Thank you so much for your understanding of the prior delay. I've slowed the pace down, (is that possible? Yes it is) and we'll be getting to know more about our couple in the next few chapters. I love feedback and support so thank you to everyone who is following, favoriting and most importantly writing reviews. I treasure each one...here you are!
William had been watching the front door of the classroom building and was relieved to see Lizzy walking out with three classmates, a smile on her face. He'd been worried about her and the reactions she might receive. He knew the moment she'd spotted him, her smile got a little wider and her pace quickened. 'God they needed this weekend away,' he thought.
"Hello love," William greeted her.
Giving him a quick kiss, Lizzy exclaimed, "Let's get outta here. I need to escape."
"As you wish." Pulling out into traffic he made his way towards the Mass Pike. "How was the exam?"
"I think I did well. I really love that class. I think it's simply that I love exploring old writings and attempting to get the nuance out of the author's word choice. That's the english lit side of me, I guess. I'm not that interested in economics per se but diving into text to parse arguments is interesting for me, and it satisfies one of my social science requirements for graduation." She shrugged.
William glanced over to see her innocent grin, clearly happy with herself and the topic. "I remember Professor Worley's class, although it was probably my least favorite econ class. The Sunday afternoon slide show of the dead economists graves was a bit weird. Does he still do that?"
"Yup, and his wife brings chocolate chip cookies and milk too. That's probably the best part of the slide show but we'd never let him know." Lizzy said.
"You don't think he knows that the cookies are what draws everyone there on a Sunday afternoon to watch a slide show of grave site visits?" William asked.
"It's either that or the chance to brown nose a bit," Lizzy admitted.
"Either way he gets a steady audience." William agreed.
"So how'd the conversation go with Charlie?"
"Fine, I guess. I've rarely seen him so solemn or serious. I think this has been a big week for him. On Monday he apologized to you and then came to see me, tail between his legs, this morning. All that and he's had to try and repair things with Jane."
"I feel sorry for him. Jane can be tough when she wants to be. She may seem sweet but there's a real backbone underneath all the goodness." Lizzy laughed.
"I wonder if Caroline's fate will engender sympathy from you then."
Lizzy raised a brow to that statement signaling her interest and skepticism, "This sounds like it'll be good."
"Apparently, Charlie made contact with their parents shortly after I left. Their mom has always wanted a red convertible so, curtesy of Caroline's actions, she now has one. Caroline will be without a car next semester, her graduation trip to Europe has been cancelled, and she'll be working in the family business this summer instead. They were planning to give you her earnings, basically in exchange for fees she was paid for the photos and story details she shared. I told them we'd rather see the money go to an immigrant legal aid clinic. I hope you don't mind." William grinned.
"I love it. But really no car, no European vacation and she has to work for the summer at daddy's company? It's like she's living a normal American college student's life, or even better." Lizzy shrugged.
"I see what you're saying but Caroline and normal don't often go together. Maybe she needs to volunteer at the legal aid clinic too. I could mention that to their parents." William suggested. "Apparently they are driving up today and wanted to come by and personally apologize for their daughter's behavior."
"That's really unnecessary. Caroline should apologize but her parents didn't do anything. And I'm not sure I want to inflict her attitude on those poor immigrants seeking help at a clinic. They've got enough stress in their lives."
"You're probably right."
"So tell me about your chat with Charlie." Lizzy asked.
"He's properly horrified by his sister. He's promised to keep her out of our lives. I'm relieved but know its going to be hard on him. Charlie's always been really close to Caroline. They had another sister, Louisa, who got sick with leukemia when they were in elementary school and passed away when he was 8. She was 9 and Caroline was 4. I think it's why he's always looked past any of Caroline's indiscretions. It also explains a bit why Caroline's always been so spoiled." William shared.
"I wish I'd known. This has got to be hard on him. I guess I understand a little better his reluctance to exclude Caroline from anything. That kind of experience really marks a person." Lizzy sympathized.
"You have an amazing capacity for empathy Lizzy. I'm grateful you understand Charlie's situation but it doesn't excuse Caroline's actions. She was only motivated by greed and some strange desire to hurt you. What she did was unconscionable." William reminded her.
"I agree but I can still feel bad for Charlie. My younger sisters drive me nuts sometimes but they're still my sisters. I'd love them no matter what, even if I do want to strangle them sometimes."
"I know what you mean. I'm so mad at Georgie and yet, I'd do anything for her. The only excuse I can come up with is that she was simply venting, not going to the press deliberately." William sighed.
Lizzy agreed, "That, and she's only 15. She still has a lot of growing up to do. Hopefully she'll learn something from this."
"I guess."
"Hey did you bring those sandwiches I packed? I'm starving and could really use some food."
William reached behind the passenger seat and pulled out a small cooler. Lizzy was pleased to find the lunches she'd packed along with two diet coke's and some other snacks. They rode in silence for awhile, eating their lunches and listening to music.
Breaking the relative quiet in the car, Lizzy began, "It's so weird that until a few weeks ago, I'd never really travelled outside of Massachusetts and now I'm going to Maine for the second time in one week."
William thought about the significance of Lizzy's observation, "I'll be honest, it's hard for me to imagine. I hope you won't mind if I take you much farther away than Maine once you've got proper identification to travel. My family has property in England and France. I'd love to show you these places. They've been in my family for hundreds of years."
"I'd love to go, if possible. I'm also really interested in traveling to Oaxaca at some point in my life. I'd love to see where my family is from. Perhaps some of the traditions we've always maintained would make more sense to me if I met some of my distant relations. There have to be cousins and the like in Mexico." Lizzy sighed wistfully.
Silently, William vowed he'd take her to Mexico, once it was safe to do so. "Let's talk about a plan for the weekend. We're almost there. Do you want to take a short nap, get some studying in, or go out an explore a bit? Your choice."
"After sitting most of the day I'd love to stretch my legs and explore the area. I really only saw the house last weekend. Maybe we could take a short hike, for an hour or so, and then come back to study by a fire until dinner time. Would that work?"
"Sounds perfect." William smiled.
Lizzy saw they were turning onto the private road that led to the Darcy's home. The pine trees grew closely together, creating a dense wall of green on either side of the winding road. As they progressed the trees began to thin a bit and a stream cut across the road. Passing through a two-lane covered bridge she found the road widened on the other side and trees eventually gave over to a gently sloping snow-covered hill. How she hadn't noticed all of these details last weekend she didn't know but assumed a combination of nerves and excitement likely blinded her to everything except the wedding details. Trees dotted the hillside, white lights laced through their branches, twinkling in the afternoon light. The home, constructed of stone and grayed cedar shingles, stood on a slight rise set back from one side of the stream and nestled between tall, gracious pine trees and holly bushes. It was beautiful scene and she was glad she had this chance to appreciate William's home without guests or even other family around. Looking over at her husband, William's face seemed relaxed for the first time all week. Lizzy reached over and squeezed his hand.
Snow crunched under their boots as they got their bags and headed into the house. "William, Elizabeth, come in quickly so you don't let in the cold air. Oh it's so good to see you both," Mrs. Reynolds gushed as she embraced each of them. "I heard you coming so I've prepared some hot chocolate for you both." Lizzy couldn't imagine how she'd heard them coming but was happy to have the hot chocolate anyway.
"Lizzy, why don't you go off with Mrs. Reynolds to the kitchen. I'm just going to drop our bags in our room and I'll be right down."
"Alright. Lead on Mrs. Reynolds." Following her off to the right, Lizzy responded to questions about the drive up and dinner preferences. They were seated at the breakfast bar sipping their warm drinks when William entered with a large, oblong shaped package wrapped in "Happy Birthday" paper.
"Given we're going to head out shortly for a walk, I thought you might want this early birthday present." William stated as he placed the package in front of her.
"My birthday isn't until Monday. Are you sure I should open my present now?"
"This is your first present - certainly not your only present. Never fear, you'll have others to open on the actual day." William answered.
Lizzy was trying to come to terms with the fact that money meant a whole lot more to her than it did to William. It was just there to use for him whereas she'd always counted every penny. Mrs. Reynolds noticed her hesitation,"William's always had a generous heart. Don't worry about whether he's spoiling you, simply enjoy it dear."
Deciding to enjoy William's generosity, something she wasn't sure she could actually fight, she gave in with a smile, "Alright then. Let's get the suspense over with and see what's in this box." Tearing open the paper and the underlying brown box, Lizzy laughed at the sight of a pair of snowshoes and two telescoping poles for hiking. "These are brilliant! I was wondering how we were going to hike in the two feet of snow outside. Do you have a pair too? Can we try them out now?" Lizzy exclaimed, green eyes glittering.
William and Mrs. Reynolds laughed with her. Lizzy's enthusiasm was contagious and he was relieved that she didn't find snowshoes to be an odd present. "There are some great trails for snowshoeing on the property and I love going out to roam about. Let's get changed and we can head towards one of my favorite spots." William said, tucking the snowshoes under his left arm and grabbing hold of her hand with his right. Tugging her towards the room upstairs, Lizzy eagerly followed along. She couldn't wait to try out her new present and was relieved it wasn't something ostentatious or expensive.
Heading up to their room, William began to change into warmer clothes while Lizzy unpacked her overnight bag, leaving out her long underwear and wool socks: both necessary for their trek into the woods.
"Where are your snowpants?" William asked.
"I don't own any. I haven't since I was 10 I think."
"I'm sure there are some in Georgiana's room you can borrow. We'll go into town tomorrow and get you properly outfitted for winter sports." William replied.
"Are you sure she won't mind? I'm not really Georgie's favorite person. I think I can manage a trek in the snow without snow pants for one day."
"Lizzy, she's lent them to guests in the past, and you're no simple guest. Keeping you warm is more important than her present tantrum. You shouldn't give it a second thought. I'll ask Mrs. Reynolds to get them for you when we head downstairs."
Warily she agreed.
Twenty minutes later, they were bundled up and Lizzy was tromping around the front lawn adjusting to the new metal contraptions attached to her feet. Adjusting her gait to accommodate the length of her new footwear, Lizzy decided that snowshoes were an odd but practical invention. "Let's go before we lose the light," she called out as William came out to meet her. The pair headed down to the stream-bed walking along one side, heading away from the road on which they drove to the house. The walk wasn't strenuous but Lizzy could feel the use of muscles that she normally didn't exercise. The brisk afternoon air felt good in her lungs reviving her from what had already been a long day.
William watched Lizzy closely. Her cheeks pink from the cold and exercise brightened her face. Her eyes were actively taking in the surroundings so comfortable and familiar to him. She frequently made comments appreciating some view or examining an aspect of the landscape. It had been a long time since he'd seen his home through another's perspective and it made him appreciate it all the more.
"How long has your family had this home?" Lizzy enquired.
"My father's family has owned this land for a very long time, at least since the 1800's. My parents decided to build a home here when they were first married."
"Why Maine? Didn't your father need to be in New York for work?
"While they spent a lot of time in New York for my father's company, my mother didn't really enjoy the city and wanted a quieter place to raise their family. My mother's family always spent their summers in Boothbay Harbor and winter vacations at Sunday River. The idea of living in Maine year round was appealing so my parents decided to do something with this land he'd inherited." William answered shrugging his shoulders.
"It's so peaceful and beautiful here. I can perfectly understand why your mother would want to be here as much as possible. The stars must be amazing at night. In the city it's so hard to really see them. Do you think we could turn off the outside lights tonight and come out to look at the stars?" She asked, her beautiful eyes looking up at him earnestly.
"Whatever you want. The stars are pretty amazing up here. When I was young, my cousin Richard and I would pitch a tent behind the house and sleep outside. We'd pretend we were out in the wilderness, far away from home, exploring the great outdoors. Richard was really into astronomy and knew all sorts of constellations. The stars were our guide and we'd make up all kinds of adventures based on the constellations in the night sky." William remembered with a smile.
Lizzy loved learning these little anecdotes about William. He could be so serious sometimes that she had a hard time picturing him as a little boy. There were pictures all over the house in Maine of him as he was growing up. She'd have to spend a lot more time studying them and learning about the memories attached to each of those pictures. "That sounds like so much fun. I always wanted to go camping when I was growing up but there was no way you were going to get Francesca Benetez into a tent in the woods. Maybe this summer we could try it here in Maine."
"You want to go camping?"
"Sure, why not. Not like, behind the house but real camping, cooking food over a fire, sleeping in a tent, being out in the wilderness without anyone around you - it'd be an adventure."
Shaking his head at her youthful enthusiasm, William grinned, "Alright then, camping it is. But let's wait for all the snow to melt first."
"Of course, silly." She laughed as she swatted playfully at his arm. The pair walked on in silence for a few moments before the arrived at a clearing. The stream had broadened out and it soon became clear that it fed a large pond. The pond was rather large, encircled by trees, with no signs of life except for the ducks and geese which remained in sight. Off to the right there was a dock that extended 25 feet out into the water. And towards the left center was a small island with a short sandy beach and two trees. An early moon was starting to rise juxtaposed by a setting sun on the opposite side of the sky.
William walked over to a few large boulders protected by some old growth trees and pulled Lizzy with him. Brushing off a bit of the snow he pulled Lizzy onto his lap once he sat on one of the boulders. She was sitting in between his legs with his arms wrapped around her. She knew immediately this was a special spot for him but waited until he was ready to speak.
His voice was soft and quiet, "When I was about three or four I think, my mother would pack up a picnic lunch and some towels into a backpack and the two of us would walk out to this pond. There was always a little row boat attached to the dock and my mother would row us out to that small island, just the two of us. We had walkie-talkie's back in those days and she'd radio back to Mrs. Reynolds to let her know we'd made it to our little island. We'd have lunch and I'd play and splash in the water. As I got older, we'd take turns swimming to the island, the other one in the row boat or a canoe with our lunch. The water is frigid but I never minded. It was just the two of us and I loved it. This place has so many memories of my mother attached to it. I want to make new memories with you here."
Lizzy had listened carefully to his story. She was overwhelmed, honored and felt so special that she'd shared these memories with her. 'What a treasure,' she thought. "Thank you for telling me," she quietly replied. Reaching up Lizzy placed a soft kiss on his lips. He pulled her more tightly into his arms and kissed her deeply. Minutes passed with no sound except the muted sounds of love and exploration.
"We should probably turn back towards the house as its going to be dusk shortly. What'd you think of snowshoeing?"
"I love it. It gives you so much freedom to be out and about in the middle of winter. That was the one thing I never really enjoyed about this season - having to be holed up inside so much. Can we go again tomorrow but take a different route?"
"Certainly, if your legs are aching too much." William agreed.
"I think I know someone who might give me a massage if I ask nicely," Lizzy said a bit innocently.
"If you ask very nicely I'm sure you are correct."
It was near dark when they returned to the house. Lizzy sat down in the snow to remove her snowshoes. Sitting there she had the urge to make a snow angel and laid down in the snow arms and legs swishing the snow away. She called over to William, "Look what I made."
He saw her laying in the snow and couldn't resist laying right on top of her. Kissing her lips, nose and neck, Lizzy quickly engaged him, meeting his kisses with enthusiasm. "I think your snow angel has become a snow blob," William said once he pulled away.
"Well that's no fair. Give me some space so I can make another one." Promptly, Lizzy plopped herself down in a new spot, swishing her arms to and fro. She carefully sat up and pulled herself up to standing, thoroughly pleased with her creation. "Let's go inside, I'm starving!"
Dinner was a quiet affair for the two of them. Mrs. Reynolds had left their dinner in a warming oven and had retired for the night to the cottage she shared with Mr. Reynolds on the property. As much as they didn't want to, the pair retired to the family room, built a fire and began studying for a few hours. It was necessary given the time of year but not necessarily how they wanted to spend their Friday evening. It was a soft snore from his companion that alerted William to the fact that his wife had fallen asleep, highlighter in hand, reviewing her notes. Pulling the offending marker from her hand, he scooped up his studious wife and carried her to their bed. After getting himself ready for bed, he curled up next to Lizzy and fell quickly to sleep, his arms wrapped around her, Lizzy tightly snuggled into his embrace.
More one on one time ahead...and a conversation with Richard and Georgie.
Thoughts? reactions? Disappointments? I wanna hear em...