| An Appropriate Education Parts 1-3 Part 1 "Derbylinc International... Would you mind holding the line?" Elizabeth waited, a little annoyed at the muzak and occasional recorded reassurance that the call was, in fact, important. If her concerns for Georgia were less real she may have hung up, but she'd unsuccessfully tried to ring the home a number of times, so ringing the father at work seemed the next logical option. She doodled on her note pad as the length of her wait increased whilst she thought about the excruciatingly shy young lady who had recently enrolled in Longford High, and wondered how a girl who seemed to have so much going for her could be so insecure. "Sorry to keep you waiting," the impersonal voice on the other end of the phone finally cut in, interrupting her musings. "How may I help you?" "I'd like to speak to Mr William Darcy please." "Mr Darcy doesn't take calls, I'll transfer you through to his secretary." Without further ado Elizabeth found herself waiting on another line, but this time not for very long. "Good afternoon, Mrs Margaret Reynolds speaking," an older voice answered in a mild and pleasant sounding Scottish accent. "Good afternoon Mrs Reynolds," Elizabeth replied. "I'm Elizabeth Bennet, Georgia Darcy's Year Advisor at school. Would it be possible to have a few words with Mr Darcy?" "I'm sorry Elizabeth, but he's at a meeting out of the office for the rest of the day, but I am expecting him to phone in a little later. If you'd like to leave a message I'll be sure to pass it on." "Thank you, I'd appreciate that very much," Elizabeth responded, feeling that at least she was getting a little closer to contacting the elusive Mr Darcy. "I was hoping Mr Darcy might be able to call into the school sometime this week. There are a few matters concerning Georgia I'd like to discuss with him." "I'm sure he'll make seeing you a priority, but he has an extremely busy schedule at the moment, " Mrs Reynolds replied. "It might be helpful if you let me know the times you'd be available for such a conference." "Certainly, I'm free each lunch hour, between one and one fifty, I have my release hours between nine and twelve Thursday mornings, and I'm usually at the school at least until six every evening but Wednesday." "That's fine Elizabeth. I'm sure Mr Darcy will get back to you shortly." It was less than an hour later that Elizabeth received a call from Mrs Reynolds, scheduling in an appointment at 5 p.m. the following afternoon. Elizabeth was a little disappointed that she'd been unable to speak to Mr Darcy himself. Usually a few moments on the phone gave her an insight into what to expect from the parents, and how to approach such conferences, but in this case she'd be going in with nothing more than an impression of Mr Darcy as a busy and important businessman... and this was just enough to make her feel a little uneasy. ~/~ William Darcy approached the school's front desk just before five, and let the School Assistant, who was obviously preparing to leave for the day, know that he was to see a Ms Bennet. "I'm sure she'll be along any minute now," the woman assured him, not bothering to ring or page as she continued her packing up. "Please take a seat." Darcy felt a little put out as he stepped back from the counter. Georgia had been at the school for less than three weeks, and he hadn't expected any difficulties. Placing her in State school system was only an interim measure after withdrawing her from Rosing's Grammar School. This school was simply a stop gap solution while he investigated which would be the most suitable private school for Georgia following the recent fiasco at Rosings. Frankly he'd had rather enough of pushy teachers telling him what he should be doing in regard to Georgia, and this was the last place he wanted to be. He looked up as he heard someone enter the foyer, hoping it would be Ms Bennet. He wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible, but this girl was quite obviously not old enough to be a year advisor. He looked levelly at the attractive young lady, whilst feeling ill-used at being kept waiting by the teacher who'd summoned him. The young lady cast her eyes around the room, only giving him a cursory glance. "Sandra, will you be here for much longer?" she asked of the woman behind the counter. "About 10 more minutes Liz," Sandra replied "I'm expecting a Mr Darcy for an appointment. Can you give me a call in the staff room if he arrives before you leave?" "He's here already," Sandra answered, indicating the man who was just getting to his feet. "Oh... Mr Darcy?" Elizabeth questioned, some confusion evident in her tone. "I'm Elizabeth Bennet - would you like to come though to the interview lounge?" 'Lounge' was definitely a misnomer Darcy thought as he cast his eye around the small room with only three functional chairs and a low table on which Georgia's file sat. He was struck by the difference in setting to that of Mrs de Bourgh's imposing office at Rosing's Grammar. "I'm sorry Mr Darcy," she said as she indicated for him to take one of the seats. " I was expecting someone older. You're obviously not Georgia's father." "No I'm her brother and guardian," Darcy answered shortly, "and I'm afraid that I too was expecting to talk with someone senior. I am not used to dealing with junior members of staff." His exasperation had only increased upon seeing Elizabeth's age. Having Mrs de Bourgh lecturing him on how to bring up Georgia was bad enough, but at least she had a reputation and experience behind her. Now to be called to the school by this mere girl, was a bit much. He'd quite had his fill of school offices and pushy, patronising advice. Elizabeth was a little taken aback by the disapproval she could read in his eyes. She felt a flash of resentment toward him before reminding herself that this was about Georgia, and that was where her focus needed to remain. It wasn't the girl's fault that she had a rude and disdainful brother who, despite what his secretary said about his priorities, obviously resented having to take time out of his important work schedule for the sake of a younger sister. Meanwhile Darcy was repressing a desire to just immediately withdraw his sister from this school. He only hesitated as he'd not yet had time to properly consider which respected private school would be most appropriate for Georgia. He'd been struggling with the possibility that the best school might require her being sent away to board, and he wanted to put off such a momentous decision until he was absolutely sure. Georgia had been through enough with school lately, and he was angry that she was not even going to be allowed her short stay at Longford High without officious interference from teaching staff. Quite frankly, he was offended that in such a short time, they'd managed to find something in Georgia of which to be critical; and he looked coldly at Ms Bennet. "Georgia is serious and diligent in her studies," he stated by way of defence to the young teacher's unvoiced criticism. "and I can't imagine that she's been defiant or disruptive in any way." Elizabeth looked across at him, her surprise masking her, not very cordial, feelings toward this arrogant man who'd so wrongly presumed to know her reasons for concern over Georgia. If he'd only deigned to return her call himself, she could have told him that Georgia was not in trouble. "Nor can I Mr Darcy," she answered in a calm voice which belied her actual feelings toward him. "Her behaviour is exactly what it should be, and her work is of a very high standard - remarkably high - particularly given the stresses involved in changing schools. You have a very talented younger sister Mr Darcy." The man sitting opposite her seemed momentarily disconcerted, but he did not completely lose the hardness of his expression. "My reason for wanting to talk with you Mr Darcy," she continued levelly, "was my concern for the social aspects of her change of schools. She's been here for almost three weeks now and I'm a little worried that she hasn't seemed to form any new friendships... She's obviously of a reserved nature, and I know that breaking into a new environment can be difficult, so I was actually hoping that you might have some insights or suggestions that could help us facilitate a happier adjustment to our school... I thought it best to act now, as I don't like the idea of her isolation becoming entrenched, or of her feeling uncomfortable or displaced here." Darcy immediately regretted his earlier terseness and swallowed an ill-natured wish to reply that it didn't matter, because Georgia would not be there for long - besides - it did matter; if Ms Bennet felt concern over Georgia feeling unhappy or displaced, Darcy felt it tenfold. He was incredibly protective of his little sister, and the highest priority in his life was her happiness. "I'm sorry Ms Bennet, I seem to owe you an apology. Georgia and I've had some rather negative experiences associated with her schooling lately, and I'm afraid I came in rather defensively." With your bulldozer approach it's no wonder your experiences were negative, Elizabeth thought to herself. She hated it when parents chose to see the school as an adversary, rather than a partner, in the concerns of a child. "So Georgia's here due to difficulties in her former school?" Elizabeth asked, hoping her enquiries would not set off his defensive reaction again. "Do you think this is contributing to her insecurities in settling here, or is she typically this shy?" "Yes... no... I mean yes..." Darcy searched for the words to convey what Georgia was going through without giving away the specifics of the situation. The memory of the 'incident' involving Georgia was still painful to him, and Rosings Grammar's reaction still caused him raw anger. "What I am trying to say is that though she's naturally shy, I've no doubt she's feeling more than her share of insecurity at this time. She's recently had her trust betrayed in a significant way, and I'm not at all surprised at her retreating into a protective shell." "Has she talked to you about how she's feeling here?" "I ask about it, but all I get are relatively noncommittal comments like 'fine', and 'okay' before she hides herself away in her room. I'm not sure whether I should be pumping her for more information, or whether it's best to just leave things alone for the moment." "Well that doesn't sound like atypical teenage behaviour to me." Elizabeth responded. "You're probably right to give her a bit of space, particularly if she's just been through a difficult situation - support's great, but pressure can be counter-productive. Does she have any good friends that she talks things through with?" "No!" Darcy answered sharply, quickly losing any ground that his apology and sensitivity toward Georgia had gained him in Elizabeth's eyes. Elizabeth looked at him levelly, not willing to allow her personal opinion of this man to interfere with her professional responsibilities. "Well Mr Darcy, I have some examples of work that Georgia has turned in since beginning here - if you'd like to look through them. I thought you might be interested in seeing how well she's performing academically. Then I'd hoped to run some ideas past you regarding her becoming more settled socially. I'd truly appreciate your input on the best way forward for both our school, and Georgia. Darcy noted that cold formality had returned to her tone, and could have kicked himself for reverting to his earlier terseness. This girl did not deserve his ill temper. He made every effort toward self control for the remainder of the interview, and found it not at all difficult as he began to appreciate Elizabeth's sensitivity toward Georgia and her intelligent approach in quest of some solutions. Rather than being annoyed at Elizabeth's 'interference' he began to feel somewhat relieved by the sharing of concern. In so many ways, the time since the death of his parents had been terribly isolating. To suddenly become the sole carer of a grieving 11-year-old, when only 23 and grieving yourself, had not been an easy lot in life. The difference in priorities and responsibilities between Darcy and those who'd been his friends, was stark, and though they had not intentionally abandoned their friendships, the different demands on their lives had inevitably pulled them in divergent directions. On top of looking after Georgia's concerns, he'd also been thrown in at the deep end of his father's business, leaving him with little time for the social life that someone of his age and eligibility might normally expect to enjoy. The few women with whom he'd begun relationships had soon tired of sharing his attention with Georgia, so apart from the occasional 'guilt' call from an old friend, he and Georgia were left pretty much to look after each other. He had not realised that talking things over with someone else could lighten the burden so significantly, and as they neared the end of their conversation he felt more positive than he had in a long time. "I have Georgia in my English class, and I was thinking of assigning a task to be completed in teams," Elizabeth explained after they had been speaking for some time, finally broaching what she thought was the probably her best strategy to help Georgia break into a group. "I'd allocate which students would work together, and there are a couple of really nice girls with whom I think Georgia would be able to feel quite comfortable. It might be a good opportunity to encourage some appropriate friendships." She could immediately read the wariness in Darcy's eyes, and didn't know whether to feel sympathy for him, or to be annoyed at his over-protectiveness. "How sure are you of these girls?" "As sure as one can be from my perspective Mr Darcy. They're bright girls. I've taught them for two years and think that I have a reasonable insight into their natures." "So they are sensible and mature?" Elizabeth couldn't help herself and laughed out loud at his question, taking him completely by surprise. "They're 15-year-old girls Mr Darcy, but I can assure you that though they are occasionally silly, they are not habitually stupid, and they're not totally obsessed with the opposite sex, if that's what you're concerned about." "That's good to hear, but actually, I was equally worried about how they related to each other..." "Ah... now I know where you're coming from. They're not the little bitches that a lot of girls their age can be," Elizabeth answered matter-of-factly, causing a small smile to creep onto Darcy's face for the first time in the interview . "They are just nice kids. I think they're quite involved in one of the local church youth groups, and their interests do extend further than the latest fashions and the hottest boys." "Well... they don't sound too scary," Darcy smiled. "If the girls can be trusted it could be a great idea." "You don't have to take my word for it Mr Darcy. The assignment will require work done outside the classroom, as well as in. Why not take the opportunity to suggest Georgia invite them over to your home to work? This would give you a chance to meet the girls themselves, and also some of their parents. I'm sure it would set your mind at ease, as well as help facilitate Georgia's friendship with the girls." "Thank you, I think I will." Darcy replied. "We...ell.." the long drawn out syllable obviously indicated the end of the interview. "Ms Bennet... I'd like to apologise for my earlier terseness... I was a bit taken aback by your youth. How did you manage to come by the role of Year Advisor at you age?" "Mr Darcy..." Elizabeth's light laugh rang out again. "This is the public school system. There's no great financial benefit in taking on such a position... you get these type of jobs through not being able to think of an excuse quickly enough, or through being too idealistic to know better." "And to which of these categories do you belong? "Darcy asked as he stood. "I'm unashamedly idealistic Mr Darcy," Elizabeth answered, not particularly concerned that he would doubtless despise her naïveté. "Well, I'm certainly glad you are," Darcy replied with a genuine smile, taking Elizabeth completely by surprise. "Thank you for looking out for Georgia." "You're welcome Mr Darcy, and if you have any concerns at all, please don't hesitate to phone me." ~/~ Elizabeth wandered back to the staff room, and was happy to see Chas Bingley, a good friend as well as colleague, still at school. After such encounters it was relief to have someone with whom to unofficially debrief. It didn't take more than the manner in which Liz collapsed into her seat, to alert Chas to the fact that she'd found the interview rather draining. "Am I right in the impression that this one didn't go as well as you'd hoped?" he enquired. "No... I think in the end we made some pretty positive decisions. It's just that Mr Darcy isn't the easiest man in the world to get on with." "So you weren't particularly taken with Georgia's Dad?" "It wasn't her Dad, it was her brother, and I must say he was just a tad on the arrogant side. I 'd done nothing more than introduce myself when he made it quite clear that it was rather an affront to his pride to have to deal with a lowly plebeian like myself." "He didn't say that!" Chas laughed. "Oh yes he did, that's virtually a quote," Elizabeth grinned back at him. "Thankfully he was able to put his disdain aside for a moment, to consider what was best for Georgia, and, remarkably, he came across a reasonably insightful and intelligent, once we got into the meat of the conversation. Still, I can't say that I particularly like the man." "So her brother is her guardian?" Chas asked. "It must be hard having such a responsibility when you're only young." "Chas," Elizabeth answered, feeling a little challenged by his sympathy toward Darcy, "I could probably feel a little more empathy for his responsibility at such a young age, had he only shown a little more empathy for mine." Part 2 Six weeks later Darcy was working in his study when he came across the stack of letters and brochures on exclusive schools, which he'd received in response to his enquiries on Georgia's behalf. Admittedly, he'd been avoiding the issue of choosing an appropriate school since Georgia had become happier and more secure at Longford High. The strategies he and Elizabeth had agreed on during their meeting had been undeniably successful, and Georgia had now become very much a part of the group of girls with whom Elizabeth had assigned her to work. Ms Bennet had been correct in her assessment of them as "nice kids". This was exactly what they were. Darcy had met them on a number of occasions now, and there was no sign of the cattiness or underhandedness that had been so evident in Georgia's last group of 'friends'. Darcy smiled as he thought of his sister's new companions; there was young Emily Wood, who might sometimes be a bit inclined to think a little highly of her own opinion, but the gentle promptings of Anne Ellis, and the down to earth approach of Ellen Dash, kept her well in line, and though Georgia had become closest to Anne, she truly enjoyed the friendship of all three. That Georgia was more settled was also evident in the fact that she talked to Darcy more... about school... her new friends... about the youth group events she was now attending with them... and about Miss Bennet, who had fast become her favourite teacher. No... Georgia was not going to like changing school again, but they'd both known that Longford high was not going to be a permanent solution. He was certainly going to find it hard to pull her out and make her start again, even though , he reasoned, it was for her ultimate good. She deserved every advantage in her education, and he had a responsibility to see she received it. Darcy reluctantly turned over the brochures, looking at the imposing edifices that dominated the glossy covers. They may have been grand, but he couldn't say they looked exactly inviting, and even more impressive than the buildings were the five figured amounts listed under yearly fees. Inside the brochures all the schools boasted of their age, their high academic standards, their sporting prowess and their excellent facilities, making it nigh on impossible to tell them apart and Darcy found that in his mind, one school was just melding in with the next. Intent as he was on his own thoughts, Darcy was startled back to earth by the shrill ringing of his phone. "Hello, William Darcy," he answered. "Mr Darcy," spoke a light voice which he distantly recalled. "It's Elizabeth Bennet from Longford High. Do you have a few moments to speak about Georgia?" "Of course," Darcy answered, wondering why he suddenly felt lightened at the prospect of a few minutes discussion with Elizabeth, and why he felt is was so important to acquit himself better in this exchange than he did in the last. "I'm glad you rang, because I been wanting the opportunity to thank you for the effort you've put into looking after Georgia. I haven't seen her this happy in quite some time." "I'm so glad to hear that Mr Darcy. She seems more settled at school as well," Elizabeth replied, surprised at friendliness of his tone. "I was actually wondering if she might like to be involved in a particular extra curricular activity, and wanted to run it past you before I broached the subject with her." "I appreciate that consideration," Darcy answered honestly. At Rosings parents had little, if any, input into their children's involvement in extra-curricular activities. Each student was expected to give unerring support to any endeavour that might reflect honour upon the school, despite personal conflicts. He recalled the stand up fight he'd had with Mrs de Bourgh over withdrawing Georgia from an activity on the anniversary of their parents death, where he was told, rather shortly, that it was time to 'stop molly-coddling the girl'. He pushed thoughts Rosings out of his mind as he tuned back to Elizabeth's words. "Mr Darcy, have you ever heard of 'The Challenge'? It's a state-wide competition which gives the students a great opportunity to extend themselves." "No, I can't say I have," Darcy replied cautiously, as visions of Georgia bungy-jumping and abseiling ran through his head. "Is it safe?" "Perfectly safe," Elizabeth laughed. "It's meant as an extension to the English curriculum. Each school has a team which faces tasks that vary from debating and drama presentations, to creative writing. Georgia wouldn't be expected to do any of the up front tasks... unless she wanted to of course... but I think she'd be a wonderful asset on the creative side of things, and I'm sure it would give her a chance to extend her gifts." Darcy could not help but feel pleasure at Elizabeth's encouragement of Georgia, but still had a number of questions regarding who else might be on the team, what kind of commitment would be required in hours, and whether it would not interfere with her regular classes, which Elizabeth answered honestly and fully. "Well," he finally concluded, "I'd be happy for you to speak to Georgia about it, and if she wishes to be part of the team she'll have my full support." "That's great Mr Darcy. I really feel this could be a wonderful experience for her," Elizabeth answered before terminating the call with the requisite polite goodbyes. She hung up the phone, extremely pleased with the outcome. Mr Darcy had certainly been more open and pleasant than she had expected, and she was relieved she'd caught him in a good mood. The difference in his manner however, had not totally overcome her strong first impression of the man, and she stubbornly put the change down to a capriciousness in his character. Darcy sat at his desk for while, feeling, for a second time after a discussion with Miss Bennet, a lessening of the weight of his cares for Georgia. He looked again at the letters and brochures that lay in front of him, before placing them into a draw and closing it. Maybe it would be best to leave Georgia's move until the beginning of the next school year... this at least would give him that time he needed to make the right choice. ~/~ Darcy looked at his watch after his out-of-office appointment had run much later than he'd expected, and decided there was little point in returning to his own office before picking up Georgia from her 'Challenge' preparation at the school. As Emily, Anne, and Ellen also planned to be part of 'The Challenge', Georgia had been enthusiastic about joining the team, and had actually found it far less daunting than she'd initially expected. Miss Bennet encouraged participation rather than pushed for it, and made their practices extremely enjoyable, with lots of fun and a dash of silliness. Darcy normally waited for Georgia in his car, parked out the front of the school, though he'd noticed a couple of the parents would go in to watch the end of the sessions when they came to pick up their charges. He'd been tempted to go in himself, but was unsure of whether or not he'd be intruding. Tonight however, the fact that he'd arrived at the school so early, combined with the distinct chilliness of the late afternoon, to influence him to leave his car and walk toward the school's drama room. He slipped silently into the back of the class, and watched in amusement as the kids played a game involving impromptu speeches where they challenged one another over any repetition, deviation or hesitation. If the challenge was upheld the challenging student took over where the other left off, with the one left speaking at the end of a minute receiving points for their team. It became a rather hilarious exercise, with much laughter and frivolity, and Darcy was amazed to see Georgia actually joining in, rather than just sitting back and observing. It occurred to him that she must really feel safe within this group. After watching unobserved for a few minutes, he was noticed by a male teacher of about his age, who made his way over and introduced himself with a smile. "Hi, I'm Chas Bingley, are you here for one of the kids?" "Yes... I'm William Darcy, Georgia's brother," he answered. "I found myself here early today. I hope you don't mind me coming in." "Not in the least," Chas replied. "It's great to have interest and support from family members. You're welcome to come in any time you wish." "So you're one of the co-ordinators of this Challenge team?" Darcy asked. "Only nominally," Chas smiled. "It's really Lizzy's baby, and I just do as I'm told." Darcy turned his eyes to the group, and for the first time that evening really looked at 'Lizzy', who was laughing as she mediated a lively dispute over whether there had been a deviation from the subject. If he'd noticed she was attractive on their first encounter, it didn't compare to his being struck by her appearance on this occasion. She was dressed far less formally, her jeans and a white T-shirt showing her figure rather more advantageously than her business suit had at the interview. Her long chestnut hair was not completely contained in a loose plait, and a natural smile gave animation to her pretty face, but what most caught his notice were her eyes, which mirrored her smile, and also added life, intelligence, and humour to her countenance. It took him a few moments to comprehend that Chas was again speaking to him, and it took a conscious effort to turn his attention back to the conversation. Twenty minutes later, as he and Georgia walked together to his car, Darcy had to acknowledge that he was glad he'd looked in on her class. Chas had proven to be an interesting and enthusiastic conversationalist, and Georgia seemed pleased when her brother admitted to liking him. "I don't have him for any classes, but he always comes across as such a nice man," Georgia smiled. "I get the impression that he's a little on the disorganised side, but Miss Bennet keeps him in line... You didn't speak much with Miss Bennet this evening." "No, she seemed a little busy," Darcy replied, thinking of the short formal exchange of greetings he'd had with Elizabeth at the end of the session. He'd wanted to say more, but had found himself oddly at a loss for the right words, and was now a little annoyed at himself for putting himself across (again) in so stiff a manner. He was also at a loss to explain why it was so important for him to make right the negative impression he'd obviously given of himself during that first interview. Georgia noticed how quiet her brother was during their drive home, and worried for him anew. Things were starting to look so much better for her. She was beginning to find confidence and security in her friendships, but her brother, despite his respected position and his high powered associates, often seemed so alone. "William," she said, "I really liked that you dropped into practice this afternoon, perhaps you can look in on it more often." William looked across at his sister and smiled. "That'd be nice Georgie, I'll try to." Part 3 Over the next three weeks it was not at all unusual for Darcy to leave work a little early to enable him to look in on the Challenge team. Chas was always as welcoming as he'd been on the first evening, and he and Darcy were beginning to develop a definite friendship, the first real friendship Darcy had experienced in a long time. Chas was the kind of man it would have been hard not to like; with an openness of nature and a good humoured, but intelligent manner, people were easily drawn to him. Though Darcy himself was quite reserved to begin with, Chas was beginning to really look forward to their little exchanges. He had a growing appreciation of Darcy's intelligence, and despite being the antithesis of cynicism himself, could not help but be amused at the clever edge of cynicism in his new friend's humour and observations of the world. Enjoying the company of Darcy as he did, Chas could only wonder at Elizabeth's sustained wariness of the man. She always treated him with a politeness which, though not being exactly cool, could not be described as warm either. Once or twice he'd tried to gently prod Liz about her attitude to William, but to no avail. Most of his comments regarding William were met with an indifference, and when he'd commended William's interest in the Challenge project, she'd flippantly replied that Darcy was probably only checking in on the sessions, because he didn't trust her with Georgia. This night, as the two men talked at the back of the room, Elizabeth approached them in order to run something past Chas. She acknowledged Darcy according to the rules of civility, but nothing more, before having a quick exchange with Chas and returning to the action. William watched as Liz walked back to the kids and sighed. "Chas, do you think she's ever likely to forgive my behaviour at our first meeting?" "She's not usually one to hold on to resentments. She's just a little wary ... all she needs is to get to know you." "I can't see that's ever likely to happen. She carefully avoids anything other than superficial pleasantries." "What exactly did you say during that interview?" Chas asked. "Was it really that bad?" "Yes I'm rather afraid it was... maybe not so much what I said, as how I said it. I'd had anger and frustration, over how Georgia had been treated at her last school, building up inside me for weeks, and I took it out on her... It only took a few minutes for me to realise I'd been an idiot, but by then I believe she already had me pegged as an arrogant jerk." "Seriously, she'll get over it," Chas smiled. "Just show her who you really are. Start by becoming more involved in the Challenge. It's a common point of interest." Darcy was not as optimistic as Chas, and let the conversation drop. He was therefore, taken completely off guard when Chas called Elizabeth over at the end of practice, and announced that William was just saying he'd like to support the Challenge team to a greater degree. "Really, Mr Darcy?" Elizabeth questioned, giving him an arch look. "Of course," Darcy answered smoothly, hoping his own surprise didn't show through. "It's a wonderful programme." "What exactly did you have in mind?" Elizabeth asked. It now fell to Darcy to think on his feet. "I'm not sure... I'm happy to contribute extra funds." It had been an answer which might have gone down well at Rosings, but he could read from the look in Elizabeth's eyes, that this had been the wrong answer here. "Thank you, but the school has already approved the finance we need..." she replied, unable to keep a slight edge of censure from her voice, "...the kind of support we need requires more personal involvement, and time... like the sharing of expertise... transport to and from the competitions..." "Well, I'm very happy to assist in any capacity you'd like to suggest," Darcy answered with an equanimity that belied the fact that he'd noted her disapproval. Elizabeth, who had fully expected him to politely withdraw, under the excuse of work commitments or of time pressures, was momentarily taken aback, but the mischief in her led her to push Darcy a little further, and test his happiness to assist in "any capacity". "Well..." she began in a serious tone, "...we were hoping to have a Saturday practice the weekend after next, to get us ship-shape before the first round, but my place is too small, and Chas's is disgustingly untidy... it wouldn't do to have the kids catching typhoid..." "Hey.. it's not bad..." Chas protested, "...just homely... " "Yes, you're very welcome to use our home," William replied, a suppressed amusement in his voice alerting Elizabeth to the fact that he'd clearly seen this as a challenge thrown in his direction. "Why, thank you Mr Darcy, I might just let the kids know before they start leaving." Elizabeth turned around, called the young peoples attention to her, and informed them that the practice on Saturday week was going to be at Georgia's place. "Do we bring lunch Miss Bennet?" one boy asked, food being of major importance to any teenage lad. "No, Mr Darcy will be very happy to shout pizzas," Elizabeth replied, before turning back to find him laughing out loud. "Remind me to chose my words very carefully around you Miss Bennet," he grinned. Having half expected to affront him she was rather amazed at his gallantry. "Sorry, I couldn't resist," Elizabeth was unable to stop herself from smiling back. "Seriously, I'll buy the pizzas." "I wouldn't hear of it," he replied. It felt good to have a genuine smile finally directed at him. "We don't normally expect our guests to bring their own food." "But I dare say that you're not normally faced with 14 self-invited guests, most of whom are teenagers. You might be surprised at the amount they'll eat." "I'm sure he'll cope," chipped in Georgia, who had just moved over to join their circle. "He tells me that he was once a teenager himself, though sometimes I think he's making it up." "Hey... it really wasn't that long ago you know," Darcy smiled at his sister as he put an arm around her, and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Miss Bennet, I'm sure you'll have enough on your mind without thinking about catering as well." "Ringing up for pizzas hardly constitutes catering," Elizabeth argued. "Do you have to be awkward about everything?" Chas threw at Elizabeth. "Just let the man buy the pizzas!" "Who's awkward?" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Don't try denying it woman," Chas shot at her with a grin. "Just look at all your stuffing around over this weekend." "I can't help it if things keep coming at me from left field." "Well, you still haven't let me know if we're going for two nights or only one..." "If you'll excuse us," Darcy interrupted, "...Georgia and I should head off." "Thanks again for the offer of your home, Mr Darcy," Elizabeth replied, reluctantly putting aside her disagreement with Chas. "Can I give you a call early next week to sort out the details?" Darcy affirmed that would be fine, before leaving with his sister. Elizabeth watched them for a moment before turning back to Chas. "What did you have to go and do that for?" she complained. "I was enjoying my dislike of him. You're a kill-joy you know." "My goodness, you can be perverse when you want to be!" Chas laughed. ~~~~~~~~~~ As soon as they exited the building Georgia stopped and gave her brother a big hug. "What did I do to deserve that?" he smiled. "You know exactly," Georgia smiled back. "Thanks for inviting everyone around." "I really had no choice," Darcy answered as they resumed their walk to the car. "Miss Bennet strongly intimated your health would be at risk if you went to Mr Bingley's home." Georgia laughed. "They're funny the way they talk to each other," the young girl stated. As he unlocked the car Darcy had to admit to himself that he'd found their banter amusing, that was, until they got to the part about their going away together for the weekend. The idea that they were involved had taken him completely off guard. None of their behaviour toward each other had ever suggested it, so he told himself that the uneasiness he was experiencing upon this discovery, was due to nothing more than his surprise. He just needed to get used to the notion. It might be a bit old-fashioned, but he also found their discussing weekends away together, particularly in front of students, a little off-putting. He and Georgia talked about nothings on the way home until, without really knowing he was going to do it, William asked about Chas and Elizabeth's relationship. "How serious is it between Mr Bingley and Miss Bennet?" "Oh, they got engaged about a month and a half ago," Georgia answered distractedly. "It took him weeks to come down from cloud nine, Miss Bennet kept teasing him about it." Pushing aside the slight sinking feeling he experienced upon this revelation, he vaguely wondered why Elizabeth would tease Chas over his happiness at their engagement. "So wasn't Miss Bennet on cloud nine too?" "I suppose she was," Georgia answered. "Mr Bingley didn't really mention her reaction." "...Couldn't you tell for yourself?" Darcy asked confused. "Even if I'd spoken to her since then, I can't say I know her well enough to really assess her reaction." Georgia replied, giving her brother a quizzical look. "She seems very nice, but she's quiet" It was now Darcy's turn to look quizzically at his sister. "She's very beautiful though..." Georgia went on. Well, now you've gone from stating the absurd to stating the 'bleeding obvious' Darcy thought to himself. "...but I like our Miss Bennet more; she has more spark." Georgia finished off. "Still, I can't imagine our Miss Bennet with Mr Bingley though, can you...? They might be good friends, but in a relationship she'd walk all over him - he's much better off with her sister." Darcy's confusion was suddenly replaced by a huge sense of relief, and he was glad he'd grasped the actual circumstances before his misunderstanding became apparent to Georgia. "Yes, I think your Miss Bennet would keep most men on their toes." He gave his sister a quick grin. "I don't imagine it'd be entirely easy to gain her respect." "The right man could though..." Georgia answered, before they both lapsed into a reflective silence. Next! |
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