I loved to hear from all of you. Many thanks for the well wishes for my daughter. It's been a very rough time but every day she's getting a bit better. Still on the major pain meds though and not moving very well so it's still pretty much all hands on deck!
I received a number of questions/comments alluding to the notion that they should've figured this all out sooner. A few thoughts: 1. The time span of Lizzy's symptoms really only lasted a bit over a week so it wasn't like she was oblivious for months. 2. She did, only a few weeks prior, have a major ski accident complete with a concussion so her reasoning wasn't implausible. 3. Sometimes you don't see things that you don't want to see, right? At any rate, I've tried to make this realistic and not realizing your pregnant when your only a little over 5 weeks and aren't trying to get pregnant doesn't seem crazy to me. I enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading it :)
It was closer to 5 when William Darcy met up with his pilot. The extra minutes were used to shower and shave. William figured a pregnant wife wouldn't like dealing with a husband reeking of cigarette smoke and beer. He'd left a note for Richard apologizing for the abrupt departure indicating he'd call later in the day.
Settling himself in a seat, William began to think back over the signs and symptoms he'd seen over the past week or so. He felt like an idiot for not thinking about a possible pregnancy before. He wondered if Lizzy had been as blind or if she was keeping it a secret from him. But why then all the obvious hints last night over the phone? Why wouldn't she simply tell him? She couldn't be worried about his reaction, could she? Yes, it would complicate matters but in reality, he was over the moon with the idea. He actually worried that if she wasn't pregnant he'd be disappointed.
As was his usual practice his mind flew to working through the logistics. Mrs. Reynolds would love to join them to take care of their baby. That way Lizzy could still finish her degree at Harvard. It would all be fine. He was sure of it. But could he work from Boston? He couldn't bear the thought that she and their baby would be so far away from him. Maybe he could commute? He'd have to think more about this. His Uncle Henry had commuted from Boston to DC for years. A conversation with his uncle was high on the list.
The pilot looked back to see Mr. Darcy grinning from ear to ear as he was scribbling notes down in a notebook. He couldn't remember a time he'd seen William Darcy looking so...happy? Yes. He looked positively happy. "Everything ok back there sir?"
"Huh? Oh yea. Everything's good. How much longer til we land?"
"About another thirty minutes. I have some coffee here in a thermos if you'd like some sir."
"Coffee? Sure. Oh wait, she can't tolerate the smell of it. I'll pass."
The pilot shrugged his shoulders a bit confused. Mr. Darcy always drank about half his thermos whenever they flew together. He had no idea to whom William was referring but decided to drop it. In his role, he'd long ago learned to never stray beyond his core job requirement: ensuring his passengers had a safe ride.
William continued on with his list-making. It was calming to write everything down, both the things he needed to do and the things he had questions about. He was so engrossed in his thoughts he didn't even realize once they'd landed.
"Ok sir. Safe and sound. Do you have a sense of when you'll be needing the plane again?"
"I'm flying out on Tuesday to Tokyo so I can't imagine requiring it for a few weeks at least. You can bring her back down to New York for whoever needs it at PE."
"Alrighty. I'll take her down in a few hours then. Safe travels to Asia."
"Thanks again for rising so early to get me back here. I appreciate it."
"Anytime sir. I'm always glad to be of service."
With these farewells the two men parted ways, William to the parking lot where his car waited and the pilot to refresh himself before readying the plane for its return to Teterboro airport near PE headquarters.
William found his car easily in the quiet parking lot. He turned the radio on to distract his thoughts until he could get back home. The ride was quick, likely faster for the speed at which he was driving. Fortunately, the cops didn't seem to be patrolling the 128 corridor between Concord and the Mass Pike that morning. His mind kept replaying their conversation last night. Lizzy had been in a good mood teasing him with hints. She seemed happy and so there was no sense in worrying about her state of mind. They'd talk it all over, perhaps after he showed her how very happy she'd made him.
He crept quietly into their home, evidence of the girls night still apparent in their living room. It was unlike Lizzy to leave things untidy but she'd been very tired lately and this was likely further evidence of that. Walking into their room, he looked down at a sleeping Lizzy, her body curled up on its side, holding fast to a pillow...his pillow. She missed him. Smiling at this evidence he quickly pulled off his jeans and sweater and curled himself around her, placing kisses on her neck and shoulders. At these actions, Lizzy rolled over to him snuggling herself onto his body, her head nestled in the crook between his shoulder and neck. They laid their holding one another for several minutes before he felt her eyelashes tickling his chest and heard her breathing change.
"William?" She asked groggily.
"Shhhh. Go back to sleep."
"What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep at Richard's so I came home."
Her thoughts began to form and she registered that he must have left Washington quite early to be here now. Something must be wrong. "From DC? Why couldn't you sleep?"
"Lizzy. Were you trying to tell me something last night? You know with the movie you were watching and the pickles?"
She groaned, closing her eyes as she whispered, "I'm such a coward." Braving a look up at William she saw a look of anticipation. She thought it was happy anticipation but she couldn't be sure. Looking back down at her hands, she finally whispered the words, "I'm pregnant William. I found out yesterday."
Lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes, pure joy radiated out of him. "I love you Elizabeth. You've made me so happy. I hope you're happy too."
"Are you sure? I was worried. I am worried."
"Everything will be ok. I promise. We will make it so. I love you so, so much." Kissing her he wanted to show, and not just tell, how much he loved her. He could feel her pushing him away. Pulling back, concern crossed his brow, "Are you ok? Are you upset?"
"No. I'm not upset but I think I'm going to be sick." Rushing from their bed, Lizzy dashed to the bathroom to once again empty the contents of her stomach. William followed, filling a glass of water and preparing her tooth brush.
Sheepishly she looked up at him. "Sorry, but I'm not so good in the mornings. You know, morning sickness and all. I'm usually better a little before lunchtime."
"Please don't apologize. I should've realized. Let me help you back into bed. It's still early. Barely 7am. Can I hold you while you sleep?"
"That'd be nice." Climbing back into bed, William sat himself against the headboard. Lizzy handed him a wrapped package before curling up against him. Removing the pink and blue paper, he smiled as he read the title, What to Expect When You're Expecting. He was positive he'd have the book memorized by the end of the week.
He had read the Preface and Introduction and was completely through the first trimester when he noticed she was beginning to rouse. Blinking her eyes open she realized that it hadn't been merely a dream. William was in fact, in their bed and he already knew about the baby. "Morning."
"Good morning. How are you feeling?"
"I need my crackers. Can you open the top drawer of my bedside table and hand me the crackers inside?"
Mildly confused, he reached over to find a box of saltines lying in the drawer. "These?"
Still lying on her side she reached up and tucked one into her mouth, chewing slowly as if savoring a divine piece of chocolate. "Can you hand me my water bottle too?" She sipped the water down, equally gratefully, and began to devour the crackers one after another.
Having read through a good one-third of the "Expecting" book, William concluded that this was one of the ways Lizzy was managing her morning sickness and he was happy to wait to have his questions answered until her stomach was more fully settled. A few more minutes passed as he began to realize a downside to this solution, he was covered in crumbs. "I think we might need to get a hand vacuum for the bedside table too."
"A worthy investment if you ask me." Lizzy acknowledged, a smirk on her face.
"So when did you start to suspect you were pregnant?"
"I never suspected it. I was worried about my continued illness and made an appointment to see Dr. Daniels. I felt so foolish when he asked if I'd considered I might be pregnant. Given I hadn't missed any pills, I just hadn't considered it a possibility. I know that's pretty dumb but it is what it is."
"So you saw Dr. Daniels. I'm so relieved. Everything's ok then?" Lizzy could hear the tension in his voice. He was going to be anxious in this but she was willing to manage his anxiety given how happy he also seemed by the idea of a baby.
"I saw him yesterday. He didn't really examine me. I took the pregnancy test, determined that I'm about 5 weeks along based on the date of my last period, and then he gave me a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. We have a follow up on Monday at 10am and figured we could ask our questions then.
"And are you ok? You seem a little unhappy. Are you upset you're pregnant?" William asked.
"As I said before, I'm worried and a little confused by how I feel about this. I really want to graduate from school and I really want to work. I love you and I've always wanted a family. I just thought it would happen later. This is all so much and so soon. I was worried you'd be unhappy too. You're trying to take on so much with Pemberley and a baby will complicate things. I worried you'd be unhappy that I wasn't more careful."
Pulling her close he perfectly comprehended her fears about school and work but he'd never imagined she'd be worried about him in all of this. "First of all, we did this. Together. WE should have been more careful but, I've got to be honest with you. I like the idea of a baby. For the past several years, it's only been me and Georgie. I've longed to have a family, so my first instinct is to be happy. Very, very happy. But I understand your fears. They're very practical and real. You have dreams and it's important to fulfill them. I promise you will graduate from Harvard and if you want to work, you will. We will work this all out. Ok?"
"Ok." They sat together, holding one another for several minutes when Lizzy whispered, "William? We're going to have a baby."
"I know. And I love him already."
William thought he heard some shuffling around outside their room and figured he'd greet Maria and see if he could help in any way. Lizzy had fallen back to sleep and he wanted her to rest. After all, she was busy growing another person inside of her. Of course she'd be sleepy.
"Morning." Maria jumped. The sound of a male voice completely took her by surprise.
"William?! You scared the life out of me. I didn't know you were back."
"Sorry. I should've warned you. I came back early."
"I see. Is Lizzy still asleep?"
"Yup. I left her snoring away in there."
"I'm surprised she's still so sleepy. The Lizzy I grew up with never slept in. I guess I thought she'd have recovered more from her concussion. Do you think it's normal for her to be sleeping so much?"
William realized Elizabeth must not have told her sister about the baby. It was wrong, but he derived some satisfaction from that knowledge. Best to keep it a secret a bit longer. "She just went to the doctor and for what she has it's perfectly normal. I think she'll be less tired in a few weeks."
"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I hadn't wanted to ask. She can get a little touchy about these kinds of things."
William chuckled. "So its not just me?"
"No, Lizzy's always been that way. Good thing you learned so quickly."
"I'm not sure I had much of a choice."
"Probably not. At any rate, I was just going to leave her a note. I need to head back home before the lunch shift starts. I'm working today."
"Let me drive you. No need to take the T when I can get you there in half the time by car."
"I don't want to put you out. I'm fine with the T."
"Please, I'm happy to do it." Grabbing her backpack, Maria followed William down to the parking garage. She still marveled at how her sister's life had been transformed over the past few months. Lizzy had certainly been born under a lucky star.
Once settled in the car, William decided to broach a topic he hadn't often discussed with Lizzy: her parents. "I hope you don't mind me asking but I was wondering if you've heard from your family."
Maria laughed, "Papa's never been one for keeping in touch and mama is likely forbidden from having access to a phone. I did hear from papa right after New Years though. He asked about the restaurant and if I'd seen Lizzy over the holidays. It was a short call but he seemed satisfied. I don't expect to hear from him again until sometime around Easter."
William simply couldn't understand their family dynamic. It was so different from his own where it seemed he spoke with someone in his extended family every day. "I hope you know should you need anything at all, I'm happy to help. You're my family too."
"Thanks. Lizzy and I have always had to figure things out for ourselves. Its not easy to ask for help but I appreciate the offer. I might come back to you with one thing I've been thinking about."
"Sure. Can I ask what it might be?"
"Well if my family doesn't return to Boston by the time I go to college, I'm thinking of closing the restaurant down and selling the building. I've never wanted to run a restaurant and I'd like to go to school and focus on that alone. I've watched Lizzy juggle helping my parents out. All through school she managed the books, payroll and waitressed. Now that I've had to take it all on, I can easily see that I don't want to continue."
"I'm happy to help. Maybe the next time we see one another you can bring over the restaurant's records and tax returns and I could take a look at them. We can review them together and see what might be done. If the restaurant is profitable you could sell it as is rather than closing it down. It'd be worth a lot more than the simple building."
"That would be amazing. Thank you." The look of relief on Maria's face was startling. How had he and Lizzy not even given a thought to how much this young woman was carrying on her shoulders. He was glad, eager even, to help Lizzy's sole remaining relative in the area.
"Truly it's nothing."
"I can now see why Lizzy married you. You're a good one to have around."
William turned a nice shade of pink at her teasing but was also pleased to have finally gotten Maria to bring her guard down around him. He'd previously thought the two sisters had little in common. It was nice to see the family resemblance, if only in this show of personality.
On his return from JP, William found Lizzy propped up in bed, snacking on a cracker when he walked into the room. "She's awake."
"Hi." Her eyes widened, "Did you bring me breakfast in bed?"
"Yes, I'm that good. I figured if there were going to be crumbs in the sheets, we might as well add bread crumbs to the crackers already there."
"Thank you. You're my favorite baby daddy ever." Lizzy took the toast and tea and without pausing began to consume them.
"I'd better be," he grinned. Settling down next to her, William asked one of the questions on his mind, "I've been wondering who else knows?"
Swallowing her toast, Lizzy responded, "Dr. Daniels and Maddy. Professor Gardiner may know by now if Maddy told him. I didn't think to ask for her secrecy. Are you upset I spoke to Maddy before telling you?"
"No. I think I understand why you told her. I'm just glad no one else knows. I like that this is our news."
"To be honest, I'd rather if we kept it to a very small circle until I'm in the second trimester."
"Would it be ok if I told someone? You've told Maddy. I'd like to talk with Uncle Henry. I think he'll have helpful thoughts about how he managed commuting from Boston. He's been managing a career based in DC all these years while having kids."
Lizzy wrinkled her nose. "If you tell Uncle Henry he'll want to tell Aunt Sophia. Can you wait to have that conversation? I don't even think I'll be able to go to school next year given the baby's due in September. I think we've got some time to worry about who is commuting and from where."
"I'm not willing to give up on the idea of you finishing up on time but I understand your reasoning about Uncle Henry. If not him, I'd like to tell Richard. He, more than anyone, will understand what this means to me."
Richard would be an awesome uncle and that's the role he'd likely take on with this baby. The idea brought a smile to her face. "Yes. I can only imagine the corrupting influence he will have on a young child. But I know he's been through a lot with you and I can imagine you'd want to share this with him. I was worried you'd say Charlie and then I don't know what I'd do about Jane and Charlotte."
"Thanks. I'm supposed to call Richard in a little while to explain why I slipped out of his apartment with only a brief note to explain my absence. With this as my reason I think he'll forgive me."
The two sat cuddled together on the bed, each lost to their own thoughts. William's large hands were resting on Lizzy's belly. It'd be months until there was actually something to feel there. There was one other person Lizzy thought they should tell but ultimately it was William's call. "Babe? What do you think about telling Georgie. I think it would mean a lot to her for you to confide in her before the family knows. We need to show her how important she is to our intimate family. This might be a way to do that."
William smiled, "You are a wonderful, thoughtful, beautiful woman. I'm so lucky to have you." Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her in for a kiss which she seemed much more receptive to now that she had some tea and toast in her belly.
Approaching the restaurant, William slowed his pace. "Are you sure you're feeling up to a night out? I completely understand if you'd rather cancel and call it an early night."
"Oh no buster. You're not getting out of dinner with my friends. Besides, you have Charlie here."
"You know I'm not great with new people," William's voice sounded close to a whine.
"The only person who's new to you is Charlotte's boyfriend and he's in your law school class. No excuses."
William hung his head in resignation. He'd had such a great day. Richard's reaction to their news was nothing like he'd expected. For the first time in years William had actually managed to silence his cousin. The silence was followed by genuine and heartfelt expressions of joy. It actually sounded as if his big, brawny cousin was holding back tears. He still needed to speak with Georgiana. The outcome of that call was a bit more unpredictable and William opted to wait until their usual call on Sunday evening. Just in case. He wanted to maintain the glow of this incredible day for a bit longer.
"I'm curious, who chose dinner and billiards?"
"Ordinarily we'd go bowling but with my knee I'm not quite up to the game. We thought we'd try pool instead. Jane's been bugging us for awhile to try it. Apparently her grandparents have a table so she grew up watching and playing with her cousins."
"Good to know. I won't take any side bets against her then."
The pair made their way into the place. It was a full scale entertainment complex spanning four floors with a restaurant, bowling, billiards and video games. Bars on every floor kept the inhabitants from straying too far with food and drinks delivered to the entertainment and their customers.
The other two couples had already arrived and Lizzy rushed ahead to greet Jane and Charlotte. William stood quietly behind her waiting for his opportunity to say hello. With his eyes trained on Lizzy, he hadn't observed anyone approaching him.
"Mr. Darcy it is such an honor to be out with you and Mr. Bingley this evening. When my muffin top told me we'd all be going out together I could scarcely believe my ears but alas it's true."
William's head spun around searching for the voice that went with the words. His eyes landed on a man who appeared to be earnestly speaking to him. "Mr. Brown?"
"Brown. No, no, Collins. William Collins and it's a pleasure to see you again. It has been awhile since we've been in class together and to my great displeasure. Your comments were always the most insightful in the class. But of course, I shouldn't be surprised that as the nephew of Mrs. Catherine DeBourgh, you would be exceedingly insightful. May I call you Fitzwilliam?"
Charlie attempted to hold back a snort. Few if any ever called Darcy by his given name and survived the experience unscathed. For his part, William was bewildered by the collection of words that had erupted from this man's mouth. He was still trying to process everything Brown, er, Collins had said when the man himself began to spew forth additional words. Instinctively, William held up his hand in an effort to stop the onslaught.
"I'm sorry do you know my Aunt?"
"Why yes. Once I graduate I'll be working directly for Mrs. DeBourgh overseeing her personal legal and estate matters. My background in accounting, coupled with my Masters in tax and law degree has provided me with the exact requirements she was looking for in a personal advisor. She is also entrusting me with her step-daughter's trusts and potentially the trust of a niece."
"I need a drink," William rubbed his eyes in an attempt to ward off the burgeoning headache.
Charlie was biting his lip attempting to stem the laughter waiting to burst out. He thought to offer to go get drinks for them but didn't want to miss a minute of the show unfolding before him.
As he had these thoughts, William chose to pause the show. "Um Lizzy, Jane, Charlotte, I'm going to get some drinks. Can I get you girls anything?" William needed to get away from this Mr. Brown, no Collins, before he did anything drastic.
"I'll go with you," Lizzy could see the stress on William's face and needed to figure out what was causing it so soon on their arrival.
"Lizzy, I've got this. You stay with the girls and Collins to work out the table splits. We'll be right back." Charlie shot her a look to demonstrate that he understood William's distress. She reluctantly acquiesced.
Charlie caught up to William at the bar, a double scotch in one hand and a menu in the other. Waiting patiently for William to finish placing an order, Charlie ordered himself a beer and sat on the stool next to his friend. "So what was that all about?"
"I have no idea what Brown was talking about but in those few minutes he launched a million and one questions and concerns in my mind. Like what the hell is my aunt doing? And why on earth would he ever call me Fitzwilliam?"
"Well I'd say walking away isn't going to get you answers to those questions. Let's go back and continue to chat him up. He seems eager to talk and we can tag team."
"Oh I fully intend to question him. I just need a drink in me so that I can tolerate all the words he uses in between the information."
"Can I ask you one question?"
"What."
"Why do you keep calling him Brown?"
William seemed flustered by the question. If there was anyone he could share these thoughts with, aside from Richard, it was probably Charlie. I'll tell you but if you ever say a word to Lizzy I'll categorically deny this conversation. Seeing Charlie's agreement he explained. "It's because that's what he is...brown. Did you look at him? Brown hair, brown eyes, brown shirt, brown pants, brown belt and shoes. He's brown. Lizzy will kill me if I don't remember his real name though. You'd think it shouldn't be too hard for me. I should be able to remember William." Darcy smirked and then drank the rest of his whiskey. He asked for a refill before walking back towards the girls.
"Were we going to get drinks for the girls?"
"Damn. Br..Collins got me so wound up I forgot to get them." The boys turned back to grab the drinks and walked back towards their group.
"Here you are ladies. I also ordered a bunch of food and our server will be bringing it by shortly. Uh, Collins, we grabbed you an Amstel Light. We weren't sure what you were drinking but figured this was a good bet."
"Why thank you gentlemen. Whatever you think is best I'll gladly have. I'll say I'm so pleased we'll be engaged in billiards tonight. Mrs. DeBourgh had encouraged me to take up golf, tennis or billiards and I'm sure you can understand why this activity was the only one that could possibly agree with one such as myself."
Charlie looked over at Darcy, each clearly trying not to ask the next logical question...why billiards. It was Charlie who took the bait this time. "Really, billiards was preferable to the others. How so?"
William Collins was pleased beyond measure to be asked and immediately sought to share his wisdom. "Of course you are aware of the danger associated with sun exposure. With my fair skin, avoidance of activities which can expose one to the full sun should never be encouraged. No. Mother would be very upset to hear of me undertaking golf or tennis."
Jane was a bit late to the conversation but always being one to try and ease concern offered, "Some sun exposure is quite useful to ensure healthy bones and the avoidance of certain cancers. The easiest way to get vitamin D is from the sun so some exposure, in moderation, can be beneficial."
But Collins shook his head emphatically at this suggestion. "Oh no. I simply supplement my calcium and vitamin D. I avoid the supplements with magnesium however. I prefer epsom salt baths for that important mineral. You know too much magnesium can have uncomfortable implications in the bathroom."
It was too much. With this speech William knew he needed to avoid eye contact with Charlie and Lizzy for neither would help him maintain his demeanor. For her own sake, Lizzy decided a change in topic was necessary. "We've got two tables reserved so we thought to draw numbers with the first four playing on the two tables and the final two playing the winners of the first rounds. What do you think?"
There was general agreement and it was soon decided that Charlotte would play Lizzy and Jane would play Bingley. As they began to separate, Collins called their attention with the production of several books on a nearby table. "Have we selected what form of billiards we will play. I've brought along my Byrne's collection so we can consult it for the various formats in case you are all not familiar. I've also brought this excellent rules book by the Billiards Association of America which is quite comprehensive."
"How um, thoughtful but I think we should stick with stripes and solids since most are generally familiar with that format," Jane suggested.
"Oh yes, 8-ball is quite popular. I look forward to playing the winner of this table. I hope it's my muffin top. You can trust I'll be coaching her from the sidelines."
Lizzy walked over to Charlotte, "Muffin top? Please tell me he's good in bed."
Charlotte winked, "Best ever."
Lizzy regretted the question after images of the two of them floated in her mind. Her sparkling water was not going to erase those thoughts.
Darcy's desire to understand the genesis of Billy Collins' relationship with his aunt overrode his competitive tendencies to see Lizzy win. This was likely a good thing as the notion that he'd sit and coach her while she was playing Charlotte would likely have ended poorly. Charlotte too was thankful that her boyfriend was distracted. For all of his book knowledge of the game, he'd actually never picked up a pool cue.
Taking a long sip of his scotch, Darcy walked over to stand next to Collins. "So you mentioned that you'll be working for my aunt next year. I'm curious as to how that came to be."
"As you can imagine it is quite an honor to be hand selected for a position and yet that is exactly what occurred. Your aunt got the annual law school resume book this past September and examined all of the CV's. She identified a small handful of potential candidates for the position and interviewed us each by phone. Given her perceptiveness, she was able to narrow down the field quite quickly and invited myself and one other candidate to her palatial home in Maine. A more stunning home I have yet to see. But of course you already know that. At any rate,in the course of a weekend she determined that in personality and skill I was best suited to the position. Once offered the position this past October I immediately accepted." The smug look on William Collins' face allayed most feelings of guilt or pity Darcy might have otherwise felt.
"And what exactly will your responsibilities entail?"
"The DeBourgh estate includes interests of both business and charity. I will be leveraging my expertise in tax and the law to ensure these interests are protected from onerous taxation and misuse. It is impressive that Mrs. DeBourgh has been able to manage her estate with only the legal representation found here in Boston and Washington DC. Having someone solely focused on her and her interests will surely improve the outcomes."
"And you are to be that person."
"I am," Collins beamed proudly. "Mrs. DeBourgh is just that kind of unique and forthright person to fully understand the tremendous impact she can have on the world. I've already begun reviewing certain legal matters for her. It's most fascinating work."
"You've mentioned that she may be overseeing a new trust, for a cousin or a niece?"
"The situation is tremendously sad but you won't be surprised by her generosity. This poor young woman is an orphan with only a brother, a few years older than the girl, to serve as guardian and trustee. Mrs. DeBourgh has determined that she will expand her oversight to incorporate her niece's inheritance into her care. As we both know, her generosity know no bounds."
"That is a fascinating tale. Well I wish you luck in your work with my aunt."
"Why thank you. I cannot wait until I tell her about our evening of billiards. I can only imagine how pleased she will be. Perhaps when you next visit we can play a round or two at her home. I've heard how much you enjoy her billiards room."
"Um, yes. Perhaps. But allow me to share this tale with my aunt. I'm sure she will enjoy hearing the story of our night out from me."
"I can only imagine. I look forward to hearing her thoughts."
William walked away from the pool tables for a minute in order to dash off a text to his uncle.
WD: Hoping to swing by tomorrow with some news.
HF: Everything ok?
WD: CDB strikes again.
HF: Come for brunch?
WD: Sure. See you at 11
On his return he noticed that there were very few striped balls on the table but the number of solids was still quite high. "Hello my love. So stripes or solids?"
"Solids but I keep telling Charlotte she's at an advantage. I've got my bum knee which is throwing off my balance. I think I should get an extra few shots at least to compensate."
"Lizzy's just a sore loser. I'm going to take care of this last shot and we can end your misery ex-roomie."
William watched as Charlotte knocked the last of her stripes into the pocket. The game would be quickly over so William decided he should figure out who he'd be playing in the Charlie vs. Jane match.
That match had moved much more slowly. It was clear that Charlie was purposely playing poorly in order to even out the skill level between them. He wondered if Jane had noticed or if it was only apparent to him. William walked up behind Charlie as he was watching his girlfriend stretch her body along the pool table, "As long as you continue to play like this, our match will be over rather quickly. You wouldn't want Jane to know that you were pretending to be bad." Charlie's head whipped around, realizing his friend had caught him out.
Lizzy soon joined William as they watched the couple slowly wind down the game. Charlie picked up his skill a bit after realizing he would likely be playing Darcy next and didn't want to completely underplay this round. Charlotte and Billy were well into their match and it was a bit of a toss up as to who would be the winner of that round.
Wrapping her arm around William's waist, Lizzy leaned against his side and watched Jane and Charlie play. "Thanks so much for chatting with Charlotte's boyfriend for awhile. I know he's a bit awkward but Charlotte seems to really like him. I appreciate you attempting to get to know him."
William blanched a bit. How would he explain that he was actually interrogating her friend's boyfriend? Before he could say anything Lizzy walked over to Jane and whispered something in her ear. Jane laughed and shook her head before Lizzy walked back over.
"What were you two conspiring over?"
"Oh nothing. I'll tell you later." Lizzy grinned up at him and the two silently watched their friends play.
At the end, Charlie managed to beat Jane by sinking three balls in a row. "That was quite a finish," Lizzy said admiringly to Charlie. Too bad you didn't play that well the entire time or else the match would have been finished in a few strokes.
"It uh, took me a little while to get warmed up I guess."
"Was that what that was? I thought you were purposefully missing shots so you didn't beat me too quickly," Jane said as she tossed a wink over to Lizzy.
"Don't ever say I'm not a gentleman," Charlie yelled as the girls walked towards a table overflowing with the food William had ordered. The boys made quick work of their round and despite Charlie's remarkably improved skill in the second round, didn't manage to beat William. Charlotte and Collins' round ended in a draw when he inadvertently poked her in the eye with the pool cue resulting in a lost contact. To his credit, Collins was remarkably attentive to his muffin top and she seemed to be enjoying his coddling. Apparently losing a contact left Charlotte unable to cut her food or feed herself. The contrast to her characteristically strong independent friend left Lizzy baffled.
On the third yawn, William thought he should encourage them to leave. "I'm sorry we need to cut this night short but Lizzy was up late last night with her sister and I was up at 4am so between the two of us, we're both a little tired." Reluctantly, Lizzy agreed and began to make her goodbyes.
In the cab home, Lizzy smiled happily. "I'm so glad we could all go out together. I miss my roommates so much sometimes. It's nice to hang out again. I hope we can do this again."
William thought about the implications of that statement. More time with Collins was not his idea of a good time but for Lizzy he knew he'd do it again.
I hope this chapter answered some questions and stimulated a few more. My daughter found the descriptions of Collins painful... in the best way possible. I loved writing him though. The ideas kept flowing. I hope to push out another chapter next week some time. I've been more focused on writing then responding to your comments but I read every single one! So, thoughts, questions, comments?