Chapter 16 - The Unexpected

"Charli!" Lizzy screwed dropping her bag to the floor as she sprinted to Charli and pulled herself back just in time narrowly avoiding spear tackling her pregnant friend. She stopped and held her arms out wide, blinking back tears, suddenly realising how much she had missed her best friend. Charli, similarly affected dropped her sign to the ground and threw herself into Lizzy's arms. After a moment of girlish squealing and bouncing hugs the girls recollected themselves.

"You…er, might want to get your stuff. That kid seems to think your bag is very pretty." Lizzy spun around to spy a small girl looking around curiously as she poked through Lizzy's bag. Lizzy ran over, "Excuse me." The little girl jumped.

"Oops, sorry lady. I thought someone had forgotten it. It's pretty, and so are you." The little blonde haired cherub smiled a large gap toothed grin which made Lizzy light up. She glanced down at her dirty jeans and her oversized hoody and smiled at the girl again.

"I have to go, my friend is waiting for me, but," Lizzy reached inside her bag, searching through the mess, "ah, here it is." she handed the little girl a packet of Natural Confectionary Snakes. The girl smiled again and gave Lizzy's legs a quick hug before she ran off yelling, "Mummy, mummy the lady gave me lollies!" Lizzy smiled to herself as she made her way back to Charli who was trying to hide a smile.

"You always were better with kids than me. If you don't get into uni I'm hiring you are my personal nanny. " Lizzy laughed, nudging her hip into Charli's. The girls threw jokes back and forwards as they left the airport and made their way back to Charli's car.

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"Are you listening to me Fitzwilliam?" Will snapped back into the present as his aunt addressed him directly.

"Of course Aunt Catty." He said without thinking. Marshall sitting opposite rose and left the room, and bellowing laughter could be heard in the next room as the lovely 'Aunt Catty' puffed up and her face went red. "Young man! How dare you address me so! The insolence! The impertinence! How…how…how dare you!"

Will struggled to hold back his laughter as he saw Anne sitting behind her mother puff out her cheeks and use the exact same gestures Catty was using. She puckered up her face and bugged out her eyes, waggling her pointer finger accusingly while Ms Catherine de Bourgh told William in no uncertain terms that she was his aunt, his senior, his better and would be addressed with respect. "You may call me Aunt Catherine or nothing at all."

"Hmm," Marshall murmured as he returned to the room, calmer but with a more mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I think the latter suits me better. Nothing at all, dearest aunt of mine, did I hear you say we would be having some lady friends visit?" Marshall ignored his Aunt's spluttering and clapped his hands together, "No offence Annie dearest, but you're my cousin and that's a little too incestuous for me."

"Really Marshie." Anne said, "You know your not good looking enough for me. Will's always been more my type." She went and sat next to Will and placed her hand quite high on his thigh with a wink. Will snorted, pushing it away. "If I must be coupled with anyone it will be Marshall, I just can't resist that butt." Anne, Will and Marshall all laughed at Catherine as she sat down with pinching her nose muttering about her sanity.

"I'm sorry Auntie." Marshall said, "Mama keeps telling me that I shouldn't be let out in public but it's Will's fault, he makes me do naughty things."

"Thank heavens," Ms de Bourgh declared suddenly, "Billy Collins and his wife are having her little friend to stay. She can deal with you all. Really what you boys do to my poor Anne. She is so well behaved when your not here. I blame you Will. She's playing herself up for you, now if you just took her on a date then maybe…"

"Aunt Catherine that's not going to happen." Will shared a glance with Anne. "We're first cousins, its not even legal. Besides, she's more like a sister, it would be like dating Gee."

Marshall laughed, "In which case you would have to beat yourself up!"

"Boys that is enough. I'm going to call the Collins and invite them and their guest for dinner. See that you make yourselves ready!" Catherine glared at her nephews who scarped.

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Outside, the de Bourgh Grand, where Ms de Bourgh lived, and her two nephews were staying for a visit, Charli's car pulled up. Lizzy looked up at the tall, regal building with awe. "Well Charli, you definitely have a prime location." The Grand was situated right on the bay overlooking both the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour bridge, and as they got out of the car Lizzy was surprised to see Charli throw her car keys to a man at the door.

"Hey Robby, her stuffs in the boot. Bring it up, would you?"

As the girls entered the reception the girl at the desk smiled and nodded, "Mrs Collins"

Lizzy muffled a laugh and made a whipping sound. "You definitely wear the pants around here don't you."

"shut up!" Charli glanced around blushing, "Ms de Bourgh made me a manager, I've always been good with numbers."

Lizzy stared at her friend in horror. "You…are…managing…a hotel?"

Charli nodded as they entered the lifts. She smacked the penthouse button as she said, "What? I like it."

"But…your art? Are you still painting?" Lizzy was still shocked at Charli, her only ambition in life, ever, had been to get a painting in the Louvre.

"No, Ms de Bourgh thinks that the paint fumes might hurt the baby, but she did have Billy make sure he set up a state of the art studio, I even have dark room facilities."

Lizzy smiled, a little sceptical but appreciative that the woman had taken Charli's condition and passions into account. The lift dinged as they reached the top and Lizzy stuck her head out and whistled appreciatively.

"Snazzy place your running love." She said as she pranced out of the lift, nodding approvingly at the light green and rose coloured hall, with large gold framed oil paintings, some from classic literature and one particularly cute on outside the lift of a little man on a step ladder in a library. The hall stretched about twenty metres in either direction. At each end was a window, and to the left of each a door.

"Eenie, meenie, minee, mo!" Lizzy counted, pointing left and right, "Catch a tiger by the t---ow!" Lizzy turned to Charli with a frown, rubbing her head. "Bad Charli! Bad!" She pointed her finger at her accusingly, "That's child abuse, hitting me."

"Assault actually." Charli countered, sauntering over to the door on the left and expertly swiping the key card to let her in. "You turned 18 before my wedding, remember? Means your not a minor anymore."

Lizzy pouted, pushing her way into the apartment and declaring, "Charli! It's so boring! Why haven't you made it all pur-tay yet?"

Charli laughed, shoving Lizzy onto the couch before plonking down on the chair nearby. "I though you might like to help. I want to paint the entire place and have some awesome photos that I want to put up. Some of the ones I did myself. I also need your help for the nursery, choosing pictures, colours, toys. I was wondering if you would go with me to find out the sex of the baby, too. Billy doesn't want to."

Lizzy frowned slightly hearing this but then smiled brightly, "Yes! I'm having visions of Disney posters, boys get pixar and girls get that gorgeous Disney princess castle I bought last week for my room." Charli laughed and Lizzy skipped over to the bookcase where Charli's portfolio was resting. "Girl gets that picture you took at my 18th, of the silver mask and the tiara (1) above the bed. For boys you could do the picture of Luna Park or something. And without doubt you should do you picture of us walking up the beach in the storm, where you set up time lapse and you can see the lightening in the background (2). If it's a girl don't you dare give her a pink room, make it a soft purple, lavender with a dark purple feature wall. A boy should have a blue room with yellow accents. I know blue is totally cliché but -"

Charli laughed and she hugged her friend tight, "I've missed you, you were always my ideas girl." Lizzy smiled and held back tears as she hugged her oldest friend close. "I've missed you too."

The moment was interrupted by Billy who chose that moment to leave his study. "Ah, cousin!" He waddled over and gave her a large hug, while Lizzy barely repressed a shiver. "What think you of our humble home? It's right next door to Ms de Bourgh too, and the view is of the Harbour Bridge, we wouldn't be able to afford it if not for the kindness of Ms de Bourgh, she's taken a real liking to my Lotta."

Lizzy smirked as she looked out the window at the bay. It was breath taking.

"She also wishes to meet you Elizabeth. In fact we've been invited for dinner, she has guests that she believes will enjoy our company. But you certainly cannot leave in that." Billy wrinkled his nose, "I cannot believe you have allowed yourself to be seen in public in such attire!"

Lizzy laughed and turned to Charli to share her amusement but her scepticism fell from her face when she saw Charli looking at her in horror.

"How much time to we have Bill?" Charli asked taking Lizzy by the hand.

"Almost an hour snookums."

Lizzy sniggered as she was lead into the bathroom and shoved towards the shower. "No more than ten minutes and make sure you wash your hair." Charli said as she turned to the bathroom cupboard, ignoring her best friend as she stripped and got into the shower. Finally she had a hair straightened, a make-up kit and a razor set out on the bench. The razor she handed to Lizzy in the shower who grunted and resumed singing 'I'm singing in the rain" as she scrubbed her hair. While Lizzy was busy imagining herself swinging around poles in a bright yellow raincoat, Charli had thrown open Lizzy's suitcases and searched through them, finally pulling out a long sleeved black top, a just higher than knee length blue and grey dress that sat tightly under the breast and fell in a vivid blue wave to the knee, leggings, black boots and a cute little grey woollen hat. When the shower stopped she stormed into the bathroom and wrapped Lizzy up in a big white bathrobe and sat her down on the edge of the bath, towel drying and blow drying her hair straight while Lizzy yelped and complained. Finally she pulled the straightened out and expertly straightened Lizzy's hair which reach half way down her back, and flicked the ends out slightly giving it a cute look to suit the outfit she had chosen. After applying mascara, eyeliner, a light pink lip gloss and glaring at the freckles across Lizzy's nose she ordered her to get dressed and scurried off to get herself ready. Lizzy was lying on the couch with her legs perched over the arm when Charli and Billy re-emerged from their bedroom and Charli gave her a once over.

"Now Lizzy," Billy began as Charli emptied the bag Lizzy had thrown her stuff into and packed a little black clutch with lip gloss, phone and iPod. "Ms de Bourgh is a very dignified woman, none of your childish nonsense around her. You are now an adult, it's about time you acted like it!"

Lizzy opened her mouth in indignation and stared at Charli who just said, "She's not that bad, just be careful what you say." And Lizzy, sweet compassionate girl that she was decided she would try her best to behave. However when the trio knocked on the door opposite theirs and it was opened by a very familiar handsome face, Lizzy's resolve went out the window.

"Hello Lizzy."

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"This is unbelievable!" Marshall muttered as he tugged on un-ripped jeans. "This Collins guy is our age, and his wife is only 19. Why do we have to dress up?"

"Because, Charli happens to be a friend of mine from Hertfordshire, and well the Toad got lucky I suppose when he married her. Charli deserves to see us looking decent." Will was sitting in the corner flicking through Ice Station (3) trying to find the part where Scarecrow kisses Mother.

"Yeh, but we all know why you chose to look so snazzy." Marshall said mischievously. Will glared at his cousin unappreciative of the suggestion, he was dressed in black jeans with a black t-shirt of a polar bear crying on it that said 'Now where will we live?", he had seen it a week after leaving Hertfordshire and thought it's message to be apt, and it was because he liked it, not because it reminded him of a bull-headed activist in 'that place'. Over his t-shirt he wore a white short sleeved shirt, and not because he remembered Lizzy saying that she liked shirts over t-shirts. His hair was un-gelled and flopped into his eyes. Marshall smirked, he was looking forward to meeting this Lizzy girl. That a girl barely turned 18, who wasn't even 18 when his cousin met her, had sent Will into such a spiral was intriguing. This girl sounded intriguing full stop but for his cousin to like her so much - well, Marshall was looking forward to some subtle teasing tonight and he was hoping Lizzy would help.

Will scowled at his cousin. Closing the book he tossed it on the bed and walked into the hall. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was looking forward to seeing Lizzy. He knew Jane and Caroline emailed each other occasionally, and was feeling slightly guilty for tearing Charles away after the Netherfeild Ball, especially since neither of the twins had made an effort to come after them, proving that they weren't money grubbers. It did however prove that Jane didn't like Charles as much as Charles liked her. In fact, Caroline said she hardly mentioned him at all. Will leaned against the wall as he waited for their guest to arrive, ignoring Marshall and Anne who stood in the doorway of the living room laughing quietly while glancing at him, and his aunt who sat on her throne and demanded loudly 'To be let know when the guests arrive."

When the knock finally came Marshall made a fake dive to get their first, causing Will to react in the way a child fighting for the last Easter egg would. He jumped and blocked the doorway with his body, and with a deep breath opened the door.

Face stony to avoid the conflict in his stomach, he said one thing, "Hello Lizzy".

A/N So I know I promised yesterday as an update day but gimme a break. I was pretty trashed all weekend. It's up however and I plan on one more chapter before the proposal. Marshall of course is Colonel Fitzwilliam. It annoys me when lots of characters have the same name so I'm deviating a little, plus it helps with a little thing I'm adding later. Dunno when I'll update next. Read and Review

(1) My dp is currently this image.

(2) Imagine leaving a camera on a deserted beach free of footprints. Put it on a stand and set it to automatically take pictures every minutes. You get like 5 pictures of your progression down the beach with a storm ranging in the background. You have five of the average sized pictures in a long vertical shot, one on top of the other. In the last one he's got a heart with 'forever young' written in it while looking back

(3) Ice Station an awesome book by Matthew Reilly an Australian action author. READ IT