“Thanks, I will.”
They both said good-bye and hung up. A minute later the phone rang again. This time it was Jane.
“Oh Lizzy! I have wonderful news!”
Elizabeth smiled at Jane’s infectious joy. “Tell me.”
“We’re going to California tomorrow!”
“Really?”
“Charles wants me to see his house and meet his father,” she said somewhat shyly.
“That’s great! I’m so happy for you,” Elizabeth cooed. “Oh! I just got off the phone with Charlotte and you’ll never guess who she’s been talking to!”
“Richard?”
“How did you guess?”
Jane laughed. “So how are they doing?”
“Charlotte says it’s good. They have just been talking, friendly like, but she seems pretty happy about it. Jane?”
“What?”
“Char wants to go back on tour with them. She wanted to know what we think.”
Jane smiled. “Oh Lizzy! That’s great news. Yes, I want to go back on tour.” She slowed down a bit. “Charles and I are very worried about this all. It’s one thing for us to be back together as a couple, but it’s not good if the two bands are still having trouble.”
Once again, Elizabeth found herself in the uncomfortable situation of being the one without a relationship. “I think for now we should plan on going back.”
“Are you going to be okay, Lizzy?” Jane asked, her concern apparent.
“I’m not sure, but I’m going to try. That’s all I can do.”
“It’ll work out for you. I know it will.”
Elizabeth smiled wanly. “Now, you are going to be back in time for Tuesday, right?”
“Yes, we’re coming back Sunday night. Are you going to be okay working with George again?”
Elizabeth sighed. Again, she wasn’t sure. Knowing what she knew now, the last thing she wanted to do was make that second video with him, but she couldn’t suddenly refuse to do it. Not without revealing Georgiana’s secret, something she could never do. And if she did back out, she would be liable for all that money. There was nothing to do but grit her teeth and make the video with him, hopefully as quickly as possible.
“I’ll be okay, Jane,” she told her sister.
“Oh, Charles is back. I got to go. Take care, Lizzy. Say hi to Mary for me.”
Elizabeth said good-bye and hung up the phone. She sat down with a sigh on her bed. It had been six days since she sent the email, and still she had no response. After biting her lip and thinking for a long moment, she found herself looking a number up and dialing.
“Hello,” a crisp male voice answered.
“Oh, um, Faust, hi, it’s Lizzy Bennet.” Elizabeth found herself blushing furiously.
“Hello, Lizzy, how are you? Are you enjoying your holiday?” Faust seemed perfectly relaxed, and his ease helped Elizabeth.
“I am, thank you. And you?”
“Very nice, thanks. Caro is,” he paused, as if he was looking around himself, “um, not available right now. Can I take a message?”
Elizabeth heard Caroline’s voice calling out from a distance, “Who is it?”
“Hang on,” Faust told her. A half minute later, he returned to the phone. “Lizzy? Caro said that she did forward your email to Darcy. Is that what you called about?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Yes, it is. Thanks.”
“Oh good. Glad to be of service, Lizzy. See you soon.”
Elizabeth sighed. She had her answer now, but she wasn’t at all sure if she liked it. Darcy had her song, but he hadn’t replied to it. That meant either he had rejected it and her or… or what? She tried to come up with a reason, other than he wanted nothing to do with her, and failed utterly.
But despite the fairly damning evidence, Elizabeth still couldn’t give up hope. Maybe it was the way he had looked at her when he sang “Feel Me,” or maybe it was Caro’s advice to not give up. Or maybe it was just plain stubbornness. But Elizabeth was not ready to quit yet. She had been too blind in this relationship before, and she had made too many wrong assumptions. She wasn’t going to do that again. She was going to go back on tour, and she was going to tell him what she felt. At least she could do that much.
It was with a heavy heart she tucked herself into bed. She might tell Darcy she loved him, and he might laugh in her face. After what happened in the loft and at the rehearsal, it wouldn’t be impossible.
She wished she could just see him. Every day of waiting just became longer and longer. She closed her eyes and again imagined herself back in his arms. It might be nothing more than a fantasy at this point, but it was the most comforting one she had.
Elizabeth enjoyed the two-hour drive to Tanglewood. She loved looking out the window at the beautiful scenery. The Berkshire Mountains rose up tall and green on either side of the highway. The summer sunlight was fading, but Elizabeth was still struck by the natural wonder of the place.
She exited the Mass Pike at Lee and quickly made her way to the hotel. Elizabeth had hoped to stay someplace nicer, but at this late date, the Day’s Inn was the only place with rooms available.
It didn’t matter; it was close to Tanglewood and it was clean, Elizabeth told herself. She couldn’t help but smile as she realized that the hotels they generally stayed in while on tour were nicer than this. From the tour, her mind made the short hop to Darcy, a subject her mind spent so much of its time on lately.
Elizabeth allowed herself a quick fantasy that she was actually checking in with Darcy, rather than by herself. She knew it was foolish. Darcy would never stay in such a humble establishment. But it amused her briefly and made her feel less uncomfortable about being alone.
Tanglewood was the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Nestled in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, the large campus hosted performances daily in the two concert halls, and provided educational experiences for young musicians.
As Fitzwilliam Darcy walked along the path with his sister on the warm July morning, he found himself imagining a third member of their party. She was there again, his Shadow Elizabeth, who went with him everywhere and with whom he shared his favorite moments. Darcy could see in his mind’s eye her smile as she took in the beautiful campus. He knew it was a hopeless fantasy, but he found comfort in it, imagining what she might say and listening to her laugh.
He paused in his steps. For a second he could have sworn he had actually heard her laugh. He worried that he was spending too much time in his fantasy when he heard her voice.
“Darcy?” she called. “Will?”
Darcy spun around and found himself looking at the surprised face of his love.
“Elizabeth?”
He took three steps closer to her without knowing he did so. She was there. She was real. She was wearing a summer dress in a soft melon color and her hair was arranged in a graceful cascade.
A similar look of shocked surprise had graced Elizabeth’s face. She moved closer to him, and it was only when she stopped that Darcy was able to control himself and stop himself from embracing her. His awareness of where he was returned with a flash, and with it came the memories of their last parting.
Darcy smiled nervously. “What are you doing here?”
Elizabeth smiled with equal trepidation. “Mary,” she indicated her sister, “is here for the summer on a conducting fellowship.”
Darcy’s eyes flicked to the younger woman. “Mary, it’s nice to see you again,” he said warmly.
“It’s nice to see you, Darcy,” she said easily.
“Um, call me Will, please,” he replied awkwardly as he took a quick look at Elizabeth and then shook Mary’s hand.
Mary nodded politely in response, not quite able to keep an amused smile off her face.
