Pride & Pre-Med Curriculum

Chapter 5

"Oh, Jane, I can't think of anything possibly worse!  How can I ever go back and show my face in that class again?  The most horrible thing is I still have no idea what happened between us.  He was probably the one that Alicia saw bringing me back."  Lizzy dropped her head into her hands in abject misery.  "Did you say that she mentioned he 'carried' me in?"

"I'm sure your imagining worse than what really happened, Lizzy.  Cheer up.  Just chalk it up to sowing some wild college oats.  Everyone does it from time to time."  Jane tried supportively to make her feel better about the situation.

"I solemnly swear from this day forward to never let alcohol pass my lips ever again!" she sobbed.  "I thought the worst thing would be not knowing what happened, but this is a hundred times worse!  Why, of all the men on this entire campus, did it have to be him?  He always catches me in the most embarrassing situations.  And he is always ready to gloat!" She sighed and gazed dejectedly at the ceiling.

"I can't face him.  I'm such a magnet for trouble.  Maybe I should just move back home or maybe I could transfer.  I know Mom and Dad wouldn't like it . . . but if the alternative is dropping out . . ."

"Now you're being ridiculous.  You're not going anywhere.  This will pass and its not worth wrecking your entire life.  In a couple of weeks and you will be laughing it off.  Look, if it is really bothering you that badly, maybe you should go and talk to him.  Find out what really happened from the horse's mouth.  It's probably nothing and it couldn't be much worse that what you are now imagining could've happened."

"Oh, yes it could be worse."  She paused, wondering if that could be true.  "Maybe.  You're right.  The only way to really know is to ask him.  But what if it IS worse?  Oh, what do I do?  Wait!  I have an idea!"  Her head bobbed exitedly and she rushed around the kitchen island they were seated at to beg at Jane's knee.  "You could go and talk to him.  If it was nothing much then you can tell me and give me the peace of mind I need.   And if-" she hesitated.  "And if it is bad, well, I would rather hear it from you than from his laughing face.  If that happened, I would have to go straight to the closest gutter and die on the spot."

"Lizzy, I don't even know the man.  I can't walk up to him and ask him something like this!"  Jane said, shocked.  "How would I start?  'Hello, I'm Elizabeth Bennet's sister -you know the one you carried home the other night- and I was just wondering if you could tell me if you or anyone else might have ravished her?"

"JANE!" Lizzy squeaked in alarm.  She hadn't even thought that far along those lines.  "Don't make this worse.  Please, please, please," she begged, her hands gripped together in askance.

*Sigh* "Okay. okay.  But you owe me.  Big time.  In exchange, I want you to promise to come to all of my volleyball games."

"All of them?  Jane, when will I study?" she hoped the pathetic whine in her voice would earn some sympathy.

"Fine.  Just the home games?"

"Okay, it's a deal."

That afternoon ...

"Excuse me, can I have a moment?"  Jane nervously twisted the end of her gauzy green scarf, standing in room 407, where Darcy was seated at the professor's desk, grading papers.

"Oh, of course, Miss-?"

"Oh, just call me, Jane.  I'm Elizabeth Bennet's sister.  I am here on her behalf."  His lips turned up in an amused smirk and he sat back in his chair, apparently highly amused. 

"Really?  Nice to meet you.  But I can't imagine why she would send you to see me."

"It is about last Saturday night.  She feels terrible." she put her hand to her forehead.  It was obvious this was difficult for her.  "Let me explain.  First of all, getting drunk is something Lizzy never does- usually, but some of our housemates - well they pulled a little prank on her and slipped something in her drink.  It was all innocent fun, but then, things went badly.  Uhhh, I'm not explaining this very well."  She said in frustration.

"No, you're doing fine.  Please continue."  Will had leaned forward in rapt attention with a pleased smirk still on his face.

"Well, you see she doesn't remember much . . ."

"I gathered that when she was shocked that it was my hoodie she was wearing from that night."

"Yes, well, I know this is very odd, but she wanted me to ask you-..." Jane struggled with the words, trying to not sound like an imbecile.  "That is, if you could tell us how you encountered her that evening?"  Jane flushed.

"Oh, imagination running wild, heh?  I can see how that might keep one up at night."  He chuckled.  "Well,  to be honest, I discovered Miss Bennet in a most shocking situation."  Will noticed Jane's complexion pale noticeably.  He paused, for the first time comprehending how upset Elizabeth must be to send her sister in her stead.  She must be mortified. 

Changing tactics quickly, he proceeded to relate an edited version of the night's events for Jane, leaving out all mention of her being with his frat brothers and merely stating that he was walking home, found her wandering on the street outside her own house and walked her home.

"That's it?" Jane said, relieved.  "But they said you were carrying her-"

"Oh, she simply tripped on the front steps of your house, so I carried her the short distance inside."  He quickly lied to fill in the gap.

"And your jacket?"

"She was rubbing her arms as if she was cold, so I lent it to her.  She was a bit under-dressed."  He actually had to bite the inside of his cheek when he mentioned this, fighting a small smile.  He remembered quite well the skimpy suit she had worn.  In fact, the revealing image of her backside draped across his shoulder kept returning, haunting his thoughts more often than he could admit even to himself.  "I forgot all about it when we got there."

"Thank you, Mr. Darcy.  Elizabeth will be so relieved to hear it wasn't anything scandalous.  You're quite right about her imagination running wild."

"Please, call me Will."

"Thank goodness we can put this to rest.  Lizzy was even talking about transferring to another school or dropping your class."  She laughed airily.  "I'm grateful to you that you saw her home safely.  That was very kind-" at that moment, Charlie came barreling into the room with a stack of papers in his hand.

"These are completed.  If you don't mind I'll take off-"  He looked up, startled to find Jane standing there.  "So sorry, I didn't know you were with someone."  He put the stack in front of Will.

"Oh, I was just leaving."  Jane said shyly.

"I don't think I've had the pleasure-" Bingley thrust his hand towards her.  They shook.  "I'm Charlie.  Can I walk you out?  That is - if that is alright with you, Will?"

"Yes, go ahead.  I'm almost finished as well.  Goodbye, Jane.  Will you give your sister my best?"

"Of course."  Jane said over her shoulder before getting into an animated conversation with Charlie. 

"Haven't I seen you at the volleyball games?"  Charlie asked Jane, falling into step beside her as they walked towards the exit.   

Once alone, Will went back the paper he had been staring at - Lizzy's.  He couldn't help but smile as a wicked thought occurred to him and he started writing on the top corner.