Christmas came and went quickly followed by Mary's marriage to Mr Collins.
Each night from when he left, Lizzie tossed and turned. Her dreams once again, empty.
As they slowly crept through the ice and snow towards the end of January, Lizzie both anticipated dreaded Jane's wedding. She hated the idea of her sister leaving her, but desperately wanted to see Will, for though when she slept there was nothing, the kiss haunted her waking hours. She should have been horrified, ashamed of herself for allowing it to happen, but she didn't. It wasn't torrid or lustful. But gentle and oh so right. The fact it happened in a dream still felt odd to her. But as Jane's big day approached she couldn't help but feel that spark of excitement again at seeing Will.
The service went off without a hitch and Jane looked resplendent. Lizzie, with every ounce of willpower she had kept her eyes forward the whole time she stood with her sister. It took all that she had in her not to let her eyes drift over to the man who stood with her soon to be brother. She had missed him more than she'd like to admit, but her primary focus had to be her sister.
It wasn't until the wedding breakfast she found herself able to talk to him. As fortunately her mother had placed the two of them together.
"How is your sister?" She asked in a low tone, only once the volume of chatter had risen around them.
"Better, but I fear it will be an onward battle. Every time I feel she has moved forward something happens and her confidence takes a battering and she falls back"
"What happened. Not Wickham again. Surely he hasn't reached out? I don't know what you and papa got up to, but he left before Christmas. Please say he didn't approach her again!" Lizzie felt her angle rise at the very notion of that villain approaching the girl.
Will patted her arm in an affectionate manner, before he remembered the public setting and quickly removed it. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice the physical affection. "Calm yourself Lizzie. Wickham has not, nor will he ever again bother Georgie. It was…. Well you see my aunt Catherine went to visit while I was here last. She has yet to give up her idea of Anne and I marrying. She decided to try and get my sister on side. My aunt, she's something of a forceful personality" He sighed, shaking his head a little. " Georgiana, God bless her, stood her ground. She refused to help 'talk me around'. Well, my aunt doesn't take refusal well, and Georgie was left devastated after receiving the sharp side of aunt Catherine's tongue"
"Oh, the poor girl. I am sorry"
" I just wish she'd except that we will not marry. I don't wish it neither does Anne. My interests lie….. elsewhere" he finished carefully, refusing to meet Lizzie's eye. " but right now my priority is Georgiana" Lizzie nodded understandingly, but couldn't stop the smile and bubble of joy, expand in her stomach. She looked at him intently, reading every line and expression.
" You're going back to London right away aren't you?"
" Pemberley. It's what she needs." His answer was sombre and both sat in silence for sometime.
"Is your aunt really so terrifying?" Lizzie asked suddenly. At Wills confused expression she explained " Mary has asked me to go and visit in March, if Mr Collins is to be believed, I will be seeing much of the formidable woman"
"You'll do fine, just try to hold back some of your witticisms" she nodded her understanding, and once again began to picked at her long neglected plate. A warm and comfortable silence at between them awhile.
"March you say?" Lizzies only response was the smile she aimed at her food.