Food poisoning on my most recent business trip to San Francisco slowed down the posting of this chapter. Sorry for the wait but I hope you enjoy it...
Thank goodness dinner and desert were accomplished quickly as Lizzy had little desire to extend the day. The conversation with Georgiana had been intense and she needed some time to think about all she knew regarding Georgie's experiences over the past year. After giving proper due to Georgiana's slightly lopsided cake, they made their excuses each desiring some time apart for their various reasons. Lizzy had a feeling however that once she and William were alone, the conversation would start up again. William had returned to his office to check on a few emails he'd sent out before dinner while Lizzy prepared herself for bed.
Relishing the warm comfort of the blankets, Elizabeth mindlessly flipped the channels on the television while waiting for William to join her. There was nothing of interest and she was happy to turn off the television as William climbed into bed beside her. "Are you too tired to talk? You were in with Georgiana awhile. I was worried."
"My nap refreshed me and I think my mind is too full to sleep anyway. I'm worried about your sister. I have so many questions about what happened to her and more to the point, what's been done for her since. I know we discussed it once but having spoken to her this evening, I wonder if you wouldn't mind giving me a better understanding."
"I'll certainly tell you but is there a specific reason? Did she say something more to you about what happened to her?" William had lived in constant fear that he didn't know all that had occurred with his sister. Not that what had happened to her wasn't bad enough, but his imagination had a way of coming up with the worst possible scenarios.
"Not exactly, but I guess I hadn't fully appreciated how much her experiences continue to impact her sense of self-worth. That sounds ridiculous doesn't it. It's not that I should be so surprised, but I guess I am. She blames herself when really, she was the victim of a crime. I fear that Georgiana still has a very long way to go in her recovery...farther than I had previously realized."
A pained expression crossed his face, "I never blamed her. It's all my fault. I knew something wasn't right when we would talk but I was so wrapped up with school, Pemberley and my friends, I didn't push to figure it out. I should've been able to protect her."
Lizzy could see the agony and guilt, emanating from William in waves. "This isn't a time for should have's or feelings of culpability. This was a crime and you can't have perfect insight. You trusted the school, like hundreds of others do. This was random and right now we need to focus on helping Georgiana recover. I think I'd like to better understand the time immediately following your discovery? How you reacted, what you did."
William hated to think back to those days. It was one of the worst periods of his life and he'd hoped they had moved past those dark times. If there was anyone he trusted with those memories it was Elizabeth. Shifting, he pulled Lizzy close to him in order to give him the strength to recount the story one more time. "I had driven to her school because I was concerned about her courses and the changes she'd made to her schedule. When I found her she... she wasn't recognizable. He'd changed her. The clothes she wore, her hair and make up. She looked like a tramp, worse even. And she'd lost so much weight. Turns out he'd been controlling what she ate and when. She readily admitted to being "in love" with him. It was crazy. I called my aunt right away. I needed to get Georgiana out of there as quickly as possible but I also had to deal with the school. Based on the things she said, and the evidence I found in her room, it was pretty clear what was going on between my sister and her coach. The school had unknowingly employed a pedaphile who'd taken advantage of my baby sister. She was only fourteen Lizzy." Tears were streaming down his face as he recalled those first hours. Lizzy readjusted herself, pulling William into her arms, cradling him into her and encouraging him to continue. He took a deep breath. "Georgie wouldn't really speak to me. She just kept saying that George was waiting for her and that he'd get angry if she didn't meet him. I yelled. I told her I didn't care what George thought. I don't remember the exact time line but I do remember our Aunt finally arriving. I refused to allow Georgiana to take the trash he'd bought for her to wear, sending her with only the few things I could find that I'd purchased at Christmas. Once she left with our aunt, I went to deal with her school and the police. That man must have figured out that I'd arrived because he'd cleared out by the time the police arrived at his apartment. It took me another day to wrap things up at the school. By then, my aunt had Georgiana settled at her home. She'd spoken with Georgie's pediatrician and we made an appointment together. She didn't say much that first week. We found a therapist who began meeting with Georgiana almost daily but it took about a month before she really started talking about everything that had happened. I didn't know what to do other than tell her that I loved her, that I was sorry, and that I would do anything to help her. Slowly she came out of her shell. Those first few months there was little normal about her life. I practically moved in with my aunt and uncle in order to visit with Georgiana daily after classes. On weekends we'd go up to Maine or spend time together in Boston. Eventually, my aunt and I turned our attention to getting her back into school. We selected the school in Maryland because she could bring her horse with her. Spending time with Mint was the only thing that seemed to lend her confidence or make her happy so I agreed to send her to this new school. She's continued in therapy with a doctor we found in Maryland. I guess I thought things were getting better until this whole debacle with the press and your accident."
Lizzy had listened carefully. She could only imagine how difficult the past year had been for all of them but she still couldn't get over their decision to send her to another boarding school. "I'm curious, did you consider keeping Georgiana here with you?"
"It was discussed briefly, but you have to realize that everyone in my family has always attended boarding school. It's what we do. When we took into consideration that I only had one more year left of school and then would be traveling so much for work after graduation, we thought it would be best to get Georgie settled in a school where she could fully re-establish herself and continue all four years. Do you think I made a mistake?"
"I don't know? It's complicated and not really my place to have an opinion anyway. It's just clear to me that Georgie needs something she's not getting right now and I don't know how she gets that from a boarding school away from the people who love her most." Seeing William's slumped demeanor, Lizzy added, "I'm sorry, I'm not being helpful."
William straightened up, removing himself from Lizzy's embrace turning to face her. "I want your opinion Lizzy. I don't know what to do. I still don't know how I could keep her with me, or if it's at all the right thing to do. Maybe she just needs more time to recover?" He asked hopefully.
He looked earnest in this hope and given she didn't have any concrete alternatives to offer, decided to prevaricate a bit. "Maybe. I think it would be helpful for you to spend some more time with her. When you do, you need to make sure she hears that you don't blame her for what happened and that you love her. I think she needs to hear it a lot."
Sighing, William appreciated Lizzy's honesty but wasn't sure how to actually make it happen. "That's going to be hard because one of the other things we need to discuss is next week. I need to go back down to New York for meetings on Monday and Tuesday."
"That's not hard, just take us with you. We can go down on Saturday, spend the weekend all together, and then Georgie and I can amuse ourselves while you're in your meetings." Lizzy suggested, wondering what she was actually offering to do.
"Really? You'd want to come? You feel up to it with your knee and everything else? It would mean spending two days hanging out with my sister in New York, just the two of you. I'll be in meetings from morning to night."
"Of course I want to come. I've been practically going stir crazy these past few days. Maybe we could see a show and go out to dinner. And Georgie and I could spend some of your money shopping. It'll be good for us to hang out together doing girl stuff. I'd like to know her interests better. Besides, you owe me a trip to New York given we couldn't go over New Years," Lizzy teased.
"I'd feel better about it if Dr. Daniels gives the all clear. Today was your first full day out and about and you were so wiped out from everything. I don't want you to push yourself too hard."
"Alright worrywart, I'll talk to Dr. Daniels but seriously, even if we only do one thing each day, I need a change of scenery and I think we should try to have fun, the three of us. It'll be good for us to get away together."
"Well off to sleep then. I don't want any excuses tomorrow as to why you're tired." William tucked Elizabeth's petite frame against him, finding it reassuring simply to hold her in his arms.
"You've recovered well from your injuries Elizabeth. I think you should consider limiting the use of the wrist guard. Maybe wear it only when you're sleeping or using your arm a lot, just so you don't accidentally re-injure it. You'll want to wear the knee brace a little longer to help keep things stable. I'm hoping we can slot you in for surgery during your spring break. Does that sound reasonable?"
"Makes sense to me. I'm a bit annoyed by how long it seems to be taking to recover from the concussion however," Lizzy admitted, frustrated by what she felt were recent setbacks in her recovery.
Dr. Daniels grabbed his stool and sat down across from Elizabeth. "How so? Tell me more about it."
"I thought I was getting better. The headaches were waning and I was getting my energy back. I wasn't having the dizzy spells or nausea anymore either. Yesterday I woke feeling fine but was a bit off. I chalked it up to the interview with immigration and put it out of my mind. By the end of the interview I had a pounding headache and was somewhat lightheaded. I literally fell asleep sitting upright at the immigration office and took a two-hour nap after we got home. Is this going to happen every time I have an active day?" Lizzy worried.
"How do you feel today?" Dr. Daniels took his chart and double-checked that she didn't have a temp and that everything else looked fine on her vitals.
"That's the thing. I was willing to attribute it all to the stress of the day but this morning my stomach was wonky again. I couldn't even think about eating my usual banana this morning and I'm so tired."
"They could be unrelated. You might have picked up a virus. Or it could be as you thought, visiting the immigration office has got to be stressful and you're still early in your recovery. Any kind of head trauma can take time to recover from. You need to be patient with yourself and take it slow. Tell William you're cleared for New York, you deserve some fun, but listen to your body and don't push it." Flipping over to his calendar he decided to get a full physical for Elizabeth on the docket. It would be good to check in a bit more regularly until she was feeling well again. "I'd like to have you come in for a full workup given I'm taking you on as a patient. I have some time free in about two weeks from today, can you come in then?"
"I can't imagine why not. Just tell me when and where to be and I'm sure I can make it work. Wait, is William putting you up to this?" She eyed the doctor suspiciously. William had been hovering around her worried about every little thing.
"I do this for all of my new patients but yes, your husband did ask if I would give you a full look over and after our conversation today I agree we should do it sooner rather than later. That said, I won't keep secrets from you as I think an honest dialogue is the most important element of a solid doctor-patient relationship. I will also maintain your privacy. William knows not to ask me anything, and if he does, I won't divulge your details to him without your express permission."
Lizzy smiled, "I appreciate your directness in the matter. I agree it's important. I've nothing to hide from my husband but would like to be the one to inform him of anything important."
"Of course. I'm glad we understand one another," the doctor replied. Following her out to the waiting room, Dr. Daniels smiled as he observed the young couple. William immediately rose on seeing Elizabeth and walked over to lend her an arm to support her slightly unsteady gait. "You seem to be taking good care of her. Her wrist is healing well and I've given her leave to start using it more and maybe spend some time without the wrist brace during the day."
Smiling down at Lizzy, William was certain she was happy to begin to gain some of her former strength. "Excellent. So will we be celebrating this news in New York or Boston?"
"Definitely New York and yes, I've promised Dr. Daniels to take it easy while we're there. I'm so excited to go. I need a little break from the monotony of laying about on a couch all day." Lizzy was practically bouncing with excitement tugging William towards the door.
"It was good to see you and I'll see you in two weeks Elizabeth for your physical." Dr. Daniels waved them off before returning to complete his notes.
Once settled in the car, William asked once more. "So you're really ok? You feel up to going to New York?"
"Yes. Most definitely. I asked about my headaches and everything. Dr. Daniels said it would take some time to recover and to be patient. I promise I won't overdo."
"Well, in that case, I've arranged for tickets to see a matinee performance of Wicked on Sunday and dinner at a great little restaurant I've been wanting to try down near our place. I thought maybe tomorrow we'd take in the Metropolitan Museum and eat at this vegan restaurant I found last year called Candle 79. It's very good and close to the museum. How does that sound?"
"It sounds excellent. Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to going to New York."
"The refrigerator in New York is in the process of being stocked with essentials so we can even head out this afternoon if you'd like." William had a pleased smile on his face, proud of all the arrangements he'd made for them. He was excited to bring Lizzy to New York and had simply put into place the arrangements he'd made for New Years, with some modifications given her continuing recovery. They'd have plenty of time to take advantage of all the city had to offer.
"Does Georgiana know anything of the plans you've made? She might want to be consulted."
"I can't imagine her being anything but excited but I'll be happy to ask her what she wants to do when we get home. You and Georgie will have two days to do anything else she thinks up."
Upon returning home, William was proven correct. Georgiana's squeals of excitement were heard throughout the apartment. Lizzy was glad to see the girl could express herself as gleefully as any other 15-year old could. It didn't take all that long to pack. William kept suits and assorted clothes in the New York apartment and so he focused on making lunch while the women got their things together. They were on the road by 1:00 hoping to miss the Boston and Connecticut traffic. It was close and they were slowed for an hour as they attempted to get into the city, the newest Malcolm Gladwell book keeping them company on the car's sound system.
Entering the 6,000 square foot apartment, Lizzy's jaw actually dropped. She'd seen photos of apartments like this in Architectural Digest but never actually imagined being inside of one. The living room's floor to ceiling windows provided breathtaking views into Gramercy Park and of the Chrysler Building. She was actually afraid to touch anything for fear of getting dirt on the honey colored couches. Their condo in Cambridge looked like a flop house in comparison to this home. Georgiana felt none of this awe as she dropped down onto the couch sprawling herself out along one end.
"I see you're glad to be back here Georgie," William laughed.
"I love it here. You know that," Georgiana beamed.
"You look comfortable but I think Elizabeth is in need of a tour. Will you join us or would you rather relax."
"Can I show her the building and you can show her the apartment?"
"That works." Looking over at Lizzy, William noticed for the first time she was looking pale. Rushing to her side, he wrapped one arm around her waist and asked, "Are you ok? What's wrong?"
"I think I'm just a little overwhelmed. William when you mentioned you had a place in New York, you didn't mention it was worthy of a photo spread."
"It's just a home and things. Nothing more. I want you to feel comfortable here. Let's go rest for a bit. I think you'll love the bathtub and steam shower," he whispered in her ear. Guiding Elizabeth down the hall, he tried to rush her into their room.
"Will, wait, is that a Picasso?" Elizabeth attempted to slow down their progress. The home in Maine was impressive in size and amenities but it was comfortable. Yes, it had a lot of ridiculous elements, the indoor basketball court being one, but there was nothing pretentious about the furnishings or decor. This apartment sent a very different message to anyone who entered. From her limited exposure thus far, the place was decorated to impress. Each piece of art was collector worthy. Marble and crystal adorned table tops, lights and floors. The home was stunning, nothing was gaudy or uselessly fine, but every element signified the elegance and wealth of the owner. This fish was definitely far outside of her fish bowl and gasping for each breath. If she looked pale at their entrance, Lizzy was positive she was now green around the gills as she tried to orient herself to this new environment. She wasn't sure she could adjust.
William guided her to their bed. Turning to face her, he was startled to see her paler than when they'd entered. "Lizzy are you alright? Are you getting a headache?"
Shaking her head no, she tried to organize her thoughts into some coherency but all that came out was,"You have a friggin Picasso in the hall!"
Bewildered, William started to walk back into the hallway, "We'll get rid of it. I'll take it down right now."
Grabbing at his arm before he got too far, Lizzy stopped him. "It's not the Picasso that's the problem, it's me. The painting fits in just fine, but I don't. I'm the girl from JP. The artwork on the walls where I grew up came from the local thrift shop. I don't know how to be a New York socialite and this place screams out for one." She had worked her way up to a frenzy and every insecure thought she'd had over the past six weeks seemed to be spilling out of her in one giant eruption. Lizzy looked out over Gramercy Park, her arms wrapped around herself, she felt so small.
William was dumbfounded. He appreciated that his life could be overwhelming. Hell, he was overwhelmed by it most of the time but this reaction seemed over the top. Maybe it had simply been a lot to take in all at once. Elizabeth had been so level headed about everything to this point. He'd been truly amazed at her attitude thus far. Could he really blame her for one freak out? Walking over he wrapped his arms around her trying to figure out what he could say to help her realize how essential she was to him. Slowly he felt her relax a bit into his arms.
"Lizzy? Can we talk about this?"
Shrugging her shoulders she slowly turned and wrapped her arms around William's waist, holding him close to her before limping to a set of chairs by the windows. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
William sat in a chair next to her taking her hands in his. "Will you tell me what your thinking about? What you're afraid of?"
"This may sound irrational but, when I was accepted to Harvard, I had this fear that one day the admissions people were going to call me up and say, 'Oh sorry. We made a mistake, you were supposed to get the rejection letter not the admit letter.' I spent my entire first semester, waiting to be 'found out.' I just knew that everyone would figure out that I was the admissions mistake and that I didn't really belong. That's how I feel now. That I'm an imposter living this rich life in a fancy castle in the sky and that we'll be at some dinner and everyone will realize that I'm nothing more than a poor illegal immigrant."
Squeezing her hands, William held back a grimace. "It doesn't sound irrational at all. During my freshman year I kept waiting for everyone to figure out that the only reason I got accepted was because I was the fourth generation of Darcy's/Fitzwilliam's to be attend Harvard. At least I don't live in England where there's actually a Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge. It's bad enough that there are buildings on three campuses at Harvard named for one of my relatives. And forget about Pemberley Enterprises. Everyone knows the only reason I'm leading the company, or will when I graduate, is because my father died and I inherited it. Every time I walk into a meeting, I'm sure they're looking at me wondering if I'm going to drive the company into the ground. It can be unbelievably overwhelming. You've at least earned your spot at Harvard. There is very little I can actually point to in my life and know that I've earned it all on my own."
Lizzy's brows shot to the top of her head. William had never shared his insecurities with her, not like this, and she was surprised she'd never considered it before. She started to laugh, "We're quite a pair of insecure overachievers aren't we."
Lizzy's laughter made him feel better, "I guess we are."
"You are smart, thoughtful, an incredibly hard worker, and care more than anyone ever could about your family legacy. Pemberley Enterprises is in excellent hands." Lizzy demanded looking William directly in the eyes.
"It's nice to know I have your confidence. I may need to hear that every once in awhile from you my dear," William smiled in return.
So? Thoughts, reactions? Much of this chapter was written in response to the reactions from you. You asked for greater clarity about what happened to Georgiana and how they all reacted to it. Hopefully this satisfies some of that curiosity. It also sets us up for some of what will happen in later chapters...once I write them of course. :) Thanks to Cheichei87 who did a quick read through. Hopefully that will help minimize some of my typos in the future! Let me know what you think! I'm all ears.