(a/n - back to Liz. I know that I said the whole thing would be told by Liz, but I really needed to get across what was going on in Emmett's mind last chapter. Also, I must take this time to mention mngurlstuckinva who, aside from writing brilliant harry potter fics, was also a wonderful person who SHIPPED EMMETT AND LIZ LIKE I DO and I felt it right to give her a note here - I think about you loads, and you've no idea how hard continuing this fic is, knowing you'll never read it to the end. Thanks to all of my other regulars, including stoneagequeen, suicidebycyanide, 00Search and KeepingUpDisappearances - your username is quite something, I tell you. And gypsy Rosalie, my faithful old chum.)
Chapter 8
The next morning, I rushed out of my door and into my car before even Hyacinth would have been awake, for I was determined to get to the hall for as soon as Emmett arrived, for I had an awful lot of explaining to do, and I really wanted to think things over. How was I going to explain my living lie to the man without him deeming me a drunk or insane? I hoped I would have a quarter of an hour at least to work out what I was going to say before he arrived. However, just as I turned off the engine, there he appeared, strolling up the street to the hall, with his little folder tucked under his arm. I got out of the car and smiled awkwardly at him.
"Good morning, Emmett."
"Good morning, Liz. Toast? Coffee?" I nodded at his offers and followed him in. Once we were sat in his little office area, I started babbling away.
"You see, Emmett, I have this unbearable neighbour who is forever going on about her husband and her son and she intimidates me somewhat, so I sort of made up a tale about having a daughter at university and a husband who works in the Middle East and she believes me and it makes my life so much easier so I am sorry, Emmett, I really am." I gulped down my coffee, and ended up choking on half of it. He got up and patted me on the back, before laughing jovially.
"Oh, Liz. What an actress you are! What am I going to do with you?" He knelt down in front of me and kissed my nose, before getting up and heading to the piano in the hall. My insides were turning to jelly as his lips had touched my nose, so I just followed him and clung to the doorframe as his fingers glided over the keys with a confidant ease, and the notes of some piece of exquisite classical music swarmed over my ears. I looked up once he had done, and smiled tentatively.
"Handel?" I inquired.
"You're a wonderfully knowledgeable woman Liz. No wonder you captivate me so," he smiled his lopsided and completely swoon worthy grin then, and I clung to the doorframe with all I was worth for fear of my knees collapsing below me. I looked at him, and he at me for a while in perfectly pristine moment. Then the phone rang. I turned and sighed, before going to answer it.
Soon after I had finished my phone call, the cast and crew began arriving, and he had to teach them all the new additions and changes and make sure they were comfortable with the old ones. I rarely saw him after that, but I was rather glad to see his bright and happy face again, instead of the crestfallen image I had seen the previous evening. At lunch, however, I found a note on my desk when I returned from running to the local corner shop to photocopy a couple of extra song sheets.
'Roses are red, Violets are blue, I'd very much like, Another date with you. X'
I smiled brightly at the note and placed it in my handbag so that nobody else could see it, and resumed the rest of my duties. As I was looking in my schedule, another slip of paper fell out.
'No neighbours tonight I hope? Maybe talk again after rehearsal? X'
I smiled and continued once more, but when I had to enter the hall to drop off some spare musical scores I caught his eye and nodded slightly.
After everybody had exited that evening, I went into the hall where Emmett was picking up some stray props. He looked up and smiled when he saw me.
"So, lovely Liz, what's new with you? No neighbours tonight? Fabulous!" He placed the props in the store cupboard then joined me in walking to the office to collect his things. "I apologise for not being very good at poetry, especially when I only have five minutes to write it."
"It was beautiful. Nobody has ever written me poetry before." I smiled at him. "Thank you."
"No, thank you Liz, for generally being a wonderful person, in both a professional and a personal sense. Now, when would you like our next date? This weekend? One evening?" I agreed a date with him that would enable me to get past Hyacinth's watch, and embraced him. "Goodnight, Liz. Thanks for clearing everything up." He kissed me, and thankfully I was in his arms again as his kisses really were lovely and sweet. We left the hall together and parted ways after locking up: me to my car and him on foot. I had offered him a lift, but he declined, saying he had some errands and shopping to do in town. I drove home rather lightheaded, but unluckily for me, Hyacinth was in her garden.
"Hello, Elizabeth! Where have you been?"
"Oh, nowhere in particular, Hyacinth!"
"Where though, dear?"
"Erm... Shopping!"
"You've not bought anything, though dear, you've no bags."
"Oh, well, no - I was looking for a new... Sofa, but they didn't have one to my taste."
"Well I, of course, have a fabulous three piece suite with a royal warrant. My Sheridan does love his Mummy to have the best quality furnishings..." She began rattling on about her son again, so I stood politely nodding, indulging her in believing that I cared about her furniture shopping habits. Eventually, Richard appeared since there was somebody on the phone. After telling him not to shout then shouting about her sister Violet, Hyacinth went inside, and I entered my home, and prepared myself for the next day.