Pride's Prejudice (24 page)

Any
humor that had arisen at the thought died when a pristine image of William
holding a dark-haired baby girl in his arms, and smiling, flashed through
Beth's mind.  Suddenly it was much too warm.  She rubbed her neck,
her eyes shifting nervously.

"So
which of these six doors is the right one?"

William
watched her a moment longer and then led her to the door at the end of the
hall.  When the light flipped on the first thing that Beth noticed was the
vastness of the room.  It wasn't what Beth would call a wing, but it was
definitely spacious.  The second thing she noticed was the plaid flannel
quilt laid over the king-sized bed.  There was a simple rustic feel to the
room, and she turned to William with raised eyebrows.

"Guestroom,
huh?"

"Yup,"
he answered, going in ahead of her and dropping her duffel on the bed. 
"You'll have your own bathroom too," he said, waving a hand in its
general direction.  Beth leaned into the bathroom from the doorway, taking
in the jetted tub and the massive shower.  She scrutinized William,
waiting for the cave-in.  When it didn't come, she sauntered over to the
wooden dresser and ran her fingers along the first drawer.

"So,
this is where I should put my clothes, right?"

William
swallowed, finally looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Enjoying
his anxiety, she continued.  "If I open this top drawer I won't find
anything you wouldn't want me to see, I don't know, like
boxers
or
something?  It's empty?"

William
rushed over to the dresser, clamping his hand over the drawer.  "There's
a dresser in the closet for you, actually - totally empty."

Beth
rolled her eyes.  "I'll take the couch."  She grabbed her
duffel and started out of the room.

"You're
not happy with the guestroom?"  He looked affronted.

"This
is
your
room, William.  We've just established that."

He
looked stunned.  "What makes you think this is my room?  You've
never been here before."

"Do
you keep your underwear in the guestroom?  Didn't think so," Beth
finished triumphantly at the look on William's face.

Then
he smiled.  "Those aren't my boxers!  Those are….spare
boxers.  For when……company comes.  Male company."

Beth
raised her eyebrows, thoroughly enjoying the sight of William
improvising.  "You entertain male company here?"

William
looked down, smiling in an embarrassed sort of way.  "No…..that's not
what I -"

"William,"
Beth said quietly, "It's bad enough that you had to come pick me up
today.  Then you felt obligated to let me stay here.  I can't take
your room.  I already feel awful about all this."

William
took a step closer, shoved his hands in his pockets, and smiled wryly down at
her.

"First
of all, I didn't have to come pick you up.  I volunteered.  Second,
the invitation to stay with us was in no way obligatory."

"You
volunteered for chauffer duty because no one else did," Beth
remarked.  "Everyone was caught up in the cake catastrophe, I'm
sure."

"Beth,"
William began, "there was no cake catastrophe."  When Beth
didn't respond, he continued.  "It seemed like a good excuse. 
Things like that always go wrong just before a wedding."

Beth
felt speechless, her chest rising and falling deeper with each breath.  In
other words, he had escorted her from the airport simply because he wanted
to.  "What about the Bradfords' guest wing?"

"That
one was valid.  I'll have to thank Les's mom later."

Beth
gazed into William's dark chocolate eyes, daring to sense forgiveness and
understanding, even regret for how they had parted.  No matter what had
been said or done, or unsaid or undone, he was standing there in front of her. 
She was with him, at his request and by his design.  And at this moment,
there didn't seem to be much standing between them.  Beth was jolted out
of her thoughts by the shrill ring of her cell phone.

She
fished in her pocket as William turned toward the bathroom.  As she
answered the call, William began pulling towels out of the cupboard and setting
them on the counter.

"Hey,
dad…...Yeah, I made it.  Sorry, I should've called…….It was long - I'm not
sure I'll ever eat peanuts again…….Yeah, I'm pretty tired.  I'm turning in
here in a minute…….Well, we're two hours ahead of you..….Okay, I will……Love you
too."  She snapped her phone shut and sighed, feeling like
Cinderella.  The clock had struck twelve and the sparkling night magic had
evaporated.

"There
are towels in the bathroom and the bedding's all clean," William informed
her.

Beth
almost reminded him that she had slept in his sheets before.  Instead she
just nodded thankfully.

"Do
you need anything else?"  He stood across the room in the doorway,
leaning in.

Beth
was struck by the absurdity of it all.  Hadn't this very scene played out
months ago when she and Jenna had slept over at Les's?  Only she was quite
sure there would be no good night kiss tonight.

Realizing
she hadn't answered, she said hastily, "You're not sleeping on the couch
are you?"

"See,
the thing is we really
do
have a guestroom.  I'll be staying in
there."

"William,
I really don't mind -"

"Let
it go, woman.  Geez.  Get some sleep."  He turned and
walked out of the room with a smirk on his face.

Beth
stepped to the doorway.  "William?"  He turned on the
spot.  "I just wanted to…..thank you for…..everything." 
Beth paused and as she looked into his eyes she blurted, "It's good to see
you again."

William's
countenance changed, and Beth felt the blood rise to the surface of her
skin.  She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and looked down. 
"Um, see you in the morning, then."

"Sweet
dreams," William said, then closed the door behind him.

Beth
slumped against it, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

ALTERED

"But
people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in
them forever."

~Elizabeth
Bennet, Pride & Prejudice

Beth
woke early, feeling groggy, every part of her screaming to be left in bed all
day.  She pulled William's sheets up to her face, trying to find his scent
behind the fabric softener, morbidly wishing he hadn't put fresh ones on. 
Burying her face in his pillow, she struck out a second time.  Then she
pulled the flannel blanket up over the sheets and breathed deep.  The
scent was very faint, but it was William.

What
would he think if he came in to find her sniffing his sheets?  Beth sat up
like she had been bitten.  Reaching for her phone, she flipped it open to
check the time.  You had to love modern technology.  Her phone had
switched to Eastern Standard Time automatically.

It was
seven thirty, and she was supposed to meet Jenna at the dress shop at
nine.  She heaved herself out of bed with a profound groan.

After
showering quickly, she dressed in a long denim skirt and cap sleeve
t-shirt.  She scrunched gel into her hair and blew it dry, wondering if
William had had a hard time recognizing her at the airport yesterday with
shorter hair.  After brushing on some mascara and lip gloss she took a deep
breath before wrenching the bedroom door open and venturing into the
hall.  Afraid of finding herself in a no-trespassing zone, she retraced
her steps from the previous night, heading toward the kitchen. 

Gianna
stood at the stove, looking up when Beth came in.  "Hey!  How
did you sleep?"

"You
mean in the 'guestroom?'"  Beth rolled her eyes.

Gianna
laughed.  "Well, just so you know, I
did
redecorate the
guestroom - William slept in a room with two red walls and two black walls, and
no flannel or plaid anywhere."

"What
agony," Beth mocked.  "You know he can't get along without his
flannel."  She colored.  Did Gianna know the significance of
William's blanket?  It wasn't likely - it didn't seem like the kind of
detail a guy would share with his sister, or anyone for that matter. 
"So, what are you making?"

Gianna
sighed.  "Crepes.  I mean I'm
trying
to make
crepes.  I can never get the lumps out."

"So,
you like to cook?" Beth asked tentatively.

"Well,
it's…..sort of a new hobby.  I've kind of become obsessed with trying new
recipes since -" she stopped short, leaving her sentence unfinished.

"Since
William came home," Beth supplied shrewdly.  "I'm sure he's
benefited from your adventures in the kitchen."  She leaned over
Gianna, studying the recipe on the cookbook page.  "So, I think your
lumps will disappear if you sift the flour and whisk as you sift, instead of
dumping it in all at once."

Gianna
stared as though she had just bumped into her favorite movie star on the
Hollywood
Walk of Fame
.  Beth eyed her sideways, smiling. 
Then she busied herself with sifting the flour.

"I
think a new hobby is a great way to make a new start.  Redirect. 
Mine is homework.  I aced all my classes last semester and got accepted
into my pre-grad program for next year."

"And
that worked for you?"  Gianna watched Beth with wide eyes while she
whisked.  "That helped you 'redirect?'  Made everything go back
to the way it was before?"  She raised her eyebrows as she waited for
Beth's response.

"Sometimes
things can't go back - people can't go back.  Sometimes circumstances
alter you, and there's no going back."  She sighed.  "But
it helped some."

The
girls sifted and whisked in silence until Gianna caught William peeking in
around the door frame and pulled him in.

"There's
the best brother in the whole world!  Come help us make breakfast."

After
the crepes were baked, filled with strawberries, and topped with whipped cream
and powdered sugar, the three took everything to the kitchen table.  Forks
scraped against plates as the crepes were devoured and second helpings were
consumed.

"You're
getting pretty good, Gi.  Soon you'll have your own cooking show,"
William complimented, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Beth
helped.  She taught me how to conquer the lumps."

"Anytime
you have flour issues, let me know."

"Beth
is very talented with flour," William inserted craftily.  "She's
particularly good at caking your hair with it."  He watched her as he
drained his glass of its last remnants of orange juice.

What
did he mean by bringing that up now?  That was their first official date -
and their last.  Beth couldn't think of it without a bittersweet tang
filling her mouth.  Apparently it didn't bother him the same way. 
Beth smiled uncomfortably, digging her phone out of her pocket to check the
time without meeting William's eyes.

"Yeesh,
I need to get going!  It's quarter to nine."  She shot up from
the table, scooting her chair in and rushing her dishes to the sink. 
William met her before she made it to the sink, taking the dishes out of her hands
and setting them on the counter.

"Do
you have the address of the shop?"

"Yes,"
Beth answered slowly, confused.  She pulled a paper with faded pencil out
of her pocket and read aloud, "Twenty-eight west twelfth street."

"Okay. 
Give me ten minutes to shower and I'll drive you."

"What?! 
No.  No way.  I'm taking a cab."

"You're
taking a cab?" William taunted.  "Okay, show me how you call a
cab.  This should be good."

"What
do you mean, 'show you?'  You just whistle or something."

He
shrugged.  "Let's hear your whistle, then."

Beth
hesitated before pursing her lips and blowing, creating more of a wheeze than a
whistle.

"Pathetic. 
You're going to have to do better, Beth.  We natives can be pretty
ruthless.  With a whistle like that you've got a better chance of getting
a cab with your looks."

Beth's
mouth fell open in astonishment, a hint of delirious laughter on her lips.

 "So,
thanks to you, I now only have nine minutes to shower.  Gi," turning
to his sister, "you're on hostage duty.  Don't let her out of your
sight.  Who knows what could happen to this poor, innocent, naive girl on
the streets of New York."  He winked at Beth and headed for the
shower.

True
to his word, William delivered Beth to the bridal shop
Blush and Bashful
right on time.  Once inside, he plopped on the couch with a wave of his
hand as Jenna whisked Beth off to the dressing room.  One of the
consultants had delivered the dress and stepped out to answer a phone call, and
Jenna took the liberty of helping Beth into it.  As she zipped the dress,
Jenna watched Beth's face in the mirror that faced them.

"So,
how was last night?" she asked in a casual, if hopeful, tone.

Beth's
eye caught Jenna's in the mirror, reproaching her.  "Gianna and I
made crepes this morning."

Jenna
deflated.  "Oh, that's great.  She seems really sweet."

"She's
amazing, Jenna.  She's been through so much but she's still so strong and
trusting.  I think if I would've known her…..before…..I would've
understood William better."

"And
what about William?  Did you guys talk?"

"Sure,
we talked."

"About
what happened," Jenna clarified, losing a touch of patience. 
"About what's going to happen now."

"Jenna,
let's be realistic," Beth said, turning to face her.  Having a
confrontation with a mirror image was unnerving.  "It doesn't matter
anymore.  William lives here in New York, with Gianna.  I'm going
away to a new school in the fall.  It's all 'water under the bridge' and
all that.  No amount of being thrown together over a weekend is going to
change the things that were said and done.  We're in a good place. 
We can tolerate each other without too much discomfort."

But
Beth remembered William's confession about picking her up and bringing her home
with him.  None of that spelled toleration.  Tears burned her eyes on
their way to the surface.  Why did it have to happen now, in front of
Jenna?  The last thing she wanted to do was take away from her best
friend's joy.  She had to pull it together.

Taking
a deep breath to steady herself, she smiled at Jenna.  "I love you,
and I'm
so
happy for you.  That's all that matters right
now."  She looked down at her dress, smoothing the silky
fabric.  "So, what happens now?  They make a human voodoo doll
out of me?"

"Yeah. 
I'll go get the seamstress.  Actually, you just come out front and they do
all the adjustments there.  Then we leave the dress here for the
alterations and pick it up later."

"Great. 
Let's go."  Beth walked out of the dressing room with Jenna trailing
behind.

~:~

William
sat sprawled on the fuzzy pink couch of
Blush and Bashful
, which sat in
front of the sheer pink curtains that sheathed the windows, which hung above
the plush pink carpet on the floor.  He twitched toward the door.  He
could almost feel his testosterone drying up.  Aside from feeling like he
was in a cave of Pepto Bismol, he wasn't sure Beth would be comfortable trying
on a dress in front of him, anyway.

He had
just decided to go lose himself in the surrounding shops until she was done,
when Beth came out of the dressing room, swathed in a dark purple dress. 
It seemed to fit her loosely, but her curves were by no means hidden.  The
strapless style of the dress drew his eyes to her slender neck and
shoulders.  He was relieved that there was no red punch in the scenario
this time.

She
stepped up on a carpeted platform and one of the shop ladies bustled up to her,
measuring tape and pins in hand.  William sat back down, propping one
elbow up on the arm of the couch resting his mouth against the ball of his
fist.  His brows pulled into a contemplative scowl as he watched Beth.

Why
was it so hard to tell her how he felt?  He had seen her reaction last
night when he touched her hand at the Bradfords'.  He didn't know if
quickened breathing was a good or a bad sign, but his touch had affected her in
some way.  And she had told him it was good to see him.  Not 'I hate
you'….. not, 'I'd rather die than look at you.'  If she only knew how long
it had taken him to fall asleep last night, and how many times he had found
himself standing outside her room, wanting to break the allegorical ice. 
Her protective gesture on Gianna's behalf at the Bradfords' had cracked his
heart open afresh.  Where there had been merely a fault line before, now
there was a continental divide.

But
what was there to tell her, really?  He loved her.  He still wanted
her.  She had still been with Jaxon.  He had still said horrible
things to her, and didn't deserve forgiveness.  No matter how he felt, the
facts hadn't changed.

Beth
pivoted back and forth as she was told by the seamstress, only glancing at
William briefly once or twice.  How could he make this right?  He was
mulling the question over when Jenna sat down beside him.

"Hey,
you.  How's the blushing bride?"  He put his arm around her and
squeezed her shoulders.  Beth looked up at them, her eyes reduced to
suspicious slits.

Jenna
smiled at her friend, a glassy, painted smile that William had never seen on
her face before.  "I have a little problem, William.  I'm hoping
you can help me."

William
regarded her with concern.  "What's up?"

Jenna stole
a glance at Beth, who watched them unabashedly with wide, dark eyes. 
"Let's go for a walk," Jenna suggested to William.  Then she
called out to Beth that they would be right back.  "She's got at
least a dozen pins sticking in her - she won't be able to stop me," Jenna
muttered as she towed William from the shop.

Once
they had cleared the storefront Jenna began, adopting the tone of a patient
adult speaking to a child.

"William,
tomorrow is my wedding day.  And a bride should be happy on her wedding day,
right?"

William
was suddenly frightened.  Jenna's speech had a definite cold feet feel to
it.  He nodded, concerned.

"The
problem is that my best friend is miserable.  And, being one soul in two
bodies as we are, I cannot be truly happy when she is not.  Especially
when
you
have the power to change that."

William
plunged his hands into his pockets, sighing deeply.  He should have known.

"Jenna,
what do I do?  I'm trying to show her how I feel, but she keeps pushing me
away.  In all honesty I don't think she can forgive me for the things I
said to her the night I left."  He paused, then added severely,
"And she shouldn't."

Jenna
rounded on him, planting herself in his way.  "And what about you
forgiving her?  You're still holding this Jaxon thing over her!"

"Jenna,
you have to admit.  It's just a
little
bit of a deterrent. 
He's the father of my sister's baby.  He messed her up, probably
forever.  She'll never be the same.  Do you have any idea how
excruciating it is to picture Beth with that jerk?  To think of his hands
on her?"  William stopped abruptly, feeling queasy.