NOTE: Welcome back to the story, and thank you so much for reading. Sorry it took me longer to post this than I had originally planned. Surgery and recovery did not go quite according to plan, so it's been an interesting couple of weeks. A HUGE thanks to the wonderful ladies who had the patience to read through this and fix all my pain-med-loopiness-induced errors. So, *so* many errors. ~*facepalm*~. Thanks for putting up with me!

P.S.: Just for the record, I really like Five Finger Death Punch's cover of House of the Rising Sun!

Chapter 8

When you're weary

Feeling small

When tears are in your eyes

I'll dry them all

I'm on your side

Oh, when times get rough

And friends just can't be found

- Bridge Over Troubled Water, Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel

"What do you want, Lizzy? I'm busy, so make it quick," Mom snapped when she answered my phone call early Sunday morning.

I ground a palm into my forehead and stared up at the ceiling, struggling to hold back the sharp retort on the tip of my tongue. "Nice to hear your voice too, Mom. I just wanted to tell you to expect one more for dinner today."

Mom sighed dramatically over the speaker. "What on Earth? I hope you're not planning to bring the Lucas girl or that hideous beast of yours to dinner."

I mashed the heel of my palm harder into my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut. "Moriarty is a cat, Mother, not a beast. And no, I'm not bringing him or Charlotte." Geez. Bring your cat to dinner and feed him turkey from the table one time and pay for it with two years' worth of snarky comments.

"Well, if I have to go to the extra effort to cook for another hungry mouth, it had better be a man, and he had better be rich!"

I rolled my eyes and bit back a dark laugh. My mother is the Supreme Majesty of all drama queens. She always makes a ridiculous amount of food for our family's biweekly Sunday dinners. So much in fact, that Lydia and Kate text me like clockwork on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month, asking me to take them out to eat because they don't want to eat leftovers for four days in a row. "Thanks, Mom. I'll see you at noon," I replied before hanging up.

Today was going to be a catastrophe. I could feel it in my bones.

OOOoooOOOoooOOO

Jane and I arrived at the back door of Will's hotel at eleven o'clock on the dot. Will slipped out the door of the building and ducked into the back seat, next to me. I eyed him appreciatively. He looked swoon-worthy in a tailored dark gray, button-down shirt – sleeves rolled up over his forearms - and dark blue jeans.

"You look beautiful," he commented.

I looked down and self-consciously smoothed the skirt of my knee-length red sundress. "Thanks, so do you," I returned automatically.

Will raised an eyebrow. "I look beautiful, eh?"

"Sorry, I meant handsome," I laughed. "What I should have said, is thanks, it has pocketsss." I shoved my hands into my skirt pockets and wiggled my fingers beneath the fabric to demonstrate.

He shook his head and chuckled. "You are delightfully odd."

I rolled my shoulders back and gave him a regal nod. "Thank you, sir."

Jane turned in her seat to face us. "Hey, Will."

Will turned his attention to my sister and smiled. "Hello, Jane. Thanks for picking me up."

"Not a problem," she answered as she pulled away from the hotel and into traffic. "I hope you understand why we wanted to do so. In my parents' neighborhood, your vehicle would have attracted more attention than you probably want."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness," he agreed.

We all chatted easily during the hour-long drive to the neighboring city of Fremont. When a remake of the Animals' House of the Rising Sun began playing on the radio, I wrinkled my nose. "I hate remakes. There are just some songs that should be left alone. This," I accused, pointing toward the car radio, "is a crime."

"I mostly agree with you," Will replied.

I threw him a curious glance. "Oh?"

He shrugged. "Take Disturbed's cover of The Sound of Silence, for example."

"It's alright, I guess," I shrugged. "I am, however, inclined to dislike it on principle alone because no one should be allowed to mess with Simon and Garfunkel's masterpieces."

"Have you seen the video?" he asked.

"Nooo…" I pursed my lips uncertainly.

"Pull your phone out and look it up," he commanded.

My eyes widened in surprise at his tone. "Excuse me? Now?"

"Yes, now," he grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, alright," I grumbled. "I doubt watching the video is going to change my mind though." I obligingly pulled my phone from my purse and found the video on YouTube. I watched in silence as the music video, filmed in black and white, played on my phone screen, demonstrating the power of music so poignantly and effectively, that I was silent for several moments after the final notes had faded.

"Well?" he asked.

"I stand corrected," I admitted.

"The video changed your mind, then?"

I didn't want to admit that it had, but I couldn't lie, either. "I'll admit it has its merits."

He smirked. "Victory."

"Don't push your luck," I laughed.

I looked over at Will as we passed the Fremont city limit sign. "Are you nervous?" I asked.

He gave me a tight smile. "No more so than I usually am when meeting new people."

Knowing him as I did, I understood his answer to mean that he was. I gave him a sympathetic smile and reached over to squeeze his hand that rested on the seat between us.

"As long as you don't go anywhere near Lydia or Kate's rooms, you should be fine," Jane teased.

He cast a bewildered glance at her as she met his eyes in the rearview mirror.

Jane giggled. "Unless you want to see posters of yourself taped to a teenage girl's wall and ceiling, that is." With that, she parked the car next to the curb in front of my parents' house.

A flash of red colored Will's cheeks. "Not amusing, Jane. I thought you were supposed to be the kind sister," he muttered good-naturedly as we exited the car.

Jane smiled cheekily and winked. "Whoever told you that?"

I glanced at Will when we reached the steps of the large Victorian home's wrap-around porch. Outwardly, he was the picture of calm; only his fisted hand, clenched tightly at his side, gave him away. I reached down and took it in my own, giving him a smile as I did so.

When Jane reached the front door, she paused with her hand on the doorknob and turned to look at Will, her face solemn, as she quoted Dante's Inferno, "'All hope abandon, ye who enter here.'"

Will narrowed his eyes at Jane. "Lead the way, Charon."

I laughed in surprise at his reference to the same poem's character of Hell's ferryman of the river Acheron.

Jane gave Will an approving nod before she opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello!" she called.

My dad entered the foyer with a smile. "Hello, girls!" he exclaimed as he moved to embrace me. "Finally, some sanity is returned to this household, if only for the afternoon." He released me and hugged Jane as well. Then, he took a step back and regarded Will with a curious look. "And who might this be?"

I took a deep breath. "Dad, this is my friend, Will."

Will stepped forward and extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bennet."

My dad briefly returned Will's handshake before he turned to me and raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Oh, dear. Lizzy, what have you subjected this poor man to?" Addressing Will, he continued, in a stage whisper, "Run, while you still have the chance!"

Just then, my mom's shrill voice rang out over the low tones of Dad's whispered warning. "Is that Jane?" Her voice abruptly shifted to a perturbed tone. "And who did Lizzy bring for me to feed?"

"Too late," Dad muttered under his breath as my mom rounded the corner and stepped into the foyer.

Mom immediately went to Jane. "Hello, sweetheart," she said as she hugged my sister. "You look lovely, Jane." Her focus shifted to me, and she heaved an exasperated sigh, resting her fisted hands on her narrow hips. "Lizzy, what have I told you about wearing those dresses? That style belongs in the 1950s and it doesn't do anything for your figure. It looks like you've been putting on some weight," she huffed. "How many times have I told you that you need to watch what you—" her acerbic comment dropped from her lips when she spied Will, who placed a hand on my shoulder and stepped protectively to my side, angling his body slightly in front of mine, as if to shield me from my mom's comments.

"Oh my. Jane, who is this? It…it looks like…it is!" Mom's voice, for the first time in my memory, failed her.

Without removing his left hand from my shoulder, Will politely shook my mom's hand. "Will Darcy, ma'am. Thank you for allowing me to join your family for dinner."

Mom clung to Will's hand and giggled like a teenager. "Oh my. Will Darcy," she uttered in disbelief, her eyes sweeping over his body in a way that made me incredibly uncomfortable. "Will Darcy, in my house!" Her gaze swept over him again. "My goodness, you really are enormous, aren't you?" she observed aloud, as Will withdrew his hand from hers. "And he shook my hand!" She held her hand up in front of her face and stared at it in awe as though it were a priceless artifact. Then, turning to Jane with wide eyes, she cupped my sister's face between her hands and exclaimed, "Oh, Janie Jane! Why didn't you tell me? You wonderful girl! I've always said I knew you could not have been so beautiful for nothing!"

"Mom," Jane frowned, "Will is here with Lizzy, not me."

Mom waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't be ridiculous! What would any man, let alone someone like Will Darcy," she paused, her eyes sparkling as she looked again at Will, who stood next to me with a carefully neutral expression on his face as a muscle ticked in his jaw, "want with Lizzy?"

She said my name with such distaste that I blushed.

"Surely Will, you find Jane far more attractive and worth your time."

"Mom," I whispered, shaking my head slightly in a silent plea for her to stop.

I felt Will grasp my trembling hand tightly. I looked up to see him gazing down at me with such a soft and loving smile that my heart seemed to stutter in its rhythm.

He met my mom's surprised expression head-on. "Elizabeth is one of the most wonderful women I've ever met, Mrs. Bennet." He glanced back down at me and squeezed my hand. "I was captivated at first sight." He turned back to my mother. "Luckily for me, she's permitted me to hang about while I'm in town."

"But surely, Will," Mom continued, heedless of all sense and propriety, "surely you'd be happier with one of my other daughters. Jane or Kate would never dream of challenging you like I'm sure Lizzy does. Besides, they're much more beautiful and agreeable."

Never mind that seventeen-year-old Kate was only a little more than half of Will's age, I thought grimly. Humiliated didn't even begin to scratch the surface of how I felt at that moment. During the five seconds of tortured, awkward silence that followed, I briefly fantasized about aliens shooting a death ray through the roof and turning me into a pile of dust. Or abducting me. Surely, incineration or abduction would be preferable to the torture we were being subjected to at the moment.

"That's enough, Fanny," Dad snapped. He turned toward Will and me. "Would the two of you please join me in my office?"

I smiled tightly at my dad and nodded. I felt tears of shame stinging my eyes and the back of my throat, but I blinked them back, refusing to let them fall and cause me even more embarrassment. When we entered the hallway off the foyer that led to my dad's office, I looked up at Will. He stared back at me with anger and concern in his dark-lashed blue eyes. "I'm so sorry about that, Will," I whispered.

He stopped and turned to face me, never releasing my hand. "You've nothing to be sorry for. Are you alright?" He exhaled heavily and caressed my cheek with his fingertips. When I nodded, he tilted my chin up with a touch of his finger. For a moment, our surroundings seemed to melt away, until it was just the two of us alone. He bent and pressed his lips to the top of my head.

The sound of my dad clearing his throat brought us back to the present. I felt my face burn and I quickly stepped away from Will.

"Should I give the two of you a moment alone?" Dad asked, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"No, Dad," I mumbled. "We're fine. Sorry."

Dad held the office door open and gestured for us to enter ahead of him. After we'd entered the room, he closed the door firmly behind him before he spoke again. "Will, I apologize for my wife's behavior."

Will gave a dismissive nod. "Thank you, Mr. Bennet."

"It's Tom, please," Dad corrected. "Have a seat." He motioned to the worn leather couch in front of the fireplace while he took a seat in an equally worn wingback chair. "So, tell me how you two met."

I related the tale to my dad, while he sat listening intently, an amused look lighting his features as he drummed his fingertips on the arm of his chair.

"Well," Dad said after I had finished with my story, "Will, you have the distinction of being the first man that Lizzy has brought home to meet us. Although, after the display you witnessed, I'm sure you can understand why." His mouth settled into a grim line. "I know that you're a very powerful man with many demands on your time, so I'll be blunt. What are your intentions toward my daughter?"

"Dad!" I exclaimed, springing up from my seat.

Will reached for my hand and squeezed it tightly, pulling me back down to sit beside him. "It's alright, Elizabeth." He gave me a reassuring look before he turned back to my dad. "I'd want to know the same thing, sir, were I in your place. I'm a guardian of my younger sister, so I understand your concerns. I care very much for your daughter. My intentions are honorable, I assure you."

Dad settled back in his seat, looking unconvinced. "I know that my daughter is a very beautiful and intelligent girl, but men of your means are rarely attracted to women outside their own social sphere, and definitely not those who live four thousand miles away. So please, be honest with me. Are your business holdings in some financial trouble? Is your estate at risk? Is it Lizzy's fortune you're after?"

Will blinked in offended disbelief. "Pardon? Fortune? What? No! No, of course not!" He turned to face me, confusion clouding his eyes as they searched mine.

My voice caught in my throat, leaving me unable to speak.

My dad spoke again before I was able to get any words past the lump in my throat. "I'm assuming you do know about our family's, and specifically Lizzy's, financial situation."

I tore my eyes away from Will's and stared at my father. "Dad, no," I whispered, shaking my head. My heart raced as panic welled up in my chest.

"I assure you; I know nothing about it," Will replied in clipped tones.

Dad shrugged. "But surely, you've seen where she lives. You seem like an intelligent man. I'm sure you've concluded that she doesn't afford her home on a teacher's salary."

"I don't make a habit of prying into the personal financial matters of others," Will returned through gritted teeth.

"Dad, please, just listen! He doesn't know anything about it," I pleaded.

My dad held up a hand to silence me. "I'm sure the knowledge that my daughter is worth millions holds some sway over your interest in her," he calmly challenged.

I wanted to melt into the floor. My heart dropped to my stomach and I felt like I was going to vomit it up. I wanted to die.

Will looked furious. Before I could say anything, he stood suddenly and in a low, even voice, said, "I would never do Elizabeth the dishonor of pursuing her for mercenary reasons. I hope I have more character than that. I neither know nor do I care about her financial situation. I'm grateful to her for looking past what I am to the rest of the world and seeing me for who I am. I care for her very much, and I'm thankful that she's given me the chance to do so. Are you suggesting that someone would pursue your daughter only for the reasons you accused me of? Because if that's the case, then you don't know her at all. Any man worth his salt who took the time to know Elizabeth would cross more than an ocean for her!" Will's eyes were dark with rage and his hands subtly trembled with what could only be anger or adrenaline.

My chest constricted. I was genuinely afraid for my father's safety at that instant because Will looked like he wanted to tear him to shreds. I was so surprised by this new facet of his personality and his declaration that I forgot to breathe.

My dad, completely unaffected by Will's outburst, chuckled and folded his hands across his trim stomach. "Calm yourself, boy. I'm sure you understand why I had to ask." He studied Will thoughtfully. "My daughter is everything to me. I don't want someone using her. As guardian to a young girl who undoubtedly has a fortune of her own, you'll be in the same situation before you know it."

Will took a deep breath and exhaled heavily as he ran a still-trembling hand through his hair. After a few moments, his temper seemed to cool, and he nodded once and sat down beside me again. "I apologize for losing my temper. I do have one, unfortunately, though it's normally under better regulation than that."

Dad nodded, his expression uncharacteristically grim. "I understand. But know this: Lizzy will test the length, width, and breadth of that temper of yours, so you'd better be prepared to control it better with her, than you have today with me, or we'll be having a far less pleasant conversation."

Will's shoulders and jaw tensed again, but he quickly closed his eyes and visibly attempted to relax. After a few moments, some of the tension seemed to ease from his body. "I'm afraid I've already become somewhat acquainted with her ability to test me. She was quite determined to dislike me when we met."

He rested an elbow on his knee and bowed his head to run a hand through his thick hair again as if brushing the remnants of his anger away. "Luckily for me, she's changed her mind. I'll have to remember this tactic for when Georgiana begins to date."

Dad laughed aloud then. Will, however, remained unsmiling.

I rolled my eyes. "You two almost gave me a heart attack."

Dad nodded to the set of French doors next to the fireplace that led to the backyard and garden. "Why don't the two of you go outside and get some fresh air? After that discussion, I'm sure you're both in need of some," he winked.

He rose from his chair and Will and I followed suit. Dad reached out to shake Will's hand once more. "Will, I can now honestly say that it truly is a pleasure to meet you." He nodded at me. "You're a lucky man to have Lizzy's loyalty."

Will nodded once in return. "I know."

I took Will's hand in my own. "Come on, let's get out of here."

We walked through the French doors and stepped out into the backyard.

Both of my parents had green thumbs, and their city-block-sized piece of land reflected it. Beautiful gardens covered the lot, including my favorite, the lilac garden. This particular feature consisted of a circle of closely set lilac bushes that created a private, room-like oasis, some forty feet in diameter. A heavy, arched cedar door with iron hinges stood as a whimsical entrance to the garden in a cut-out between two of the towering bushes. In a household of seven, the lilac garden had served as a private retreat for me for as long as I could remember. I opened the heavy door and we stepped inside. A fountain, surrounded by low-growing pink and white rose bushes, stood in the center of the circle of green grass. I closed the door and inhaled the fragrant scent of the blooming lilacs.

Will looked around appreciatively. "This is beautiful."

I loved how he noticed the beauty in the world...just like I did. "It's my favorite place here. Ever since I can remember, I've come here to play, think, or just to be alone."

We crossed the grassy circle, making our way to a park bench that rested in front of a wall of the tiny purple flowers, and sat down. "May I ask you something?"

Will shrugged. "Anything."

"What you said, earlier to my dad, about your temper...what did you mean by that? Honestly, Will, what I just witnessed concerns me. I appreciate that it was in my defense, but you seemed like a different person."

Will looked uncomfortable. He raised a hand to the back of his neck and stared absently at the fountain. "For the most part, I've learned to control it, to suppress things. Instead, I tend to brood a lot. But, when my temper does come out, it does so in full force. I've punched more than a few holes in walls and doors before. I'm not normally overly emotional, but the one emotion I experience the most intensely is anger, rage even. It is useful, however, when I'm acting. As I said, I've learned over the years to control it, and even if I hadn't learned to do so, please understand that I would never, could never direct it at you or anyone else I lo—" he stopped abruptly, and turned to look me in the eye. "Toward anyone I care for," he finished. "The exception to my control is when someone harms those I love or undermines my integrity."

He looked so uncomfortable with the topic that I decided to lay aside any further inquiries and put it in my Cross That Bridge When I Come to It pocket. "I'm sorry about my parents."

"Your father is only protecting you." He pressed his lips together before continuing. "I do wish I'd been a bit more prepared. His accusations came as quite a surprise to me, as I'm sure you can imagine." He stared at me with an assessing frown for several moments. "Why didn't you say anything?"

I shrugged and pulled my braid over my shoulder, nervously twisting the ends around my fingers. "You didn't ask, and I didn't think to tell you about my financial situation. It's just something I don't talk about, you know?" A sudden thought struck me, triggering a wave of anxiety. "Are you angry?"

He stared hard at me for what seemed like forever before he spoke. "I'm not angry. I'm surprised." He shifted his gaze to the fountain before he turned back to me. "If this is going to work between us, we need to agree to be completely honest with each other."

"I understand." I worried my bottom lip between my teeth. "Does this change anything?" I asked hesitantly.

He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear that had escaped my braid, his fingertips lingering against my neck. The corner of his mouth lifted in the barest hint of a smile. "No. I don't care about the money, Elizabeth."

I leaned back to look up at him. Without thinking, I ran my thumb across his high cheekbone. Then, becoming a bit braver, I followed the line of his jaw with my fingertips.

Will closed his eyes and leaned into my touch. He put his hand over my own and turned his head to kiss the inside of my wrist, and then my palm.

Every nerve ending from my fingertips to my toes seemed to sizzle with electricity.

He curved his free hand around my waist and released my hand to cradle my face. He curled his long fingers into his palm, allowing them to rest alongside my neck, just over my pulse.

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. They flew open again and my heart jumped in my chest when I felt his thumb brush lightly over my lips. When his thumb made a second pass across my mouth, my eyelids involuntarily fluttered shut.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, so close that I could feel his cool, mint-scented breath on my cheek.

I didn't dare open my eyes, afraid that if I did, the moment would disappear forever.

The sound of girlish giggles broke the spell. Jane's voice followed shortly. "Kate! Lydia! I said wait. Knock, first."

"Don't be crazy, Jane," Lydia shot back. "What could they possibly be doing that would require us to knock?"

"What indeed?" Will groaned as he reluctantly released me, just as the massive wooden door creaked open.

Kate and Lydia burst through, nearly knocking each other over in their excitement. Then, the two of them froze, as if stunned. Jane calmly entered behind them. "I'm so sorry, Lizzy. I told them not to come out here, but Mom told them about Will."

That seemed to kick Kate and Lydia into action. They simultaneously squealed with delight and raced over to us.

"Girls," I warned, moving to stand between them and Will in an attempt to block the worst of their assault, "chill."

They obligingly clamped their mouths shut and bounced on their toes.

Will stepped to my side and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Hello, Kate, Lydia," he greeted.

Both girls giggled in reply.

Lydia was the first to speak. "So," she purred, stepping around me and linking her arm with Will's, "what do you see in my boring history teacher sister anyway?"

Surprisingly, Will looked amused. "Well, I wouldn't say she's entirely boring," he raised his eyes to mine and winked. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

Jane stepped forward, salvaging the situation before it could deteriorate further. "We came out to tell you both that dinner is ready. Let's go inside before Mom decides to come looking for us."

Lydia didn't relinquish her hold on Will's arm but rather walked alongside him with Kate trailing after.

Will tightened his arm around me in a quick half-embrace. When I looked up, he smiled at me.

I could only laugh. It was either that or cry, I supposed. On the bright side, he hadn't run away yet, despite the embarrassment my parents had caused.

OOOoooOOOoooOOO

The first half of the meal went fairly well. Will was seated between Jane and me at the table, while Lydia, Mary, and Kate were seated across from us, with my parents at either end. Eventually, however, my mom again tried to convince Will that my sister was a better match for him.

"Take it from me, Will," my mom leveled a conspirational look at him. "Lizzy won't bring you anything but frustration. Jane is much more agreeable and so beautiful. You should take her out to dinner one of these evenings!"

"Mom!" Jane exclaimed. "Please."

Will, who appeared to be doing his best to remain polite, replied, "Really, Mrs. Bennet, I—"

His sentence was cut off by Kate, who winked at him from across the table. "You can spend time with me, whenever you'd like," she smiled flirtatiously.

"Kate!" I hissed. "Stop."

"Yeah, right," Lydia laughed. "Like he'd want to spend time with you. Jane's hotter."

"Take that back!" Kate shot back.

"Dream on," Lydia sassed.

I watched in horror as the situation continued to deteriorate. Everything that followed seemed to happen in slow motion, searing each painful detail irrevocably into my mind.

Kate reached out and ripped Lydia's sunglasses from the top of her head, where she wore them like a headband, and snapped them in half.

"You witch!" Lydia yelled, snatching the pieces of her broken shades from Kate's hands. "Those were Gucci!"

Lydia picked up her fork from the table and stabbed Kate's hand. Kate screamed in pain and flung her arm out to the side, knocking a bottle of my dad's favorite over-proof rum and a taper candle over, in the process.

The potent liquor spilled across the tabletop an instant before the candle hit a stack of paper napkins and then rolled onto the tablecloth, igniting a paper-and-alcohol-fueled flame. Before anyone could react, the flame jumped to the dried flower centerpiece, engulfing it almost immediately. We all sat, stunned, as the flames shot higher and crept along the table, consuming the alcohol-soaked tablecloth as it went.

I cupped my hands over my mouth in disbelief, certain things couldn't possibly get any worse. Then, a strangled sound from the end of the table drew my attention.

My mom appeared to be choking. Mary jumped up from her seat and quickly wrapped her arms around Mom's abdomen to perform the Heimlich maneuver, which, in turn, launched the piece of steak that she had been choking on out of her throat, across the blaze, and onto Will's plate, with a sickening splat.

I was vaguely aware of many things: the acrid smell of smoke, the sound of Kate's crying and Lydia's laughter, the crackling roar of the fire that was growing in size on the dining room table, the sound of hurried footsteps as everyone else ran out of the house, and Will's arms around me as he pulled me up from my chair, where I sat, stunned. He half-dragged me outside as I stumbled along beside him.

The sound of Kate's hysterical crying snapped me out of the daze I had been trapped in.

"My cat! My cat is still inside!" she shrieked.

I shook my head to clear it and sprang into action, wishing to be anywhere else than with my family at that moment, even if the only alternative was inside a burning building. I quickly ran back inside and discovered the cat, wheezing and hacking just inside the front door. Will appeared at my side and bent to scoop up the still-hacking feline and tucked it under his arm before he grabbed hold of my shoulder and walked quickly back to the lawn, where the cat proceeded to hack up a hairball on his shoe.

Kate rushed over to take the cat from his arms. "Oh! Thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging the enormous gray Persian to her chest.

"No problem," Will replied with a grimace as he wiped the top of his shoe off in the grass.

The wail of fire truck sirens drew closer and soon firemen raced into the house. I walked over to an oak tree near the edge of the front lawn and leaned my shoulder against the trunk for support as I felt my heart break. There was no way Will would want anything to do with me now. Everything around me was a blur, thanks to the tears that clouded my vision. I felt Will come to stand beside me, but I couldn't look at him.

I don't know how much time elapsed while my world fell apart, but I vaguely remember Jane telling me that the fire damage had been limited to the dining table, a small part of the ceiling, and the rug.

I rode in silence, concentrating on Jane's voice as she and Will talked during the ride home. Jane occasionally threw worried glances my way. I couldn't bear to look at Will in the back seat, so I kept my eyes firmly fixed on my lap.

After an excruciatingly silent hour, the car stopped in front of Will's hotel.

"Elizabeth," Will said softly, "will you come inside with me? I'd like to speak with you."

I swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in my throat. "I'd rather not." I couldn't bear to hear him tell me that he never wanted to see me again. A quick, silent break like this would be easier.

I felt his hand, warm and strong, come to rest on my shoulder, and I automatically turned my head toward the back seat to look at him.

His beautiful eyes pulled at my heartstrings. "Please," he said simply.

My gaze locked with his, his intense and pleading, my own wary and guarded. I nodded robotically and opened my car door, taking a deep breath of fresh air as I did so.

"We won't be long, Jane," I heard Will say.

"That's fine," Jane replied. "I'll wait here, in the car."

I walked by Will's side through the hotel door and down a hallway that smelled like chlorine, not daring to look up. I stepped with him onto the elevator, knowing that I'd have to say goodbye to him for good when we reached our destination.

The elevator dinged and we stepped off into a hallway lined with windows, overlooking the city. I numbly followed him until we stopped in front of a set of double doors which I assumed led to his room. The silence seemed to press in from all sides as he slid his card key into the lock and held one of the doors open for me.

I stared blankly at the open doorway for a moment. Instead of entering the room, I raised my head, focusing on one of his shirt buttons at my eye level, just below his chest, not daring to meet his eyes. "You don't have to say anything, Will. I understand. It's been fun, but all good things must come to an end, right?"

I took a deep breath, forced a tight smile, squared my shoulders, and drew from all the inner strength I possessed to look him in the eye and say, "Goodbye, Will," before I turned on my heel and began to walk back down the hallway, toward the elevator.

I hadn't taken more than five steps before an iron grip on my upper arm stalled my progress. I looked down at my arm in surprise and turned to face Will, who wore an exasperated expression.

"Elizabeth, what the bloody hell, woman? Do you always jump to the worst possible conclusion?"

I faltered, taken aback by the vehement tone of his voice. "But…my family. Today…it was a disaster, Will."

He shrugged. "So? Most family gatherings are."

I scoffed. "Right. Look, I want to save you the trouble and myself the pain of a drawn-out explanation about why you don't want to see me again. I'm just trying to make it easier on both of us, okay?"

"Elizabeth, nothing that happened today changes the way I feel about you. I'm not going anywhere."

I jerked away from his grasp and crossed my arms over my chest, raising a doubtful eyebrow. "My dad insulted you, my mom humiliated you, my sisters all but mauled you, dinner started on fire, and Kate's cat puked on your shoe!" Tears burned my eyes and spilled over, onto my cheeks.

Will pursed his lips and casually shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. "You've got to admit, it was a bit amusing."

I stared at him in disbelief.

His shoulders began to shake with silent laughter, and he raised a hand to cover his eyes. "The last time I've had that much excitement at a family dinner was when my uncle and father got into such a heated argument that it ended in a sword fight in the dining room."

"A what?" I asked. Then, raising a hand, I shook my head. "You know what, never mind. I don't think I want to know. But that's different. That's your family. It doesn't change the fact that mine is crazy."

Will leveled a heated look at me. "You impossible woman."

Before I could react, his arms wrapped around my waist and he lifted me up and over one shoulder and strode through his hotel room door.

"What the—?" I exclaimed, reflexively swatting him on the back with my hand.

Will closed the door with his foot and lowered me in his arms so that we were eye to eye, my face inches from his. His arms were still wrapped tightly around my middle, holding me up, off the ground, my body pressed firmly against his own. "Impossible," he enunciated each syllable of the word.

I glared back at him, determined to ignore the overwhelming feeling that being held in his arms, pressed firmly against his warm, hard body, ignited within me. "I think you've got that backward. I've done absolutely everything possible to scare you off, and yet you're still here. And just for the record, I liked the second British invasion better."

He gave me a puzzled look. "Pardon?"

I shrugged. "Well, you know, there was the first one during the War of 1812, the second with the Beatles in the sixties, and now, you."

"Aren't you forgetting the Revolutionary War, Mademoiselle Professeur d'histoire?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

I squinted one eye shut. "Technically, the Revolutionary War wasn't an invasion because the Colonies were still under British rule at the time, Monsieur Darcy."

His eyes narrowed.

I craned my head to the side to look down at the floor. "You gonna put me down? I have plenty of other insults up my sleeve if you don't."

Will looked at me thoughtfully. "I think I rather enjoy your insults, and if holding you here like this ensures you'll continue to insult me, madam, then I'll do just that if you don't mind."

I smiled at him, unable to resist his teasing. "Well, in that case," I whispered, resting my forehead against his and wrapping my arms around his neck. The intimacy of the way he held me – every inch of my body, pressed against his - seemed to send thousands of sparks through my veins, to my heart. We stayed like that for several moments, neither of us willing to move or look away. Jane's ringtone sounded from my phone, breaking the spell. "Um, it's Jane. I need to answer that, and my phone is in my skirt pocket."

Will continued to hold me close as he lowered me to the ground, my body slowly skimming against his before my feet finally touched the floor.

When he released me, I pulled my phone from my pocket with a shaky hand and dropped my eyes to the floor. "Hello?"

"Lizzy?" Jane's voice asked over the phone speaker. "Is everything alright?"

I cast a look up at Will from beneath my lashes. "Everything's fine. I'm just on my way down." I hung up and slipped the phone back into my pocket.

"I have to go." I bit my lip as I fumbled behind my back for the door handle. "Thanks, Will, for being so understanding. And for making me smile after the worst family dinner fiasco ever."

"Well, I happen to love your smile, so bringing it about is usually my goal," he teased as he drew a line down my cheek with the tip of his index finger. "May I see you tomorrow night?"

I tilted my head to the side and gave him a crooked smile. "Of course."

He took a step forward and rested his hands on my hips. "I'll be there after my meetings wrap up for the day."

"Okay," I whispered, automatically taking a step backward to put some space between us. "See you then."

He reached behind me and opened the door.

I left, fighting a smile the whole way back to Jane's car.