Pride's Prejudice (30 page)

SURRENDER

"….what
made you so unwilling to come to the point at last?"

~Elizabeth
Bennet, Pride & Prejudice

The
last week had flown by like a hyperspace jump.  In Beth's mind it was a
fantastic muddle of William's constant presence, watching movies every night
until Beth's father would announce his arrival by clearing his throat loudly as
he walked down the hall ('good heavens, are you two still up?' - that was their
cue to turn in for the night), and her mother's shameless attempts at flirting
with William.  At first Beth had worried that William would be
annoyed.  But he kept up easily, flirting back and obviously enjoying
himself.  Less pleasant were the frequent hospital trips to see Lindy.

At
first, her condition had worsened, keeping time with her appearance.  Beth
wouldn't have thought she could look worse than she had at first.  But
then her black-and-blue battle wounds turned a sickly shade of yellow, and more
bruises materialized out of nowhere, rallying to the cause.  She had
broken her collar bone, several ribs, and her spine was damaged.  It was
difficult for her to get out of bed for the first time and walk around the
glaringly clean halls, and there had been no good news to temper the
pain:  the doctors still weren't sure if she would ever walk normally
again.  They said time would just have to tell.

The
only good news about the matter was that Jaxon would be behind bars for a long,
long time.

Lindy's
spirit seemed to have been tenderized, like her body.  It was as though
all the spunk had been beaten out of her.  She was a shell of who she used
to be; a very brittle, papery-skinned shell.  The kind that cracks into a
million tiny bits of sparkling dust when you drop it.

Tomorrow
she would be coming home from the hospital, and Beth had done her very best to
make sure she would be comfortable once she arrived.  After changing the
bedding in Lindy's room and double checking the hospital corners, she'd set out
all of Lindy's favorite knick knacks.  Then she'd pulled the TV/DVD combo
in from the kitchen and positioned it in front of her bed.  Yesterday she
and William had bought a selection of DVDs for Lindy (action, comedy, drama -
anything but romance), and they were arraigned on a rickety table next to the
TV, their plastic shrink wrap already removed.

Tempers
were running high on this night, the eve of the big homecoming.  Beth's
mother had been slaving in the kitchen all day, making an assortment of Lindy's
favorite snacks to try and coax back some of the weight she had lost in the
hospital.  Her mother didn't seem to be happy unless everyone in the house
was having an anxiety attack along with her.  Beth's father had finally
given up trying to please his wife, sequestering himself in his study to read a
book instead.

William
stretched out on Lindy's bed, watching as Beth bustled around the room. 
He'd finally stopped asking how he could help.  Beth pushed her hair
behind her ears and gave the room yet another once-over.  Then she pulled
William up off the bed and towed him from the room.  She informed her
parents that they were going out, and not to wait up, not bothering to ask
permission or wait for a reaction.  She retrieved a couple thick blankets
from the linen closet in the hall and pulled William out the front door, across
the lawn, and into her little red truck.

"We're
getting out of here," she informed William as she put the truck in
gear.  The house fell behind them like a sulky child left standing in the
road.  Beth accelerated, not feeling the least bit guilty.

~:~

William
was half amused, half curious as they got out of the truck.  "Did you
bring me here to
park
?"

"Of
course not," Beth said, sounding affronted as she climbed into the back of
her truck.  "If I wanted to 'park,' the truck would be facing the
view instead of the mountain."  As she spoke she shook out the
blankets and spread them across the ridged metal of the truck bed.

William
leaned against the tailgate of the truck with his arms folded, unable to keep a
grin from his face as he watched her.

"But
traditionally, this
is
where people come to park," she added,
waving a hand toward the valley.  It wasn't a very impressive sight. 
There weren't enough lights to make a spectacular view, and it was too dark to
see anything else.  She wrapped her arms around William's chest from
behind as she knelt in the bed of the truck and tilted his head back with her
hand.  "
This
is why I brought you here."

William
had never seen anything like it, even in all his outdoor excursions.  The
few lights winking at them from the small town of Meryton didn't remotely
compare to the spectacular sight above.  He imagined he was looking at
every star ever created.  A glittering dust cloud stretched across the sky
like a reaching hand - one of the Milky Way's arms.  It made him short of
breath; but the hand pressed to the skin over his heart made it impossible to
breathe at all.  Beth's cheek was against his, and he could feel her
breath on his face.

"By
the way," she whispered, "I love you too."

William
couldn't be sure if it was the hot puff of air that had escaped from her mouth
to his ear, or the words themselves, but it felt like his heart had just been
shocked with an electric pulse.  He pivoted and closed his arms around
Beth, the tailgate separating them, and looked up into her face.  Her eyes
were bright as fire, her fingers spindles of flame as they tangled in his
hair.  It was the first time he'd been properly alone with her since that
night in the kitchen when she'd doctored his cuts.  For some time now he
had been holding on to a question he meant to ask her.  His pulse
quickened and he knew it was time.  He kissed her once, softly, and then
pulled back with difficulty - the rest of him screamed for so much more.

"You
love me?"

Beth
answered by leaning in for another kiss.  With a great display of
self-denial William pulled back, smiling.

"
How
much
do you love me?"

Beth's
eyes smoldered.  "I was about to demonstrate."

William
grinned.  "Yes, I'll bet you were.  I need you to do something
for me first, though."

Beth
narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then leaned forward with a hard look in
her eyes.  "Anything."

William
swallowed.  "Marry me?"

Beth's
eyes widened as she watched William for a few minutes in silence. 
"You're serious."

"Completely."

William
waited in hopeful agony as Beth caught her bottom lip between her teeth. 
Then her face broke into a smile, and the almost-dimple surfaced in her right
cheek.

Raising
up on her knees so that she looked down at him, she pulled her fingers through
his hair, then kissed him until he couldn't think straight.

"Is
that a yes?" he asked against her mouth several minutes later.  You
couldn't blame a guy for wanting clarification.

A
mischievous glint came into Beth's eyes, which she narrowed at him, as if she
were listing the pros and cons in her head.  This went on for so long that
William began to worry in earnest.  Then she laughed and nodded. 
"Yes."

William
took her face in his hands and kissed her hard, as if trying to punish her. 
"Don't do that to me, woman."

Beth
smiled in a slightly ashamed way.

"Be
nice to me," he murmured in her ear, "or I won't give you your
present."  To his satisfaction, Beth shivered at the brush of his
lips.

"Present?"

Barely
able to contain his excitement, William plunged a hand into his pocket, closing
his fingers around the object in question - something he'd been holding onto
for a while.  Beth's curiosity piqued; she sat back on her ankles and
tucked her hair behind her ear, looking nervous.

"Close
your eyes," William instructed.  When she did, he slid a thin
platinum band onto the ring finger of her left hand.

Clearly,
she hadn't expected the present to be an engagement ring.  Her mouth hung
open in astonishment as she gaped at the diamond, which was rather impressive
if he did say so himself.

 "You
have a
ring
?" she accused, sounding indignant.

"I've
had this ring since before Les and Jenna's wedding," William informed her.

"
What?! 
When……?"

 "Remember
the day you left the studio to chew Jenna out for giving Fritz your
lyrics?  Tiffany's is right down the street from Fritz's studio.  Do
you like it?"

A
speechless Beth had to be a first.  "What's not to like?" she
finally answered, unable to take her eyes off the ring.  "It's more
like an ice rink than a ring.  How big is this diamond?"

William
smiled at her tone, incredulity trimmed with longing.  "Three
karats," William answered.  At her reprimanding expression, he
decided not to tell her about the wedding bands - which easily cleared another
karat of baguettes each.

Beth
tugged on William's arms, signaling that she no longer wanted the tailgate
between them.  They lay down side by side on their backs, William holding
her right hand as she pivoted her left.  The moonlight glinted off the
stone, and William mentally patted himself on the back. 
Nailed it
,
he thought happily.

Beth
propped herself up on one elbow, still transfixed by her hand.  "I
wouldn't call this a ring, though.  I think it's spatially closer to a
continental iceberg."

William
laughed.  "A continental iceberg?"

"You
know, like Greenland," she clarified, lowering her mouth to his.

William
didn't protest, and a session of intense communication followed, none of which
was verbal.

VERTIGO

"A
man who had felt less, might."

~Mr.
Darcy, Pride & Prejudice

It was
a mild day in early September.  The sky was a vibrant cornflower blue, and
the wind created a sort of hushed violence as it brushed coppery leaves across
the ground.  The crisp scent of autumn was in the air, and William could
feel the summer ebbing away, as if reluctant to yield its dominion to the
chill.  He took a generous swig of the glass offered to him by Les,
wondering when the uncomfortable fluttering in his stomach would stop.

"So…..you
about ready, man?  I think it's time."  Les's smile was broad as
always, but somehow even more pronounced today.

"Yeah,"
William managed through his nerves.  He swiped his jacketed arm across his
forehead to get rid of the perspiration that had gathered there.

"Dude! 
I wasn't nervous at all on my wedding day.  What's up?"

William
took a shaky breath, feeling ridiculous.  He hesitated, thinking. 
"What if she changes her mind?"

Les
clapped William heartily on the shoulder.  "There's always
Kara."

William
sunk a mock punch into Les's gut.  He looked in the mirror once more and
asked distractedly, "Still upset about not being a bridesmaid?"

"No,
she's upset about not being the bride."  Les stepped to his friend
and straightened his bow tie.  "Don't worry, dude, she'll get over
it."

"Hey,
at least we invited her.  It was actually Beth's idea."

There
was a throat-clearing noise from the doorway, and William looked up to see Mr.
Pride.  "Let's get on with this, young man.  Before I change my
mind."

William
shot a wry glance at Les.  Beth's father had made no secret of the fact
that he thought the besotted couple were jumping the gun.  After all, they
had only been engaged for two months.  Despite the potential damage to his
pocket book, Beth's father had been hoping for an extravagant wedding that would
take longer to plan.  William knew that he was none too eager to part with
his favorite daughter.

William's
excitement bubbled over as he stepped up to his future father-in-law and said,
"You got it,
Dad
!"  Then he planted an excited kiss on
his cheek and jogged out of the room to take his place, with Les at his
heels.  William shook his head inwardly at the sight that greeted
him.  It was almost laughable; the fifty or so folding chairs facing a
platform that had been set up in front of a massive weeping willow tree. 
He would bet a fair amount that no one had ever been married at Meryton Park
before.  It was deemed a park, but there were fire pits and expiring
picnic tables dotting the landscape.  A picturesque pond was the
centerpiece of the park, complete with a gazebo.  But Beth had not chosen
that as the spot for them to be married.  They set up a few hundred yards
away, by the willow tree.

William
looked at the guests, amused that most of them were Beth's.  Mrs. Pride
sat on the front row by herself, and a couple dozen or so other relatives were
seated just behind her.  He saw Jenna's parents a few rows back,
surrounded by other friends William had never met - most likely friends and
neighbors from Meryton.  They had decided not to seat their friends and
loved ones on different sides as brides and grooms often do, since William's
would include all of two people.  Les and Gianna were in the wedding
party, and that would only leave Fritz and Kara.  William would have had
more guests if the wedding had been in New York, but he and Beth had decided
that preparations for a New York wedding would take too much time.

William's
thoughts were interrupted when he heard the soft piano music begin, and he
smiled over at his cousin Fritz playing for them on a keyboard.  Fritz was
playing the song he and Beth had performed at Les's wedding.  William's
heart thumped eagerly as Gianna glided up the aisle in an apple-red gown. 
There was a pale peach-colored sash tied high on her waist, and she smiled radiantly. 
He wondered idly if she was just as giddy as he was, or possibly more so. 
Lindy came next, wearing the same floor-length dress as Gianna.  William
thought she looked somewhat nervous, and he wondered if she was feeling
self-conscious about her slow pace and wondering how informed the present
company was about recent events.  Jenna followed Lindy with a contented
expression on her face, in a peach dress with a red sash.  William took a
deep breath, trying to lessen the effect of anticipation.  The music
changed key, evolving into
Cannon in D
.  His heart skipped wildly
and then stopped altogether when the sight of his bride met him.

Beth's
creamy skin was positively glowing.  Her dark eyes had a dusky brightness,
and her cheeks were warmly flushed.  Her hair had been loosely pulled back
from her face, blossoming into a messy but somehow classy bun at her
neck.  William was glad she hadn't done anything too extravagant with her
hair; he didn't want anything to detract from her face.  And with
appreciation he let his eyes slide down her length.  Her cream colored
gown was the same style as her bridesmaids, long and simple.  There were
petal sleeves and the high-waisted dress flared out into an A-line (thanks
again,
Say Yes to the Dress
).  Beth wore a sash of peach and red
braided together at the empire waist.  It looked like the kind of dress
you would see on those old British movies she watched sometimes.  She
carried a simple bunch of roses in her hands in the same colors, vibrant green
ribbon twisting around the stems to hold them together.  A sheer ivory
veil was pinned just above her bun.  William couldn't imagine anyone more
angelic - even in heaven.

The
ceremony was simple and sweet.  Mr. Pride swiped away the single tear that
welled up when he placed his daughter's hand in William's, and sat down next to
his wife, who trembled with joyous hysteria.  They repeated their vows and
exchanged rings (William earned a look from Beth as he placed a
baguette-crusted band on each side of the solitaire), and then they were pronounced
husband and wife.  William didn't wait for the priest to give him
permission to kiss his wife.  He bent slightly and picked her up in his
arms, crushing her to him.  As he brought his lips down on hers, a wave of
something akin to vertigo rocked through him, and for an instant he saw flashes
of their future, stretching out before him like a runaway filmstrip.

William
stood in a bleached doorway, watching another version of himself bending over
Beth, smoothing the dark, wet hair off her face.  Her pale skin glistened
with sweat and her breath was labored and deep.  Her eyes were closed with
fatigue.  Then they fluttered open as a nurse placed a flushed baby in her
arms.  Beth gazed at her miracle for an immeasurable moment, and then
looked up into William's face, locking eyes with him.  A spark flashed in
her eyes, and she kissed him.  William couldn't hear what she murmured to
his future-self.

Next
he stood just outside a dimly-lit room.  He saw Beth sitting on a small
bed draped with a flowered quilt.  Beth lounged against the bed frame, her
fair skin glowing as a smile of contentment lit her face.  An
ivory-skinned girl with dark curls was nestled under her arm, her head resting
on Beth's swollen belly.  The girl looked up at William, her large eyes
dark and bright.

Next,
William found himself surrounded by chaos.  Blurry, flesh-toned shapes
darted around a room filled with the music of children's voices.  A
slightly older Beth looked up at the entrance of his future-self  through
the door.  Her bright eyes were set in a clearly tired face, and she
smiled; a knowing smile, meant only for him.  In her arms there was a
flaxen-haired baby boy who could not take his eyes off his mother's face.
 One pudgy hand rested on her cheek as he vied for her attention. 
She pressed his dimpled hand to her lips and blew a raspberry into his palm,
coaxing from him a clear, peeling-bell laugh.

The
filmstrip sped up now, and William only caught flashes of the next scenes.
 
He and Beth talking in the dark when the house was finally quiet and they could
claim their room for themselves again…..tassels atop caps dotting the blue sky
at the close of graduation after graduation……holding Beth in his arms as she
ached for their children, now all gone from home……another burst of pandemonium
as their children and grandchildren assembled for a family photo……the crinkly
lines etched around Beth's eyes as she smiled, her hair now silver with the
passage of time, somehow more beautiful than before.

And
then he found himself back in the present, still kissing his bride.  He
pulled away slightly, looking into her eyes.  She didn't seem to notice
that he had taken a little jaunt into the future, and it all seemed to have
occurred in the self-same instant.  He held her tighter for a moment and
then set her gently on her feet.  He could tell her about it later, or
keep it to himself.  Either way, they had a lifetime together.