Pride's Prejudice (23 page)

When
Beth returned to the table, she couldn't decide what she was feeling more -
relief or trepidation - at seeing Kara back in her own seat and William next to
the empty seat meant for her.  Avoiding both pairs of eyes, she sat down
and seized her drink.  She had been right about the glasses - they were
large jars with handles.  At least they were clean, though, which was a
perk for a place like this.  Beth winced as the soda frothed in her mouth,
stinging her tongue.  Pulling back and glowering into her drink, she made
a disgruntled noise.  One lone ice cube floated weakly at the top, so
there was nothing to cut the fizz.  She may as well be drinking from the
can.  Feeling William's eyes on her, she decided to busy herself with the
menu.

"Beth,"
Jenna called from Kara's other side, "don't let me forget - tomorrow at
nine a.m. you have a fitting for your bridesmaid dress."

"Okay."

"And,
I wanted to ask you how you felt about singing at the reception."

Beth
groaned inwardly.  "I thought you had a guy singing already - one of
Les's friends?"

"An
old roommate of ours," Les piped up.  "William's cousin,
Fritz."

"Fritz? 
Is he German or something?"  Without realizing it, she had turned to
William with her question.

"He's
a music guy," William offered dryly, sidestepping the ethnicity
question.  "He has his own studio here in New York.  He's one of
those artsy types," he finished with a sidelong glance at her.

Was he
actually trying to provoke her?  It seemed like it.  Ignoring him,
she addressed Jenna.  "Okay, so tell me again why you want me to sing
instead?"

Jenna
swallowed a mouthful of peanuts.  "Not instead - with.  We want
you guys to do a duet."

Beth
sat still, considering.  "What's the song?"

"An
'original' he wrote for the happy couple," William answered, framing the
word with quote marks in the air.

Beth
noted the distant apprehension in his eyes, though she couldn't account for
it.  She sighed.  "I don't know, Jenna.  Will I even have
time to learn a song?"

"It's
already settled.  I'll take you over there tomorrow after the dress
thing.  I'm sure you'll pick it up fast."

Beth
felt like she was missing an inside joke.  "Why bother asking if it's
already settled?"

Jenna
shrugged, smiling angelically over at Beth, fully aware of the fact that Beth
couldn't stay mad at her for long.  She'd never been able to, and that
wasn't likely to change on the most important weekend of her best friend's
life.

The
waitress returned to take their orders, starting at the opposite end of the
table this time and ending with Beth.  The waitress was stowing her
notepad when William added, "Can you also bring me a glass of ice,
please?"  Then he gave her a dazzling smile before looking at Beth.

She
narrowed her eyes, trying to deduce what he was up to, then turned back to
Jenna.

"So,
dress fitting at nine and meeting Fritz….."

"After
that."

"Obviously. 
Anything else?"

Jenna
didn't answer.  She and Les were busy looking into each other's eyes and
tuning the rest of the world out.  Beth was really and truly pleased that
the most important person in her world would soon be happily settled.  But
they were downright nauseating to watch at times.

The
waitress returned with the ice and set it down in front of William, leaning in
unnecessarily close as she did so.  He thanked her, then took the liberty
of dumping Beth's soda into the ice-packed jar mug.

On
seeing this Kara blurted, "What
are
you doing?"

William
looked across the table at her and answered defensively, "She likes
ice."

Kara
pushed up from the table, muttering something about needing fresh air, and Beth
surveyed William, feeling some of her own ice chip spontaneously from her
exterior.

William
looked back at her quietly, every trace of the mock flirtation he'd been
slathering on the waitress vanishing.  In this moment, it felt like they
were at a table for two.

"How's
Gianna?" Beth asked quietly.

William
looked surprised for an instant before answering.  "She's okay."

"I'll
see her at the wedding, right?"

"I
doubt she'll be able to wait that long," William admitted with an
expression Beth didn't understand.  Exasperation mingled with affection,
she decided after a moment.  "She's been counting down ever since Les
and Jenna set the date."

Beth
flushed with pleasure and dropped her eyes.  Unsure what to say to such a
straightforward confession, she just tucked her hair behind her ear.  The
food had begun to arrive, and hopefully it would distract William from her
apparent chagrin.

~:~

Mr.
Bradford signed the bill for dinner while the party collected their belongings
and tucked their chairs into the table.  Mrs. Bradford had suggested that
they all come back to their house for dessert, since the only thing on the menu
at Bob's was
Fresh Cow Pies
and the title had put them all off their appetites.

"So,
did you work out the cake fiasco?" Beth asked Jenna as they walked
arm-in-arm toward William's car.

"Cake
fiasco?"  Jenna furrowed her brow.  "Oh, that.  Yes,
it's all fine now."  She looked around for a moment, anywhere but at
Beth.  "I hope it wasn't too awkward for William to pick you
up."

"Whatever. 
You know it was awkward."

Jenna's
apologetic expression didn't quite mask the smile behind her eyes. 
"You two seem to be okay now, though."

"We're
tolerating each other for your sakes, Jenna.  There's a difference. 
We'll send you two on your honeymoon and never see each other
again."  The words sounded sad to Beth.

"Is
that what you want?"

"It's
not totally up to me, is it?" she answered, ignoring the base question.

"No,
but-"

"It
doesn't matter anymore."

"You
keep saying that."

"So?"

"So,
are you sure you're not trying to convince yourself?"

"Jenna,
I never thought I'd say this to you, but mind your own business!"

Jenna
squeezed Beth in an exuberant hug.  "Aren't you glad I'm getting
married and you'll finally be rid of me?"

"Yeah,
totally," Beth lied.  "Marriage - love it!"

Jenna
smiled impishly, opened the driver side door and climbed behind the
wheel.  Beth groaned as she opened the passenger side door.  It was
going to be such a long weekend.

HOPE

"We
must stem the tide of malice…."

~Mary Bennet, Pride
& Prejudice

The
Bradfords' house was enormous.  A handsome drive outside city limits, it
was an elegant house that looked more like a castle.  There were ponds and
fountains nestled here and there in the landscape, with a bridge or two and
several hunched willow trees.  And that was just the front yard. 
Beth would not have been surprised to hear that they had an amusement park
behind the house,
Bradford Land
, or something to that effect.  It
was picturesque, like something out of a fairy tale.  Perfect for the
wedding.

The
cars pulled up one by one, their occupants spilling out into the
driveway.  Jenna and Beth had driven together and Les had ridden with
William, no doubt to avoid any more discomfort for the time being.  Beth
wasn't very grateful at all; she knew that fresh agony would be on its way
soon.

When
she and Jenna got out of the car her eyes were immediately drawn to the sight
of William hugging a light-haired girl who was much shorter than he was. 
He towered over her, making her already petite frame look positively
miniscule.  As they approached, Beth could see that she had large, bright
blue eyes and rosy cheeks.  Her complexion was much lighter than William's. 
Her hair was deep honey blonde, pin-straight, and just brushing her shoulders.

The
girl walked slowly toward Beth, as if trying to keep herself from flying a
million different ways.  William trailed slightly behind, his posture
hesitant.  Before any sort of formal introduction could be made, Gianna
closed the distance.

"Hi,
Beth," Gianna said warmly as she embraced her.  "I'm Gianna
Darcy.  It's so good to finally meet you!"

When
Gianna pulled away, still grinning, Beth saw that her face betrayed her
youth.  It would be so very easy for someone like Jaxon to hurt her.

At
that moment she hated him.  She had nothing to say to this wounded angel,
so she just hugged her again - hyperaware of William's scrutiny.

"How
did you like Bob's?" Gianna asked in a shrewd tone as they walked into the
house.  Obviously, she'd been there.

"It
was
vastly
entertaining, for several reasons," Beth assured
her.  "I think your brother may have an admirer, actually."

William's
head came up at the sound of his name, and Beth looked back at him
playfully.  "I think it's safe to say our waitress wanted to give him
a little
spud love
of her own."  William smiled tolerantly
when Beth and Gianna laughed at his expense.

"Funny,"
Beth commented, "you were pretty keen on the attention at the time."

"Not
really.  I was keen on seeing how many times I could get you to roll your
eyes."

"And?"

"Not
as many as I thought."

"Sorry
to disappoint."

"William,
you're such a pot-stirrer.  Give the poor girl a break.  She just
flew in and she's probably exhausted," Gianna chided.

Not as
tired as I should be,
Beth realized, smiling at Gianna.

~:~

The
crème brulee had been consumed and everyone lounged in a contented lull,
conversing quietly in small groups.  William couldn't help shooting Beth a
look when Kara commented that she would like her mother's recipe.  Beth
managed to keep a straight face, with only the slightest twitch of her lips and
sparkle in her green eyes.

Les
and Jenna's parents sat together, the mothers talking about the bridesmaids'
dresses, and the fathers discussing business, sports, and how much the wedding
was costing.  The rest of the party were sitting all together, though Les
and Jenna could've been alone for all the attention they paid to anyone
else.  They were probably making up for the agonizing car rides when
they'd been separated.  If Jenna had grilled Beth half as much as Les had
grilled William, then her ride had been just as uncomfortable as his.

William
silently looked on as Beth and Gianna chatted amiably, and Kara stewed in
silence, still sour from Beth one-upping her at dinner.  The recollection
still brought a triumphant grin to his face, which he didn't bother
concealing.  He was proud of Beth, plain and simple.  As if he'd
called her name, she looked up and met his eyes.  A few hours ago he
would've been embarrassed to be caught watching her.  But he couldn't look
away from the sight of the two most precious women in the world becoming
friends.  Beth blinked, then returned her attention to Gianna.  Was
it the light, or was she blushing slightly?

Kara's
unwelcome voice ripped William from his pleasant observances.  "So,
Beth," she began sweetly, "have you been dating anyone at
Hartford?"

William
stiffened, clenching his jaw to keep from telling her off.

Beth
seemed caught off guard by the question.  "No…..I've had finals and
all that."

"Well,
I'm not surprised.  After all, the two best looking beaus from Hartford
are sitting right here."  She simpered at William, who ignored her,
not having quite gotten over the thought of Beth dating.

"What
about that one guy you were so hot for?  What was his name?" 
Kara looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.  "Wasn't it -"

William
was mid-rise when Beth shot up, seizing Gianna's hand and blurting,
"Gianna, could you show me where the bathroom is?  I had one too many
refills at dinner, I think.  I'm going to burst."

And
she loped away from Kara, towing Gianna behind her.

The
pounding of William's heart echoed and rebounded off his chest wall as he slunk
back down to the couch.  His breathing was deep but controlled as he
glared at Kara.  "I would be
immensely
grateful if you didn't
mention
him
in front of my sister again."  Then he got up and
walked outside, trying to calm his temper and make sense of his feelings.

~:~

The
front door was open, and the party had spilled out onto the paved driveway that
half-circled the Bradford Estate.  As Beth and Gianna stepped outside,
Beth felt a vague sort of sadness overtake her.  She probably wouldn't see
Gianna again until the wedding.  And as uncomfortable as the day had been
at times with William, she would feel the loss of his teasing smile and his
omnipresence.  At least she could look at him now without feeling
mortified.  Now, she just felt a sort of skewed misery.  They were
not enemies, at least.

Beth
glanced at Gianna, relieved.  She didn't think she knew who Kara was
talking about earlier.  Hopefully William had done some damage control
while they were gone, and Kara would be keeping her perfectly painted mouth
shut from now on.

It was
dark outside, and the scattered group was winding down to goodbyes.  Beth
felt William watching her as she and Gianna walked up to stand on either side
of him.  When the sensation did not lift, she looked up at him,
curious.  His face was calm, his eyes pensive.  He turned his head a
fraction towards her and mouthed the words
thank you
.

She
understood.  He was grateful to her for saving Gianna from what would
certainly have been a painful reminder.  Nothing more.

Then
he reached out cautiously and touched her hand lightly with his, loosely
entwining his fingers with hers, blasting her presumption out beyond the
boundaries of Bradford Land
.

Her
heart constricted in her chest as the death of her theory gave birth to new
hope - a shiny, pink hope with its eyes still closed.  They stood there,
holding hands in the dark where no one could see (Beth's heart leaping up into
her throat), until the party finally broke up and Jenna's parents climbed into
their car to head to their hotel.  When Jenna walked over to Beth, she
dropped William's hand reluctantly and stepped away.

"So,
where's your stuff, Beth?"

"Um,
William's car.  I'll go get it."

"That
reminds me, dear," Mrs. Bradford chimed in, joining the group, "I
hope you don't mind bunking up with Jenna in her room - the other guest wing is
under renovation right now."

Beth
had started to say "no, not at all" when William cut her off.

"She
can stay with us, Mrs. Bradford."

Beth's
eyes darted up to his, which were locked steadfastly on her.  Gianna's
face lit up and she came to his aid, as if on cue.

"Of
course!  We have a guestroom and you'll have your own bathroom and
everything.  Which you really need to get ready for the wedding,
Beth."  She beamed up at her brother.  "You are so smart,
William.  Why didn't I think of it?"

He
winked at her.

"Really,
you guys, it's not necessary.  I'm fine here with Jenna -"

"Actually,
Beth," Jenna joined in, "with my dress and stuff everywhere, there's
not much room left.  It would probably be pretty scrunchy."

Jenna
had never lied in her entire life, so Beth had no trouble detecting it now.

"Come
on, Beth," Gianna whined, almost Lindy-ish, "I just redecorated it
and everything.  Please?!"

For
some reason it didn't annoy Beth like Lindy did.  She regarded William,
gauging his reaction.  She couldn't interpret his neutral expression, but
it seemed carefully composed.  William glanced down, plunging his hands
into his pockets, and then looked back up at her from under his lashes.

"Okay,"
she answered quietly.  "If you're sure it's no trouble…."

"Yay!"
Gianna squealed, throwing her arms around Beth.  Through the golden hair
obscuring her vision, Beth could see that William was smiling.

~:~

Beth
meandered down the hall of William's spacious apartment, running her fingers
lightly along the textured taupe wall as she waited for William.  He had
stepped into another room to take a business call, and as Gianna had said she
was stopping at the grocery store, Beth found herself alone.  She regarded
the pictures that flanked the hall like sentinels, feeling a bit like a
trespasser.  There was an eight by ten picture of who she could only
imagine to be William and Gianna's mother.  She was tall and slender, with
Gianna's coloring and William's eyes.  Next to it was a family picture of
William and Gianna with their father, who looked exactly as she would expect
William to look in forty years or so.  In the shot, William's hair was not
the precise disarray she was used to.  His shoulders were almost bony, and
his face was thinner.  Gianna looked like she could be about nine or ten.

The
next picture was a snapshot of William and Gianna fishing.  William had
his teenage arm settled protectively across his sister's shoulders, and they
smiled in the sun.  The last picture gave Beth a pang.  It was a
newborn baby, the picture you take in the hospital right after they've popped
out, with their blotchy cheeks and misshapen heads - Merry Noel.

"She
won't let me take it down," William supplied quietly, startling Beth when
he spoke from behind her.  How long had he been standing there, watching
her pry into his life?

"She's
beautiful."

William's
face tensed, his jaw set, and he nodded as he moved to stand beside her.

Beth
studied his expression for a moment, trying to read him.  "It upsets
you that she keeps the picture."

William
drew breath before responding.  "It's a constant reminder to her of
what happened.  For some odd reason that's why she wants it
here."  He paused, shrugging.  "I don't think having it up
is helping her move on."

Beth
took a breath and looked back at the picture thoughtfully.  "I think
I understand why she keeps it."

"Really,
now?  Well, why don't you enlighten the clueless male with your feminine
intuition, then?"  His expression was almost amused.

"Well,"
she began, gesturing to the frame, "the visual reminder helps her to feel
like it wasn't all for nothing.  If the picture's gone, then it's
like…….there's an empty space in her life where something happened that changed
her, but there's no proof that it ever happened."

William
stared at Beth for several seconds, digesting her words.

Beth
folded her arms.  "You see this baby as Jaxon, William," she
continued, softening her voice when he blanched at the name.  "But
she's also Gianna.  She's a part of her.  That kind of bond leaves a
mark……just like a scar."  Beth stopped, giving William a chance to
process.  When the silence stretched into uneasiness Beth looked around,
trying to guess which of the surrounding doors led to the guestroom. 
William hadn't moved.  He looked at the picture with wide eyes, seeming almost
fearful.

"Did
I do the right thing?"

Beth
raised her eyebrows, unsure of his meaning.

"Encouraging
her to place the baby for adoption?" he continued.  "What if she
hates me for it later?"

Beth
was quite flabbergasted at being asked for her opinion, but it took only a
second to recover.  "Yes, I think you did the right thing.  I
think she'll thank you for it, eventually.  And it was definitely best for
the baby."  She smiled suddenly to herself.  "Although it
would've been entertaining to see you as
Uncle William
."