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.
“Elizabeth?” Darcy said, turning back to her. “This is my sister, Georgiana.” He indicated the girl who was waiting quietly for her turn. Georgiana was a little taller than Elizabeth, with Darcy’s dark coloring and features. But where those features were extremely attractive on Darcy, they were merely pleasant on Georgiana.
Elizabeth shook the girl’s hand and smiled warmly. Georgiana looked extremely nervous and ducked her head as she was introduced to the party.
When the introductions were finished, Elizabeth found herself facing Darcy again. She looked into his dark eyes and paused, and then touching her tongue to her upper lip, she found her voice again. “So, what are you doing here?” she asked warmly.
“We have a long connection with Tanglewood from when my mother played as a guest artist. My summer home is nearby and we try to get here at least once every summer.”
Darcy stared at her, smiling for a long moment. Then he caught himself. “We were just about to go to lunch. Would you like to join us?”
Elizabeth looked at her sister and then to Darcy. “Certainly,” she smiled.
Darcy beamed as he directed the party along the path, falling into step with Elizabeth. He was no further than asking how Elizabeth’s parents were when Mary asked in a loud voice, “Where are we going?”
Darcy pointed in the direction of what looked like a large older house. “The Manor House,” he replied. “We’re expected at a luncheon there.”
Elizabeth’s face grew troubled. “Wait a minute. What kind of luncheon is this?”
Darcy stopped. “It’s a reception for supporters of the festival. We have an endowment, um,” he drifted off uneasily.
Elizabeth smiled embarrassedly. “We can’t go to that. It sounds very formal and we’re not invited,” she stammered.
“Lizzy,” he said softly. “It’s not a problem. They’re expecting me to bring guests. I was actually a little nervous before because it was just Georgie and me.” He smiled appealingly. “Please come.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” she asked.
Darcy shook his head, looking as stunned as she by the situation they found themselves in. “Not at all. Please, I would like to have you there,” he said carefully.
She smiled and nodded. As they continued to walk, Darcy asked her about her health and that of her family and of the band. The warmth in her face astonished him. All his plans for what he was going to say to her when they saw each other again had completely fled from his mind. He was running on instinct now, but at least he had the comfort of knowing she was just as surprised. If nothing else, that put them on equal ground.
Elizabeth found it hard to believe he was here. And even more amazing was that he was talking to her. He was making it clear that he wanted to be with her, something she was hardly expecting. She ached to ask what was going on and why he hadn’t replied to her song, but at the same time, she knew this wasn’t the place, and more importantly, she just wanted to be with him, without fighting, and see what happened.
As Elizabeth answered his questions, she studied him out of the corner of her eye. He looked good. He was wearing a white polo and stone-colored twill pants. He still had his goatee, and his hair had been brushed back.
“So you have an endowment?” Elizabeth asked when he had run out of family and friends to ask about.
He looked at her and nodded. “My mother used to play here pretty regularly when I was growing up. I even played a duet with her once,” he grinned. “When she died, my father set up an endowment in her name.” He looked down at her and smiled as if he was reminding himself that this was real. “I’m really glad that you are here. It’s…” Words seemed to fail him.
Elizabeth seemed to understand and could see his apprehension. She recognized that he was hesitating because he feared her response, remembering their terrible fight. She smiled gently at him and reached out her hand to him.
Darcy looked at her hand then her face. Wordlessly, he grasped her hand in his, never breaking his stride but moving minutely closer to her.
Elizabeth looked up to him, her eyes full of emotions, and she said softly, “I’m very glad to be here too.” She smiled shyly at him and was delighted by his response.
They reached the Manor House, where an elegant buffet was laid out. Mary led Elizabeth and the Darcys around, introducing them to the other musicians and staff.
Upon entering the room, Darcy had released Elizabeth’s hand. However, he found himself drawn to her, like a magnet to iron. He lightly rested his hand on the small of her back as the waiters served them. Elizabeth turned and looked at him, indicating her approval of his touch. When he had to remove his hand to shake hands with an acquaintance, the electric shock of Elizabeth’s hand lightly resting on his arm distracted him. Her eyes caught his and the wicked look he saw there told him she knew exactly what she was doing to him.
They sat down together to eat on a pair of seats against the wall, still in plain sight of the rest of the room. As Darcy chatted politely with the conductor for the night’s performance, he nonchalantly crossed his leg, pressing his foot against Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth smiled, making the briefest eye contact, before she returned to her conversation with the concertmistress. The game continued, each one seeing how long they could maintain physical contact with the other. It was blatantly obvious to both of them, yet they didn’t speak of it, only continued to play, coming up with more creative and interesting excuses to touch each other. Darcy’s hand grazed Elizabeth’s calf when he picked up the napkin she dropped; Elizabeth caressed the back of Darcy’s neck while brushing away a piece of lint from his collar. After each of these contacts, their eyes would meet, and a silent communication encouraged them to go on.