by Wendi Sotis
Georgiana laughed. William smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We’ve heard about some of Mr. Bennett’s pranks.”
“You’ve missed a lot of good ones...” Dan brought up quite a few past picnics and then moved on to speak of a few outings their group of friends had made. Elizabeth’s eyes widened when he even brought up her prom—a night she’d rather forget.
Elizabeth squirmed in her seat. She wanted to include the Darcys in their conversation and kept trying to change the subject to things they all could enjoy, but Dan kept bringing up the past and looking mostly at her while he was talking, with an occasional glance at Georgiana. He ignored William completely, acting as if Will wasn’t even there. It was downright rude! She was just about ready to drag Dan away and give him a piece of her mind when his cell phone rang. He excused himself to answer it.
Elizabeth waited until he was out of hearing range. “I’m sorry—I don’t understand what’s wrong with him today.”
Georgiana shrugged. “It was fun to hear stories about you when you were growing up.”
~
Intense jealousy churned in William’s gut, eating away at his resolve to keep his affections for Elizabeth to himself.
Dan King had hit every mark necessary to make him feel inadequate when it came to Elizabeth, starting with the peck on the cheek. After witnessing that, he should have left, but he had relished watching Elizabeth move away from Dan so much that he had to stay to see how this played out.
Glancing at Elizabeth, whose beautiful face was now wrinkled with a frown, and whose eyes were filled with anxiety, he could kick himself. Causing her discomfort and embarrassment had not been part of his plan.
Unlike many of the women he knew, who would be basking in the glory of having two men vie for her attention, Elizabeth’s apology had been completely genuine. Her natural modesty probably didn’t even allow her to understand either of the men’s behavior. Most likely, she couldn’t imagine the torture she had inflicted every time she smiled at something Dan had said, or the ache he felt whenever she laughed in response to Dan’s inside jokes before she had explained them. She couldn’t understand the victory he felt every time she had shied away from Dan’s touch.
Unwilling to upset Elizabeth further, William said, “No harm done—it’s fine.”
Her frown smoothed a bit, and, probably to change the subject, she asked Georgiana about the piano she was expecting to be delivered next week. William looked away, feigning interest in the goings on around him, but his thoughts were focused elsewhere.
Maybe she couldn’t grasp what was behind Dan’s rude behavior, but William could. Mr. Bennett, Gardiner, and Mrs. Reynolds all had recognized his feelings for Elizabeth, and Jane had given every indication she had guessed at them, as well. A man in love could spot another man’s interest a mile away, the same way he could see Dan King cared for Elizabeth and would play every advantage possible to win her.
After seeing the way Dan had acted toward Elizabeth at the ribbon cutting ceremony and listening to the hints Jane had given as they looked at the photo on Elizabeth’s cell phone, William had asked around and had done some research. The most frustrating part about Dan was that William had not found anything actually wrong with him. Not only did Dan seem to be a decent man, respected by the community, but he also had a promising and honorable career ahead of him as an Assistant District Attorney, putting criminals behind bars where they belonged. He was expected to advance far beyond that position.
From what William had heard, Dan had not been too obvious about his feelings before, but today, his interest had been advertised as if he had erected a neon sign.
It would be only a matter of time before Elizabeth caught on.
If Elizabeth chose to accept Dan’s affections, her personal or professional reputation would not suffer as it would if William showed her the same attentions. When looked at logically from that perspective, with a great deal of pain, William admitted to himself that at this moment, Dan King seemed the better choice for Elizabeth.
William turned his head to look at her and was almost overwhelmed with base instincts, which urged him to leap over the table, throw Elizabeth over his shoulder, and escape—to take her far, far away from Dan King and claim her completely.
Trying to regain control of his thoughts, he tore his gaze away from her.
He always prided himself on being a man of reason, especially since his loss of restraint after Wickham’s betrayal, but he had faltered often since meeting Elizabeth. He over-reacted whenever her generous nature had clashed with what he had come to expect from other women. His knee-jerk reactions had absolutely nothing to do with logic or reason, and had nothing to do with her. Time and time again, he had expected the worst from her, only to find that she had anticipated nothing in return. Mrs. Reynolds had been correct—Elizabeth wasn’t like them. Next time, he would rein himself in before he responded.
Maybe I’d be better off without her, too. He tried to come up with one piece of evidence to support the claim, but couldn’t. All he could think of was how much his life had improved since Elizabeth had become a part of it.
~%~
After the barbeque, the games began. First up were several children’s competitions, and many of the community’s adults came forward to assist. Georgiana volunteered both herself and William to help with the watermelon-rolling contest. When the games for adults began, Elizabeth approached William. The two stood side by side watching Mr. Lucas and Dan King choose teams from those wishing to play touch football.
“Aren’t you going to play?” Elizabeth asked.
William sighed. “After seeing that picture, I don’t think I should play anything today.”
“That was softball. Touch football should be safe. You guys play it all the time—don’t you want a real game for once?”
Charles jogged toward them. “Will, you’re on our team.”
“But I didn’t sign up for this.”
“Rich put your name in—you always play. We’re on Lucas’s team.”
William looked across the field and met Dan’s gaze. Dan was issuing a challenge. “Fine, I’m in.” He turned to Elizabeth. “See you later.”
“Nope, you’ll see me now.” Elizabeth smiled. “I’m on Dan’s team.”
William’s eyes widened. “You’re playing?”
“Yeah, I’ve played with you guys, haven’t I?”
“But that’s a friendly, backyard game...” William’s voice trailed off.
“I play every year, Will. It’s friendly enough—it’s not tackle.” She smiled brightly. “Come on. We’re gonna whip your butts.”
The teams gathered, discussing strategy with their captains. Although William was listening to Mr. Lucas, he kept glancing down toward the other end of the field at Elizabeth... and Dan. He had to bite back a growl at what he saw happen next.
Chapter 14
As Elizabeth jogged to the far end of the field, Dan met her halfway.
“I’m glad you decided to play this year.”
Elizabeth knitted her brow. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I didn’t think he’d let you.” Dan gestured toward the other team.
“Who?”
“Darcy.”
Shocked, Elizabeth stopped walking. “Why would Will have any say in what I do?”
Dan placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her forward. “The team’s down here, remember?”
She started walking again but glared up at him. “You didn’t answer me, Dan.”
“I thought you two...” his voice trailed off.
She stopped again and turned toward him, crossing her arms. Dan’s hand was now on her waist. She sidestepped his grasp without acknowledging it. “What?”
“I guess not then.” Dan smiled. “Never mind.” He started walking again. Elizabeth followed. A few steps later, Dan said, “Listen, there’s something about Darcy that I don’t like.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “I’ll admit he’s no
t at his most personable upon first impression, but once you get to know him, he’s a really nice guy. Give him a chance.”
Dan’s gaze slowly traveled the length of Elizabeth’s body and returned to her widened eyes. She gulped and stepped back.
“Believe me, I’ll try to be civil to Darcy, but I’m pretty sure he and I will never get along.” He took a step forward and, with one finger, he tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “Stay away from him, Lizzy. I’m a much better choice.”
As Dan leaned in, panic gripped her. He’s going to kiss me! Elizabeth stepped back. Dan’s hand fell to his side. Disappointment was clearly written across his features.
“We’re friends.” Elizabeth wasn’t sure which man she was talking about. Both?
He took another step closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. “For a long time, I’ve wanted to be more.”
“We’re friends, Dan! We’ve always been just friends.” She tilted her head slightly. “Have you been drinking?”
“No, I haven’t been drinking, Lizzy.” He chuckled.
“Did you hit your head or something?”
He laughed a little harder. “My head’s fine.”
“Let’s talk about this another time, Dan. Definitely not here.”
“Everybody here already knows, Lizzy! Except you, apparently.” He shook his head. “For years, everyone in town has been telling me that we’d make a great couple, urging me to make a move, but I didn’t want to rush you. I went to law school, you went to college, and it never seemed the right time. But now, we’re both home and staying in Meryton. I’m through waiting.”
Overwhelmed, Elizabeth had momentarily forgotten where they were. She didn’t realize how close they were to their team members until she heard someone say, “It’s about time!”
Turning toward the voice, she saw all eyes were on her, and she blushed a deep crimson. She turned around, looked across the field. Everyone on that team was staring at her, too. She met William’s gaze. She judged that they couldn’t possibly hear what was going on from across the field, but the body language had to be telling them something.
She returned her gaze to Dan. “What is this, some kind of joke? You went out with every girl in town, and every woman who threw herself at you in college. Every time I saw you, you were with someone different. How could you possibly think you waited for me?”
“I didn’t say I was a saint. I just waited to make my move on you. You’re the type of girl a guy marries when he’s finally ready to settle down, not the kind he goes out with when he’s playing the field. Listen, whether you’re ready yet or not, I won’t deny my feelings for you any longer. I love you, Lizzy, and I want you to marry me.”
Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open. “You want me to marry you?” She looked around again at all the expectant expressions of those on their team, who were obviously waiting for her answer. “I refuse to discuss this any further right now. I’m going for a walk.” When he tried to follow her, she snapped, “Alone!” and walked off.
She heard Dan call out after her. “You’re not going to play?”
He wants me to play football now? After that?
Without turning around, she shook her head, threw her hands up in the air, and kept walking as fast as she could toward a footpath that she knew ran for at least a mile through the woods.
~
Everyone was quiet as William watched Elizabeth walk away from Dan. Behind him, he heard Charlotte ask, “What could have possessed him to do that here? Right now?”
Jane responded, “You know as well as I do, Charlotte, that when he feels threatened, he does stupid things.”
“Most of the time, it works out great for him, but I don’t think it will this time,” Charlotte replied.
“Threatened?” Georgiana asked. William had been so busy watching Elizabeth and Dan, he hadn’t realized she had joined them.
Elizabeth disappeared behind some trees, and William turned to look at the girls standing behind him, wondering what Jane’s answer would be.
He was surprised to find Jane was looking at him. “Yes, Dan feels threatened.” She paused and turned to Charlotte and Georgiana. “Excuse me. I’m going after her.”
Mr. Lucas clapped his hands to gain the attention of his team. “Show’s over, everybody. Let’s play football!”
~%~
After walking for a few minutes, Elizabeth heard someone coming toward her. Imagining one of the town gossips chasing after her to learn about her feelings for Dan before anyone else, she darted off the path and sat on the ground behind a huge bush.
Hearing Jane call her name, Elizabeth stood up. “Over here, Jane!” Pulling a tissue from her pocket, she wiped the tears off her cheeks as Jane made her way through the brush. It did little good because as soon as Jane was close, the tears started flowing again.
“Oh, Lizzy! I’m so sorry.”
“How could he do something like that, Jane? Not only blindside me with saying all that... stuff... but in front of all those people?” She blew her nose. “And why couldn’t the gypsies have warned me about something like this? Don’t they think someone asking me to marry him is important?”
“If you think about it, none of the gypsies could possibly still be alive. The blessing must be on auto-pilot or something like that.” She shrugged her shoulders. “When it comes to Dan... You know why Dan loves being a courtroom lawyer. He craves the spotlight. That’s why there’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that he’ll end up running for District Attorney when the time comes.” Jane dug a tissue out of her pocket and handed it to her sister. “He was always the best at everything—valedictorian of his class, hero of every sports team he ever joined. And he’s always been a little too confident for his own good, too.”
“What did he think I’d do? Throw myself into his arms and submit?” Elizabeth hiccupped. “Did he think if he exposed his plan in front of everyone, I’d suddenly discover I was in love with him? Or is it all a joke to him?”
“It’s definitely not a joke, Lizzy. He probably thought the whole thing was very romantic. Remember years ago when we saw that TV special about the most romantic marriage proposals?”
Elizabeth’s eyes opened wider than Jane had ever seen them. “He only watched that show so he could tease us!”
“Yes, he did, but he was also surrounded by you, me, and Charlotte going on and on about how romantic all those proposals were.”
Elizabeth gasped. “You mean this was Dan’s version of the ‘proposal on the scoreboard’ segment that we all loved?”
Jane scrunched her nose. “I think so.”
“But... but don’t you remember how I made such a big deal over how embarrassing that would be for them both if the girl had said no?”
“Dan has always had girls throwing themselves at his feet to get his attention. With his overblown self-confidence, he never would’ve expected that you’d say no.” Jane cleared her throat. “Um... I don’t want to make things worse for you, Lizzy, but I think you should know something before you go back. We all found out today how well sound travels across that field.”
“Jane, please don’t tell me that almost everyone in town heard that?” Elizabeth had to hold back a scream.
Jane cringed and nodded. “Most likely, anyone that didn’t hear it themselves already knows all about it through the gossip chain.”
Elizabeth whimpered. “Did anyone record it? I’m not going to see that go viral on Photo-Net, am I?”
Jane bit her bottom lip. “Well, I didn’t see anyone record it.”
“Did William hear it?” Elizabeth whispered tentatively.
Jane hesitated, searching her sister’s face before nodding again.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and let out the breath she had been holding. When she opened her eyes, she started walking toward the path.
Jane followed. “Where are we going, Lizzy?”
“This path comes out by the restrooms. If I’m ever going to show my face in town again
—and there’s no doubt that I have to—then I need to start right now. I am going to wash my face, and then we’re heading back to that field. We’re going to play football, Jane.”
“We are?”
“Yes! Well, you don’t have to, but I am.” She picked up her pace. “And I’m going to act as if it never happened... or try to, anyway. Honestly, I don’t know how to act around Dan now, though.”
Struggling to keep up, Jane grabbed hold of Elizabeth’s arm and pulled gently. “Slow down, Lizzy. I can’t walk as fast as you can.” She took a moment to catch her breath. “So, I take it you’re not going to marry Dan?”
“Of course not.” Elizabeth stopped. “Was there any doubt?”
“Yes! Dan is right. There has been speculation about you and him forever. During—well, um...” Jane blushed. “While you and Dan were discussing things, I overheard some of the guys talking. Dan is why nobody ever showed interest in you in high school. None of the girls we grew up with could ever understand it, but most didn’t mind because it meant more boys for them to choose from. The guys said you were always considered Dan’s girl. Dan would warn off anyone that seemed interested in you. Nobody would dare ask you out and cross him.”
Elizabeth stood wide-eyed, staring at Jane for a minute or two before she remembered to breathe.
“Lizzy?” Jane took hold of her arm and shook her a little.
She blinked. “You mean... it wasn’t that they just didn’t like me?”
Jane shook her head. “No, Lizzy—I always told you that it never made any sense.”
Elizabeth put aside that subject to think about later. It was all too much to grasp at one time. She paced away from Jane and returned. “I didn’t really say anything in response, today, did I? Other than that I wanted to talk to him later. I never answered him.”
Jane nodded. “Right about now, I expect the whole town is talking about how you’ll respond.”
