Chapter 3 : Miranda Speaks

"Erm—why don't you both have a seat?" Alexander said quickly. He pulled out a chair and ushered a still beaming Elizabeth to it.

Breakfast was an interesting affair for all the Darcys but all in differing ways. For the first time in what felt to him like years, Alexander had an appetite. The aromas of the breakfast table made him feel warm, it settled him. And perhaps it was also the company of his strange visitors, his family—for however it happened, whatever magic or warp in time brought them here—he felt a definite kinship to them. As he ate, he felt almost like himself again.

Once they had settled, Miranda had left them to attend to other household duties. Darcy and Elizabeth had at first hardly spoken, they stared at some of the more novel food laid out on the table. Although some were familiar, some were indeed very foreign to them. They started with what they knew, then progressed on to the others.

"This is a pancake, is it not?" On Alexander's nod, Elizabeth continued, "It is quite…" she searched for the word, "…fluffy!" Her eyes closed as she savored the texture.

"Should they not be?" Alexander inquired amused.

"Well, no actually, we are used to them quite thin and very flat." Elizabeth indicated a size using her thumb and forefinger. "Will you not agree, William?" Turning to her husband, she stopped as she saw the expression on his face and covered her mouth on a giggle.

"What, may I ask, is this?" Pure wonder was on Darcy's face.

Alexander grinned. "That, my good man, is a bagel with cream cheese. One of the wonders of The United States of America."

Some time later, Miranda stopped just outside the kitchen, she stood unobserved as she watched the trio. She was happy to see that the food she prepared was almost completely gone. She watched a satisfied looking Alexander, and sighed in relief. He had not been eating properly recently, she pretended not to notice—had not dared point it out to him. For all her motherly affections towards him, he was still—strictly speaking—her employer, though she knew he did not see her as such. All the summers he had spent there with his uncle since his teenage years had secured a lasting affection between them. She was much like a favorite aunt, Miranda preferred to think.

The past few weeks had been almost as hard for her, seeing him in such despondency, her affectionate heart bled for him. Mentally giving herself a shake, she smiled as she saw him laugh with his cousins. She studied them, the resemblance between the two men was striking, the Darcy blood certainly ran strong. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had a fascinating face, very expressive. Her eyes shone as she smiled at her husband.

Lost in thought, Miranda suddenly felt that she'd seen them before, she tried to recall the details but nothing came to mind. Shrugging her shoulders, she assumed it must have been from family photos.

Alexander had said that they were newlyweds, that she could definitely see in the way they were with each other. Then she frowned as she suddenly recalled Fitz's apparent surprise—an almost reflexive censure—of Elizabeth wearing pants. She personally thought the younger woman looked great in them. She recalled as well Elizabeth's excitement as Miranda handed the pair to her, the way her eyes had widened. She had begun to consider then that maybe they were from a part of the United Kingdom that was still extremely conservative. Alexander was from Derbyshire, she wondered if his cousins were from there too, and if women there mostly only wore dresses. Privately beginning to disapprove of Fitz, she had almost laughed aloud at how easily Elizabeth had persuaded him to accept her attire. Indeed, the look in his eyes had shown more than mere acceptance. With a secret smile, her disapproval turned into approval.

Looking at them now, Miranda could not help but be glad that they had come. Her poor, dear Alexander needed family. Straightening, she entered the kitchen.

"So do you have any plans for Fitz and Elizabeth today, Alex?"

Alexander looked at the two who returned his gaze, curiosity in both their eyes.

With an encouraging smiled, Miranda continued. "They probably need some things to replace the ones they lost at the airport, deodorant or something." Any excuse to drag Alexander out of the house would do. He needed to see daylight again.

"Uh, yes, of course." Alexander could not say that he was thrilled at the thought of going out, but he had to at some point. And honestly speaking, he was looking forward to seeing the couple's reactions to the modern world. He liked them very much, he realized that since their mysterious arrival his mind had stopped wallowing in self-pity, his heart in sadness—for who could under this fantastical situation? Darcy and Elizabeth gave him the distraction, the lighthearted feeling that he had unknowingly sought.

Smiling to himself, he looked at them and hid a laugh as he overheard Elizabeth silently ask her husband what he thought a deodorant was.

Miranda had stepped out of the house half an hour earlier to pick up some dry cleaning, words that held no meaning to the newlyweds.

As she had stood by the door, she smiled softly at Elizabeth who had walked with her to the foyer.

"Elizabeth." Miranda had said quietly, she checked to see if Alexander could hear them, satisfied, she had leaned closer. "I'm glad you guys arrived just as you did, it's been tough on him. He was supposed to go home to the UK for Christmas with her, but he cancelled after she–well, after what happened. His mom wanted to fly over but he wouldn't let her, with his sister expecting her baby soon, you know how it is." Frowning, she continued. "Can I speak frankly?"

When Elizabeth nodded, she spoke again. "I truthfully I think he doesn't want to see them, to see anyone actually. Well, with me he has no choice, he'd have to fire me." One corner of her mouth lifted in a sardonic smile.

Elizabeth had kept silent, absorbing all the new information Miranda was giving her and at the same time tucking away questions to ask later on; who was she? What place was a You-kay? And more unbelievable, people could fly?

"I'm glad you and Fitz insisted on visiting him."

Elizabeth had bitten her lip and smiled. "We did not exactly give him a choice on the matter, he could not very well turn us out."

"Good move."

Studying her, Miranda had thought how she liked Elizabeth. She glanced upward to the direction of the bedrooms. "To tell you the truth, I had come close to calling her." She winced. "Alex wouldn't say exactly what happened, just that it was over." She sighed. "I never saw him like this before, it's been a month, he needs to get out of this hole."

Elizabeth had nodded along as she listened. So Alexander was nursing a heartache, her concern and curiosity were piqued more than ever.

"I mean, I've been on the verge of telling him to either go after her or just accept it all and move on, but I can never bring myself to do it. My point is that he can't stay in this limbo, he can't stay like this." Leaning closer to Elizabeth, she had continued. "That morning after, I came at my usual time, and I saw him. God, I was so worried, I thought someone had died!" Miranda had blinked back tears. "He'd placed the ring on top of his desk, he was just staring at it. And that's when he told me that the engagement was off."

Elizabeth had covered her mouth on a gasp. Poor Alexander indeed. "So it was a love match."

It was a statement more than a question, but Miranda hadn't been sure how to react to it.

"Uh, yes. She wasn't after his money or anything like that, they really were in love. I mean her ending the engagement already proves she wasn't in it for financial gain." She had paused, deep in thought. "Alex has never been a very showy person, I mean he's always been reserved, formal you know. Sure I knew they argued, but what couple doesn't? But I could see how much he loved Evie." A tear had escaped her eye. "Sorry." She sniffed, embarrassed.

Evie.

"Pray, do not apologize." She smiled at Miranda and had taken her hand, her obvious affection for Alexander warmed Elizabeth's heart. "Fitzwilliam and I will do all we possibly can to help our cousin, 'tis our duty of course, but tell me, for I am so very little acquainted with–" she cleared her throat, "–with Evie, do you believe they are meant for each other?"

Miranda bit her lip, a soft smile had appeared on her face, she spoke just as softly. "You British folks talk so fancy, I love it. Alexander has lost some of his Britishness I'm afraid. He doesn't talk like you do."

Elizabeth had blinked, not knowing how to reply to that.

"But to answer your question, yes I really believed that they would end up together. That's why it's such a shame, all this."

After Miranda left, Elizabeth stood in the foyer in her borrowed clothes as she waited for Darcy and Alexander. Her head was full from Miranda's words. Poor Alex, she thought again. Her mind laid out what possible reasons his betrothed might have had for breaking the engagement, and she wondered as well if a broken engagement still garnered the same scandal in this day and age as it did in…in, well, in her time. Shaking her head, she caught her reflection in the full length mirror that hung on a wall. The modern clothes were very comfortable, and they were warmer than she had expected.

She fingered the collar of the coat. Then stopping abruptly, scenes from earlier that morning flashed in her mind.

There are some clothes Elizabeth might fit in the other room.

As she was donning them, she had wondered to whom the garments belonged, but the sheer excitement of wearing what seemed to her as men's attire, had overridden her curiosity. Now, as she stood in front of the mirror, she knew that they belonged to Evie. And just as suddenly she understood old Mrs. Crowe's words.

You must go... Not where, but to whom.

To Alexander. A silence filled her ears. She knew why she and Darcy where there. How they travelled through time, she did not know, would probably never know. But one thing was clear, fate brought them to the son of their sons.

The sound of the doorbell nearly had her jumping in the air. Heart racing, she looked tentatively at the door. Elizabeth correctly assumed what the sound indicated, there was a caller. She was about to call Alexander when, upon glancing towards the door, she saw through its stained glass panels a woman's unmistakable silhouette.

Elizabeth knew what she had to do. She knew who stood outside. It was as if her hand moved of its own accord, she opened the door.

The woman stood surprised and immobile at seeing her, indeed to Elizabeth, she looked confused at first, then stricken as her eyes moved down to the clothes Elizabeth wore. Hurt appeared in her eyes, then quickly disappeared that Elizabeth would have doubted actually seeing it. Following her instincts, Elizabeth smiled warmly.

"Is-is Miranda here?" Voice faltering, eyes cast downward, the woman shuffled her feet.

"Oh! I am afraid you have just missed her."

Her head snapped up in surprise at Elizabeth's voice, the visitor suddenly blurted out. "You're British."

"Indeed." Elizabeth widened her smile. "I am Elizabeth, Alexander's cousin."

"Cousin."

This time Elizabeth was certain that it was relief she saw in her eyes and at the sound of the repeated word.

"Yes, my husband and I are visiting. We, ah, flew last night from England—to visit our cousin Alexander."

"Oh–you flew in?" Eyes suddenly darting inside the house, the visitor showed visible panic. "He's here?"

"Yes, I imagine he shall be here in a few—"

"What? He didn't leave for his tri—"

The sound of male voices entering the foyer had the woman turning pale. Before she could speak or move, Elizabeth made up her mind. She flung the door wide open.

"Alexander, there is a caller asking after Miranda."

As Elizabeth turned to Alexander, Darcy saw the resolve in her eyes. Suppressing a sigh, he wondered what his wife was about. He trained his eyes to the door and looked at the caller. Beautiful though she was, his attention was mostly caught by the sheer fact that she looked to be wishing the earth to swallow her. Beside him, he felt Alexander grow still. The silence was so great that what was surely just a second seemed to stretch endlessly, Darcy thought he could hear the snow falling outside. He saw too in the eyes whose shape were so like his own, the same pain he carried when he thought he had lost Elizabeth forever. That, more than anything, evoked in him a feeling of kinship with Alexander. He turned and met Elizabeth's gaze, a silent message passing between them.

Alexander took a small step forward.

"Hello, Evie."

A/N:

Where did 2021 go? Here we are again at the end of another year!

And with that I continue this Holiday story. I mentioned before that I plan for this to be five chapters only, now I'm not so sure I can squeeze everything in there, so I might be extending this to seven or eight chapters.

In this chapter, I wanted to really move along Alexander's story and answer some of your questions. Please let me know what you think!

Happy Holidays, everyone! :)