with suspense, and she couldn't imagine why. She had a good enough hold on Elizabeth; of course Elizabeth would comply.

But Elizabeth was unpredictable. You never knew what she would do next. It was endearing to men and somewhat less than endearing to Caroline.

Elizabeth came into the closet, her hair neatly in place, her black eyes detached and a little scornful. She certainly looked much more composed than she had been at their last meeting, but with much less life in her.

"Elizabeth," Caroline greeted her coolly. "Will is not entirely convinced of our happy future together, and I would like you to help me persuade him so. It's quite important for me."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Let your voice soothe his ear with reassurance that you are, indeed, over him, and that you don't give a damn what he does with his life."

"It would be my pleasure," she said slowly, her face not betraying any emotion, "Caroline…." She rolled it out sparsely. "Dear."

Caroline nodded, with the uncomfortable feeling that she was being put in her place. "Take out your cellphone and proceed."

Elizabeth took her cellphone out of her bag, and dialed Will's number. She knew it by heart.

She knew him by heart.

O0...0O

Will heard the phone ring, and, his heart pounding with adrenaline, picked it up. "Who is this?" he forced himself to say calmly, although he would have bet anything and everything he owned that it was Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth," The Most Beautiful Voice On Earth informed him.

"Elizabeth. I'd like an explanation, please."

"Explain…."

"Explain why in hell you don't want to see me? Why you told me you cared about me, and then ran away? Is this a game, Elizabeth? Because if it is, you win, alright? It's killing me." Will's voice held a hoarse, ragged edge to it.

"I…I just--I don't think we should be together. There is no explanation."

"Elizabeth, we are inches away from happiness. Sheer, lasting, immaterial happiness. Instead of being in love with the idea of being in love, like everyone else who wants to be in love, we have each other. It's been excruciatingly painful for me so far. This is the first time in my life I haven't achieved something immediately, the first time it hasn't come instantaneously within my grasp. School was easy because of my brains, I could get any other girl in the world because of my looks, anything material with my wealth, and… Now I see it's all pointless, unless I have you. How do I explain it?" Will sounded so frustrated, so close to cracking under the strain, that for a moment Elizabeth was about to tell him everything.

But she knew the knowledge would break his heart afresh. He'd told her in the garden about how he'd always looked up to his father for everything, Dad being his living embodiment of truth and honor and justice. How could she ruin his vision of perfection for him? How would he live with the truth?

Elizabeth breathed slowly in and out, thinking. Caroline kept her eyes fixed on Elizabeth, her thoughts running madly in every direction.

Elizabeth had no idea how transfixed she looked, her skin white as alabaster, breathing desperately, eyes huge and trembling, like she was under the hold of some unseen, almost supernatural power Caroline could not touch.

Caroline should have reveled in the victory, knowing that Elizabeth would be miserable her whole life. Outwardly, she'd won.

But her soul registered defeat.

I fell for Lord Fitzwilliam Darcy. The man underneath the costume--Will--is someone I will never understand, and someone I will never love. Fitzwilliam Darcy loves me. Will's heart belongs to Elizabeth, and it always will. Nothing I can ever do will change that.

Still, she continued watching Elizabeth. It was a choice between doing right by Will, Elizabeth, and herself, or doing the easy thing and watching all of their lives topple. Most people take the easy choice, and so it is somewhat understandable that Caroline sat there and allowed her life to self-destruct.

"Okay," Elizabeth sighed. She hung up. "Will wants me to meet him in London, and he says if we don't comply, he will never marry you."

"This is your fault!" Caroline snapped. "You should have thought of some plausible excuse!"

"I have no choice, for your sake," she said tersely, "and if you want to save this perfect union you'd better hurry too. It's a spot near Tottenham Court Road."

"We'll use the limo," Caroline replied, running down the marble staircase, Elizabeth following at her heels. "Get the limo!" she barked at the butler, who obligingly paged the chauffeur. A couple of minutes later, the limousine pulled up and it sped away.

Elizabeth stared out the window at the pallid fog enveloping the scenery, and Caroline stared at the back of her head. Her hair was beautiful, wavy and long and thick, the black strands gleaming gunmetal gray in the sunlight. Caroline felt acutely inferior.

O0...0O

The spot was a fountain, a landmark, in a crowded street. Taxis and cars sped by, but Elizabeth paid no heed to them.

There was Will, standing erect and proud in a suit, still heartbreakingly handsome, his hair a little bit more messed up than usual, his eyes staring at her with painful intensity. "Elizabeth," he said slowly, in his deep, aristocratic, warm and now hoarse voice.

"Will."

"Well? Please, explain."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I have nothing to say!"

"Elizabeth, whatever reason you have for running away from me, you can tell me." He was so gentle, and yet somehow compelling. By not forcing her to speak, his hold on her was stronger than ever.

Her voice cracked. "I don't want to hurt you." As soon as she said it, she wanted to slap herself. How could she give Will more ammunition to wound himself?

"Elizabeth, whatever it is, even if it is external influences…" Will looked down, and his eyebrows subtly contracted in anger, hatred, at some unseen foe. So he did suspect Caroline had a hand in it. "No matter what it is, at least tell me."

"I can't." Tears formed in her eyes, and she stubbornly blinked them back.

"Does it concern lives? Will someone die if you tell me?"

She couldn't lie to Will. Her Will. "N-No."

"Then tell me!" His intensity, and the hurt and confusion that lay behind it, almost, almost, made Elizabeth scream it out to the whole world. But she held back. For his sake.

But is it really for his sake anymore?

The thought was too good to be true.

You've passed the test. You did the right thing. Now you can marry Will. Not marrying him will hurt him more than not telling him.

"Elizabeth. Do you love me?"

Her stomach did strange backflips. Will, she'd discovered in the short time she'd known him, really known him, was just like her. They liked the same stories, and thought similarly, and their constant battles of wit certainly proved themselves matches for each other. She did love him. She thought him amazingly handsome, but that wasn't really why she cared about Will. She thought his money was awfully convenient, but it played no part in her feelings for him.

"I love you."

Will's face relaxed. He let out his breath. "Then tell me."

"Caroline…" She nodded slowly. "Caroline gave me proof that your mother, Lady Darcy, wasn't really your mother. That your mother was a countess from Germany, and Parliament would take away your property rights, or something, and--"

"I knew this a while ago," Will said sadly, "and I told Caroline once….It was terribly indiscreet of me. Parliament can't take my property rights away, Father named me as his successor and manager of all of his things. Caroline…." His face contorted with rage.

"Let it go," Elizabeth sighed. "Caroline is a miserable, wretched creature. She will be to the end of her days. She was close to letting me free anyway."

"I am so sorry. For pressuring you this much. I should have taken precautions with Caroline."

"Don't be. If you hadn't pressured me, I wouldn't be over it."

Will nodded in acknowledgement.

"Are you dwelling on what could have been, Mr. Darcy? You know how much I hate that. I do believe we are mismatched. I never want to see you again." Elizabeth's voice held amusement, and her face was smiling radiantly like a Christmas tree.

"Please, no jokes," Will groaned, laughing in spite of himself. "Should I propose to you in front of five hundred-odd people, or do you think just a simple 'Do you want to marry me' will suffice?"

"Well…." Elizabeth made a great, exaggerated show of thinking. "The first one would humiliate you to no end, and although that would be terribly amusing to watch, I opt for the second one."

"Will you marry me?" Will looked pure, simple, nothing except happy. No sadness or insecurities.

"Yes."

He held out his hand. She took it.

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A/N: Just a tail note: When I set out to write this chapter, I never intended to have him propose in this one! I dunno, it just seemed right. There will be a couple of more chapters, just sappy, happy, tying-up-all-the-knots chapters.

I may write a spinoff about their kids. (Talk about slipping in commercial advertising!)

OK, and since I'm writing this at, like, 2:55 a.m. the Friday after Thanksgiving, I'd like to say what I am thankful for, pertaining to this fanfic.

1. I am thankful for 58 (and counting!) reviews.

2. I am thankful for waaaayyyyyy over 20,000 total web hits for this story (!!!!)

3. And, last and the opposite of least, I am thankful to all of the authors who gave me a recurring thumbs-up and advice, a lot of the effort put into this chapter would not be present without you guys!