In the Heart of Spring
(DNA) Author's note: Okay, it's been entirely too long since I've posted anything of significance on this board…For anyone reading my original story, the English Night Sky, don't worry, I'm planning on posting the newest installment of that tale later in the coming week (I know, it's been awhile---chances are no one remembers it…).
I was inspired for this Pride and Prejudice based story over the summer, though, so I decided to post this first. This first post is a tad lengthy, but it helps a lot of key plot points. Hope you all enjoy it! ~Bernadette E. (begin archiving!)
In The Heart of Spring by Bernadette E.
This story is dedicated to the memory of J.K.B. --- who was easily the bravest ten-year-old I have ever encountered. Most adults aspire to live their lives with as much faith, courage and bravery as she lived in ten brief years.
Part 1: Just the Beginning...
“Izzy! Izzy, wake up! I'm hungry.”
Twenty-four year old Elizabeth Bennet sat up with a jolt---and winced. Small fingers had latched themselves firmly around her hair and were now pulling with strength that belied the culprit's small size. Slowly, carefully, Lizzy detached the small fingers from her braids. The small hands belonged to Lizzy's youngest sister, four-year-old Anya Bennet, who was now watching the elder Bennet girl with wide, expectant eyes.
"I'm hungry, Izzy!" the child repeated insistently.
When last she'd been awake, the fourth floor waiting room of George Washington Hospital had been packed full with family members. Now it was empty---all but for Elizabeth herself and her youngest sister.
Feeling more than a bit befuddled, Lizzy had only her youngest sister to turn to for explanation.
“Where are Mom and Dad, Annie?” she asked, tentatively stretching tight back muscles. The child's only answer was a shrug of her small shoulders and a loud declaration of,
“I'm thirsty, too.”
Elizabeth gave a weary sigh, pulling a faded MSU sweatshirt over her dark blue tank top. Slowly (very slowly---her muscles were complaining loudly), she picked up her youngest sister, balancing the four-year-old on her right hip and checking her watch again.
It was now 8:15 AM.
And where had everyone disappeared to? Only an hour ago the waiting room at the hospital had been packed with people.
Nearly all of the Bennet children had managed to come and show of support. Sean couldn't be there (for obvious reason that he now lived in Mexico), but all Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's other children had all managed to come at one time or another during the night or early morning---Andy and Pete, Jane, Lynnia, Mary, Nick and of course, Anya---everyone that could come had been there, at least for an hour or two. They were a large group and a loud one in the best of circumstances, but they were loyal to each other, despite it all. Everyone had been nervously awaiting the outcome of Kitty Bennet's operation…
“Izzy,” Anya was tugging on Lizzy's braid again, her dark eyes imploring, “Can we get food now?”
“I'll see if I can find you something, honey,” Lizzy responded absentmindedly. She felt as though her mind were going in five directions at once as she walked with Anya down the hallway.
I wonder if something happened while I was asleep?…No, they would have woken me…I should just get something for Annie to eat…poor thing probably hasn't had breakfast…The food in the hospital's cafeteria is so awful...The vending machines down the hall? All the food in those machines is terrible for little children…Not much choice, really. Maybe it'll have something like raisins or crackers or…They should have woken me if something had happened---would have, if something---if Kitty---
“Lizzy!”
A loud voice jarred Elizabeth from her thoughts. She stopped short, barely managing to avoid a mid-hall collision with another of her younger sisters, seventeen-year-old Lynnia Bennet.
“Watch where you're going, will you? We've already got one sister in the hospital; God knows we don't need another,” Lynnia exclaimed crossly. “Lizzy---you look just awful…” her sister wrinkled up her nose.
“How's Kitty?” Lizzy asked, brushing off her sister's comment. “Where are Mom and Dad?”
Lynnia Bennet moved aside to let fifteen-year-old Mary and eleven-year-old Nicholas sneak past her before she motioned Elizabeth aside.
“Mom and Dad are with Kit now,” Lynnia informed her sister. “Mary, Nick and I just ate breakfast. Anya, of course, insisted on staying with you---besides which, she absolutely refuses to eat the cafeteria food---you know what a picky little princess that she right now about her food," Lynnia rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at little Anya. "At any rate, Dad told us to let you get some sleep. And don't get that high and mighty look on your face, Lizzy---Kitty's fine, and you know I would have woken you if something had happened. The surgery went just as the doctor's told us. She's in the recovery room, sleeping of the anesthesia. Mom and Dad are there now. Everyone else had to go to work---Jane's got a performance tonight so she left shortly after you fell asleep. Pete left around 7:30 this morning; he's celebrating 8:00 A.M. mass at Saint Vincent's---said he'd pray for Kitty, of course. Oh, and Andy had a flight---left about ten minutes ago.”
Elizabeth nodded. She'd expected Andy, Peter and Jane to be gone. Twenty-five year old Jane Bennet was a professional ballerina for the American Ballet Theater and had daily rehearsals starting at 9:30 AM sharp, but Lizzy knew she liked to get there early and stretch. Peter Bennet (the eldest of the Bennet children at twenty-nine) was a recently ordained priest and scheduled to celebrate morning mass for his parishioners. And Lizzy knew that Andy (Pete's twin and his polar opposite in everything but looks), a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, had been scheduled for a morning flight to Arizona.
They'd all been doing their best to rearrange their work, trying to spend as much time with Kitty as possible, but it was getting hard for all of them, rearranging their lives now that Kitty was getting worse...
Elizabeth Bennet, now twenty-four years old, had moved back to the D.C. area just three weeks ago. She'd been studying in Europe for the past four years, immersing herself in language with the hope of working as a translator. After four years living in Belgium, she'd managed to gain membership with the American Translators Association. Now that her studies had officially ended and she'd achieved the proper certification, her plan had been to move back to the U.S. as soon a good job presented itself.
She'd been forced to speed up the moving process, though, making a quick return to her family's home in Maryland once she'd heard how ill Kitty had become...
“Jane told me to tell you when she woke up that she needs a ride after her rehearsals this afternoon,” Lynnia continued. “Her car is still in the auto shop.”
“Yeah, I remember…” Lizzy replied absently, putting Anya down. Her arms were beginning to tire. Elizabeth looked to her youngest sister. “Sorry sweetheart. You're getting too big for me to hold for too long." Lizzy turned her attention back to Lynnia, ignoring Anya's pouting expression. "I think I'll go check on Mom and Dad and Kitty. I told Anya I'd get her something to eat---can I get you anything?”
Lynnia shook her head.
“No thanks. And hand the kid over to me, why don't you? I'll keep her occupied. Maybe I can bribe Nick into letting her play with his Game Boy…You just go visit Kitty, maybe get some coffee---it couldn't hurt after the night we've all had…”
Lizzy nodded, gratefully picking Anya up and transferring her to Lynnia's arms.
"No---I wanna stay with Lizzy!" Anya protested loudly, pouting as she was transferred from one sister to the other. Now that she was back from Europe, Lizzy had been quickly donned with the status of Anya's new `favorite' sister.
Ignoring the little girl's protests, Lynnia simply rolled her eyes and waved to her Lizzy, taking their youngest sibling back to the waiting room.
Elizabeth watched her sisters depart, struck suddenly by the realization of just how mature Lynnia Bennet had become in the last few years. Before Lizzy had gone off to study in Europe, she and Lynnia had been like fire and ice. Now that they were both older, though, they seemed to have finally reached some common ground.
Funny how things can change… Lizzy mused as she turned the corridor and walked towards the nurse's station. She motioned to the nearest nurse.
"Excuse me. I'm here to visit my sister, Katherine Bennet? She's recovering from surgery…"
The nurse paused, typing rapidly into the computer.
"Katherine Bennet. Katherine…Katherine Christiana Bennet? She's in room 435." The nurse motioned Elizabeth to follow her past the double doors into the Recovery Ward. As they walked, the nurse handed her gloves and a surgical mask.
"You'll need this," she informed the young woman. "It's for Katherine's protection; she's very susceptible to infection at this stage."
Elizabeth nodded. Suddenly (and, she insisted, irrationally) she was filled with a sense of anxious fear and anticipation for her sister. It was as though a snake had coiled deftly coiled itself around her stomach muscles and was now beginning to squeeze.
"Put on that mask," the nurse instructed her kindly. "And just go in that direction, Miss Bennet."
Nodding nervously, Elizabeth drew the elastic of the mask over her hair and prepared to enter her sister's hospital room.
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“Good morning, Mr. Darcy. Welcome to our establishment. If you'll please just follow me, I have your table waiting…”
Twenty-seven year old Will Darcy nodded, dutifully following the waiter through the restaurant of the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel.
As he walked, he tried to school his face to passivity, hoping his expression didn't reveal how much he didn't want to be eating breakfast with the very person he was approaching at this moment---world renowned model Helena Allsworth and her business tycoon fiancé, Bill Starling.
Fitzwilliam checked his watch. It was 8:15 AM. He'd arrived there five minutes ago, and already he wanted to leave. He had a sinking feeling that this was going to turn into a long morning.
“Darcy,” Helena Allsworth greeted him coolly as he neared her table. “I thought you'd get here sooner.”
“Good morning, Miss Allsworth,” he greeted her with civil formality as he sat.
“May I bring you our list of breakfast specials, sir?” a waiter interjected politely, handing Will a menu. “Our chef cooks up excellent eggs benedict; we also have a large selection of fresh fruits and yogurts if you're looking for something a bit…”
“Just coffee, thank you,” Will replied, deliberately ignoring Helena coy smile and turning his attention to the waiter. “I'm only here on business.”
Helena smirked and took a sip from her water glass as the waiter departed.
“Some things don't change, I see. At age twenty-seven, you're still as stiff and starched as you were in college, Darcy." she caught a piece of ice between her teeth and bit before continuing, "I did try to warm things up a bit in your life, if you remember…Sad that it didn't work out…”
“I've no doubt you're heartbroken,” Darcy responded dryly as he unfolded his napkin. Helena's only response to that was a throaty laugh.
“I've spent many a sleepless night thinking about it, trust me, Darcy. At any rate, I hear you're a single man again,” a single, delicate eyebrow arched. "Sleeping alone?"
Darcy cut her off with a frown.
"I'm not here for my amusement, Helena. I'm representing my father. Where's Starling? He and I have business to discuss.”
She sat back with a heavy sigh, an annoyed look flitting across her face. Oil tycoon Bill Starling, Helena's newest fiancé, was looking to invest heavily in some of Darcy Industries newest ventures.
“I haven't the faintest idea," was Helena's reply. "All you ever care about is business, Darcy. It's all you've ever cared about,” she took a sip of tea and sighed resignedly, tapping her nails on the edge of the porcelain cup. “If you're that eager to get this over with though, you needn't worry. Starling told me he wanted this meeting short. He's probably on the phone with the lawyers.”
He suppressed a laugh as he watched Helena absently assess the jewels that draped her wrists and hands. She seemed unsure which jewel she fancied most. At last she stopped at the engagement ring---a huge blazing rock set in platinum (the word diamond seemed too paltry to describe such a large stone).
“Nice trinket,” he commented casually, gesturing to her engagement ring as he set down his coffee cup.
“Hmmm…" she examined the stone with pursed lips. "It ought to be nice," Helena gave a weary sigh. "Bill's turning sixty-eight this month, after all.” She shook her head. “He does buy me some pretty things, though…”
She placed her fingers on the table, admiring the shine of the jewelry on the backdrop of the hotel's lace tablecloth.
“Pardon me for interrupting, sir---”
The concierge approached their table, his expression apologetic. Helena's brow furrowed.
“What is it?” Helena demanded. “Where's my fiancé? He hasn't died or anything, has he?”
“I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Darcy,” was the man's tactful reply. “But sir, you have a phone call at the main desk. The caller was quite insistent that she be allowed to speak with you---”
“Thank you,” Darcy replied. "Excuse me, Helena." Nodding (and more than a little relieved to have a valid excuse for leaving), Will followed the concierge to the phone at the front desk.
"The caller was quite insistent, sir---" the hotel employee handed him the phone.
Darcy nodded. Curious, and more concerned than his facial expressions revealed, Will picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
“Oh, Mr. Darcy! I'm sorry for interrupting your business meeting sir, but---”
It was Elaine Hess---his father's personal assistant.
“What's happened, Elaine?" Will leaned against the front desk, nervously running his free hand through his dark curls. "What's wrong?”
“It's your father, sir,” she began. “He's in the hospital---the emergency room at George Washington Hospital---”
Oh, God. His jaw clenching, Will tried his hardest to keep his voice calm.
“Another heart attack?”
“They're not sure, sir. I think so, though---he just collapsed on the golf course---in the middle of the seventh hole. I told him months back he should stop golfing but---”
“We both know how stubborn he is,” the young man answered her, inwardly cursing his father's obstinacy. His father was a brilliant man in so many ways, but he could be a damn fool when it came to his own health, they all knew it…
“Oleg called the ambulance as soon as Mr. Darcy collapsed. They rushed him into the E.R.,” Elaine continued, “But don't worry sir, I've got Miss Darcy here in the lobby with me and Doctor Anton's here…”
“Good, Elaine,” Fitzwilliam cut her off. “I'll be there as soon as possible.”
“All right, sir. You'd best arrive soon, though, Georgia's terribly upset---”
Will cut her off and hung up the phone. Quickly, he motioned to the concierge and when he spoke he spoke with speed.
“When Mr. Starling arrives, give him my apologies. Tell him I've been called away by a family emergency; ask him to call my secretary and reschedule the meeting for a time that suits him. Oh, and tell them that their hotel bill is covered compliments of Darcy Industries. Send his bill to my business address.” Will distractedly pulled out his wallet, tipping the concierge with the nearest thing he could reach---a fifty-dollar bill.
Without so much as a goodbye, young Fitzwilliam Darcy was out the door. Business deals and oil tycoons were suddenly the farthest thing from his mind.
He just hoped he'd make it to his father's side on time…
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“Oh, Mr. Darcy, sir!” Elaine Huntington greeted him breathlessly as soon as he stepped from hospital's elevator. “Thank goodness you're here!”
“Elaine,” he greeted her. “How's my father? Where's Georgia?”
“You're father is in surgery now, sir," she informed him nervously. "Georgia's just down the hall, getting something to eat. She's better now than she was, but I thought maybe some food would help settle her---she was in quite a state earlier, poor girl---couldn't help it though, her hormones being as they are just now. I swear, that girl's growing larger with each day that passes."
Thanking Elaine, Will went in search of his younger sister. She was standing by the vending machine, digging through her purse, her long, dark curls pulled up in a haphazard bun. As he approached, Will could tell that Elaine had been right in her comment; Georgia was getting bigger by the day---Darcy had just been too busy with work of late to take much notice.
Georgia Darcy was now two months pregnant---a fact that was becoming more and more noticeable given Georgia's willowy figure. Will still felt his blood stir in anger at the thought that Gregory Wickham, (Georgia's ex-boyfriend and the baby's father), had nearly beaten Georgia senseless when he'd first heard the news that she was pregnant. Now, however, was not the right time to dwell on that particular issue, especially when Will was trying his hardest to remain calm...
Seeing that she was oblivious to his approach, Will tapped Georgia on the shoulder. Georgia looked up.
“Need money?” he asked her with a weak smile.
Recognizing her brother, Georgia's dark eyes glistened and she threw her arms tightly around Will with a shuddering sob. When she finally pulled away from him, she started to sign.
"Thank goodness you're here." She wiped away a stray tear, and signed quickly to her brother, "The doctors look awfully grim this time, Will."
Twenty-year-old Georgia Darcy was born deaf. She'd learned to read lips as a child, of course, but communicating through sign language had become second nature to the Darcy family.
"They haven't told me much, but I have a feeling they'll give you an honest answer." she shrugged listlessly before her hands shaped her next words, "As you can see, I'm a nervous wreck."
"So am I," Will admitted.
"Excuse, Georgia? Fitzwilliam?"
Will turned to see Dr. Deepak Anton standing before him. The doctor was still in surgical scrubs and held a medical clip board in his hands. Greeting the physician warmly, Will shook the doctor's proffered hand.
"It's good to see you again, Dr. Anton," Dr. Anton had been the
Darcy's family physician since before their mother's death, nearly fifteen years ago. "How is he?"
The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose, scribbling rapidly on his clipboard before responding. Will felt the tight grip of Georgia's fingers on his forearm.
"Your father is a stubborn man," the doctor finally responded with a rueful smile. "He made it through the surgery just fine, all things considered."
Will felt the grip on his arm loosened slowly and he allowed himself to exhale.
"Thank God," Georgia signed quickly before pressing her hand to her heart.
"If you'll just follow me," Dr. Anton told the siblings. "I think it's all right for you to see him for yourself."
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Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth stepped into her sister's hospital room, and shut the door quietly behind her. The surgical mask given to her in order to enter Kitty's room made her breath hot and the fabric tickled her nose.
Elizabeth gaze first fell to her sister, who looked small and frail, engulfed by the hospital bed and the medical equipment. Fourteen-year-old Kitty was sound asleep. Her young face looked haggard and swollen from the drugs they'd given her. She was attached to more wires and tubes and expensive monitors than Lizzy wished to count.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet sat on either side of the child---keeping guard, it seemed. Both parents were similarly garbed in protective surgical masks. Mr. Bennet had a stack full of case files to keep him occupied. His glasses were on and he was rapidly underlining passages of interest, flipping through the stack of papers with speed and efficiency. He seemed as composed and comfortable in the hospital room as he was working in his law office.
Conversely, Mrs. Bennet looked as though she were nearing a breaking point. She was sitting very still, fretfully watching her middle child as she clutched knitting needles and a halfway knit, pale pink scarf.
“Mom?” Elizabeth ventured softly. Her throat felt dry. She stepped closer to the bed, nervously tucking a stray hair behind the elastic of the surgical mask. She took another step, trying to get her parents attention. “Mamma? Daddy? How's Kitty doing?”
Hearing his eldest daughter's voice, Harold Bennet looked up and gave a wan smile, his eyes tired.
“Ah, there's my Ellie,” he said softly, reaching out his free hand to give Elizabeth's a reassuring squeeze. His voice, too, was dulled behind the mask. Elizabeth squeezed right back hoping her expression behind the surgical mask was a confident one---for his sake. Her father was the only one who ever called her Ellie…
“Your mother and I thought it best to let you sleep for a bit,” he explained, “You took such good care of your younger brother and sisters all last night, calming them down in the midst of all this. Every one else managed to get some sleep, but you were up all night. You needed a rest, sweetheart.”
Elizabeth nodded numbly.
“I was going to get Anya something for breakfast,” Lizzy said at last, her gaze shifting to her mother. “Can I get you anything, Mom?”
There was a long pause before Fanny Bennet replied, and when she did her voice sounded distant, distracted.
“Your sister's doing better than we'd thought. More stable, the doctors said, considering. The doctors don't expect her to wake for awhile…not until the anesthesia's worn off…” her voice softened a bit before drifting off at last.
Lizzy struggled to find a response.
“Why don't I get you some coffee, Mom?” she finally managed, wincing to hear her own voice tremble.
“That'll be fine, Ellie,” her father answered for his wife, watching Mrs. Bennet with concern. “Decaffeinated for your mother; and something strong and black for me.”
“All right,” Elizabeth said with an uneasy nod. “Um…I'll be back in a minute.”
Quietly, she exited the room, shutting the door behind her before steadying herself against the nearest wall. Tearing off the mask, Lizzy took a deep breath to calm herself.
Kitty had been in the hospital countless times before this, and they'd all handled it so well. Why was it so difficult for everyone this time?
Maybe it was because they all knew the consequences this time if the tumor came back, again…
When at last she felt collected, she made her way towards the elevator only to hear the sharp riiiinnngggg of her cellphone.
“No cell phones allowed on hospital grounds!” a passing nurse admonished Lizzy sternly.
Lizzy nodded solemnly. Suddenly feeling like a truant school girl, she ducked into the elevator, quickly pressed the down button and answered her phone.
“Hello?” she answered, watching the elevator doors shut.
“Lizzy?” an eager voice said on the other line.
Lizzy exhaled. It was Charlotte Li, one of Lizzy's best friends.
“Char. I can't talk long; I'm in a hospital elevator.”
“How's your sister?”
“Recovering,” was Lizzy's quick response. She slumped against the elevator wall, watching the elevator numbers light up, 5-6-7. She couldn't remember---was the cafeteria on the eighth floor? She hoped so…“I'd rather not discuss it, actually, Char. What's up?”
“I have good news for you,” Charlotte assured her. “I may have found you a job here in D.C.”
“A job?” Elizabeth repeated, straightening up from her slumped position. “How? With who?”
“It's with the company I work for. Darcy Industries. I know you need the work, having just moved back to the area, and everything that's going on with your family, so I talked to some people in Human Resources,” Charlotte responded enthusiastically. Charlotte Li was an accountant at Darcy Industries downtown office. “It's just your luck, Lizzy, they've developd a sudden need for an interpreter---turns out that the girl they first hired had to quit. You'll need to fax them your résumé, of course, and have the obligatory interview, you know the drill, but they're really in a bind and the job pays well. I assured them that you're properly certified now and you've got the right insure. They sounded excited at the prospect of hiring you. If you don't want to the job, though---”
“It's fine, Char,” Elizabeth assured her. “What's the position, exactly?”
“Well, Darcy Industries is negotiating a partnership with two large European corporations just now, one in France and another in Belgium, which I figured is perfect as you've just come back from living there and you've got proper qualifications now, and all of that.” Charlotte explained, “Apparently Fitzwilliam Tech---a subsidiary of Darcy Industries, I'm sure you've heard of them---is looking to go international with Fitzwilliam Wireless. Darcy Industries is looking for foreign financial backers for the primary investment; it'll give them more clout with foreign banks, plus it'll cut down on the personal risk to the company, you understand...”
“France and Belgium? That'll be French and Dutch---though really, most people in Belgium can speak English…Maybe it just looks better for trade relations if they have official documents translated in all three languages...” Lizzy mused.
“I guess...Anyway, you'd work at Darcy Industries' main office, on hand at business meetings and the like. You might have to travel a bit in the upcoming months, but mainly your work will be in their office here in D.C. And it pays well, Lizzy. Really well from what the lady said. Now, the job's temporary. It'll only be nine months, maybe a year depending on how well their business negotiations go, but it's something, at least...”
“It's perfect. Just what I needed right now, Char,” Lizzy assured her friend as the elevator doors opened and she stepped into the hallway, looking for the colored arrow that said 'cafeteria.' “Assuming that they hire me, when would I start?”
“As soon as possible, once you pass their interview,” Charlotte replied. “The lady I spoke to said that assuming all your information checks out, they'd need you to start a week from Friday. Once you're hired, you'll report directly to the main man himself, Mr. Darcy.” Charlotte informed her. “What do you know about F.M. Darcy?”
“Absolutely nothing,” Elizabeth admitted stopping short of the cafeteria. “Sorry, Char, but reading about the stock market and American entrepreneurs isn't my idea of a good time…”
"Erm…" there was a pause on Charlotte's end of the line. “Okay, well, just don't mention that when you meet him."
Lizzy was suddenly growing suspicious.
“Why?”
"Well, it's just that I think you'll find he's just very business-like, that's all. It's a huge company and he's got a lot of responsibility now, especially given his age…"
"What does that mean?" Elizabeth demanded. "Given his age? What in the world does that mean, Char? What--is he an eighty-five year old with about as much personality as a paper bag, or something?"
“You'll see soon enough,” Char responded cryptically. And, with nothing more than a click of her phone, she was gone.