Chapter 22
John Lucas always said that releasing a movie was like giving a daughter's hand in marriage. His baby was now in someone else's hands, and that someone could be either worshiping her or screwing her. With a smile that mingled longing and pride, Darcy accepted the fact that his baby was now in the public domain. And he couldn't be more proud of this baby. In only a week, 'The Secret of the Mountain' had positioned itself as the most successful movie of the season and the expectations about its release in the rest of the world were so high that the distributors were altering the schedule to satisfy the demand. Their life now was following statistics, giving interviews and making promoting trips.
The critics had been very benevolent with him too. In spite of being an adventure movie with a touch of drama, it was declared 'pleasant entertainment' that was 'visually impeccable,' with 'good performances,' 'indeclinable action,' 'good rhythm and continuity' and 'an undeniable proof that good adventure films could be done without expensive special effects,' The actors' jobs were praised and so was the director. Charles impressed them with his versatility and expressiveness and Caroline for her 'correct' performance for someone with her experience. About him, they had been indeed generous, applauding his 'neat work' and his innate 'talent for storytelling.'
Of course, the announcement of Charles' marriage and the ending of an almost promiscuous lifestyle had a great impact on the press and the fans and became an additional promoting trick itself. If Charles had been the spoiled brat of the industry until now, with this, he was declared the most successful, happy and reformed rake that Hollywood had ever produced. His love story with Jane was repeated over and over again and it was transformed into some kind of corny fairy tale which everyone envied, praised or condemned. Charles was now the model of the new generation, demonstrating to young people that love and responsibility are better than fame and dissoluteness and his adorable wife became the idol of thousands of women that were thinking that plain girls could also aspire to marry celebrities.
It was funny to see how Hollywood could execute someone one day and send him to the top on the following one. The couple was now under great pressure, all eyes were on them and they knew that they couldn't fail or disappoint. To complicate their lives even more, the first intrusions on their privacy were already happening. Jane had to endure being chased by paparazzi on the way to the obstetrician and if Charles showed up at an event without his new wife, someone would speculate about the continuity of their marriage, saying that the actor was using the opportunity for an extra-marital shag. These were the rules of this business and they had to live with that.
As for Darcy, not even this madness, this euphoria had made him stop thinking of her. Elizabeth was still occupying his thoughts and filling his heart, every day, like the first day. He missed her with the same intensity, his need to apologize was still torturing him, but as time passed, everything was becoming more distant, lost and unreachable. He didn't want to use the word resignation, but that was what he was beginning to feel. Sometimes, he thought that he had surrendered too quickly, that he didn't fight enough and sometimes, that insisting was hopeless. Elizabeth's mother, though she said that she 'would see what she could do', never contacted him and he was very reluctant about calling her himself. As she said, he already brought her enough pain and the last thing he wanted was to bring more. So now, he didn't know if Elizabeth was aware that he was looking for her or not and if she was, if she was willing to hear his apology. There were moments when he thought of hiring a private investigator to see if he could find her but then the fear that she would think that he was imposing on her, again, made him dismiss the thought and leave their encounter to fate.
Yes, maybe resignation was the most appropriate word.
If Elizabeth wasn't the first one in the line to enter the theatre it was because she didn't want to look stupidly obvious. But there she was, pretending she didn't care, popcorn (that she was sure her nervousness wouldn't allow her to swallow) and soda in hand, waiting for the bloody girl at the entrance to allow her in. With an indifferent look, she walked in, found a nice seat in the center and readied herself mentally and physically for the show.
Blasted commercials, trailers and messages that no one was interested in seeing. She wanted the bloody movie to start even if it was only to see her name on the credits. After minutes that seemed like hours, the room darkened and the film began.
'Miramax presents ... in association with Oakham productions ... a John Lucas - William Darcy film ... THE SECRET OF THE MOUNTAIN ...bla, bla, bla ... directed by...' her heart fluttered '... William Darcy'. Over a background of an old library, the cast was presented. The pages of a book were turned, a finger scrolled down and Ted Hurst, looking surprisingly sober, made the discovery that would take him and his daughter to Africa.
In wide screen format, the image appeared huge to her eyes. The sound was loud, the atmosphere, the music, the whole action was so intense that she could feel it in her skin. As the film progressed, all those memories were back, every single detail, every take was recalled and relived as if it was happening again. The fight in the bedroom, the take they repeated ten times, the helicopter ride, when she took him his mug of coffee before that night shot, the lovemaking scene and how he squeezed her shoulder to put her at ease. Everything was back.
Then she was presented with the other half of the movie, the one that was filmed in Canada. The characters sorted out a serious of tunnels and dangers and finally reached their goal. But once the secret was found, ambition, selfishness and misery brought out the worst of them. Mitch Farrell, always heroic, tried to protect the archeologist and his daughter as their pursuers came after them. The final confrontation came and the action turned vertiginous. Elizabeth could almost feel Caroline's terror when she fell in her captors hands, she feared for Charles's life when he fought to free her and her heart wrenched when Hurst died in his daughter's arms, victim of his own ambition for a treasure that he didn't want to leave behind. Then, as a way of punishment for intruding into a sacred place, the rock reacted, the couple made a narrow escape and the mountain collapsed, burying the Secret inside of it, forever.
The action was then transported to the port, where Mitch Farrell, with his arm resting in a splint, accompanied Miss Victoria to the ship that would take her back to England. They loved each other, but they were too selfish, too stubborn and too proud to sacrifice their lifestyles for the other's sake. After a kiss that mingled longing, love and remorse, they parted, and their eyes remained locked on the other's figure until the ship disappeared up the river.
It was over. Just a tear had rolled down her cheek and Elizabeth was proud of her reaction so far. At least she was in better shape than the girl sitting next to her, who had been sniffing noisily since Hurst's death. The screen turned black and, holding the armrests firmly, she readied herself to see her name on the final credits.
But they didn't come. Instead of the titles, a foggy image of the port appeared and 'LONDON, two years later' was written on the screen. A very changed Caroline, with her hair up and sad eyes was looking out of the window of her townhouse. She sighed and the camera pulled back, showing some papers on a desk, focusing on a ticket for a ship to the Congo. Was she planning to return to Africa?
A servant interrupted her pensive observation of the gardens to announce that there was a gentleman waiting for her. A certain Mitch Farrell, said the maid as she curtsied. Caroline told her to show him to the sitting room and after a moment of barely concealed agitation, she joined him.
Their encounter made Elizabeth catch her breath. They both were in a reserved, guarded manner towards the other, both trying a read the other's reaction to the meeting. Charles, gorgeous in street clothes, struggled to conceal his anxiety and Caroline was displaying an unstable composure. They exchanged a few strained words, too unsure of the other's feelings to make a step forward but not wanting to make a step back. There was a moment of tense silence and something happened that made their facades collapse. That was the final blow that destroyed Elizabeth's defenses: a governess, carrying a small child, told Miss Stanford that master Mitchell was asking for his mother.
This time, Elizabeth couldn't stop her tears from running freely down her cheeks. A close- up showed Charles' face going through thousands of different emotions. Pain, regret, longing, love, all his feelings surfaced intently when he realized that this was his child, the fruit of that single night of love and passion they shared in the cave. His eyes went from the boy to his mother, and with questioning, pleading eyes, he begged for a confirmation, something that would tell him that she still loved him, that there was still hope for them.
The screen then showed the image of the proud and indomitable Miss Victoria Stanford finally surrendering to her love for this man, an ignoble adventurer that had nothing to offer but his heart. With trembling lips, soft sobs and chuckles of happiness, she gave him the answer he was expecting. Smiling, she extended her hand to him. They shortened the distance between them and they entangled in the most passionate embrace. And that was THE END.
Elizabeth was sobbing so loudly that the people around her were turning around to see what was going on. She sensed there was a hidden message in this new ending, that Charles was not just acting, that his expressions were a reflection of his feelings for his wife and child and the new life he was now starting. She couldn't say this new scene was directed to her, but it was as if someone was telling her that there is always hope when love is unselfish and sincere and that forgiveness and sacrifice are necessary to be with the person we love. She dried her tears and when she saw her name on the credits, she left the theatre.
"Good morning." Margaret smiled at her boss as he entered the office.
"Morning," he replied tiredly.
"I guess from that look that the New York premiere was exhausting." She followed him inside his office.
Darcy collapsed on his desk chair. "You guessed right. And on top of it, I had a bad flight back."
"Those events are always a trial. You went with a very tight schedule."
"Yes, though the parties are the worst part." He sighed. "You know at what time you are getting in, but you never know when you are leaving them."
"You've never been fond of those; I don't understand why you went in the first place."
"John insisted. That those are the places where the best offers come from."
That was only half of the truth. Charles asked him as a special favor. Being the star of the movie, he had to attend, and as Jane was not coming with him -her doctor asked her not to fly-, he was afraid of becoming 'carried away' by the euphoria of the party and succumb to the temptation. He knew that Darcy would always be there to help him return to reality if by chance that happened. Fortunately, his interference was not necessary. Charles was the model of decorum at every event, proving that he was indeed trying, that this maturing process was not just an isolated moment of consciousness in his reckless life. But that was not something that Darcy would share with his secretary.
"That man has a wallet instead of a heart."
Darcy chuckled. "You are being too severe with him. That's what he loves most and I received a couple of very interesting propositions during the party."
"Tell me," Margaret said enthusiastically.
"George Lucas was there. For half an hour he and John teased each other about sharing the same surname and passion for producing and writing -they said that they are twins that were separated at birth- and they came up with this fabulous project that they want me to direct."
His secretary looked at him expectantly.
"The remake of Rebecca."
Mouth open, Margaret sat back, her hand over her heart. It was beating madly inside her chest. "William! That is simply fabulous. That's my favorite movie ever! The two previous remakes were low budget films. You accepted it, didn't you?"
"I said I would think about it. Classics are classics, Meg, and it's Hitchcock we are talking about. Some movies just can't be redone successfully. It's like Casablanca, or Ben Hur. They are perfect, you can't make them better."
"Don't tell me you are afraid of that one!"
"I'm not. I already had a few ideas. But that will come after 'Appearances.' They agreed on waiting until I finished that one," he replied with a twisted smile. His enthusiasm was obvious. "Do you want to hear the funniest part?"
"What?"
"Kevin Costner was also at the table and he said he wanted to star in it."
"You are joking!" She laughed. "Can you imagine him playing Maxim de Winter? With that accent?"
"I would never imagine him as Robin Hood and he made it, didn't he?"
"I've seen worse. Now," Margaret rose, "I'll bring you some coffee so you can start your day. Is Georgiana coming for the week?"
"She is. She'll stay until Christmas. Tomorrow we are going to Chesterfield. There's a Christmas fair and she wants to look for presents and stuff to decorate the house."
"That's a very good choice. You'll be able to clear your head from all this madness."
"I hope so." He smiled.
"Lizzy!" Maddy called her from the stairs. "We'll wait for you in the car!"
"All right!" she replied from the bedroom as she put her boots on. "I'll be there in a minute!"
Hastily, Elizabeth grabbed her coat from the closet and checked herself in the mirror one last time. Satisfied with her appearance, she ran down the stairs.
"What is this place where we are going?" she asked them once she was inside the car.
"The Winding Wheel?" Ed asked. "Formerly, it was a cinema, but it has been restored and now it's a venue center. They organize all kind of stuff there."
"A friend of mine told me that they have this lovely Christmas fair going on now."
"That's great," smiled Elizabeth. "Maybe I can find something for my mother. I don't have any idea of what to give her for Christmas."
The fair was located in the smaller salon of the Winding Wheel, the one that was usually used as a ballroom as the larger was being ready for a recital of Celtic music that would take place in only a couple of days. All in all, there were about 100 kiosks there that were selling everything from handcrafted adornments, to jellies and puddings, to all kind of Korean sets of lights, and other stuff.
The party broke in two. Maddy stopped to look at some porcelain angels and Elizabeth walked ahead, stopping at a stall that sold handmade candles. The place was rather crowded so it didn't take long for them to lose sight of each other.
"Ed? What do you think of these?" Maddy asked her husband, who was supposed to be behind her. "Won't they look lovely hanging from the tree?"
When she realized that she had been left alone, she turned around, searching for him. That made her bump into a man that was standing not two feet away from her.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir," she apologized. The man was so tall that she could only see his chest. "William?" she asked when she looked up.
It took Darcy a moment to recognize his old classmate. A slight frown appeared in his brow as he tried to remember who she was but it was replaced with a smile when he finally recognized her. "Maddy Hicks?"
"I can't believe it!" She laughed.
"This is indeed unbelievable." He looked very pleased to see her. "But look at you, you are pregnant."
Proudly, she placed a hand over her belly. "I am. I came here with my husband and my niece, but I'm afraid I've lost them. Isn't this a lovely surprise?" She looked around and saw Ed not far away. "Ed, come!" she called him. "I want to introduce you to someone."
Edward walked towards them and Maddy made the introductions.
"Edward Gardiner, pleased to meet you. So, you are the director of that movie everyone is talking about." Ed smiled as he shook Darcy's hand. "Maddy mentioned that you two met some years ago."
"It's been ... how long ... ten years?" Darcy looked at Maddy.
"More or less." She smiled. "Are you here on your own?"
"No," Darcy turned around and pointed at a young woman that was near the other end of the salon. "My sister is over there. She'd been trying to decide between two Santa dolls for the last half an hour and I got bored and moved ahead."
"I understand how you feel, William," Ed laughed. "I did exactly the same."
"Ah, men," Maddy rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you came if you are not going to help me decide."
"To see that you don't spend too much money." Ed placed his arm around his wife's shoulders.
"Ed's niece is here with us too," said Maddy as she looked around for Elizabeth. "You know her, William, she worked with you on your movie. Oh, there she is. Lizzy! Lizzy! Look who's here!"
Darcy thought that his heart would stop when he heard Maddy calling her name. He raised his eyes and saw her, standing some fifteen yards away, holding a large red candle in her hands. She didn't turn immediately. She was talking to the woman that was selling the candle and for a moment, she seemed oblivious to the fact that someone was calling her. But then, she heard her aunt and slowly turned her head to look at them.
Elizabeth's heart began to race the moment she saw him standing with her aunt. She was rooted to the spot, the smile that had been on her lips started to fade and her breath caught in her throat. That is William Darcy.
"Lizzy!" Maddy called her again. "Come, William is here!"
"I'm coming!" she replied as she left the candle on the table.
She couldn't look up, she just couldn't. She couldn't help walking the distance between them looking at the ground, thinking what on earth she would say and do when they were standing face to face. Did he know that she knew that he had been looking for her? What was she going to say?
"Hi, William," she managed when she reached them. Maddy was still saying something about what an incredible coincidence this was but Elizabeth's heart was beating too loudly to allow her to hear clearly what her aunt said.
Darcy was still too stunned to make a reply. Did she know that he was looking for her? Was she still mad at him? For two seconds, he was silent and then said a "Hi, Elizabeth, how have you been?" The words sounded so strangled to his own ears that he cleared his throat noisily.
"Fine, and you?" She was glad that she sounded calmer.
"Fine." He smiled, briefly, but when she didn't smile back he turned serious and looked down.
"William was telling us that he's here with his sister, doing some shopping," Maddy said.
"Yes." Darcy noticed Elizabeth's uneasiness the moment she saw him, how her smile fell from her face, and being quite nervous himself too, he preferred to leave for a second and regain his composure. His sister was the perfect excuse. "She's over there. I'll go for her so you can meet her."
That was enough to put Elizabeth's mind in total chaos once again. To be there, with him, was difficult enough and now she was going to meet the disabled girl she accused him of locking inside a mental institution. Was he still mad at her because of that? Was he still interested in talking to her? What did he want to tell her? Did his sister know about that accusation? That would be indeed embarrassing. Did he still think that she slept with Lucas to obtain her job? Could the floor just open and swallow her?
As he walked away, she directed her thoughts to the meeting that was about to happen, trying to imagine what would be the sight she was going to face when he returned. All sort of disabilities crossed her mind. From mental disorders -which, of course, were ridiculous because Darcy wouldn't leave the girl on her own if that were the case- to someone in a wheelchair. But no clue was given when Darcy reappeared with his sister walking by his side. Like her brother, Georgiana was tall, though of fairer features, pretty but not striking and besides the fact that she was perhaps a little thin, she looked apparently normal.
"This is my sister, Georgiana." More at ease now, Darcy introduced his sister to the party. Smiling, the girl shook everyone hands and then turned to her brother.
Suddenly, it became clear. Pointing at each one of them, Darcy mouthed their names carefully while 'writing' them with his hands. Now Elizabeth understood what her problem was. Georgiana Darcy was deaf. She cursed herself for saying what she said, she cursed George for trying to take advantage of this girl and she admired Darcy for assuming the responsibility of raising a deaf sister.
Neither was sure of how to act or what to say, not knowing if the girl would be able to understand them if they talked to her. On top of it, Georgiana didn't look completely at ease with them and stood very close to her brother as if seeking his protection.
Maddy was the one that took the lead in the conversation. Very amiably, she touched Georgiana's arm and, speaking slowly, she said, "I remember your brother telling me about you. He was very proud of his little sister."
Georgiana smiled and nodded, glancing up at her brother with adoring eyes. He smiled down and rubbed her back affectionately. "She can read lips without difficulty, though I fear I'll have to translate to you everything she says. She can talk with her stomach, but she'll never do it in front of people she just met." Darcy offered as his eyes went from Maddy to Elizabeth, noticing their reluctance to start a conversation with his sister. This was not an unusual thing to happen, so giving people a clue of how to act usually helped them to break the ice.
By the way he was looking at her, Elizabeth realized that he was subtly asking her to join the conversation. Georgiana seemed quite inhibited with their presence and excluding her or treating her like a freak would only isolate her even more.
"Are you visiting your brother?" she asked smilingly.
Georgiana nodded, though it was Darcy who replied. "Yes, she's a kindergarten teacher in an Institute for deaf children, in Peterborough. She came home for the break."
"Did you not find something you liked? I see that you haven't bought anything yet."
This time Georgiana shook her head and gestured around, saying that there were so many choices that it was impossible to decide. Again, Darcy acted as her interpreter.
"I understand what you mean," replied Elizabeth, always careful not to speak too quickly. "I'm having the same problem. I was just looking at some candles over there but I couldn't decide on any of them."
Georgiana gestured as if sniffing something.
"What?" Elizabeth looked at Darcy, but this time he didn't translate. He just smiled down at his sister, shaking his head, telling that she should manage on her own.
Again, Georgiana moved her hands as if shaping a candle and sniffed.
"If there are aromatic candles?" Elizabeth asked her, finally catching her meaning. Georgiana nodded enthusiastically.
Only then Darcy interfered. "She's crazy about aromatic candles, but she couldn't find any here yet."
"Oh, yes, over there." Elizabeth pointed at the kiosk she had just come from. "They are lovely. I was about to buy one when Maddy called me. Come, I'll show you."
With a silent glance, Georgiana told her brother that she was leaving with Elizabeth, something that brought an approving smile to his lips.
"Are you staying in your lovely summer house?" Maddy inquired as they waited for the girls to come back.
"Yes, at Pemblerley. We'll probably stay there until New Year," replied Darcy.
"Ed, do you remember that beautiful house I pointed out when we went to Lambton?" Maddy turned to her husband.
Edward thought for a moment and then he recalled the house his wife was talking about. "The one with a lake?"
"Yes, that one. William owns it," she replied as she turned to Darcy. "Someone told him that Pemberley has the best carp in the region and he had been asking about it ever since."
"I know I shouldn't be the one saying this, but they are indeed big. Do you like fishing?" Darcy asked Ed.
"Do I like it? I love fishing," was Edward enthusiastic reply.
"Everything is frozen now, but you must come during the summer. You can find carp and pike of very good size."
"I'll be there, I assure you, William," said Ed.
Having said that, Darcy glanced up at the two creatures that, perhaps, were the things he loved most on earth. They seemed to be understanding each other quite well, he saw them laughing together and smiled with pride and happiness at the sight of his sister overcoming her shyness and making the effort that speaking with her stomach meant. By the frown that was formed in Elizabeth's brow as she listened, he realized that it was difficult for her to comprehend her -which wasn't that unusual as Georgiana practiced very little- but he was glad that at least she was trying. At that same moment, Elizabeth looked in their direction, meeting his smiling eyes just for a second before Maddy called his attention again.
"They seem to be getting along nicely." Maddy also noticed the girls' interaction.
"Yes." Darcy fixed his eyes in the objects of his affection as they came back with their purchases. "It's not easy for her to interact comfortably with hearing people. Sometimes she's too immersed in her own world, oblivious to everything around her and it takes a lot of effort to make her come out."
"I guess that your line of work certainly complicates things; you must be away from home very often and for very long periods of time." Edward commented. "Elizabeth told us that for this movie you stayed more than a month in Africa and another one in Canada."
"At least in Canada I had fast Internet and we chatted every day," Darcy replied as Georgiana stood by his side. "But in Africa communications were more sporadic and sometimes I was really worried about her."
"I always wondered how you show business people manage to stay away for so long. But I think it's the only way to do it." Edward commented as they all started to walk again. Georgiana remained next to her brother and Maddy and Elizabeth followed them closely behind.
The men were discussing technical aspects of filming a movie, which Edward was very interested in learning while Maddy's inquisitive nature inflicted more stress to Elizabeth's already tortured mind.
"William is indeed looking well. All this fame and success didn't change him a bit. He had always been very amiable, though I don't know how he could be as a boss. You never complained about him so he must be very nice to work with, too."
"He's very strict on the set, but he's not a difficult person." Elizabeth looked down, trying to keep her reply as brief as possible.
"If I'm not wrong, his father was ill when I met him. Do you know if he's still alive?"
"No, he's not. I heard that he died some years ago. Nearly ten, I think." Of course Elizabeth was not going to reveal the source of that information.
Maddy linked her arm with her niece's. "Just imagine, being in charge of a deaf sister at such a young age. I'm sure he made some tough decisions."
"Yes, I guess so."
"The Darcys were a very well known family. I remember when his mother died, about twenty years ago. All Lambton commented about that accident. She was run over by a truck."
This time Elizabeth didn't reply. She looked up at Darcy's back and observed how he conversed with her uncle in a very relaxed manner while Georgiana, after touching his sleeve to tell him that she would stay behind, stopped to observe some hand made adornments for the tree.
"Maddy!" Edward called his wife. "William knows your cousin. He buys his tackle at Smithy's."
Madelaine was getting tired and walked ahead to take her husband's arm. She was now entering the sixth month of pregnancy and she was becoming heavy. She continued to walk with Edward and, politely, Darcy waited for Elizabeth and Georgiana to reach him.
Elizabeth had no other choice but to join him. It would be quite rude of her if she just ignored him to accompany his sister so after a nervous smile that betrayed some of her apprehensiveness she took her place by his side.
"Your sister ..." Elizabeth pointed at Georgiana, who was looking at something a few steps behind.
"She'll come when she's finished with that." He glanced over his shoulder. "It's better if she does things on her own."
"She's very nice," Elizabeth said while looking at her shoes. "She spoke a little while we were buying the candles."
Darcy's lips twisted up in a genuine smile. "I saw you. That's not something that would happen very often. Consider yourself honored that she did that."
This was the right moment to apologize for what she said in Kent but she couldn't find the courage to do it. "I saw the movie the other day," Elizabeth said quietly.
"You did?" He raised his eyebrows. "What did you think about the final product?"
She couldn't stop her enthusiasm from growing as she talked about the film she worked on. "It was surreal. Everything looked so different than when I saw it, so much bigger. I liked it, a lot."
"Thank you." He was feeling proud and happy that she did.
"You made me cry at the end. That wasn't the finale I knew so it was very unexpected. "
He chuckled and looked down. "That was the idea. I mean, it was not my intention to make you cry, but to provoke a reaction in the audience."
"You certainly did. The girl that was sitting next to me cried during the last half an hour of movie."
Darcy cleared his throat and spoke. "I wanted to make sure that you had an invitation to the premiere, but I didn't know where to find you."
So that was the reason why he was looking for her. "Yeah, right."
He wasn't sure if there was disappointment or irony in her reply. "So, are you staying with your aunt and uncle?"
"Yes, for a while. Uncle Ed needed help at the office and he asked me to come."
"I guess that it's a more normal job. We filmmakers are a little crazy."
She only smiled, too absorbed in her own thoughts, too confused that she didn't know what to think of all this. They continued to walk silently, Georgiana caught up with them and soon they reached Maddy and Ed that had stopped and were waiting for them to come.
"I think we better be going, Lizzy," announced Edward as he rubbed his wife's back. "Maddy has been standing for too long."
"Yes, sure." Elizabeth hurried to answer.
"It has been a pleasure to meet you, William." Edward shook his hand. "And you too, lovely." He smiled at Georgiana.
"The pleasure was mine." He looked at the couple then at Elizabeth, who just nodded and looked down.
They said their farewells and they parted in opposite directions.
"Maddy," Darcy stopped and walked back to them. "Just a question. Are you still writing adaptations for screen and theatre? I remember you were very good at it. You used to write great dialogues."
"What? Scripts? Oh, William, I haven't worked with them in ages."
"She's so immersed in editing other people's stories that she's doing very little writing of her own," added Edward.
"I'm working on a new project," Darcy said with a smile. "It happens in the thirties, there's a lot of period research to be done and I can't dedicate myself to the script the time it deserves. Also, I would like a woman's perspective for the feminine character. Maybe you can look at it."
There was no need to say that Maddy's heart was fluttering with that offer. "Sure." She smiled broadly. "Why don't you send it?"
"Great."
Maddy pulled out a paper and a pen from inside her purse and wrote down her address and phone number. "Here you are."
Grinning, Darcy folded it and placed it carefully into his pocket. "I'll call you. Goodbye."
With that, they parted.
As each walked in different directions, they couldn't help but wonder what the other was thinking or doing. More often than not, glances were stolen in the other's direction, and when, coincidentally, their eyes met, a shy smile and a quick averting of their eyes would follow, showing how affected they still were by this unexpected meeting. Elizabeth observed how Darcy, resting his arm around his sister's shoulders, looked at something Georgiana was pointing out and Darcy smiled when Elizabeth tried on an apron for her aunt to see. But when Elizabeth removed it and looked around to see where he was, nothing, just the feeling of emptiness and longing remained when she realized that he was nowhere to be found.