Fragments

by Teg

Her laughter drifted through the trees.....

  “So lively... vibrant.” His eyes remained closed. It hurt too much to open them.

  “I'd never known anyone with so much enthusiasm for life.”

  He saw her from a distance, shocked at first that a grown woman would be climbing a tree, but then to see her hanging upside down from a branch! A smile came naturally to his lips. Here was a young woman unafraid to do the very things that had been forbidden him as a boy.

  How long he stood in the concealment of the trees he could not say, but when she at last left her playground he felt a pang of remorse at her absence. The lightness in his heart had gone with her.....

  “I'd seen her in the park almost daily after that. I'd take my usual walk, choosing the most secluded pathways with the least chance of meeting anyone else, always knowing exactly where I could find her.” Will paused, pain

  reflected in his eyes. “I didn't know she was Jane's sister then. When Charles pressured me to make a fourth on a date with his girlfriend and her sister I was appalled that he would ask me to do something like that.”

  “She's not my type.”

  “What's your type, Will? She's a girl. Isn't that enough? I haven't seen you out on a date since... well, since you took over your dad's company.”

  Will resented the interference in his love life, even if it was non-existent. “So you'd pair me up with the ugly duckling just so you can devote yourself to Jane alone.”

  “Geez, Will! Don't be so heartless!” Charles' eyes darted guiltily over his shoulder.

  Will instinctively followed suit, then instantly froze. There she was... how could it be her? She was his fantasy, his obsession; the woman he wanted but was afraid to reach out, to touch.

  Her smile was thin as she approached the pair. With eyes that sliced through him she said, “You know how the story turns out, don't you?”

  “Story?” he mumbled through a tongue that refused to move.

  “The ugly duckling turns out to be a swan.” Her words slapped him before she turned smartly on her heel and strode away.

  “Oh, Will,” sighed Georgiana. “How could you?”

  “She was the beautiful swan and in my arrogance I lost my chance.” He

  couldn't speak anymore. The memory of his stupidity and her reaction was too strong. He had never forgiven himself.

  “Did you apologise?”

  Will pulled his mind back to the present. “Apologise? I don't know. It was a long time before I met her again. Not until Charles' wedding.”

  “Why so long? If she was Jane's sister I thought you would see her frequently.”

  Will grimaced. “No, we were never invited to the same get togethers. If I spent Friday night with Charles and Jane you can be sure Elizabeth chose Saturday to visit them.”

  Nodding her head, Georgiana concluded, “Until their wedding. It couldn't be avoided then.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Sorry, Will. Lizzy is Jane's maid of honour. I know you two don't like each other but do you think you can manage to be civil for at least one week together before the wedding?” Charles looked hopefully at his friend. “I don't care what happens after that but for Jane's sake I can't stand the thought of any friction between you two giving her reason to panic.”

  “I'm not a child. Of course I can behave like a gentleman.” His blood raced at the thought of two weeks in her presence. Each day would be an opportunity that he was loath to waste.

  “I had a week to pretend she didn't affect me, that I wasn't already lost to her.

  Georgie, I'd never felt so out of control in my life. Every time she walked into a room I could think of nothing else but her. I was sure my feelings were etched upon my face.” Will abruptly left his seat to walk about the room, moving

  quickly as if his words might give chase.

  Georgiana sat motionless in her chair, unable to offer him relief despite it being the one thing he most needed. “What happened during that week, Will?”

  He looked down, his eyes searching desperately for the means to reveal what he'd tried so hard to suppress but which had come back to haunt him night after night. “Everything.” He sighed. “Nothing.”

  His sister went to him, turning his body toward her and peering up into his face. “Let it out, Will. You're torturing yourself. I'm not going to judge you.”

  A weak smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Don't be too sure.” Will walked away from her but only to further compose his next words. “Have you ever been so taken with someone or something that it is more than an

  obsession? Elizabeth was that to me. Day and night she was in my thoughts, my dreams, yet I couldn't even speak to her. Where would it get me? She didn't know me, not really. I didn't know myself, either. Everything that had ruled my life prior to her entrance was pushed aside. I brought work with me, of course.

  It could not be escaped.”

  He closed the laptop and left the table. Just as he reached the edge of the terrace he looked back and saw her. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she hurriedly looked away but that was all the time it took for his senses to flee.

  Hope flared in him. Had she forgiven him for his ill-chosen words so long ago?

  There hadn't been animosity in her expression. It had almost appeared to be...

  approval?

  Quickly, his gaze searched the terrace for her but to no avail. She had disappeared but the gift of that moment was irreplaceable. With a lighter step, he went back to his room, the rest of the day stretching before him with more promise.

  “The week wasn't as bad as you thought, then?” Georgiana pushed his hair

  back, trying to see into his eyes. “Did Lizzy encourage you?”

  “No.” The word was clipped. “I encouraged myself. I imagined it all; the

  inviting looks, soft expressions, all of it. It was far too easy to believe she was interested and since all I wanted was Lizzy, I saw everything the way I wanted to see it. I deluded myself into believing she wanted me, too.”

  The silhouetted form was unmistakeably hers. The warm breeze sent her skirt trembling teasingly about her shapely legs. He couldn't tear his eyes away; he was inexorably drawn closer. With her back toward him she did not see his approach but he could tell she sensed his presence. He watched his own hand as if it belonged to another, reaching up to push her hair aside and expose her neck. The scent of honeysuckle swirled in the air around them. His senses responded drunkenly; the temptation of her proving too much to resist.

  Lips lightly touched the back of her neck, the taste of her skin a heady elixir.

  When she spoke her voice was deep and sultry, inviting an intimacy scarcely imaginable. “I thought you'd never get here, George......”

  The day had ended badly. Georgiana was undecided whether seeing her brother reduced to tears was a positive sign or not. She had learned so much in the hours spent listening to him open his heart, revealing his pain and when he reached the point where he could not go on she sent him to bed. Exhausted, Will fell asleep in minutes and his sister was left to piece together the rest of the puzzle while wondering if she had done the right thing.

  Georgiana had never met Elizabeth Bennet. She knew Jane, however, and

  concluded that the opinions of two people she respected could not be wrong.

  Lizzy must be a woman worthy of her brother.

  Will had committed a gross error when he'd dubbed her the ugly duckling.

  Georgiana could fully understand the other woman's reaction; offended and

  angry, she was not interested in anything that Will could possibly say to redeem himself.

  As for her brother, Georgiana was all too familiar with the awkwardness he felt when dropped into a social situation with people he'd never met. He had

  expressed his reluctance in a most unflattering way; to be paired with a

  complete stranger, a woman no less! There was no denying that he was out of

  his element if he ever ho
ped to gain this woman's good opinion. He simply lacked the necessary skills to engage her attention long enough, to charm, cajole or flirt; these were alien to Will Darcy. He was a man who believed in being direct, an approach which generally led to him falling flat on his face when it came to matters of the heart.

  Georgiana could recall only one girl he had ever referred to in a romantic manner and the result of bringing her to the Darcy home to meet the family had been a disaster. Their parents had been everything that was proper; polite and generous as hosts but they made it clear that this young woman had set her sights well above her due. Will was humiliated and never again spoke of any woman who interested him, let alone brought one home to be subjected to such intense scrutiny.

  At the age of thirty three, wealthy and single, her brother was one of the most coveted prizes in the country, yet he deftly avoided all attempts to match him up with the hopefuls. Elizabeth Bennet had managed to capture his attention and his heart without any effort or intent. It was an amazing accomplishment!

  The challenge before her was clear. How to approach it was not. What could be done for a man who was hopelessly in love with a woman who firstly, disliked him and secondly, was in a coma with little chance of recovery? His pain was beyond comprehension. Georgiana prayed it would not completely break him.

  Chapter Four

  Waves rolled in, one after another. There was nothing gentle

  about the surf in this tropical paradise. It seethed and

  foamed on top while, below, the powerful eddies and

  undercurrents stirred up things long buried and forgotten.

  He watched from the balcony of his hotel room, feeling oddly in tune with the frenetic rhythm below. In another ten minutes she would appear to take her morning swim, although on this morning the pool would likely be chosen over the ocean's torrid activity.

  From his vantage point the long expanse of white beach was visible, but also the hotel's courtyard and the pools at the furthest end of the complex. A flash of movement signalled her arrival and he watched, breathlessly, as she dived into the pool, her body sliding through the water with ease until she emerged, glistening, at the other end.

  It would have been more satisfying had he been her only observer but she was not alone. Most mornings he was able to ignore the other man's presence on the periphery of his vision but not this time. It was their final day in paradise; the plane would take him home later in the afternoon and she would be gone from his world.

  Briefly lost in thought, he had stayed too long on the balcony. Her swim was complete and her companion had joined her. A lovers' kiss was shared in the warm breeze, scented of hibiscus under the warming sun and the watchful eye of a man whose heart could not let her go.....

  Will pulled the blanket up over his head in an attempt to shut out the voice but not only was it persistent, there was an arm attached to its source and that arm proceeded to pry the covering away from his face.

  “Will, wake up. I've brought you some coffee.”

  He groaned and rolled over. “Coffee?”

  Georgiana handed him the mug once he had pulled himself upright. “It's past noon. I was afraid to let you sleep any longer.”

  He finished her thought. “I might never wake up.” Smiling grimly, Will

  interrupted her before she could begin. “You can say it, Georgie. The pain can't get any worse.”

  “I'm sorry for pushing you so hard yesterday. You seemed ready to explode and I just wanted to help you, to ease the pressure. I had no idea what I'd be tapping once it began to flow.” She brushed back the hair from his forehead. “How are you feeling now?”

  “Numb.”

  “You know there is still a long way to go yet, don't you?” she gently reminded him. “Would you like me to find you some recommendations for a doctor?”

  “No.” He offered her a weak smile. “We've always been here for each other. I'd like to keep it that way.” The smile faded. “Unless that's a problem for you.”

  “Will, I'm here for you, whatever you need, but I'm not a psychologist. There may come a time when you'll have to take that extra step.” She nearly laughed to see his mouth set in a stubborn line. “As for today, finish your coffee and then take a shower. I'll make you some lunch and we'll see how the rest of the day goes.”

  Feeling more rested, having eaten and exhausted the various mundane topics of conversation, Will was ready to answer more of Georgiana's questions. She

  wished to know why he believed Lizzy's dislike had grown in intensity while his own feelings had been the reverse.

  “Whatever her opinion may have been at the time, my fate was sealed that

  night on the terrace when I decided to throw caution to the wind and reveal how much I cared for her. Only, like a clumsy teenager, I forgot that words might be appreciated.” Will's embarrassment was acute but he forced himself to continue. “I don't know what I was thinking; perhaps wanting to show her how tender, how gentle I could be. I walked up behind her and kissed her, kissed the back of her neck as if I had every right to this intimacy. The surprise was on

  me, however. She had been waiting for someone else and, mistaking me for him, she turned around and kissed me. Not just any kiss, mind you!” Will's expression as he recalled the scene made any further description unnecessary.

  “I confess that I took full advantage of the situation. It wasn't long before she realised her mistake and fortunately there was no one to witness my

  punishment.”

  “But didn't you tell her that you loved her?”

  “Oh yes, but it was a little late by then,” Will said, shaking his head at his own foolishness. “I should have said something before accosting her in the dark.”

  “You didn't exactly accost her, Will. You were showing her how you felt and didn't she participate? Just a little?”

  He raised his eyebrows at his sister. “Georgie, she had no way of knowing my intent. What would you have done in her place?”

  She reluctantly agreed but it left her feeling no less offended on her brother's behalf. He was no danger to anyone and she only wished others could see that.

  “It must have been terrible for you both to go through the motions the next day, during the wedding, as if nothing had happened.”

  “The bride and groom were oblivious to everything else. Elizabeth and I played our roles, danced together and smiled for the pictures.” Wryly, he added, “I stayed until the end, the last to leave. I didn't want to sleep, but neither did I want to feel anymore. I just couldn't make a decision so I waited until everyone else was gone and went for a walk on the beach.”

  The sun was just rising over the water, a distant ship visible on the horizon. He stretched his cramped legs; hours spent unmoving on the chaise had made them stiff and sore. Seabirds swirled in the sky above him, occasionally diving low to pluck a fishy victim from the water. He watched in morbid fascination at the struggling forms which dangled from the sharp beaks.

  A movement to the left caught his eye and he turned his head, noting one of the hotel's staff had come to retrieve glasses left on the nearby tables. Another bird cried, a piercing sound in the stillness of the morning. Will rose, working the kinks out of his back with more stretching and bending. When he straightened he was no longer alone on the beach.

  She didn't see him, thankfully. Dropping a towel onto the sand, she stripped off her shirt and shorts to reveal a tanned and toned body clad in a bikini. His breath caught in his throat and he silently stepped back into the shelter of the shrubbery.

  She approached the water's edge, testing it with one foot before striding in with determination. The birds fled with her approach and the water itself parted, rippling around her form and leading her deeper. Then she went under in one fluid motion.

  The shrieking gulls taunted him as Will retreated to his room.

  “You stayed there the rest of the time, didn't you?” Georgiana shook her head sadly. “You never do anything by halves, Will; throw
ing yourself into work, into life and into love. What is it about Lizzy that held your interest?”

  “I told you yesterday; her enthusiasm and vibrancy. She seemed to immerse

  herself in life the way I do, meeting difficulties like they are challenges to be conquered.” His eyes were alight with excitement as he spoke. “You know the feeling. That's why you chose to become a doctor, isn't it? The challenge, the satisfaction when you find a way out, that's the reward. In your case it's people's lives that are affected and it's what makes me so proud of you,

  Georgiana.”

  She tried to hide her smile. He was clever, twisting his answer in order to avoid it. “What did Lizzy do that made you proud of her?”

  “Much like you, she dealt with people; difficult people. I don't have that kind of patience. Needy, grasping individuals who would prefer to skirt through life on someone's coattails make me more annoyed than anything else. Lizzy, though,”

  he continued in a low voice, his gaze somewhere in the distance, “Lizzy saw beyond the surface, through the disguises they put up and would gently pull it down, exposing a fresh personality, almost newborn, and release it back into the world.”

  Georgiana's concern was rising as his description of Elizabeth took on a

  surrealistic quality. “Aren't you deifying her a little?”

  He looked at her then; a hard and intense gaze. “No. Elizabeth was not a

  perfect person but I am convinced she was perfect for me.”

  Softly, his sister said, “Yet she didn't see through your disguise.”

  He shook his head. “She didn't see through George's, either.”

  Swallowing nervously, Georgiana asked, “How do you know all this, Will?

  What exactly do you know about her relationship with... him?”

  “Very little.” His expression changed, lines creasing his forehead in an attempt to hold back the strongest emotion. “Like a cruel twist of fate I was thrown into Elizabeth's company quite often after Charles married Jane. She never seemed at ease with my presence but then I wasn't very relaxed, either.” Recalling a pleasant scene between them, he smiled. “We did have some lively debates