In the evening, Darcy found himself delivering presents to the Fitzwilliam clan. At first, he anticipated that it would only be a brief courtesy call, but a spur of the moment idea prompted him take the opportunity to consult his uncle about a few matters before he left for Glasgow.
After he concluded his private discussion with the elder Fitzwilliam, he then faced a surprise interrogation from his aunt, while his uncle and Richard watched the scene in amusement.
"Will, these are not for us. They are for someone named Elizabeth," his aunt held out a couple of mason jars, one filled with millionaire's shortbread and another with rocky road squares.
"Ohhh… they are for Elizabeth!" Richard enunciated the name.
"Hmmm… Georgie must have mixed up the presents," Darcy remarked.
"I think we have all of ours. We have our share of her specialties. Who is Elizabeth?"
"Oh, Elizabeth… umm… she is… someone who works for me, err… she helps Mrs R in the office," Darcy tried to sound casual.
"Is that all she is, Darce?" Richard asked in a meaningful tone.
"She is the sister of Charles' girlfriend, Jane," Darcy glared at his annoying cousin.
"I can give them to Elizabeth. It will be a while till you are back in the office. I will see her again on Wednesday--" Richard suggested.
"No! I mean, I will take them back to Georgie," Darcy replied, hastily snatching the jars from his aunt. "Sorry, aunt."
"Actually, it would be nice if Elizabeth receives them for Christmas, I can drop them off at her place. Traffic should be lighter at this time—" Richard countered, extending his hands out to grab hold of the jars.
"No need! I will… ask Georgie what she wants to do with them…" Darcy deftly swerved to move the jars out of Richard's reach.
"Boys, what is going on?"
"Nothing."
"Is there something I need to know --"
"No," Darcy quickly answered.
"Richard?"
"No, do not ask him," Darcy said, knowing Richard had the penchant for exaggerating and embellishing his version of events.
"Will, who is Elizabeth to you?"
Darcy hesitated. He did not know what answer would suffice. Whatever he shared, it was likely that his aunt would pry for more information.
"Are you dating?"
"No, we're not."
"Cough! Cough! Ahem!" The two other men seemed to have suddenly developed a bad throat.
"You are hiding something from me. Is she your girlfriend?"
"No, she is not my girlfriend. But… okay, fine!" Darcy finally relented, realising it would be futile to continue his denial. Technically, he was not denying, as he was telling the truth… "I would like to go out with her, when she finishes her stint at the company by the end of the month."
"Oh, so you are both just waiting for the right time. That is a wise move. To avoid gossip. You are a private man. I can understand that you would not want speculations about your personal life. When can I meet her?" his aunt's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"We do not have an understanding, aunt. I do not know if she wants to be with me. I will try to ask her during the gala, if she attends," Darcy cautioned, wary of his aunt's love of matchmaking.
"I am sure you have a very good chance with her. You are a successful, intelligent, handsome young man," his aunt confidently declared.
"Cough! Cough! Ahem!"
"And of course, you too, son,"
"Why, thank you, mother dearest! But in the spirit of Christmas, I will be selfless and give way to my charmless, ahem, charming, and hopeless, ahem, hopelessly in love cousin," Richard smirked.
"Do behave, Richard. William has finally found someone who has met his high standards. Now tell me, how do you plan on winning her?" his aunt sat beside him, eager to learn more.
"Erm… I need to have a plan?"
"Naturally! You have waited this long to find the right woman. The last thing you want is to for someone else to steal her from right under your nose. Remember, there will be a lot of eligible bachelors at the gala."
"Hmm…" The thought of having Elizabeth surrounded by potential suitors did not appeal much to him. Maybe she shouldn't go to the gala after all…
"Give her a token of appreciation for her service to the company. Send her some flowers. You may think they are cliché, but every woman loves sweet gestures. Sometimes it's the little things that count. Choose her favourite, write a thoughtful note. Arrange for the band to play her favourite songs at the gala. Ask her to dance —" she suggested.
"Darce hates dancing… he used to come up with excuses to avoid those dancing lessons his mother had booked him for," Richard revealed.
"Well, if he prefers watching from the sidelines while other men take Elizabeth into their arms during slow dancing--"
No, no, no…
"Oh! Look at the time! It is getting late… I had better get going. Georgie and Anne will come and visit you tomorrow," Darcy rose from the couch and got ready to leave.
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Not long after, he was outside Elizabeth's flat, waiting for someone to allow him in.
Maybe I should go… maybe she sleeps early… what if they are already in bed… maybe I should text her first to check… should I come back tomorrow…
Just as he was about to turn back, someone unknown to him opened the door.
"Good evening."
"Good evening," the young lady adopted a formal tone but sported a hint of a smile. "May I help you, sir?"
"Yes. Yes, I was wondering if… Elizabeth is in?"
That was terrible! Where else would she be? On the moon?
"Yes, she is. May I know whom I have the privilege of speaking to?" her voice sounded a bit deeper.
"It's Darcy."
"Dharrrcy. Lovely to meet you. I am Katriona. Would you mind waiting while I call my sister?"
His new acquaintance then disappeared from view.
"Lizzy! Come here quick! There's someone at the door! I think it's a delivery. Must be a big package. You'll need to sign for it."
Pardon? Do I look like a courier?
"Really? At this hour? On Christmas day?"
"They must have a busy schedule with it being the holidays and all. You might want to give him a tip for the extra effort. Hurry up, it is cold out there."
"Okay, okay!"
After a few seconds, a surprised Elizabeth met Darcy at the door.
"Oh! Hi, Darcy! I thought… Kitty said… umm… never mind." She felt awkward standing there in her sleepwear while the gentleman looked gorgeous as always.
"Hi, Elizabeth. I am sorry to bother you this late. I hope I didn't wake you," Darcy greeted her and took in her adorable appearance. That robe over her pyjamas looks so soft and fluffy.
"It's alright. We are still up. Would you like to come in?" she politely invited.
"No, I won't be long. I am just dropping off some presents from Georgiana," Darcy passed on a gift bag containing jars of baked goodies to her.
"Oh, wow! Thank you so much!" Elizabeth exclaimed in delight. "Did she make these herself?"
"Yes, she did. She loves baking. I hope you like them."
"I am sure I will. Awww… please say thank you from me. Now I feel bad for not having anything for you all," she remarked.
"You shouldn't. It's a gift," Darcy smiled.
May I have you? Please?
"Oh, hi, Darcy! Lizzy, why don't you let him in? He must be freezing there," Jane joined them by the entrance.
"Hi Jane. No, I… I was about to go."
"Look, Jane! Darcy gave us some yummy treats! His sister made them," Elizabeth handed over the homemade delicacies.
"That is so kind of you, Darcy. Thank you! Christmas is never good for diets," Jane laughed.
"You don't really gain weight though, no matter how much you eat. It is just unfair," Elizabeth teased her perfect sister.
"Some men prefer a figure like yours. What do you think, Darcy?"
"Oh, umm… I guess…" Darcy felt abashed and did his best to avert his eyes away from Elizabeth's womanly assets.
"You know what, we have some more cheesecake. You will love Lizzy's cheesecake, Darcy. It is simply divine. I'll be right back." Jane went back inside and returned shortly carrying the tubs they had previously prepared for Charlie. Claiming she needed to check on Lydia and the baby, Jane then bade Darcy a good night and left the pair to themselves.
"Lizzy, can you shut the door please? I can feel the draught here," someone hollered.
Elizabeth stepped outside and closed the door. For his part, Darcy was glad to share a few more moments with her, especially since he won't be seeing her till Friday.
Whoever scheduled that conference has the worst timing! Next time, I will send Richard.
"So, umm… did you have a good Christmas?" she asked.
"Yes, we did. I also visited Richard and his parents. You?" He gazed at her beautiful face, attempting to memorise even the tiniest features.
"Not too bad. A bit cramped but we managed," she gave him a weak smile and did not mention about the drama between Lydia and their dad.
Next Christmas, you could be at my place. If I get lucky, it could be our place…
"At least you were all together as a family."
"True. With a new addition too," she granted. Thinking that she heard some faint squeals and giggles, she turned to the windows to see if her sisters were spying on them.
"Well, I guess I better get going. I don't want you to get cold," Darcy reluctantly said, knowing he was being selfish for wishing to delay his departure.
Maybe we could cuddle. That will keep you warm…
"Thank you for dropping by. And thank you for the presents. It was really sweet of you and Georgiana to think of us."
I think of you all the time… Am I allowed another Christmas kiss on the cheek?
"You're welcome. Merry Christmas, Elizabeth."
Not wanting to lose the chance, Darcy quickly leaned forward. Elizabeth likewise moved at the same time, and somehow the kiss which was intended for the other person's cheek landed smack on their lips instead. As expected, they were both embarrassed by what had transpired but secretly enjoyed the accidental kiss.
"I'm so sorry…"
"I didn't mean to…"
"You are not going to slap me, are you?"
"No! It's fine," Elizabeth giggled nervously, much to Darcy's relief.
If there were more squeals and shrieks coming from inside the flat, the pair did not seem to notice.
"I will be away until Friday. Is it okay if I get in touch?" Darcy eventually spoke while their eyes remained locked on each other.
"Mmm. Yeah, sure…" she replied, hoping he meant not only for work purposes. "I'll see you on Friday then."
And Darcy went home euphoric, having received something much, much better than a tip. Plus some of Elizabeth's cheesecake to boot.
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Sorry, that was unedited. I will check for errors in a day or two. I thought maybe some of you would rather have an update than wait longer.
And also, sorry for not having anything too exciting in this chapter… I badly needed some fluff from ODC. More of the story next chapter.
Bye for now.