As the Easter break approached, Charlotte invited Lizzy to come with her to Long Island for a week. It was an easy train ride from Princeton to New York City, and then out to Long Island. Elizabeth agreed, although she knew she�d feel like a third wheel most of the time, since Bill would be there as well.

Jane was still trying to be brave by throwing herself into her studies at Longbourn, but Lizzy could see through her determination to get straight A�s this semester. At least something good has come of losing Charles, Dad will be glad to see her grades are up.

Saturday morning, Lizzy kissed her parents and a somber Jane goodbye before boarding the train from Princeton Junction. She would travel from here to New York�s Penn Station where she and Charlotte would connect to the Long Island Railroad. Lizzy had never been to the North Shore of Long Island where Charlotte lived. From Charlotte�s description, it sounded beautiful, with lots of grand mansions and estates, though its denizens, the affluent society types who flaunted their wealth, did not impress Lizzy. Caroline Bingley and her crowd, she thought disgustedly. All the same, she was admittedly curious to see some of the great estates that Charlotte talked about.

The ride to New York was uneventful, but once they arrived at Penn Station it turned chaotic. The great New York landmark, Pennsylvania Station, was undergoing demolition that made it difficult for the two girls to find the correct train to Locust Valley, the closest stop to Hunsford. After a mad dash to find their gate and catch their train, they were finally able to relax and sit back in their seats. Lizzy watched from her window as the train passed by Shea Stadium and the World�s Fair campgrounds in Flushing Meadows. After an hour on the train, they arrived at their stop where Charlotte�s father met them, giving his daughter a big hug and offering Lizzy a warm welcome. He helped them with their bags, putting them in the trunk of the car, while Lizzy absently looked around her. Noticing a charming bandstand on a hill nearby, she appreciated her surroundings; this part of Long Island was picturesque and beautiful and Lizzy knew right away that she would enjoy her visit here very much.

Charlotte�s father took great pride in showing Lizzy the sights of Hunsford and its neighboring towns on the drive home. Many homes were hidden from the winding roads they traveled, but once in a while Lizzy would glimpse a grand looking estate set far back from the road. Charlotte reminded her that many of the great estates they passed could only be seen from the water. Lizzy�s eyes widened as they drove down a beautiful lane of sycamore trees that ended in front of a particularly grand edifice � a huge Tudor, immaculately kept, with mature plantings and sprawling grounds.

�Who lives there?� she asked.

�That�s Rosings Park, the DeBourgh estate. Catherine DeBourgh and her daughter, Anne, live there,� answered Mr. Lucas.

�Only two people?� she said, amazed that only two people lived in such a huge house.

�Oh, yes, it�s been in the family for a long time, Miss Anne DeBourgh is quite the heiress.� Mr. Lucas replied.

�Bill�s father, Reverend Collins, is her pastor. That�s his church right there.� Mr. Lucas pointed to a beautiful stone Episcopal Church across from them. �She shows a great interest in church affairs and is Reverend Collins�s biggest benefactor.� Charlotte piped in. �The DeBourgh family donated those enormous stained glass windows.� The windows were indeed very grand looking; Lizzy could easily appreciate the value of such a gift.

�I didn�t realize Bill�s father was a minister. For some reason I always thought his father was�uh�� she stammered to a stop, unsure exactly how to put it. Bill always looked so puffed up and full of himself that Lizzy had been sure that he came from a loftier background.

Charlotte seemed to understand, �I know what you mean. Mrs. DeBourgh made it possible for him to go to Princeton. She�s on the board there or something like that and was also very helpful in pulling a few strings and getting him into Ivy. His family owes a lot to Mrs. DeBourgh�s kindness and generosity.�

�I�m sure they must.� Lizzy thought it was no wonder Bill acted like he was some big shot.

Eventually, Mr. Lucas�s little tour came to an end and they drove up to the Lucas�s home, a white clapboard colonial, attractively set far back from the road, with a huge front lawn. Once Charlotte showed Lizzy her room and they got settled, Charlotte called Bill to see if he was home and to make plans for the evening. Lizzy could tell Charlotte was anxious to see him again and Bill let them know that there was a dance for the younger crowd at the nearby country club that same evening. He assured the girls that it was bound to be a lot of fun. Lizzy was grateful she brought a party dress with her, and the girls promptly set about getting ready. Lizzy dressed in one of her favorites, a short sleeveless, peg dress in a light blue shimmering silk. Belted, it came down to her knees with a slimming effect as it hugged her curves, narrowing at the hemline.

Charlotte exclaimed when she saw her friend, �That dress looks great on you! You�ll knock the boys dead!� Lizzy thanked her and tried to figure out what to do with her hair. The sea air was causing it to be especially unruly and no amount of brushing would straighten out the long curls. Charlotte recommended she wear it up off her neck and helped her pin it up. With a matching ribbon woven through it, she looked spectacular. They were ready.

�I can�t wait to see Bill again; it�s been three whole days since we�ve seen each other.� Charlotte was clearly eager to see her boyfriend.

Lizzy kept her mouth shut. She had promised herself she would not utter a single word ever to Charlotte about her true feelings in regard to Bill Collins � no matter how much of a boob she thought he really was.

�Can you believe we�re seeing him tonight � our first night here?� she continued enthusiastically, unaware of Lizzy�s thoughts. She nodded and smiled, in spite of her reservations of being with Bill for the evening. If it made Charlotte happy, then so be it.

Bill picked them up and drove them to the country club. As the threesome entered the ballroom, the grandiose surroundings caused Lizzy some nervousness. She did not relish the fact that the only one she knew there was Bill Collins, besides Charlotte, of course. The music was popular for the most part, and the floor already crowded with dancers. As Lizzy watched Charlotte and Bill walk to the dance floor she couldn�t help but remember how embarrassing it was to dance with him at the Holly Hop. Thank goodness I don�t have to worry about that tonight. She was more than happy to let Charlotte dance with Bill every dance for the entire evening. Lizzy casually observed the people dancing and noticed a few young men glancing appreciatively her way. Their scrutiny made her self-conscious and she made her way over to a group of girls and stood nearby, hoping she might blend in with them.

At the insistence of his Aunt Catherine, Will agreed to attend that evening�s dance at the club, but inwardly he rebelled at the idea. As a guest at his aunt�s home for the Easter holiday break, Will felt obligated to indulge her wishes, but had no intention of actually dancing. Fortunately, he was not alone on this foray. His cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam, on leave from the Marines, was with him. It was just the two of them. Anne, Catherine�s daughter, did not feel up to going to the dance and stayed at home with her mother. As the two good-looking men entered the ballroom, many eyes came to rest upon them as they were alone and seemingly free of any female companionship. Will scanned the crowd with a detached look, careful to avoid meeting anyone�s eye. Making note of the balcony upstairs that overlooked the ballroom, he decided to head upstairs and observe the crowd from above. There he could remain alone and away from the coquettish debutantes who, no doubt, would be in attendance. Richard, ever the charmer, made a beeline for a group of girls, eager to strike up an acquaintance with a pretty one or two.

With a sigh of relief Will found refuge on the balcony. Drink in hand, he looked down upon the dancers wistfully. His thoughts turned to one particular girl he would do anything to dance with again. He shook his head, trying to clear the painful thoughts away. His eyes lit upon a couple dancing the Watusi on the dance floor that looked familiar. He did a double take at the fellow�s dancing. Is that Collins? He smirked, remembering how outrageous he was the last time he had seen him dancing. With Elizabeth. He scowled remembering the rest of that evening at Longbourn and the argument he had with her that night, the last time he had seen her. With Charles in London Will had no contact with Elizabeth�s sister; and no excuse to see Elizabeth. She had made it clear she did not want him to contact her, so he had stayed away though it had been torture for him, knowing she was so close, yet unable to see her. His mind wandered as he thought of her. He watched Collins dancing, and then recognized his partner. Isn�t that Elizabeth�s friend? His heart beat faster. This was too coincidental. Could Elizabeth be here too?

Out of the corner of her eye Lizzy noticed the nice looking young man coming in her direction, but she was surprised when he approached her of all people. After all, she was still next to the group of girls as she felt less conspicuous that way. She had been on her own ever since Charlotte and Bill had left her to dance. As he came up to her, she admired his easy good looks and graceful stride. Tall, with a muscular build and a sandy brown crew cut, he had a decided look of confidence about him. His smile was his most noticeable feature, lighting up his tanned face as Lizzy waited for him to approach.

�Hello, gorgeous, what�s your name? I�m Richard.� His teeth were dazzling against his tan.

It was hard not to roll her eyes at him, but his charm and manner were too difficult to ignore, and the sparkle in his blue eyes made her laugh. He was irresistible.

�Hello there, yourself. My name is Lizzy.� She smiled back at him archly, �Do you always come up to girls and introduce yourself and call them gorgeous?�

�Only the gorgeous ones. So, what�s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?�

Now Lizzy really did roll her eyes and responded laughingly, �Oh, please! You can�t be serious with that line. Does it really get you results?�

He feigned injury; �I�m hurt and insulted!� he smiled boyishly at her, �You mean I can�t get you to come away with me after that one?� Lizzy giggled, in spite of his attempts at obvious pick up lines, she found him charming and amusing; she liked him at once.

�No, really, I�m serious. Are you from around here?� he asked.

�No, I�m here with a friend, she lives nearby.�

He noticed her foot tapping to the music and asked her to dance. �This music is nice, would you care to dance?�

�Yes, I�d love to.� She took his arm and he led her to the floor. He continued to flirt outrageously with her and she let him. He told her that he was a Marine, expecting to graduate from Officers� Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. He anticipated going to Vietnam in the near future. Lizzy was horrified to hear this, especially since he seemed so eager to go.

�Are you sure? Isn�t that awfully dangerous?� The look on her face was stricken.

�Yes, but I�m well trained. I know what to expect.� He added, �I�m a Marine.� he said confidently, waggling his eyebrows at her.

She looked at him doubtfully. The little she had seen of Vietnam in the news looked pretty grim. She didn�t like the idea at all. She may have just met him, but she hated to think of the danger he would be involved in over there.

Will�s eyes darted around the ballroom looking for Elizabeth. From his perch in the balcony it was easy for him to view the entire floor below him. He scanned the crowd, looking for a girl with long dark hair. His heart thumped loudly in his chest. He could barely breathe at the thought that she might be there and he was unaware of it. As he perused the many dancers and heads from above, he saw his cousin, laughing, obviously enjoying himself on the dance floor with a shapely brunette. Will nearly glossed over them, but his heart stopped and he peered down at them more closely. Is that her? Is that my Elizabeth? He held his breath, waiting for them to turn so he could see her face. She had glossy dark hair, tied up with a ribbon � a ribbon! The couple turned and there she was! It�s her! He was in no doubt. Richard is dancing with her! Hot, furious, jealousy overcame Will as he watched the two of them appear to have a great time together. Elizabeth was laughing, throwing her head back, her arms wrapped around Richard�s shoulders. How dare she, he thought indignantly. She never danced that way with me! He couldn�t bear to watch them together any longer. He was only too well aware what kind of a charmer his cousin could be. He had to stop this; Elizabeth could already be falling in love with him! he thought crazily. Stumbling down the stairway, he nearly collided with another couple as he rushed to reach Elizabeth and Richard.

As he made his way closer he shortened his stride and tried to relax. He didn�t want to appear too flustered and give himself away to Richard. Always in competition with one another, all Richard needed was an inkling of Will�s feelings for Elizabeth and he would run with it. He hadn�t even thought about what he would say to her when she saw him. Making his way through the crowd, he saw them together. They had just finished their dance and were walking off the dance floor.

All the old feelings came rushing back to Will as he neared; the very vision of her assaulted him. She had never looked lovelier in his eyes. Why deny it? He was still hopelessly in love. He took a deep breath and from behind tapped her on the shoulder.

�Hello Elizabeth. It�s good to see you again.�

She�d recognize that deep voice anywhere. Will! What�s he doing here? Lizzy turned around. Alarmed at suddenly seeing him, her heart started pounding furiously. She looked up at him, concealing her unease, �Hello, Will.�

�I hope your family is well and school is going all right for you?� he asked politely.

�Yes, thank you, my family is well,� she answered coolly, regaining her composure, �Although my older sister, Jane, has been out of sorts,� she added meaningfully. Will tried not to read too much into what Elizabeth said, but he couldn�t help feeling a twinge of guilt over his part in separating Charles from Jane. Why is she looking that way at me, as if she knows something?

�I�m sorry to hear that.� He cleared his throat, �I saw your friend� um� dancing with Collins�over there.� That�s right, impress with your eloquence, you fool. Frustrated by his lack of conversational skill, all he managed to do was stare at her.

�Yes, I�m here with Charlotte, my roommate. She lives up here.� Lizzy paused before adding in a low voice, �Bill is her�um�boyfriend.� She couldn�t help feeling embarrassed at the memory of being his date at the Holly Hop � and the fact that Will was there to witness it. She felt her cheeks burning under his gaze.

Richard watched the two of them curiously, with some amusement. Raising an eyebrow he wondered, What�s this? She�s blushing? Richard thought it was time to investigate.

�How do you two know each other?� Richard asked with an innocent look, a look which wasn�t lost on Will.

�Will and I have met before, down in Princeton.� She said, eyeing Will with amusement, �As I recall, on the night we were introduced, he made a derogatory comment about a particular young lady.�

Will looked uncomfortable, even though he knew Elizabeth was teasing.

�Ha!� laughed Richard, �I�d love to know how my cousin behaves when he�s at parties!� Richard egged Lizzy on, knowing how it would affect Will.

�It wasn�t how it seemed.� Will said quietly, his dark eyes never wavering from Elizabeth.

Cousins! They're cousins? �He left quite an impression,� Lizzy said, on her guard.

�I�m not surprised by that.� Richard knew Will only too well. �He can be quite the stick in the mud, I daresay. I bet you couldn�t get him near the dance floor either.� Richard grinned, noticing the changed expressions on both their faces. Aha! Struck a nerve, didn't I? Richard went in for the kill, �Isn�t it about time you got out on the dance floor, Will?� he slapped him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, �How about breaking your rule for Lizzy?�

�Maybe he�s afraid to,� Lizzy said, her eyes dancing.

�I am not afraid of you,� he said smilingly.

Click here to hear song

Oh yeah, oh yeah,
oh yeah, oh yeah,

Wasting no time, he ignored the raised eyebrow and pert expression of her lips and took her hand in his. He wrapped his arm about her waist, aware of the silky softness of her dress as he pulled her body close. Easily guiding her in a mini-waltz step with a rock �n roll beat, he rejoiced in the sensation of holding her in his arms. This was the first time they had danced together so intimately. Not willing to appear rude in front of Will�s cousin, Lizzy hesitatingly placed her hand upon his shoulder and let him take the lead.

Imagine I'm in love with you
it's easy 'cause I know
I've imagined I'm in love with you
many, many, many times before

It's not like me to pretend
But I'll get you
I'll get you in the end
Yes, I will, I'll get you in the end
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Will smiled at the words of the song. How � propos. He looked down into Elizabeth�s eyes, nodding in rhythm to the song. Could she guess what he was thinking?

I think about you night and day
I need you and it's true
When I think about you I can say
I'm never, never, never, never blue

So I'm telling you, my friend
That I'll get you
I'll get you in the end
Yes, I will, I'll get you in the end
Oh yeah

I don�t like that look in his eye. Elizabeth knew he was enjoying every bit of this little charade. A quick glance at his face had her nearly cringing at the roguish smile upon his lips. He looked devastating. The words of the song didn�t escape her, she knew all too well what he was thinking � and she didn�t like it!

Well, there's gonna be a time
When I'm gonna change your mind
So you might as well resign yourself to me
Oh yeah,

Lizzy felt caught in a trap. Her insides were in turmoil � her stomach turned somersaults as he pulled her closer. The old feelings she had for him were wreaking havoc on her senses again; she tried not to dwell on the fact his hand was holding her waist so provocatively, but it was impossible not to. Not only that, did he always have to smell so good too? Swallowing, she didn�t dare look into his face again. Every time she saw those dimples of his, her legs turned to jelly. It was hard enough for her to appear cool and collected while she was in his arms, but the heat of his body next to hers was overwhelming. She closed her eyes, resisting the urge to hold him tighter and lose herself in his deep brown eyes.

Imagine I'm in love with you
it's easy 'cause I know
I've imagined I'm in love with you
many, many, many times before

Will could see the effect he was having on her, a whole range of emotions crossed her face, and he felt more confident. He smiled, licking his lips, thinking about kissing her. Should he? Her lips were so tempting!

It's not like me to pretend
But I'll get you
I'll get you in the end
Yes, I will, I'll get you in the end
Oh yeah, oh yeah
oh yeah oh yeah
oh yeah

Will didn�t let her go after the song ended, they remained standing on the dance floor, both a little dazed by their thoughts. Lizzy was only too well aware that it was dangerous to be too close to him. What is it about him? She found him nearly impossible to resist when he was this charming and magnetic.

She excused herself, using the powder room as an excuse. Sidestepping the door to the powder room she found a set of French doors that led to a patio overlooking the golf course. There were other people � mostly couples enjoying the moonlight, and Lizzy took advantage of the darkness to collect herself and take a few gulps of much needed air. Her thoughts were confused, she was undeniably attracted to Will Darcy, but she couldn�t trust him � I hate him! Then she remembered how it felt to be in his arms, the tingle she got when they touched, the way his eyes would draw her in, as if he could read her mind�

�Penny for your thoughts.�

Lizzy whirled around, the deep voice behind her startling her out of her reverie. �You!� she cried in relief as she recognized Richard in the dim light. �You nearly scared me to death!� she said, clutching her stomach, �Didn�t your mother ever tell you to never sneak up on someone?�

�I must not have been listening if she did. Sorry if I scared you,� he apologized smoothly, with that same boyish smile. �It wasn�t my intention, believe me.�

�All right, I believe you.� Lizzy smiled, relieved it wasn�t Will who had snuck up on her.

Although glad to see her smile again, Richard was still curious about this vivacious girl and his cousin. He could see that this would need further delving into.

�My aunt likes to have tea parties every Sunday, how would you and your girlfriend like to join us tomorrow afternoon?� he asked.

�Your aunt?� Lizzy echoed, hesitating, wondering if Darcy would be there too. �That would be very nice. I�ll have to ask Charlotte, of course, she has a boyfriend whom she may have plans with already.� �Bring him too! The more the merrier, my aunt always has loads of food.�

�Thank you, I�ll pass on the invitation � you�re sure it�s all right?� she asked, a bit skeptical.

�You don�t know my aunt. Believe me, she loves holding court. She welcomes everyone � as long as they agree with everything she says.�

Lizzy raised her eyebrows, �Well, in that case, I better be on my best behavior.� she said impishly.

�I hope not,� he said waggling his eyebrows at her, grinning. She rolled her eyes at him for the third time that evening and gave him a smirk.

�You�re incorrigible!� she said, smiling. She really did enjoy his company.

�Thank you. I take that as a compliment.� he responded. He took her arm in his and began to lead her back inside, �Shall we go back in? I think it�s getting too chilly for you out here.� Lizzy nodded in agreement and the two returned to the ballroom.

Will saw Elizabeth and Richard return through the French doors and ground his teeth in consternation. Damn Richard! He strode over to them, intent on breaking them apart. But as he came nearer he realized it wouldn�t do him any good to appear in a jealous fury in front of Elizabeth. After their last dance he felt he had made some inroads with her and didn�t want to lose those precious points in his favor.

He slowed his gait and appeared to stroll up to them.

�Ah, Will,� Richard said with a mischievous glint in his eye, �I�ve invited Lizzy and her friends to Rosings for tea tomorrow!�

Rosings! Lizzy�s eyes shot open at the realization of who Richard and Will�s aunt actually was � Mrs. DeBourgh!

Will smiled with inward satisfaction, delighted with the news. His cousin was turning out to be a godsend. He continued to watch Elizabeth�s face as the words of the song they had just danced to, repeated in his head. He was hopeful.

It's not like me to pretend
But I'll get you
I'll get you in the end
Yes, I will, I'll get you in the end
Oh yeah, oh yeah
oh yeah oh yeah
oh yeah*

*The Beatles, �I�ll Get You� - performed by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. � 1963 Northern Songs. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.

Next

Return to Index

� 2004 Copyright held by the author.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws