Fragments

by Teg

Elizabeth certainly would not.

  Jane brought a cup of coffee but her sister’s hands were too unsteady to hold it without spilling the contents. Placing the cup on the table beside Will, Jane stationed herself in a chair between her mother and Elizabeth. It then fell to Mary to begin conversation.

  “Lizzy, you’re doing so much better than I’d expected! Not that I really knew what to expect, but...” She let out a wavering sigh. “It’s so good to see you, Lizzy.”

  Elizabeth could not help smiling at her younger sister. “I missed you too, Mary.” Her first words were spoken in their presence and had not been directed at her parents.

  Dolores felt the slight, turning to face her daughter again. Ted’s expression seemed to indicate he had something to say. He opened and closed his mouth, then looked away with a frown.

  “Are you staying for dinner tonight, Will?” Jane was desperate to get some conversation going.

  “Did I forget to tell you this morning?” he asked. “Georgiana arrived last night.

  She wanted to make something special and asked if Elizabeth would join us.”

  “Oh, that sounds very nice!”

  “Who is Georgiana?” enquired Dolores.

  “My sister,” explained Will. “She lives in Vancouver but comes home when she can.”

  “What does she do in Vancouver?” Dolores was being more polite than nosy.

  “She’s a doctor.”

  Obviously this answer was not what the lady expected to hear. “My! A doctor!”

  “Pity we have no brother,” Elizabeth muttered.

  Will’s laugh changed to a cough. “Once my sister sets her mind to something, little can stop her. She decided to become a doctor when she was eight years old.”

  “Amazing!” said Jane, then added with a smile, “I still don’t know what I want to be.”

  Ted finally spoke. “You have a full time job looking after Lizzy.”

  Jane shook her head, feeling offended on her sister’s behalf. “No. No, I don’t. I do the driving to appointments but we share in the household chores and Will is here almost daily, so I don’t even have to drive all the time.”

  All eyes were turned on Will, who shrugged. “I can’t cook so I have to find another way to be useful.”

  “You can cook!” protested Elizabeth.

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “Not as well as you.” Referring to an evening

  when Elizabeth had returned the favour of preparing dinner, which had not

  turned out to be as successful as she had envisioned, Will completed the praise with a comment aimed at Ted. “But I hardly need to tell your family that, I’m sure. They must all be aware of your skill in the kitchen.” His shot had the desired effect; Ted’s lips pressed together in annoyance.

  It was at precisely this moment that Charles appeared. “Ted, you mentioned something about a problem with the car on the drive here. Do you want to have a look at that now before it gets dark?” Will immediately recognised his

  friend’s attempt to remove the men from the room but it took Ted Bennet

  another minute to comprehend.

  “Sure,” he grudgingly agreed. His gaze raked over Will as he rose to follow Charles to the door.

  “You coming?” Charles’ eyebrows prompted him.

  It seemed he had little choice. Will considered that Elizabeth had two

  supporters to the one questionable member of the group before he asked her with a glance how she felt about him leaving. Her small smile encouraged him to believe that she would be confident enough to deal with any trouble which might arise. In any case, he would not be far nor would he be gone long.

  “Stop behaving like a jackass!” Charles pushed against his father-in-law’s shoulder, increasing the distance between the other two men. “I warned you already that I’m not going to tolerate anything that upsets either Jane or Elizabeth.”

  “Forget it, Charles. I’ll be going soon and he can cool down without my

  presence provoking him into doing something stupid.” Will turned his back on them, about to return to the house.

  “I don’t want you taking my daughter with you!” Ted bellowed after him.

  Spinning around, Will stalked toward him. “Why didn’t you say that to George Wickham when you had the chance? Why did you let him continue to do what

  he did to your daughter even though you knew exactly what was going on?

  Good God, how could you let her stay in that situation!” He didn’t stop there.

  “Not only did you do nothing about it but you deserted Elizabeth as if it was somehow all her fault! What kind of a father are you?” Disgusted, Will left them standing in the snow.

  Ted’s face had flushed a deep red. “He has no idea. Who does he think he is, talking to me like that?”

  “He’s the man who believed in Elizabeth when the rest of us had given up,”

  snapped Charles. “If it wasn’t for Will I think she would have just faded away so he has every right to speak his mind about your lack of action.”

  “You don’t believe I care about her, either!”

  “You have an odd way of showing it if you do. Ted, I love Jane but that doesn’t mean I have to like you. Elizabeth loves Will and he loves her. You’re just going to have to accept that fact and stop trying to make up for all you didn’t do last time! It’s too late and sorely misplaced.” Charles waited, hoping that his words would sink in.

  Finally, Ted blew his breath out forcefully. “How can I explain it to you?”

  “Don’t bother.”

  His hand flew out to grab Charles’ sleeve. “No, you must understand. I have to make you understand.”

  “Save it for Lizzy. Really,” sighed the younger man, “I’m not interested in what excuses you have. If she forgives you then I’m not going to argue but my

  opinion of you will remain unchanged.”

  Will stopped just outside the room. He could hear light laughter from inside and it made him smile. At least Elizabeth hadn’t suffered the confrontation he’d had to endure. He felt like an eavesdropper but was reluctant to disturb an obviously enjoyable moment between the Bennet women. Elizabeth’s voice

  was too quiet to be heard but her mother had no such constraint.

  “Well, what was I supposed to think?”

  “Mom, only you could jump to such an outrageous conclusion.” Jane sounded

  breathless, perhaps from laughing. “I wonder what he will say.”

  “I’m not telling him!” Elizabeth loudly declared.

  The room erupted in giggles as Will entered, feeling he had loitered in the hallway too long already. His bemused expression only served to bring a fresh round of laughter.

  Jane leaned close to Elizabeth and quietly said, “You’ll have to tell him now. At least you can wait until you’re alone, though.”

  She sighed but did not seem to mind. “Is it time?” she asked, looking up at Will.

  He nodded. “I wouldn’t dare be late for one of Georgie’s creations.”

  “Oh,” Dolores said with disappointment. “I guess we won’t see you again until tomorrow, then. You will come home after we’ve left, I’m sure. It was a long drive. Dad will want to get back to the hotel early.”

  “There will be plenty to keep us all busy tomorrow,” Jane offered. “First the tree, then decorating it and getting dinner ready for so many people!”

  “I’ll help you, of course,” her mother said.

  “Of course,” repeated Mary.

  Before the conversation could degenerate, Will and Elizabeth made their

  escape. As they left the house he could see Charles still in discussion with Ted, who cast a glance in their direction. Fortunately it was not necessary to risk a confrontation as Will’s car was parked near the end of the driveway. He held onto Elizabeth’s arm, avoiding looking at the other men. Elizabeth just as studiously kept her eyes focussed away from her father. Soon enough they

  were in the car and had left the
Bennets behind.

  Charles eyed his father-in-law’s expression as the older man watched his

  daughter go without a word. He couldn’t help but notice that Ted looked older than his years. It was reasonable to credit Elizabeth’s circumstances as the cause but Charles wasn’t entirely convinced that was the case. Whatever had prompted Ted to turn his back on his daughter when she most needed his help could well be responsible for the change in him as well. As he stood there, trying to understand, Ted abruptly turned and started toward the front door. He didn’t wait for Charles but determinedly strode into the house and through to where his wife and daughters still sat conversing. Dolores looked up, alarmed at his sudden entrance.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  He ignored her, addressing Jane. “I need to talk to you.”

  Charles appeared behind him and heard what was said. “Jane?”

  She carefully nodded. “I’d like to speak with you, too, Dad.”

  The room which would afford them the most privacy was the one Charles used as an office. It was lined with books, huge volumes of law, which lent it an earthy feel. Jane had always derived comfort from the surroundings whenever she had gazed upon her husband working at his desk. She hoped it would now give her strength to deal with what must be said.

  “Jane, I want to know exactly –.”

  “No.” She swallowed nervously, summoning up courage to continue.

  He frowned at her. “You don’t know what I was going to say.”

  “Yes, I do. You want to know about Lizzy, what she can do, what she will be able to do. Most of all, you want to know where Will fits in.” Drawing another

  breath, she continued in a less tranquil tone. “I’ve spent the last month in therapy sessions with Lizzy. Dr. Wendell has been wonderfully patient and

  Lizzy has been terribly stubborn. I’ve learned a lot about myself and our

  family, though; things I’d never considered before. Perhaps I just didn’t want to think about it.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Jane wasn’t convinced. “Of course you do. It gradually became clear to me, too. You have to be in control. Mom is easy enough to manipulate. She doesn’t know any better. It’s painful to say that but it’s true. I was always compliant and didn’t cause any trouble. Mary is easily intimidated into behaving as you prefer and Cathy... well, now that she’s out on her own and has tasted freedom, I think she doesn’t want to come home. Lizzy was the only one of us you

  couldn’t control, wasn’t she? She met your attempts with sensible arguments.

  Lizzy had no weakness for you to exploit.” No longer able to remain seated, Jane got up and walked around the room, running her fingers along the spines of the books.

  “That doctor has put these ideas in your head,” her father petulantly observed.

  Jane shook her head. “No, I figured it out on my own. It was simple, really. All I had to do was look at the pieces of the puzzle and put it all together but I never saw the pieces before. And now you want to take control of Lizzy’s life because at last she has a weakness. She is unable to live on her own just yet so if you time it right, she’ll move back home and be under your thumb.”

  “Is it so bad that I want to make sure Lizzy isn’t going to be hurt again? Why does everyone think I’m guilty of betraying her, that I’ve abdicated all interest in my own daughter? All I’ve ever wanted is what’s best for her.”

  “And George was best for her, was he?” cried Jane. “Oh, you couldn’t control Lizzy so when she found a man who used his fists to keep her under control, that was alright! You left her to his barbaric practices because she could best you in an argument!”

  “That’s not true!” Ted’s voice broke as he protested. “She was strong and she was smart. She could have avoided it. I never wanted her to get hurt. I never wanted that.” His head fell into his hands, startling Jane with his reaction. “I couldn’t bear to see what he had done to her. There was nothing I could do to stop it. As much as I hated him, I was more helpless than Lizzy because I was scared, Jane.” Looking up at his daughter once more, Ted confessed, “I was afraid of George.”

  “She thought you were gay?” Georgiana stared incredulously then broke into a throaty laugh. “I can’t for the life of me imagine what gave her that

  impression.”

  “Apparently,” Will replied, fingering the fork on his plate, “it was my desire to take Elizabeth shopping that set her mother’s mind off on that direction. Then when she learned of how I urged Elizabeth to make frivolous purchases and

  cooked for her.... well, nails in the coffin, Georgie!”

  “Mom was so excited,” giggled Elizabeth. “She’s never met a gay man before.

  Not that she realises, anyway.”

  “Was she very disappointed?”

  “A little but not for long.”

  Will rose from the table. “Okay ladies, I’ll add fuel to the rumours by offering to clean up while you two put your feet up in there.” He shooed them to the other room with not a word of argument from either woman.

  After settling themselves into the comfortable chairs Elizabeth offered her compliments on the dinner Will’s sister had prepared.

  “Thank you,” Georgiana graciously acknowledged. “I like to cook when I’m

  here. I find it relaxing and Will really is hopeless in the kitchen. I’m glad we had this opportunity for a quiet dinner, Elizabeth.”

  The two young women had a common source for discussion but they were not

  entertaining themselves at Will’s expense. Rather, they spoke of his

  compassion and devotion, Georgiana shedding some light on her brother’s life outside the corporate world.

  Elizabeth had known him only in two incarnations, really; the distant, aloof executive and then the intense, romantic man whose strength and support could always be relied upon. Whatever existed between she had yet to discover. The realisation gave her pause to wonder how she could have believed herself to know him. That she loved him was not in question but there was more to him that she’d been privileged to see thus far, no doubt about it.

  Elizabeth had thought Georgiana responsible for the classic decor of their home but she was astonished when the other woman laughed, saying that she had no talent for design and that her brother had been the primary decision maker when choosing colours, fabrics and furniture. It provided a moment of laughter when Elizabeth suggested it was yet another item that would lead her mother to believe Will preferred an alternate lifestyle.

  The man in question joined them almost an hour later, bringing a bottle of wine and three glasses. He set them down on the table and himself on the floor. As they sipped the wine, conversation slowed until Georgiana noticed she seemed to be talking to herself. Elizabeth was fading, not even trying to stifle yawns, and Will simply stared at her, a faraway look on his face.

  “Excuse me,” she said, just loudly enough to get her brother’s attention. Her purpose was to allow them a few moments alone as it was obvious that

  Elizabeth needed sleep. Georgiana miscalculated the time required,

  unfortunately, and returned to find the couple in each other’s arms at the

  doorway to his bedroom. Neither was aware as she walked by and plunked herself down in the chair again despite the exaggerated motions and noise that she made. She picked up a book and began reading, occasionally glancing

  toward Will and Elizabeth, unable to hear what they were saying to one another in soft voices but aware that they were talking. She was not about to forget her promise to her brother; to look out for the best interests of both him and Elizabeth.

  Eventually she heard the door close and Will joined her, sitting down in the chair opposite.

  “Thanks,” he said. “Elizabeth appreciated the warm welcome you gave her and so do I.”

  Georgiana set aside the book. “I like her, Will. I think she’ll be good for you.”

  Letting out a lon
g sigh, Will arose and said he was going to turn in, too. “Are you staying up a while longer?”

  “Yes, I’m still a few hours behind but I won’t be any more than an hour, I think.” She waited until he had walked away a few steps before adding, “It’s about time you decided to settle down, Will. I might have despaired of ever becoming an aunt.” She ducked her head as a cushion sailed past.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cold surrounded her. Her body was being pushed down, deep below the bright surface. She reached upward, stretching her arm as far as possible but it wasn’t enough.

  The brightness above her flashed, breaking open and she felt herself drawn up into the light, grasped around the shoulders and pulled from the sucking hold on her feet. Gasping for air, she shook the water from her face, blinking until her eyes allowed her to see once again.

  The pool wall was not far but his hold was too strong for her to break free just yet. More oxygen was needed to restore her muscles to usefulness, then she would make the attempt.

  “Don’t,” whispered that voice close to her ear. “It would be unfortunate if you got hurt.” She felt his fingers tighten on her wrists.

  “Please....” The sound bubbled as her lips dipped below the surface.

  “Please what?”

  She had to wait until he allowed her head above the water again. “George, let me go.”

  “I didn’t hear you.” His arms straightened, pushing her down once more. She ceased any kind of struggle, gradually feeling the release of pressure on her wrists. Slowly, her body rose to the surface. “Lizzy, I didn’t frighten you, did I?” His tone held a note of mockery. “It’s just a game, you know.”

  Just a game.....

  The darkness was not as frightening as the strangeness of her surroundings.

  Elizabeth bolted upright as the door opened and a pale light streamed across the floor. Her fear took over, she cried out again and began straining to free herself of the sheets and blankets. Hands were upon her, pulling her back, holding her arms close. Elizabeth continued to struggle until she became aware that her adversary was another woman and heard her name spoken firmly.

  “Elizabeth, calm down. You’re safe here. Nothing will hurt you.”