I'm so happy to see the new followers and favorites! It's very satisfying when new readers find the story :) It's going to be a busy weekend so I'm not sure if I'll be able to do a second update like I normally do but we'll see! A couple of things...
I accidentally named two characters Robert. Going forward, Sophia and Henry's son, William's first cousin will continue to go by Robert. The more distant cousin will be Matthew. Eventually, I'll go back and clean this all up!
Also, I've been asked how Lizzy's parents could own a restaurant and be illegal. The business was actually established when Maria was born - and she's a legal citizen b/c she was born in the US. It was actually established and operated under her name.
William was carefully balancing two large crates while Lizzy pulled two suitcases behind her. "Whoever invented suitcases with wheels was a genius and I hope he or she has made a lot of money off of whatever patent they received." Lizzy pulled out her brand new key chain and moved to unlock the front door.
William walked towards the living room to set the crates down while Lizzy headed off to her new bedroom with the suitcases. They'd been bringing some of her things over to the condo and her personal effects were beginning to have an impact on the place. After placing the suitcases on the bed, Lizzy thought she should start on dinner. They could unpack while dinner was warming. Lost in thought, Lizzy pushed open the kitchen door walking directly into a woman who appeared to be in her late 50's.
"Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here," a startled Lizzy said.
"Well hello dear. You must be Lizzy. I'm Sophia Fitzwilliam, William's aunt."
"Umm, hello. It's nice to meet you. Does William know you're here?" Lizzy asked.
"I don't believe so but why don't we go tell him," Aunt Sophia began walking towards the living room with Lizzy following closely behind. "William dear. I hope you don't mind but I used my key and let myself in. I'm so glad I did because look who I met in the kitchen."
William looked up from where he had been arranging Lizzy's books, started by the familiar voice. "Hello Aunt. This is quite a surprise. I wish you had called to let me know you were coming by. I would've been here to welcome you." William said as he reached over to give his aunt a kiss on the cheek.
"Oh but that would've spoiled the fun. I had the most interesting conversation with a distressed Georgie yesterday afternoon. She needed to tell me all about her brother's new girlfriend and how worried she is to be meeting her this weekend. Then I spoke with my son Richard this afternoon and he tells me he has already met Lizzy and that I will adore her." She said glancing over at Lizzy with a smile, "If only half of what he shared about your interactions with Cathy are true I am quite sure he's right." Turning back to her nephew, "Now William you know how much I dislike being the last one to know something of import so I picked up some bourbon and barbecue and figured we can spend the evening getting to know one another."
William looked down at his phone. Sure enough, three missed calls from Richard. Running his fingers through his hair he looked over to the two women in front of him, "Aunt why don't you join me in the kitchen and we can set everything up for dinner. Lizzy, my aunt and I will be out in just a few minutes. Can you pick out some music while we get the food organized." Turning his aunt back towards the kitchen William mouthed, "I'm sorry." Lizzy simply chuckled at the temerity of another Fitzwilliam relative.
With the kitchen door closing behind them William crossed his arms and looked at his aunt, "That was quite the ambush you orchestrated there."
"Since when is an ambush required to learn about a girl wearing a family heirloom on her left hand?" Aunt Sophia returned, a pointed look on her face. William actually had the courtesy to blush at these words. "Does Richard know you're engaged?" she asked.
William couldn't lie to his aunt outright and yet didn't want to get his favorite cousin in trouble. "I'd sworn him to secrecy." William blurted out.
"I can't believe the little devil didn't tell me," Sophia muttered. Leaning back against the counter while William was getting plates and glasses together, she looked at her nephew to examine his countenance, "So, have you set a date for this event?"
"Hmmm. Can I pour you a bourbon aunt? I know I could use one." William busied himself gathering ice cubes and pouring out three glasses of the amber liquid.
"Fitwilliam Darcy, I've known you since you were sitting in your own piss on my lap. When is the wedding?" Sophia demanded.
Taking a sip of bourbon, William looked directly at her, "Sunday, in Maine, at Pemberley House."
His aunt picked up her glass of bourbon and drank it down. "Is this about the codicil?"
"In part, yes. At least the timing is." Darcy answered.
Setting the glass back on the counter Sophia Fitzwilliam poured out another glass and walked out towards the dining room.
William followed behind her, two glasses of bourbon in his hands along with the bottle tucked under his arm. Handing one glass to Lizzy he said, "You're going to want to drink this. It's going to be a long night."
"Lizzy dear, come sit next to me while William makes us plates. Please tell me you like barbeque."
"I love it. What's your favorite place?" Lizzy asked.
"Definitely Red Bones. Their pulled pork is perfection. My husband can't tolerate it so William and I have a long history of sharing it. Now that you're joining the family I hope you don't mind if I retreat here for a little barbecue every once in a while. It's become a bit of a tradition since William started at Harvard almost a decade ago."
"Have you ever had Blue Ribbon? I think their brisket is amazing. I look forward to trying Red Bones and comparing." Lizzy offered.
"Blue Ribbon is quite good but, you see, Red Bones was the first barbecue I had up North that actually reminded me of home. When you're a long way from home, those experiences can be powerful." Aunt Sophia said wistfully.
Taking another sip of bourbon she started, "So where is home for you?"
Here we go again, Lizzy thought as she started to put her guard up. Should I make it a game of 20 questions or just spill it all out, she wondered. Knowing the likely outcomes and judgments which were inevitable, Lizzy decided to put all of her cards on the table. "I grew up in Boston, Jamaica Plain actually. My parents owned a restaurant in there and we lived above it." Lizzy said evenly.
Sophia didn't skip a beat. "JP? I love it there. Which restaurant do your parents own? I may have been there but if I haven't I am always looking for new places to try. You see I volunteer weekly at Nativity Prep on Lamartine so I have many opportunities."
Lizzy, surprised by this reaction, realized she was carrying her own prejudices. Was she any better than anyone who judged her? She needed to give this aunt a chance. "In high school I tutored some of the younger kids at Nativity. It was astonishing to me that they could have reached middle school with so little in the way of solid reading and writing skills. It's a strict school but the kids who apply themselves seem to really get a lot out of it." Lizzy offered.
"Isn't that the way it is most often in life? You get out of it what you put into it. I wish more people understood that," Sophia sighed. Turning back to the young woman sitting beside her, "At any rate, your parent's restaurant, I'd love to hear about it."
"It serves Mexican food, predominantly from our home region of Oaxaca. It's a simple family restaurant on Centre Street. Nothing fancy but the food is very good, at least I think so, and it's always had a loyal customer base." Lizzy hadn't thought much about the restaurant in recent weeks. She'd been avoiding thoughts of home and family as there wasn't anything she could do about their separation and Maria was stubbornly avoiding her texts and phone calls.
"Did something happen to the restaurant? I don't mean to pry but you have such a sad look on your face dear."
"Oh no the restaurant is fine." Lizzy averred and thought it best to change the subject. "So how long have you been volunteering in JP?"
"I've been volunteering on and off for years although since my daughter Rachel, and now Georgie, have both left for school I've taken on a lot more. I was fairly involved with Georgie but over the past few months, with her settled in school down South, I've found I have a lot more free time on my hands. I'd lose my mind if all I did was golf, tennis, lunches and shopping."
William walked into the room and set two plates of barbecue in front of the women. A minute later he had returned with his own. Sitting next to Lizzy he reached over and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek, grateful that she was rolling with the unexpected turn of events this evening.
"So Lizzy are you planning to study the law as well? You seem very astute at getting people to talk about themselves rather than talking about yourself." Sophia said with a wink to ensure they knew she was teasing.
"I think aunt, that Lizzy is merely being polite but given who you tend to hang around, perhaps you're not used to such good manners," William said with a wink back.
"Well, to answer your last question Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I hope to be a journalist."
"The night I first met Lizzy, we were standing in line near one another at a restaurant in the Square. She had just learned she'd been awarded an internship at the New York Times and was out celebrating the news with friends." William beamed with pride.
Sophia Fitzwilliam was impressed. The New York Times was one of the few newspapers she still respected. While journalists were not her favorite people in the world, given the public scrutiny that followed her husband constantly, she understood their role and the need for a free press in society. "Well I'm impressed young lady. Your parents must be incredibly proud of you." She smiled, a bit relieved that this young woman did seem to have a head on her shoulders and some drive. "If you'll excuse me, I think I need to use the ladies. I'll be right back."
William had been tossing around in his head all evening whether they should disclose Lizzy's immigration status and her parent's departure. She'd likely hear about it all soon enough, maybe even as soon as Sunday. "Lizzy, I'm thinking we might share with my aunt your full situation. She's very trustworthy and will likely learn anyway in the coming days. It might be best to prepare her."
"If you think it's best, I'll follow your lead." Lizzy agreed and squeezed his hand.
"I'm so sorry my aunt showed up like this. She's really wonderful and I hope you're doing all right with her questions." William said.
"I can only imagine how shocked she was to hear about us from your others. I understand he need to ask questions. She seems to genuinely care about you and anyone who does I can easily respect."
Sophia Fitzwilliam came back into the dining room and poured herself another glass of bourbon, refilling their glasses as well. Settling down with her glass in hand she turned to her nephew, "So William, I'm puzzled about something. When I learned from Georgie and Richard you had a girlfriend, and a serious one at that, I couldn't imagine why you hadn't mentioned anything. I worried there was something I wouldn't like. But here I see a poised, intelligent and articulate young woman working towards her own career. Why have you been hiding her from us?"
Squeezing Lizzy's hand, William began, "I haven't been hiding Lizzy at all, and I agree with you. Lizzy is all of those wonderful things you say. It's been a rough couple of weeks and we've really simply been focused on dealing with some challenges that have arisen, that's all."
"And what challenges might those be?" Sophia Fitzwilliam was nothing if not direct.
"Well you know about the codicil that Aunt Cathy is trying to enforce. At the same time, some issues with Lizzy's family also arose and I've been helping her with them." William turned to Lizzy: it was her story to tell.
"You see, both William and I have reasons to marry. After learning about my internship I went home to share the news with my family. It was only then that my papa revealed to me that my family immigrated to this country illegally when I was nine months old." Shaking her head at the memory she continued, "I'd always believed I was born in Boston. I'd never really had any reason to question it. Then, after a single conversation, I'd discovered that I couldn't pursue my internship or really any job. I can't get a drivers license or do any of the things that I'd hoped for. Even worse, my parents really didn't seem to have any kind of plan." Lizzy was trying to judge Mrs. Fitzwilliam's reaction. She looked surprised but didn't seem to show any other emotion.
William decided to jump in. He didn't want his aunt to think Lizzy had sought him out. "I became aware of the situation from a random set of coincidences. Lizzy's faculty advisor is good friends with my law school advisor, Professor Gilpin. When Lizzy shared her newfound understanding with her advisor, he reached out to Gilpin for advice. They agreed that Lizzy should go to the free legal aid clinic in Cambridge. When she came to meet with Professor Gilpin, she found me in the room along with him. I'll admit it was a bit awkward because we'd met previously and because of some very stupid things I had said about illegal immigrants in Lizzy's earshot. It was an unpleasant but important lesson." William added looking chagrined.
"Well I should say so! Lizzy you must have been scared out of your mind and to hear a friend badmouth your situation. I'm ashamed of you William. I'm quite familiar with this issue and its truly a tragedy that our government hasn't worked out some way of providing clarity to young people in your situation."
"Don't worry Mrs. Fitzwilliam, William has apologized most profusely for his comments on immigrants.
"So how do your parents feel about you marrying William and pursuing your green card?" she asked.
"My parents don't know. After William and I went to speak with my father about potential options, they packed up house and disappeared. All my father left was a letter encouraging me to pursue ways to regularize my status. My sister Maria, who's almost 18, stayed behind to finish up her last year of high school. She was born here so she is automatically a citizen. Unfortunately, she's blaming me for their departure and won't speak to me. As William said, its been a stressful few weeks." Lizzy admitted. William reached over and wrapped one of his arms around her, encouraging her to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Oh my dear. I barely know what to think. Please don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure you're not adding to your troubles by rushing into marriage, rather than solving them?" Sophia Fitzwilliam asked.
"Mrs. Fitzwilliam, I shared your concern. But William asked me to trust him and take this leap with him. And I do truly trust him."
Sophia looked over at the young couple and her heart went out to them. They'd need a lot of support in the coming months. "You must call me Aunt Sophia my dear. This is all happening so quickly my own head is spinning. I can't imagine how you are dealing with all of this. Now then, it is what it is. William, will you be able to accommodate your Uncle and I at the house on Saturday night or do we need to make reservations at the Inn?"
Was it really that easy? He was surprised and relieved for having their support but had his doubts that everything would flow so smoothly. "Aunt I hadn't thought you and Uncle would want to join us." William said.
"Why ever not?" Sophia was startled.
"Given Lizzy's status, I didn't think that Uncle would want to witness my marriage to an illegal immigrant. He might want to avoid the appearance of being supportive of our wedding given the current debate that's taking place on immigration." William explained.
A fierce look crossed Sophia Fitzwilliam's face,"He is your uncle first and foremost and would never want to miss the wedding of his sister's only son. If the citizens of Massachusetts can't see that he values family above politics then they don't deserve to have him as their Senator." She thundered.
"We'd be honored to have you there Aunt Sophia." Lizzy assured her.
Darcy's aunt turned to the couple, "Given we have this lovely amber liquid in front of us, I propose a toast, "To trust, to friendship and to blossoming love. Welcome to the family Lizzy."
The three took another sip of the bourbon, Lizzy coughing her way through the drink. She was a little unsure how much she had had given her new aunt's frequent top ups of her glass.
"So when are you planning to break the news to my dear sister-in-law Cathy?" Her gleeful grin was most amusing to Lizzy.
"I thought that given you're now attending that perhaps Uncle Henry might inform her, what do you think?" William teased.
"I think you have part of a good idea. I think that perhaps you and your Uncle together should go and inform her. Lizzy can stay safely out of the line of fire with me. I do think you should tell her prior to it being picked up by the press. No offense Lizzy but we try to stay out of the press as much as possible," she advised.
"No offense taken. I'm not a big fan of celebrity news, unlike some of my roommates and housemates." Lizzy joked. "It's hard to believe that anything I do could ever be noteworthy with the press however. I always imagined writing the news not being the news."
They spent another hour eating, drinking and chatting. Sophia had some very amusing stories about William's childhood and Lizzy relished hearing each one.
"I should probably be getting home. Lizzy and William, I'm sure you have a lot going on this week so I will speak with your uncle first. That doesn't get you off the hook however. I expect William that Henry will want to see you and meet Lizzy before the weekend. You will find time to accomplish that right?"
"Of course Aunt Sophia. Thank you for speaking with him. Will you be speaking with Georgie as well?"
"Most certainly. I will do my best to calm her although, as I have experienced with my own daughter, even the most even-keeled girls can be quite emotional and unpredictable at 15. You should be sensitive to the fact that she might not be so readily accepting of all of this."
"We appreciate anything you might do or say to help her gain comfort Aunt." William said. "Let me walk you out. Lizzy, I'll be back up in a few minutes."
They stepped out into the hallway. Waiting for the elevator, William turned to his aunt, "I really want to thank you for being so supportive. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you earlier. I shouldn't have doubted you."
"No you shouldn't have, but I understand that this has all been a bit of a whirlwind. I like her William. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders, at least from what I have seen of her. She doesn't fawn or seem insincere and I like seeing you smile. If she can achieve that in so short a time, I can't help but like her."
"I'm glad you can recognize how special she is. Lizzy is truly one of a kind and being with her really makes me happy. I'm sure it won't always be smooth sailing, in fact it hasn't been so far, and that's part of what makes me so very comfortable with marrying her. She holds me accountable, she respects me and therefore, expects me to be a good person."
"Good." Leaning over Sophia gave William a hug. "I'm going to talk with your uncle about this tomorrow morning over breakfast. You should stop by to visit his office tomorrow when you can. He'll be expecting you."
Lizzy watched them leave the condo and stood to begin cleaning up from the barbecue fest. She hadn't quite appreciated how much bourbon she'd had until she almost fell right back onto the couch. Resting on the couch, Lizzy figured she'd get back up once William came back and they could clean up together.
William walked back into the condo surprised by the quiet. Walking into the kitchen he spied the mess they'd need to deal with. He was glad he wouldn't be cleaning this all up by himself. A few minutes passed and he realized that Lizzy had appeared from the washroom or wherever she was hiding. Becoming worried, William first checked the bathrooms only to find them empty. Walking into the living room he found Lizzy sound asleep on the couch. Laying a blanket over her, he headed back to the kitchen to finish the clean up. Twenty minutes later Lizzy was still curled up under an afghan his grandmother had crocheted when he was only six years old. Sitting down beside her, he reached over and began gently shaking her. It took a few minutes but he finally woke her.
"I'm sorry to wake you Lizzy but the couch won't be a comfortable place to spend the night," he said.
Yawning, Lizzy sat up and brushed her hair away from her face, "Thank you for waking me. I didn't mean to fall asleep. Let me use the bathroom and then I'll help you clean up."
"No need. I've already taken care of it. I imagine that drinking bourbon isn't a regular habit."
"I think that's a safe assumption," she giggled. Lizzy went to stand and again was reminded at how tipsy she was. She carefully made her way to the bathroom. Washing her face helped and she was feeling a little more awake at least. A bottle of ibuprofen in the cabinet provided her with some advance medication. Lizzy hoped that the medicine and glass of water would stave off a terrible hangover. Entering the living room she spied William standing by the windows looking out at the river and came up from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her face on his strong back.
They stood in this way for a few moments when William turned around and reached down to kiss her warm lips. It didn't take long before they were engaged in a more heated exchange and William walked her back to the very same couch from which he'd just woken her. Pressing her down on the couch, William didn't stop his actions, completely lost in their passion. Pulling away, he pleaded, "Stay."
Looking up into his eyes she could see his plea, "Ok," she whispered.
Scooping her up, William led her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Lizzy pulled him down next to her, continuing their kisses. She wasn't sure how much of her desire to be close to him in that moment was her need for him or the bourbon but she really didn't care. All she knew was that she felt so warm and comforted in his arms and she really didn't want it to end. Lizzy quickly shed her jeans and sweater, leaving only her t-shirt and underwear. William did the same and the got under the comforter.
"I'm staying but I'm not ready for this to go too far, ok?"
"Of course, I'm simply enjoying myself and don't want it to end." He reached over to resume their kisses, happiness flowing through him as he held her in his arms.
How'd you enjoy Aunt Sophia's visit? She's one of my favorite characters. So, Lizzy spent the night. Not sure how long they'll be having separate rooms...Comments, reviews, thoughts. All welcome :)