Chapter 29 - The Big Reveal
She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet. - Jane Austen
We had arrived a little while ago and to leave so soon reflected poorly on me. I was aware of that, yeah. But, I could not let myself ignore the urgency of the situation. My family was important to me. She was my mother, after all. I could not let her down. She needed me, and I had to leave as soon as possible.
Darcy turned to face me. I heard the concern in his voice, "What is wrong?"
The phone blazed amidst the dim lights. Her message filled the screen. I felt the importance of her words. I knew something was amiss. In normal circumstances, she would have told me to have fun. I had been missing for a few days-not long enough to warrant a search-but an issue was an issue. And, as I have always found myself surrounded by issues, I was not surprised.
After a bit of reluctance, I gulped, "It's my mother. She wants to see me now."
He stood up from his chair, "Shall I escort you?"
I looked at his outstretched hand. Fondness entered his eyes as I put my hand in his and stood next to him. Staring upward at him, I smiled, "That would be lovely."
Getting out of the club as fast as we could was a daunting task. After paying for our drinks, we told Pirhana and Michael we were leaving. Then, we had to wind our way through a packed club only to squeeze past the long line of people still waiting to get inside. It took half an hour to leave and another twenty minutes to obtain an unoccupied taxi. Once we settled into the cab, I took a deep breath. I peeked at Darcy from the corner of my eye, "I know. It seems so strange to leave so soon. I-"
Darcy smiled, "I am glad to leave."
"Good." I sent him a sheepish grin, "I figured it wouldn't be your idea of a good time."
"It appears in the future; life moves at a different pace."
"Yes," I nodded, "a much faster pace."
"Do you prefer this life?"
I paused to think. I did not know what I preferred. Up until a few days ago, I had lived my life in this so-called future. The Regency Era was slow moving, and there was much appreciation for the smaller details in life often overlooked in my universe. Sometimes, I felt that I belonged in the past and other times, I could not bear the idea of being without my modern indulgences.
"I do not know."
It was a simple resolution for something so complicated. I do not know. The truth was I had never thought about my way of life as anything but my life. Never in a million years had I imagined I could add Dimension Jumper or Time Traveler Extraordinaire to my list of accomplishments. My confidence was beginning to wane, and I tried my best to hide it from Darcy.
"We will find a way back." He reassured me.
We? Did he still love me? I wanted to ask him about it. But, I froze and smiled at him instead. After finding out I was not Elizabeth Bennet, I was definite he meant we would find a solution so he could go back to his world. I knew I was overanalyzing everything again. Love was a fragile and painful experience all wrapped up in a pretty package. Everyone wanted to fall in love, but no one was prepared for the complications that arose after you unwrapped it.
He cleared his throat. "When we arrive, would you rather I stay in this transport?"
"Car," I smiled. "And no, I want you to come inside to meet my mother."
He nodded quietly. I angled him a look, "Are you nervous?"
"I do not get nervous."
"Oh please," I scoffed, "everyone gets nervous."
"I do not."
"You're meeting my mum." I leaned towards him, "You should be."
***
When the taxi pulled onto my mother's road, my stomach began to feel like a lead weight. Wincing, I instinctively reached out for Darcy's hand, which he accepted. There was a lot of hand-holding going on here and nothing else. Was he ever going to kiss me or did I have to move in for the kill? No, no-I still had his good opinion to worry about after all.
After paying the driver, I stood in front of her home. I had been here several times and yet, this night, it seemed different to me. It was what used to be a Georgian Era townhome. It was of customary red brick with a flat anterior. The sash windows were equally spaced and were a brilliant white. In keeping with tradition, the four-floor home had a canopy over the front lobby door. The rather large foyer was a once a store, which was why the home was close to the street. The owner and family used to live upstairs in the expansive yet narrow building. After renovations, the house had been split into two, still quite large, smaller townhomes. My mother lived in one half.
Looking at the antique home made me think about everything. It dawned on me one constant always remained-time. But, was it an illusion? Was time just a word made so we could mark our memories and experiences? Were past, present, and future-I don't know-tenseless? Time never ended and yet, was always there. It confused me to no end.
I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. My mother immediately opened the door and wrapped me in her arms, squeezing me close. I laughed, "Mum, I'm all right."
"I'm not." She kissed me on the cheek, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Come in, I've got tea brewing."
Darcy and I filed into the house and followed my mother into the living room. She turned around, looking at Darcy, "Make yourself comfortable, I'll go get the tea." She walked out of the room, and I looked at a picture on the wall: my mother, my father, and me. A nostalgic smile appeared upon my lips. Darcy followed my gaze and put two and two together, "Your father?"
"Yeah." I looked down, "He died a few years ago."
I sat on the couch and motioned towards Darcy to do the same. My mother came back into the living room holding a platter with a teapot and three cups. The tray was large enough to hold three plates, cream, sugar, and assorted petit fours. Standing up, I asked her if she wanted any help. She said that she did not and set the platter on the coffee table. She proceeded to pour the tea and then stirred in cream and sugar. She held out our cups for us. Darcy graciously accepted his cup with a polite smile.
Taking my cup, I sat back down, "Mum, I know I've been gone, and I'm sorry I scared you. It was out of my control."
She looked down at her cup of tea, "I know."
"What do you mean?"
"I know." She took a sip of her tea. Hesitating, she said, "I know it was out of your control."
"Again, what do you mean?
"I told you," she said, "I have something to tell you."
Darcy and I exchanged looks. I looked back at my mother, "What is it?"
"I know." Her brow wrinkled, "I know he is Fitzwilliam Darcy."
I blinked, "What?"
My cup fell from my shaking hands, shattering and splashing tea all over the plush, beige carpet. What secrets was my mother keeping from me? What else did she know? I looked down at the brown stain on the carpet and thought to myself, Did she have to tell me while I was drinking tea?
"Don't worry about the tea, love." My mother smiled, "I can clean it up later."
"What else do you know?" Darcy asked.
Silence fell. What was my mother keeping from me? How did she know these things? I laced my fingers together, kneading my knuckles, twisting my fingers together. I stared at the stain, watching it spread. Absentminded thoughts bombarded my mind, would the tea leave a mark? Would my mother have to get a steamer vacuum? Could I have another cup of tea?
"What else do you know?" Darcy repeated his question, interrupting the quiet.
My mother set her teacup down upon the tray. She smoothed her skirt and sighed, "There is another thing I know."
"What?" I leaned forward on the edge of my seat.
"You are not Amanda Price."
My brow furrowed, "Then, who am I?"
"You are," she paused for a second, then continued with a nervous breath, "You are Elizabeth Bennet."
~~~
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