First Impressions: A Modern Pride and Prejudice Adaptation

Chapter 38

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Mrs. Gardiner asked in a tone that was already perfectly convinced of the answer.

Liz looked up at the house, smiling. "Yeah, I'm sure. Georgie and I can find something to do in the meantime." She emphasized her new friend's name lest her aunt get any more ideas.

She would have waited for her aunt and uncle to drive away before approaching the house, but she knew they wouldn't move until she did. She took her steps slowly measuring them out until she heard the crunch of tires. When the vehicle was far enough away, her steps turned more towards skips as she made her way up the front stairs.

She rang the bell. Darcy opened the door in barely a few seconds.

"Hello."

"Hi. Good morning." He always seemed a touch out of breath when he first saw her but his smile could mean nothing but genuine pleasure at seeing her.

She said nothing as his eyes searched her face, trying to understand the source of her amusement. When he realized it, he gave a little, "Oh!" and quickly stepped back from the door, allowing her inside.

Darcy had never seen her step through the front door of Pemberley. He would not have imagined, though, that the sight of it would be any different than seeing her enter through the patio door. He was entirely wrong. For a heartbeat of time, he saw her framed in the doorway of his family home, the door through which nearly every important person in his life had walked through... And then she stepped inside.

She was looking up at him, her expression less amused than a moment before but intensely curious, her eyes bright, lips slightly parted, a "What?" waiting on her lips. How could he answer the unasked question without overstepping again? Would she forgive a second transgression or would it push her away as surely as the first did?

He put himself on the defensive. "I don't think my sister is awake yet. I'll have to let her know."

"No, let her sleep. I can wait a little while. Those midterms will really get to you."

Darcy said nothing as they walked together, at a slower pace than they were both used to, towards the kitchen.

"Did she say anything about today? Last night or anything?" Liz's voice was slightly higher than usual and uncharacteristically hesitant.

Darcy was pleased to be able to respond to her in the affirmative. "She's pretty excited about it. She was hoping you would join her in town today, though I guess I don't know what specifically she was planning on..."

"Just us, then? Not... Caroline?"

They both knew she was not asking about Caroline. Or Lo or Chip, for that matter.

"Well... I was thinking I might join you. If that's okay," he added quickly.

"I don't mind. Do you think your sister would object?"

He laughed. "No. Never."

"I didn't think so." For some reason she could not name, it pleased her very much at the surety he had in his relationship with Georgie.

In the kitchen, she moved towards the bowl full of rice and phone. Someone had moved it onto the windowsill shelf and the grains of rice caught the light, giving the whole dish into a pale glimmer. Darcy leaned against the island. "I think it should be okay. It was only in the water for a minute..."

"I'm not worried," she said as she began excavating it from the bowl. She listened for sounds of sloshing and heard none.

"Either way, let me know—" He cut himself off as his own phone buzzed. He looked down, taking a moment to read the number. A slight scowl flashed across his lips for a brief second before he worked them back into his soft smile for her. "Ah. Okay, I have to take this. Five minutes, though, tops."