A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the lovely comments. I'm sorry I am so insecure but I truly appreciated them. This is basically two chapters posted together hence it has taken me all week to respond. It's a long one and I hope you enjoy it! For the guest who asked for more dialogue...I hope I delivered.
The massive home sprawled across the hill top overlooking the sea. "Professor, did I hear you correctly before? Two people live in this home?"
"Yes, Mrs. DeBourgh and her step-daughter Anne live here. Of course, I believe some staff live here as well. I'd imagine it takes a few people to maintain this place." Edward chuckled.
"And here I thought that my parents 2000 square foot condo comfortably housed the six of us. What could I have been thinking?" Lizzy said, sarcasm dripping from the words.
"Now, now Lizzy. One wouldn't want to be crowded," Edward whispered to her as they stood facing the door. They could hear the door bell clanging through the home. An elderly man opened the door a minute later, apologizing as he did so for keeping them waiting.
"Professor Edward Gardiner to see Mrs. Catherine DeBourgh."
"Oh we've been expecting you although I thought you were arriving with a larger party," the elderly gentleman said. They were shown in and the butler (Lizzy had now determined) took their coats and began leading them down a long hallway.
"Unfortunately my children became ill yesterday and my wife decided to stay at home with them. Ms. Benetez is staying as a guest in my home for the holiday and agreed to accompany me for the visit." Edward offered by way of explanation. "I had left a message this morning when the adjustment to our numbers changed. I apologize you didn't get the message."
"Please do not trouble yourself on my account. Mrs. DeBourgh will be happy to see that you have arrived nonetheless," the butler responded.
They entered a formally attired room, dark wood paneling covered the walls. Heavy burgundy drapes hung alongside the windows and fireplaces burned on either side of the room providing much of the light. The contrast in lighting, from the bright winter day to the dimly lit room, left Lizzy literally in the dark for the first couple of moments. Blinking, she heard rather than saw that she was being introduced to someone.
"Edward, I'm so glad you are finally here. We have so very much to discuss. I have been thinking at length about your research and I am quite sure you will wish to hear my thoughts." Mrs. DeBourgh began.
"I'm glad you are so engaged in the work and look forward to the discussion. Perhaps after lunch we can spend some time together so I can hear your thoughts." Professor Gardiner offered.
"Yes, that is perfect. Now who have you brought with you?" Mrs. DeBourgh asked as she turned her gaze to scrutinize Lizzy. Looking her up and down she eyed her curiously. Lizzy felt as if she were being evaluated like a prize horse in an auction. That ridiculous thought almost caused her to laugh out loud and she bit her lip hard in order to quell the impulse.
"Lizzy is one of my favorite students. I work with her as her faculty advisor and will serve as her thesis advisor next year. Lizzy is an incredibly talented and incisive writer. Her family was away and so she's been staying with me and Maddy for the holiday. I think we got the better end of the deal however. She's been helping us out with the children and they absolutely adore her." Edward said as he looked at Lizzy smiling.
Lizzy blushed under the scrutiny of her professor and Mrs. DeBourgh. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. DeBourgh. Thank you for allowing me to join Professor Gardiner on his annual visit." Lizzy said respectfully.
"I look forward to learning more about you. My nephews and stepdaughter should be along shortly to join us for lunch. I believe you are just a little bit younger than my Anne, a more delightful and accomplished young woman you will likely never meet." Mrs. DeBourgh stated.
Lizzy's curiosity was peaked to be sure. "I look forward to meeting her."
They heard some voices coming down the hallway and all turned to see three people enter the room. "Here they are. Anne, Richard and William allow me to introduce to you to Professor Gardiner and one of his students." Catherine DeBourgh began.
"Lizzy? What are you doing here?" William was startled to see the woman he had been thinking of just ten minutes ago appear in his aunt's living room. So much so that he actually interrupted his aunt, something he had learned years ago to never attempt.
"William? um, hello." She wasn't sure what he meant by his question and it left her a bit unsettled and insecure for some reason.
"I see you know one another already. I'll be interested in hearing more about this later." Mrs. DeBourgh scowled. She did not appreciate being at a disadvantage in a room.
William couldn't take his eyes off of Lizzy. How? Why was she here? He was struggling to compose himself in this unexpected situation. She looked absolutely beautiful in a forest green v-neck sweater, knee-length grey skirt and black boots. Her hair was down held back from her face by a matching forest green headband pulling her dark curls away to reveal pink cheeks dotted with freckles. How had he not noticed those adorable freckles before? Her green eyes were downcast. What was wrong? Was she upset at seeing him? He needed to speak with her.
They were quickly directed into the dining room for lunch. Richard immediately fell into step with Lizzy, eager to spend lunch getting to know this slip of a girl who had left his cousin tongue-tied. In a grand gesture, Richard stepped in front of his cousin and extended his arm before William could get over to her, leaving William to escort Anne into the dining room, "So Lizzy is it? Would that be short for Elizabeth?" he asked.
"Yes, Lizzy is a common diminutive for Elizabeth. I believe your aunt said you are Richard. Should I call you that, or perhaps Dick? I believe Dick is a common diminutive for Richard, am I right?" Lizzy asked, a small smile crossing her lips. She had a strong suspicion this was the cousin who took William's phone the other night and had been texting her.
Richard had to bite back a loud laugh turning it into a cough. 'Yes, this must be EB,' he thought. "I prefer to go by Richard or Rich although I am sure I have been called many other names over the years." He responded.
"Richard if you are coming down with a cold, I ask that you return upstairs. None of us would like you coughing germs all over us," Aunt Cathy stated loudly directing a stern look at Richard.
"My apologies aunt. I'd had some gum earlier and swallowed it accidentally. I assure you I am feeling perfectly well." Richard answered.
"Gum! What a disgusting habit. I don't know why these young people insist on chewing it. It makes them look just like cows chewing their cud. Richard I don't want to see or hear of you chewing gum around me again. It may be fine for your recruits but not for people of our breeding." Aunt Cathy ordered.
"She really should have been in the armed forces. She could put my superiors to shame," Richard whispered.
Mrs. DeBourgh was annoyed that her nephew seemed to know this Lizzy person and decided to ignore her for now. Professor Gardiner was seated next to her which perfectly suited her aims.
William was directed to sit next to his aunt and thus was several seats away from Lizzy. Frustrated, he was forced to watch as his cousin Richard chatted up his Lizzy. His aunt began to engage him in a conversation with the professor. At least William was involved in a stimulating discussion on the intersection of journalism and politics. He had been stuck in worse conversations at his aunt's table.
"So, how long have you known my cousin?" Richard asked.
"We met towards the end of October I believe, so a little over a month now." Lizzy responded.
"How'd you two meet?" Richard quieried again.
"Oh, the usual way." Lizzy answered evasively.
"I didn't have the benefit of a Harvard education. What is the usual way at Harvard, if I may ask?" Richard tried again.
"Oh I don't believe we have any special way of doing it at Harvard but as its the only college I've attended, perhaps I don't know the way its done elsewhere. How was it done at your college?" Lizzy evaded again.
"You have some very impressive evasive maneuvers miss. Why are you avoiding my questions?"
"Why should I answer them? You've known me less than five minutes and all you have asked me about is your cousin. I would presume you know him well enough to ask him these questions but you know nothing of me." Lizzy said sweetly.
"Touché. I have a feeling by the end of the night I will know every element of your life. You see, my aunt has not yet turned her attention to you but I assure you, she will. Once she does, you will likely end up telling her all, including the color of your underwear if she demands it. So I need not pound you with 20 questions as I will soon hear all about you. My cousin on the other hand is quite tight lipped, and I care deeply for him. If I want to learn anything regarding that quarter, I am best served to ask others." Richard responded.
"Well I'm intrigued to learn more of your aunt's tactics firsthand then. You'll get nothing from me about William aside from confirming that I do in fact know him. Your supposition about the Harvard connection was correct but I don't like to tell stories of others." Lizzy said with a smile and turned her attention to the salad placed in front of her.
Richard looked at Lizzy a bit dumbfounded. She was tough! He was going to need a more subtle plan of attack. They sat quietly for a few minutes when Lizzy started to feel a bit bad. She wasn't sure why she was giving her dining companion such a hard time. Perhaps she should try to extend an olive branch.
"So Richard, are you from Maine also?" She asked.
"No I only spend time here when my aunt or cousins bring me up this way. I prefer the warmer climate of Washington DC." Richard answered.
"Oh, so you're one of the cousins who live near the school Georgie attends?" Lizzy asked.
"Um, yea? So he's told you about Georgie and the rest of us?" Richard enquired. He was surprised that Darcy would talk about his family, let alone to some girl he had known for a month. He was a very private person.
"I may have heard some mention of you." Lizzy answered coyly, kicking herself for revealing anything about her knowledge of William's life. If William hadn't mentioned anything about their friendship to his cousin she certainly wasn't going to. "So how do you spend your time in our nation's capitol?
"I'm a Captain in the Army - Special Forces. I'm currently on assignment at the Pentagon. I guess I earned some time at home and I know my parents are happy to have me around." Richard responded.
"Wow, I'm impressed. I have a few friends in ROTC. Their discipline and dedication makes me wonder at how lazy the rest of us must seem by comparison." Lizzy answered.
"If you're friends with Darcy then I highly doubt you're the kind to layabout. To be honest, I love the structure and daily mental and physical challenges of being in the Army. The past few days have been driving me crazy with boredom. I don't know how my cousin Anne lives this way," Richard said quietly.
Salad was smoothly replaced with a hearty vegetable soup. The food was outstanding and Lizzy was wondering if she could get the recipe. She somehow doubted that their hostess would be the right person to ask. Trying to imagine her hostess in the kitchen chopping vegetables was an amusing thought and she had to restrain a giggle from passing her lips.
"You seem amused Lizzy. Please share the joke. As I said, I've been bored out of my mind would welcome any diversion." Richard implored.
"I'm not so sure you would find it amusing. I was enjoying the soup and trying to figure out how I might get the recipe. An image of your aunt in an apron, flour in her hair, chopping vegetables came to mind. I may have only just met your aunt but I can't imagine she was up this morning slaving over the soup and bread to be served this afternoon."
"I'd call you an astute observer but one doesn't need to spend more than a moment with my aunt to know that she wouldn't sully her hands with such menial work." Richard said with a smirk.
Anne had been watching the two of them from time to time but knew that her step-mother expected her to be paying attention to whatever this professor was droning on about. She had absolutely no idea what they were discussing and ultimately gave up on attempting to follow the conversation. "So Richard, introduce me to your dining companion."
"Anne, this is Elizabeth, or Lizzy as she is called. She apparently knows William from Harvard although she has yet to reveal to me how she knows him. She has heard of all of us from William although I am not sure what he has told her. I believe that she and Darcy were texting the other night while we were at your club. That is all I've been able to figure out thus far. Perhaps she'll tell you more." Richard teased.
"Well its a good thing you're not in the intelligence services Richard or else our country would be in trouble. Your interrogation of the witness has not been very productive," Anne returned with a smirk.
"Well I figured I'd leave the heavy lifting to your mother as I know she enjoys the sport of it all." Richard returned.
"No doubt. I guess we'll have to wait for the entertainment to begin."
"With your build up of our hostess' interrogation skills I'm almost anticipating it. I hope I don't disappoint." Lizzy laughed.
"Somehow I don't think you could." Richard answered her.
Lizzy turned to Anne and began to ask about the history of the home. It was certainly of a very different style than the others in the area. This was a topic on which Anne could speak at length and lunch passed rather quickly if the conversation was a bit dull. Getting up from the table, Lizzy was surprised to find William standing directly behind her chair.
"It is a wonderful surprise to see you here," William breathed into her ear.
Lizzy blushed and looked up to William with a smile gracing her face. "It was indeed, although I wasn't sure if you thought it was truly wonderful or not."
"I'm sorry I couldn't sit with you at lunch. My aunt, as you will see, can be rather demanding. I hope we have an opportunity to speak later," William said as he squeezed her hand.
"Children, Professor Gardiner and I will be speaking about his research. I am sure you can learn much from our conversation and I insist you join us while we meet."
Professor Gardiner caught Lizzy's attention and rolled his eyes. Yes, she had been warned but actually, Lizzy was interested in hearing about his research. He was her favorite professor for good reason and could think of worse ways to spend an afternoon than listening to him speak.
After two hours of attentively listening to William's aunt give her decided opinions about every element of Professor Gardiner's work Lizzy thought she was going to lose her mind. Anne had actually fallen asleep. She was softly snoring on the couch leaning on her cousin Richard's shoulder. Lizzy could tell that William had a headache as he was repeatedly rubbing his forehead and temples. Mrs. DeBourgh did not seem fatigued in the least however and was ready to keep going. At some point however, Professor Gardiner said he needed to refresh himself and put a call into home in order to check on Maddy and the children. They breathed a collective sigh of relief when he stood up to leave the room. Finally, they could get a break. William began to get up and move towards Lizzy when his aunt called out again.
"So I must hear how you two know one another." Aunt Cathy asked William, a firm hand placed on his arm.
"Lizzy's a writer for the Crimson and was working on an immigration story. I'm taking a class on immigration law and my professor asked me to help her with research for the piece." William answered cooly.
"Immigration is such a troubling issue. Who do these people think they are? I just don't know why people can't come into this country properly like our family did. We didn't sneak into this country." Mrs. DeBourgh demanded.
"When did your family immigrate to the US?" Lizzy asked.
"Well the Fitzwilliams have been in this country since the beginning of the 1800's and the DeBourgh's came here from England in the mid-1700's. We have been long established in this country."
"You know, I have learned so much doing this research. Did you know that many of the people who came here in the 1700's from England were actually sent here as a punishment for their crimes? England often gave criminals a choice between death or transportation to America or Australia. After America rebelled England could no longer send their criminals but many still came. One only needed to reside in the country for a few years in order to become a citizen. Since that time the rules have evolved. Now the limits are quite rigid." Lizzy informed them all.
A feeling of warmth overcame William as he watched her put his aunt in her place. Lizzy wasn't sure what to make of his look and worried that he might be angry with her for insinuating that his family might be descended from criminals. Before she could ponder the situation for too long though, she heard herself being addressed again.
"I see," turning her attention towards her, Mrs. DeBourgh asked, "I presume your parents gave you a proper name? A young woman can not be taken seriously being called Lizzy. Your parents named you Elizabeth, correct?" without waiting for a response she continued, "Benetez. What kind of name is that?"
"Spanish, or Mexican to be more precise." Lizzy responded looking her directly in the eyes.
"Where did you grow up?" she queried again.
"Boston ma'am." Lizzy answered again.
"Ah Boston, what a wonderful place, a more humane city one could never find. It's where I spent my own youth. The Fitzwilliam family has resided in Boston since the early 1800's. Which part, where did you attend school?" Mrs. DeBourgh was clearly warming to the subject.
"I was raised in Jamaica Plain and attended Boston Latin School." Lizzy smoothly responded.
You would have thought the woman had just eaten a lemon with the way her face contorted. "You say you lived in Jamaica Plain? And what do your parents do?"
"My parents own a restaurant in JP where I was raised." Lizzy was feeling a bit annoyed by this arrogant woman. The look on her face told her all she needed to know about how this conversation would go.
"And schooling? Where were they educated? Did your father attend any of the culinary schools of note?"
"My father is self taught as was my mother. They did not attend university." Lizzy was not going to demean her parents for a lack of opportunity. They had done well for themselves without access to schools like BLS or Harvard.
"Well I guess even Harvard has to have its charity cases. I hope you appreciate the wonderful opportunity that Harvard has given you by allowing you to attend along with people like my nephew." Mrs. DeBourgh condescended.
"I hope to have enriched my fellow students experiences as they have enriched mine. I have never met a fellow student who has not been grateful for the opportunities Harvard has provided them. Did you attend Mrs. DeBourgh?"
"The Fitzwilliam men attended Harvard, except for Richard who chose West Point. It is not a tradition among the women to attend Radcliffe or Harvard. I enjoyed my years at school although colleges have certainly changed. We looked at several for my dear Anne but none of them suited."
"Where did Anne study?" Lizzy asked.
"I brought instruction here to her. The requirements of schools today are nonsensical and I thought it much better to oversee her instruction myself. The skills that someone like my Anne requires, to be the proper support for her future husband's career, are much better taught by me than any university. For someone like yourself, who will require a job to support herself, and is unlikely to attract a man of wealth, I imagine that university would be more of a requirement." This outrageous speech left Richard and William speechless. William wanted to strangle his aunt and was trying to find the words to stop his aunt from speaking anymore when Lizzy responded.
"I would be most interested to hear of Anne's studies. You mentioned that she is quite accomplished. You must have quite a studied and informed opinion as to what comprises an accomplished woman?" Lizzy asked in a voice conveying pure innocence and interest.
"Of course dear, you would have no one available to you to provide such instruction. Well given my generous nature I should be happy to inform you. You see, Anne has mastered the skills of being the perfect partner in life to a busy and accomplished man. She is a favorite down at the country club and was elected chair of the social committee at only 23. She has been thoroughly instructed on the arts of correspondence and entertaining people of all social rank. Should the queen of England or the Prime Minister of Canada call, she would understand all of the necessary requirements of entertaining them. She can also accompany any partner in a doubles match or on the golf course but she also understands the importance of not dominating and deferring to her partner as appropriate. Her time has been applied specifically to ensure she will be able to suitably accompany and partner an important and busy man. I am sure it won't be long before a suitable man understands her talents and unique attributes and won't let her go." Catherine DeBourgh intoned.
"And does the Queen often visit?" Lizzy asked without a hint of sarcasm.
"Excuse me?"
"The Queen, you said Anne was knowledgable enough to entertain her Majesty. Does she often visit you?" Lizzy pursued the question without giving away a hint of amusement.
Richard was biting his lip hard and avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room so as to not burst out with laughter. He spied William's leg bouncing up and down but did not look up.
Flustered, Mrs DeBourgh looked Lizzy over trying to ascertain whether she was attempting to make a joke of her but Lizzy's face was the picture of genuine interest. As such, she answered her although resolving to end this frustrating conversation at once. "Elizabeth, I was merely giving an example of the wide variety of audiences and company with which Anne could easily manage based upon her studies. You must forgive me for I am fatigued and need to rest before dinner. I will see you all down here at 6:50. Do not be late.
Thankfully the interview finally ended, whether it passed quickly enough was up to individual interpretation. To be certain, for several of the guests, the afternoon had seemed interminable. William had spent much of time, trying to figure out if he could find a few minutes alone with Lizzy to apologize for his Aunt's behavior. He was mortified. She must hate his relations and this seriously troubled him. William had realized that her good opinion of him really mattered.
"Richard, William, see Anne to her room. She must be feeling under the weather to fall asleep like this." Aunt Cathy demanded.
William shot a look to Richard silently asking him to take responsibility for Anne to which he nodded his agreement.
William pulled Lizzy aside as they walked toward the formal living room following dinner. "Um, Lizzy, do you mind helping me bring up some wine for dinner?"
"Oh sure." Lizzy agreed, glad to be doing anything to get her out of the stifling formal living room. She followed him through the bustling kitchen and down a narrow set of stairs leading to a basement - or what functioned as a basement in a 10,000 square foot mansion. This basement was complete with hardwood in-laid floors, wainscoting and what appeared to be a state-of-the art sound system wired throughout the expanse. They walked about 25 feet and she watched as William opened up a heavy wooden door and flipped a switch casting light over the room. As they walked in Lizzy noticed that the room was a bit cooler than the rest of the house, a relief after the temperature-raising conversation upstairs. She found herself looking over 4 walls covered for the most part with floor-to-ceiling temperature controlled wine refrigerators. There must have been at least 2500 bottles of wine inside the room. A broad wooden table with stools surrounding it took up the center of the room. On one far wall Lizzy observed a single cabinet built into the wall filled with different sized wine glasses. Spinning around the room she realized she had left the door open behind her and reached to close it so as to keep the room at the appropriate temperature. As the door closed, William turned with a bottle of wine in each hand.
"Uh, Lizzy, did you just close the door?" William asked.
"Oh, yes. I didn't want to let cooler air out. I figured that since this room was temperature regulated it was important to keep the door closed." She answered smiling. "Can I help you grab some wine?"
"Oh, thanks. Let me just check something." William said. Setting the wine down on the table, he walked towards the door. "I hope Aunt Cathy had the door fixed since I was last here." he muttered.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you just said. Did you need me to check something?" Lizzy asked.
"Um, no. Well, you see, sometimes this door gets stuck. We usually leave it open while we're here in the wine cellar because people have gotten stuck inside before." William tried to say lightheartedly. He knew that getting the door fixed was on his aunt's to-do list. It was just that, as good as his Aunt was at telling other people what to do, she didn't always do the things she needed to complete. Darcy turned the handle and pulled but the door didn't budge. "Damn" William muttered. He looked around to see if there was anything he could use to get some leverage on the door but quickly noted that the door was tightly sealed, likely to maintain the temperature control in the room. That didn't stop him from trying again to pull the door open. Again, it didn't move.
"Lizzy? I'm sorry. This is entirely my fault. I should've said something before we entered but, well, the door appears to be stuck. I'm guessing my aunt forgot to get it fixed since this last occurred."
"The door is stuck? As in, we can't get out of here?" Lizzy asked incredulously. Not only had she spent the entire afternoon with the one person who knew every single embarrassing thing about her, but then she'd been held up in front of him to relentless scrutiny by his aunt, and now got them trapped in a wine cellar. Could things get any worse, she wondered.
"Well, eventually, my cousin or someone will notice we're missing and will come looking for us, I'm sure." William said, trying to sound reassuring. If he hadn't been so focused on grabbing a few moments with Lizzy to apologize he might have thought to tell someone where they were going. That the need for wine was a complete ruse he had made up, didn't help matters.
"Oh, of course. Well at least there is a place to sit and plenty of wine to keep us hydrated." Lizzy laughed.
"Only you could find humor in this situation Lizzy. I've always appreciated that about you." William commented.
"Well, at least I have one redeeming quality." She quipped.
Looking into her eyes, William answered sincerely, "I would say you have more than one."
"I can drink to that." Lizzy answered, nodding to the bottles of wine still in William's hands in order to avoid her discomfort. "What do you have there?"
Recovering his wits, William responded. "Well, let's see. In my right hand I have a 2011 Turley Zinfandel. I also grabbed a Croft Vintage Port from the same year. They're both very nice wines but I think we should start with the Zinfandel because the port is really for dessert." He proceeded to the cabinet that housed the glassware and pulled out two tall wine glasses. He quickly opened the bottle and poured out two glasses. "There is a common perception that one needs to decant red wines and let them breathe for at least 30 minutes. However, I read an article in the NY Times that tested the aeration of a wine after decanting and letting the wines sit for 30 minutes versus simply pouring the wine and swirling it in your glass for a few seconds. The study, conducted by two pulmonologists, found that there was no difference in the oxygen levels between the two wines. Ever since, I have simply poured, swirled and drank." William stated.
"Oh you rebel. What will everyone at the country club think?" Lizzy teased.
William actually had the courtesy to look embarrassed but Lizzy felt bad. Who was she to tease him about wine? The man actually owned a vineyard!
They both sat in silence for a few moments, sipping the wine. "So what do you think of the wine?" William asked.
"Oh, its good. Quite good, although given I know absolutely nothing about wine and haven't tasted much, I guess you'd be the better judge." Lizzy answered a bit sheepishly. "How long until they figure out we're down here?"
"I'm not sure. I should've told Richard where we were going but I wasn't actually focused on that. I'm truly sorry." William answered.
"This isn't your fault. I'm the one who was oh-so-helpful by closing the door and getting us stuck." Lizzy admitted. She took another sip of wine, "This is really good wine."
"Yes, I agree. And I do owe you an apology. I am so embarrassed by the inquisition you were subjected to by my aunt upstairs. You're an amazing person Lizzy and I hope you know that not all of the Fitzwilliam's and Darcy's are so narrow-minded and snobbish. You are so much more than your parents and their education." William added. This didn't actually help.
"William, you have this amazing ability to say something lovely and then add a comment that is filled with the same judgement and disdain as everyone else. With that one final sentence you proved what I have spent my entire life fighting against. I am not accomplished in spite of my parents. I am not ashamed of where I come from and yet that comment is condescending to my family."
"I don't look down on your family Lizzy." William quickly stated.
"Well, you could've fooled me. It certainly seemed pretty evident by the look of disdain you had on your face the entire time you were at my home. I don't care if your family and everyone you know thinks we don't belong here. I will find a solution." Lizzy practically yelled.
"Hey, again, I'm sorry. I clearly put my foot in my mouth again. I wasn't putting you or your family down." William tried to explain but Lizzy's back was firmly turned towards him. He started to move closer and saw her shoulders moving. She was crying. He had made her cry. Walking over William kneeled down on the floor in front of her. "I'm so sorry," he earnestly whispered. He wanted to hold her, protect her, but it was clear she was upset and he wasn't sure she would want him to comfort her. He couldn't walk away though, so he pulled up the stool next to hers and sat down.
"You may have noticed, I'm not very good with words. Kinda funny for a person about to graduate with a law degree huh?" William added and looked over at her.
Lizzy shook her head and added, "You do seem to struggle with words."
"Let me try again. What I was trying to say was that most of my life, I've been surrounded by kids who have two parents, both with Ivy League educations. The kids have more money than they know what to do with. Private schools, tutors, trust funds are all at their disposal. Basically everyone I have ever known has had everything handed to them. They're not bad people. And I don't think I'm a bad person but you, you're different. You have worked for every single thing you have ever achieved. You're not at Harvard because you went to the right schools and your parents went to the right schools. You're at Harvard completely on your own merit. Even more, you got to Harvard while being an amazing daughter, sister and while helping your family run their business. You're an incredibly compassionate person. Look what you did for your friend Jane when she was ill. And you can turn any situation into a laugh. I have never met anyone as impressive as you. I look at my own sister and wish she could be as strong as you are." William added.
Lizzy blinked. She really looked at this kind man, who praised her and was doing everything he could to help her. She had misunderstood him before and felt as though she had to keep reminding herself to remove the blinders where he was concerned. Since she had first spoken to her father, she had been building a protective shell around her. His kindness, his words, kept adding cracks to that shell a bit.
She started to speak but before the words left her mouth she felt his lips pressed against hers. It was tentative but felt so nice. His warm breath brushed her lips moments before they connected and she reached over to rest her hands on his shoulders.
At first, William felt her hands and thought she was pushing him away. But he soon realized she was subtlety pulling him closer and that was just enough encouragement to deepen the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him, off of the stool until she was pulled into his lap. Their tongues laced around one another and he couldn't help thinking about how sweet she tasted, her lips laced with the red wine they had been drinking.
Lizzy lost herself to his kisses and caresses, William's only thought was that he wanted more but he forced himself to stop. They pulled apart from one another staring.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken advantage." William said looking down at the floor.
"I didn't see or feel anything for which you should be apologizing," Lizzy answered quietly. Feeling a desperate need to change the subject, Lizzy suggested, "Now, we are stuck in here and I know absolutely nothing about wine. Given you actually own a vineyard, how about giving me an education I am actually interested in."
"My aunt really can be a nightmare, can't she? I'm happy to further your education madam on something you might actually find useful. Let me arrange things properly." William said as he stood up, walking over to cabinet to pull out a range of glasses along with a bucket. He also managed to find some bottled water and water glasses. He walked through the room selecting wines to sample and lined them up along the table. Lizzy was fascinated watching him. He was so calm and in control. Moving closer to where William was working she noticed he was humming softly. She was struck to discover he was humming Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, one of her favorite pieces to play on the piano. She joined him humming and they completed the piece together.
They drank more wine then they really 'tasted' and Lizzy felt a strong need to sit down. "Wow, I'm feeling a bit dizzy."
William sat down next to her bringing her a glass of water. "I think we might have gotten a little carried away. Are you ok?"
Lizzy leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and William couldn't resist the urge to reach down and stroke her lovely neck. Lizzy turned her head and soon her lips reached up towards his. Several minutes must have passed when the door burst suddenly open. The couple was oblivious until they heard the voice of Richard Fitzwilliam. "Here I was worried sick about you two thinking you had been kidnapped and instead, you've been making out in the wine cellar. All the while I've been stuck with those sniping bitches upstairs!" Richard bellowed.
Lizzy attempted to jump up but merely succeeded in knocking heads with William and falling to the floor. She started to laugh and William and Richard joined her.
He stood up and extended a hand to Lizzy to help her up the floor. "Richard, it's not what you think." William stuttered.
"Look, I realize you're the one about to earn the Harvard trifecta, but it doesn't take three Harvard degrees to figure out that you two were having a lot more fun down here then I have any hope for this weekend." Richard retorted.
"I think Richard, that William was speaking of the fact that we got stuck in here because of that stupid door. We had simply come down to get some wine and I closed the door not realizing that it would lock us in." Lizzy attempted to clarify.
"Yes, we hadn't snuck off, as you implied." William concurred.
"Well, glad to see you made good use of your time. You should probably get upstairs though. Everyone's been waiting for the past 25 minutes for you to go into dinner, hence my search. You're just fortunate I'm the one who found you. Could you imagine the reaction from Aunt Cathy? She's already outraged that you have kept dinner waiting." Richard shuddered.
"I don't want to imagine but thank you very much for so effectively ruining my mood." William muttered. Lizzy quickly looked up at Darcy with a smirk on her lips.
They started to leave when she spun around and stumbled. "We should probably grab that wine. That's what we came here for in the first place."
"I'm not so sure you need anymore wine." Richard observed. "How much wine did you two consume while locked in here?"
"By the looks of it, quite a bit. Probably a bit much for little Lizzy here." William smiled.
"The world is spinning a bit. Do you think you could help me up the stairs." Lizzy slurred a bit.
"I think I'll be bringing you up to your room while William delivers the wine. It will be far better if we arrive separately. I'll let everyone know you weren't feeling well and went to bed." Richard offered.
William understood the prudence of this offer but before setting off towards the living room, asked Lizzy if she might meet him in the morning for a walk down by the water. "We can meet at the bottom of the beach steps at say 8:30?" William offered.
"Sounds good. Good night." Lizzy said and followed Richard up to the third floor where the guest rooms were located.
Comments, thoughts, ideas? I love to hear from you. Your thoughts and questions impact this story as I am actively writing. Lizzy and Darcy will meet up in the morning. Thoughts as to what they might discuss?