Chapter 10

Saturday arrived and William and Elizabeth arrived at the airport early to begin their long day of travel. Heading first to London, they were picked up outside Gatwick Airport in a Rolls Royce, a first for Elizabeth, and taken to a nearby restaurant for an early lunch with William's aunt and uncle. Elizabeth was glad she had already met the Earl and was pleased to meet the countess in person. The countess, who again requested that Elizabeth call her Aunt Helen, was very pleasant and had immediately hugged Elizabeth upon seeing her, expressing again how delighted she was to meet the lady her nephew had chosen.

"You are very lovely, my dear," Aunt Helen said, taking her by the hand and leading her back toward the table where her husband and son already were seated. "I am so pleased to finally meet you in person."

Elizabeth responded similarly, but was a bit taken aback by the demonstration. William laughed and placed his hand on her back as he leaned down to explain. "She is not typically this effusive, but she is evidently very eager to help plan our wedding. I have never seen her quite like this."

She smiled up at him. "It is fine, William, but I had not expected the eager response either."

The couple greeted the others at the table, and after they were seated, they began to speak pleasantly. Uncle Henry and Richard spoke with William about the business, asking a few questions about an issue William had earlier that year about the distribution. Elizabeth and Aunt Helen spoke about their travel plans and discussed Elizabeth's studies and life in Tennessee. While Helen had traveled to the United States on a few occasions, she had never been to that part of the country.

Elizabeth spent several minutes describing growing up in a rural area in East Tennessee and both the advantages and disadvantages of such. Moving to Knoxville, a medium sized city, had been an adjustment from the small-town life she was accustomed to, but she had collected a small group of friends with similar interests. She described weekends spent hiking in the mountains with friends, visiting the theme park in Pigeon Forge called Dollywood, after country legend Dolly Parton, whom the countess had met at the Glastonbury music festival a few years prior. Both ladies laughed as they spoke of a deep and abiding love for the "Queen of Country" and Elizabeth was rather amused at the idea of a countess gushing over Dolly.

When the food was served, the conversation became more general as Elizabeth and William shared some of their plans for the following weeks, including their travel and their plans once they returned. Elizabeth would not be able to seek employment until after her visa was approved, which would not occur until sometime after the July wedding. Since Aunt Helen and Georgiana were to join them at William's home around the first of June, they would take on the role of tour guide for Elizabeth to visit some of the places she wanted to go, although William reserved the right to veto any of their plans if he wanted to be the one to take her there. That included the Isle of Skye which they had hoped to visit but had not yet been able to do so.

As they finished their meal, William checked his mobile and realized it was time for them to depart for the airport. They were to leave from Heathrow Airport, and once they were checked in and had made their way through security, they rested in the first-class lounge until it was time to board the plane. Their luggage had been transported directly from Gatwick to Heathrow using a first-class porter service, which meant they were able to relax in the exclusive Concorde Room as they waited. Elizabeth, who had only ever traveled coach before, was impressed at the luxury offered with their first-class ticket.

When they boarded, she was even more surprised. William had described the first-class accommodations to her when he had told her the plans, but she was amazed at the space and the personal attention. They were seated in separate pods in the center aisle, but the barrier was able to be lowered so they could speak to one another as they traveled, and Elizabeth took full advantage of all the perks available to her. A couple hours into the flight, however, they both decided to get some rest, since the flight from Philadelphia to Knoxville would not have nearly as comfortable accommodations.

William had just drifted off to sleep when he felt a warm body snuggle into him. Elizabeth had snuck around to his seat and had curled into him. He only murmured as he pulled her closer to him and fell deeper into sleep. The flight attendant woke them shortly before the flight began its final descent. She was surprised to find both of them in bed but did not make any remark and Elizabeth quickly moved back to her own seat in the small first-class cabin after a quick kiss. William grinned as he realized what the flight attendant likely thought about finding them sleeping together and told Elizabeth his thoughts.

"I dare say the flight attendant believes we joined the mile-high club, Elizabeth," he said quietly as they disembarked. He laughed when she blushed.

"I did not think about that," she whispered anxiously. "I could not fall asleep and thought I would sleep more easily in your arms, despite the tight space."

"I have no complaints, mo ghràdh, and we will likely never see her again, so it matters little," he reassured her.

She sighed. "You're probably right, William, but I'm embarrassed that I never even considered the implications of sneaking into your bed with you. I also cannot imagine doing … that in so public a place."

He pulled her to him and kissed her quickly in the middle of the jetway. "I love you, Elizabeth, mo chridhe" he whispered when he let her go. Tugging her hand, he propelled them into the terminal where they located their connecting flight and made their way to the gate. It was early on Sunday morning and despite the few hours of rest, they were both feeling tired and ready to be done traveling for a bit.

They boarded the next plane where they were seated in business class which provided William a little more leg room. Raising the arm rest between the seats, Elizabeth snuggled into William's side, and both dozed for the short hop from Philly to the Mcghee Tyson Airport in Alcoa, to the southwest of Knoxville. A friend had dropped Elizabeth off at the airport when she left, and after retrieving their luggage, they quickly found a taxi to take them to Elizabeth's apartment located in the eastern part of the city.

Elizabeth's apartment was small, and William noted that it was clean and cared for, although her furnishings were not of the highest quality. As he looked around, he wondered what she would want to take back to Scotland with her and began to think about what would be required to ship any larger items. He paused in his examination when he felt her stare.

"What is it, mo ghràdh?" he asked.

"I know it's smaller than you are used to, William, but I hope you will be comfortable here while we're here," she told him.

"I will be extremely comfortable, Elizabeth, I will be with you," was his reply.

"My bed is only a queen," she tried again.

"Then I'll have to snuggle closer," he teased back, before looking her over. "What is it, Elizabeth?"

"My life has been so very different from yours," she whispered. "It is strange to come back to … this after experiencing so many amazing luxuries with you. Luxuries that you're used to and have come to expect and suddenly, we're here in my tiny little utilitarian apartment, that is completely lacking in luxuries. You have so much, and you share it with me so readily, but I, I can give you nothing in return." Tears pooled in her eyes as she spoke.

"I need nothing, Elizabeth, but you. It does not matter what you have or what I have, as long as we have each other. I love you. Tha mo ghion ort," he told her as he hugged her tightly.

After a moment, she pulled back. "That's a new one," she whispered.

"I love you with all my heart," he translated.

"Oh," she said, as she snuggled against his chest. "Teach me?"

"Why?" he asked.

"I love when you use all your Scottish terms for love," she told him. "I love all the names you call me, even if I can't always keep them straight. I know they mean you love me, though."

"I do love you, Elizabeth," he said, kissing her hair as he hugged her to his chest. "In two more days, m'eudail, I will show you exactly how much I love you."

"Oh, that reminds me," she said, her eyes bright and teasing. "I need do some shopping tomorrow."

"What for?" he asked.

"Oh, just something for our honeymoon," she taunted.

"For our … what are you shopping for, Elizabeth?" he nearly growled, and then he leaned down and kissed her.

When he released her mouth, he moved down and trailed kisses along her neck, before suddenly pulling away and turning his back toward her. "You make me lose control, mo chridhe."

"I am sorry, Will," she said. "I did not mean to tease you so much."

He took a deep breath before he turned around and looked back at her, his eyes full of love and … something else she could not identify. "I know, Elizabeth. Perhaps I should get a hotel room for the next two nights?"

"No," she protested. "I can sleep on the couch, and you can take the bed. It is only two more nights."

He looked down at the couch. "I'll take the couch," he replied.

She looked at his tall frame and down to the couch. "You won't fit," she told him.

He grimaced and recognized she was correct. "I can keep myself under control, Elizabeth, just, just don't talk about our honeymoon or hint at whatever it was you were hinting at just then. My mind went in all kinds of directions just now, none of them particularly … chaste."

"I apologize," she said again. "I will not tease about that again."

"Soon we will be wed, Elizabeth, and then you can tease all you like. Soon, you can tease, and I can do something about it," he stated firmly before gathering her in his arms again and holding her for a moment. After a minute, he sat down heavily on the couch. "Traveling east is far worse, but I confess, I am knackered. I should be famished as well, but right now, I think I prefer sleep to food."

Elizabeth agreed and so sat beside him before snuggling against him on the couch and turned on the television to relax. Before long, they had fallen asleep, and did not wake until a few hours later when Elizabeth's phone rang.

She started and sat up, attempting not to wake William. Her movement, however, were enough to jar him from sleep and he sat up as she grabbed at her phone. "Hey, Charlotte," Elizabeth spoke into the phone. Will saw her listen for a minute. "Yes, I am back in town." Pause. "Dinner tonight?" She looked back at William, who nodded his agreement. "Sure, umm, I'm bringing a friend with me." Another pause, and William was almost certain he heard a squeal through the phone.

"Yeah, I know the place," she said, and there was another pause. "Umm, an hour and a half maybe. I need a shower rather desperately." A few more words were exchanged and then he heard Elizabeth finish the call.

"Well, you will get an introduction to a uniquely American spot tonight," she told him when she turned to him. "Charlotte wants to go to Calhoun's on the River to 'celebrate' my return. She is looking forward to meeting you; we only spoke once or twice while I was in Scotland, but it seems that I mentioned you several times during those calls."

"What did you say about me?" he grinned as he nuzzled her neck.

"I might have said something about your rather unfortunate looks," she teased, as she turned her head to allow him more access to kiss her neck. She shivered, and he stopped. "You need a shower, and so do I, mo ghràdh. Yesterday's shower was a long time and thousands of miles ago."

She sighed, then stood. "Come, let me show you around real quick and then I'll grab a shower. I only have the one bath, and one bedroom. We'll have to take turns."

"That will be fine, Elizabeth, I am in no hurry. How long do we have until we need to leave?" he asked.

"Umm," she began, taking a glance at the time on her phone. "She said we'll meet at 6, so we need to leave here around 5:30. It won't take long to get there, but parking can be difficult. We might have to walk, so be prepared. Parts of the city are very hilly."

Elizabeth went into the bedroom and grabbed a few things before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. When she finished, she pulled out a towel and washcloth for William, setting them on the counter before hurrying back into her bedroom. "Will," she called from behind the door, "the bathroom is yours." She heard him lumber down the hall and then she heard the bathroom door close. Quickly, she grabbed jeans and a University of Tennessee t-shirt, and then threw on her sandals. She was brushing her hair when she heard the bathroom door open and close again, and so she stepped out, stopping dead in the middle of the hall when she saw him standing there. He was clad only in a towel, which he was gripping tightly to keep it wrapped around his waist.

He was beautiful, she thought as she considered his muscular back and calves. She must have made a noise, because he turned. "You … you can use the bedroom now, Will," she stammered.

"My case is out here," he replied, his eyes locked on hers. "I will need to grab it first."

She nodded and struggled to look away from the sight of him standing in her hallway in a towel. After grabbing his bag, he headed down the hallway to the bedroom passing her on the way. He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers in a languid fashion and she melted into him. Far too soon, he pulled away and with a grin, he strode into her bedroom and shut the door.

Elizabeth sighed and nearly fell against the wall. Recovering herself, she moved into the bathroom to finish brushing her hair and added some mascara, and she was ready. She looked around and picked up the crossbody bag she had used in Scotland, and then searched her apartment for her car keys. It took a few minutes of searching, but then she found them in the bottom of the backpack she had carried to school that semester.

William emerged from the bedroom wearing jeans and a tailored dress shirt. She shook her head as she smiled at him and wondered if the man owned anything that would not make him stand out.

"What?" he asked, looking down at his clothes.

"You look great, Will," she told him, lightly kissing him. "My friends will be jealous."

"Of my unfortunate looks?" he inquired, raising his eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter what you look like, Will, it's the accent," she told him. "Not that you aren't incredibly handsome, dearest, but your accent will drive 'em wild. Now, if you were in a kilt, I might have to fight them off."

He grinned. "I brought a kilt for the wedding," he informed her waggling his eyebrows at her. "Should I change into it?"

"Absolutely not," she cried. "They need to know you are mine before you show them your knees."

William broke into laughter. "My knees?" he asked.

"Have you seen Outlander? Don't you know that Jamie Fraser's knees are a large part of his appeal?" she asked him.

"You lot do not watch that drivel, do you?" he asked pointedly.

"I read a few of the books and have watched a few episodes. Jamie Fraser is the ideal man; don't you know that?" she teased him.

"More ideal than me?" he asked.

"I do not need Jamie Fraser when I have you," she told him. "You are the entire package, William. You have the looks, the accent, and for some reason I have yet to fully comprehend, you love me. Jamie Fraser has nothing on you."

Elizabeth and William headed to her car, hand in hand. He started to open the door on the right for her, but quickly realized that she needed to enter on the left so she could drive. With a sheepish look, he walked her around to the other side and helped her in. "Thank you, kind sir," she said. "Are you trying to demonstrate your very gentlemanly qualities after our talk about Jamie Fraser?"

"Did I not open the door for you in Scotland?" he asked as he moved around to the other side.

"You did," she replied as he climbed in on the other side.

"What will you do with your car?" he asked suddenly.

She made a face. "I will need to sell it," she said after a moment. "I need to talk to Charlotte tonight and see if she has any ideas about how to hold a yard sale in an apartment complex. I could advertise some of it on Marketplace or something, although it might be easier to take everything and donate it to the Salvation Army or another organization. Most of my furniture isn't worth shipping overseas and what you already have is a lot nicer than my stuff. There are a few things that I will want to keep, but honestly, a vast majority is not worth the expense of shipping it."

"Are you sure, Elizabeth?" he asked. "There aren't any pieces you would like to keep."

"No," she said as she merged into traffic on I-40. "I got most of them second-hand when I moved out of the dorms and into the apartment. It was the first time I had lived fully on my own and I furnished it with what I could afford at that time. I intended to buy better stuff once I finished my degree and got a job, but instead, I'm moving to Scotland and now I don't have to buy furniture."

He laughed in response, and conversation stopped for a few minutes as Elizabeth took the exit that would take them down to the Tennessee River. A few minutes later, she pulled into a parking spot, and they stepped out of the car, making their way towards the restaurant. Charlotte and Mary met them outside and Elizabeth watched their eyes bulge, and their jaws drop when they saw the handsome man she was holding hands with. They rushed to meet her and demanded an introduction, making Elizabeth laugh.

"William, these are my good friends Charlotte Lucas and Mary Collins," Elizabeth said. "Girls, this is William Darcy." She took a breath and, glancing at William for a moment, she lifted her left hand and displayed her ring. "We're … we are engaged."

Charlotte and Mary were stunned. "You're what?" Charlotte stuttered out after a moment. Then, she looked at the ring again, and grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "Is this for real?"

Elizabeth smiled and squeezed William's hand. "We're getting married, I'm moving to Scotland, and yes, it is real," she told them.

Charlotte turned her gaze to William and looked him up and down. "You're taking my very best friend in the world thousands of miles away to Scotland?" she said, searing him with a heated look.

"I am," he replied, holding her gaze. "I love her. She loves me. We will marry in July. If you would like to come, I will make the arrangements to bring you over to witness it."

Charlotte and Mary both looked at him in surprise. "You would fly us over for her weddin'?" Mary wondered, her southern accent in evidence.

He shrugged. "It would be easy enough to arrange," he said. "You will obviously need a passport, but I can take care of the all the travel arrangements and put you up at a hotel. I'm afraid the house will be rather full or you could stay there with us."

Elizabeth smiled up at him and mouthed "Thank you." Then, turning to her friends, she told them, "He is a good man, girls. I would love to have you come to the wedding if you can. I know it is far away."

"Umm, I'm in," Charlotte said. "Especially if there are more like you that you can introduce me to."

William laughed. "I have a few unmarried friends who will likely be invited. I have been told looks are far less important than the Scottish burr. And many of them will be in kilts at the wedding."

Charlotte pretended to swoon, while Mary just blushed. Elizabeth laughed at her friends. Their conversation was interrupted when their pager went off, alerting them that their table was ready.

Dinner was a lot of fun and William found himself enjoying it. They had elected to eat on the deck outside, overlooking the Tennessee River and he had entertained himself watching the boats when they ladies' conversation inadvertently excluded him. They all drank several fruity beverages, while William sampled a couple of beers from a local brewery. The food was surprisingly good, and they were all stuffed by the time the check arrived. Excusing himself to go to the lavatory, which amused Charlotte and Mary, he found their server and handed her a credit card to cover the meal and added a generous tip.

Eventually, the group was ready to leave and were surprised when the server informed them that the bill had been taken care of already. All eyes slid to William, although he waved away their thanks. They left the restaurant and took a walk by the river as the girls continued to talk about any number of things. William mostly listened, enjoying holding Elizabeth's hand as they walked slightly behind the others. Before too long, Elizabeth slid her arm into his and leaned heavily on him.

"Despite the nap today, Will, I am so very tired," she admitted finally.

"Let us return to your flat," he suggested. "We can see your friends again later this week. If you'd like, I can stay home next time so you can speak to them without me."

She looked up at him. "I will gladly join them for a dinner or two in the next two weeks, but unless I absolutely have to leave you behind, I fully intend to drag you along with me wherever I go," she said.

William smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. "Tha gaol agam ort, mo chridhe," he whispered, unaware that Charlotte and Mary were staring at the two of them.

Suddenly, he felt Elizabeth being pulled away from him and heard her laughing. He watched as her friends furiously whispered questions and smiled as he heard Elizabeth laugh. He assumed they were asking questions about him and took a few steps to create a little more distance between them.

She returned to him, still laughing. "You have won their hearts, Will. They wanted to know if you have any brothers."

He laughed. "No, no brothers. Just a cousin or two."