One Word From You: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation (29 page)

As it happened, Wyatt was also at the party.

He looked unhappy, particularly while watching over the couples already dancing. Georgia's eyes were drawn to him. Even though I hadn't approved of him for myself, I shouldn't have been so cruel to someone I cared about. I should have thought more about what was in her heart, instead of the impression she might make by being with someone I'd deemed ridiculous.

“
Wyatt looks lonely,” I said.

“
Yeah,” she agreed with a forlorn expression.

“
Do me a favour,” I squeezed her hand, “Go and ask him for a dance.”

“
What? No, we broke up.”

“
I know. But he
is
sort of my brother. And it sucks to have him looking so miserable. Besides, he looked at you when you first walked in. He obviously still likes you.”

“
Are you sure?”

“
Yeah. And – and, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be telling you who can or can't like.”

“
Really?”

“
Yes, really,” I laughed, “Would you just go?”

“
Thanks, Beth!”

“
Well,” I said to the others, “Aren't you going to go snag some boys before they're all gone?”

“
I don't know,” Lisa said, “What if -”

“
They're not Gideon, and it's just for one night. No one's asking you to marry them.”

“
Chris',” Lisa held her hand, “How about if we go and dance the first few?”

“
Can I come?” Meg asked.

“
What, you're going to leave me here by myself?” I asked, “Thanks a lot.”

“
No, but I think someone else is about to ask you,” she pointed over my shoulder to the entrance.

It wasn't the same Will who had first taken a dislike to me at a school dance. It was the boy who'd watched a sunrise with me, and had strolled through the gardens and let me speak of painful memories. He was the young man who'd flown me out to Italy without a moment's hesitation, and who had been so desperate to save me from Gideon when he'd threatened my life. He was dressed pretty casually to say he was at a prom. I'd always pictured him at such a function in a full suit, and yet there he was, in a white dress shirt and jeans.

He smirked as our eyes met, and crossed the room to join us. A few of the other students recognised him, and paused to see what he might be doing at our celebration. Given he was no longer a part of our school, he really had no right just crashing the party. But that sort of thing had never bothered him. Will seemed to think he was governed by his own set of rules, which he followed without consideration to anyone else. That was both a good and a bad thing, in my opinion.

“
Nice jeans,” I said.

“
Nice dress,” he retorted, “I assumed, based on our past meetings, that we might match if I showed up like this. Should I ask if you're doing this for the sake of another guy?”

“
I'm not,” I said, “I was attacked by my friends. Apparently going to prom in a t-shirt and jeans is totally unacceptable.”

“
Does that mean I'm only half acceptable?”

“
Yeah. But that's half way better than usual,” I teased. I couldn't help asking, “What are you even doing here?”

“
I thought you might need someone to dance with,” he offered a hand, “May I?”

As if I was going to refuse him.

I put my hand into his, and tried to focus on keeping the blood out of my cheeks as he walked me to the dance floor. We were well hidden in the throng of other students. The upside to that, was that no one could hear us talking to each other. The downside, if it really was such a bad thing, was how closely we had to stand in order to dance. Will held my hips, his thumbs stroking and caressing over the soft fabric. I put my hands on his shoulders at first, but was soon comfortable enough to fold my fingers at the nape of his neck, and rest my head against his collarbone.

“
Thank you,” I said, “For what you did for Lisa. Not many guys would want to fly all the way to Italy to save one girl.”

“
Even though I'm happy she's okay, I didn't do it for her. I saw the way you looked when you got that call. You were terrified, and upset. I couldn't stand seeing you like that. So, yes, I helped her. But I was only thinking about you when I did it,” he confessed. I lifted my head, and looked up into his eyes. There was no denying the sincerity in them, and I found myself completely unable to tease him for being such a romantic, if indeed that was what he'd intended. Will looked as if he was preparing himself for the worst when he said, “Please, don't lead me on if you feel the same as you did at Christmas. I still love you, Beth. But just one word from you, and I'll never say it again.”

Usually, I would joke with him, and tell him that I was thinking about changing my mind. But I couldn't be so cruel as to keep him hanging on any longer. And, as much as I had tried to deny it to myself and all of my friends, I didn't feel the same way I had that night.

“
I love you, too,” I said, “And I'm still really sorry I nearly broke your nose.”

“
You did,” he said, “I was just too proud to admit it in that letter.”

“
I knew it,” I giggled, “I can't believe you lied to me!”

“
I won't do it again, I swear. If you break any of my bones again, I'll tell you right away.”

“
I'm not going to.”

“
Good.”

“
Why didn't you come back with Charlie?” I asked, “You didn't have to wait this long. I loved you since that evening at your house, you know?”

“
I was scared you'd turn me down again. I know, that's not cool of me to admit. But after you said you'd never want to date me, I didn't want to press you, even if your attitude had changed around me in Italy.”

“
So what changed your mind?”

“
I – well – I heard from Mum that you put Madame Courtenay in her place.”

“
She told you?” I asked, aghast.

“
Yeah. In a lot of detail. Lots of shouting, am I right?”

“
God, that is so embarrassing,” I groaned.

Will hugged me snugly against his chest. He chuckled, “No, don't be like that! I thought it was amazing. If you'd completely hated me, you would have just told her as much, and that would have been an end to it. I realised that I couldn't just let you walk out of my life at that point.”

“
You know, you said in your letter that you'd never see me again. I've read it so many times since Christmas, it's ingrained in my memory.”

“
You still have it?”

“
Well, yeah...”

“
Chuck it out,” he said, “The person who wrote that wasn't me. I don't want to think of the way I spoke to you that night. I was cruel, and rude, and it was all out of misplaced pride. I thought way too much of myself.”

“
Yeah, well so did I, to a point,” I admitted, “But, like I said to
Madame,
we're equal.”

“
Not yet, but I'll work hard to match up to you,” he said.

Charmer.

“
Did you convince Charlie's parents to let him come back here?” I asked when I noticed him dancing with Jenny not so far from us.

“
I might have had my mother put in a good word. He looks happy.”

“
So does she. Thank you,” I said.

“
Would you stop thanking me? I was just putting something right. I had no business getting between them in the first place. I saw in Italy just how strong your friend could be, and how much Charlie had missed her company. In fact, I saw just how wrong I'd been about all of your classmates. You really do love each other, don't you?”

“
Friends take care of each other. No matter what.”

“
Sounds like fun.”

“
Well, that includes you, too. There's no getting out of it, now. If you love me, you have to put up with the girls as well.”

“
I think I can cope with that. Just about.”

“
There's one last thing...”

“
What?”

“
You haven't kissed me, yet. What kind of guy just turns up at prom, dances, and doesn't -!”

Will had no objection to interrupting me in order to grant my wish. I pushed my fingers through his hair, and smiled against his lips as we embraced. It had definitely been worth the wait, but I was already resolved to make up for lost time as soon as we were able.

It was difficult to continue what we were doing when the other dancers erupted in applause. Startled, our mouths parted company. I blushed profusely, and sought out Jenny in the crowd. I was hoping that she would be able to help ease my humiliation. Fat chance. She was the ringleader. She called out, “About time!”

“
Finally, you loser!” Georgia shouted at me, making no attempt to hide the way she was leaning into Wyatt's side. He looked quite pleased with himself. It looked like I wasn't the only one who's relationship was on track.

Rather than give us some space, Chrissy, Lisa, and Meg crashed into us. Yes, us. Will wasn't going to escape being hugged in joy by my friends. They shrieked and squealed with delight, reminding me of how I had denied liking him even a little bit. Thankfully, Jenny managed to separate us all, and encouraged us to get back to dancing.

Will didn't need to be told twice.

He twirled me around, and caught me when I staggered back against him.

“
Go out with me?” he asked.

“
Okay,” I replied.

Who needed moonlight and roses?

I only needed his smile.

Epilogue

A woman may take liberties with her husband.

Summer dawned on us, and so ended our very eventful final year of school.

I was going to miss the academy. Not just because it had been my home for so many years, but because it had been a sanctuary. There, I had found a family. We were dysfunctional as any should be, but we had loved one another greatly. We'd laughed, teased, fought, cried, and reconciled within those walls.

Packing our bags for the final time had been emotional.

Parting took a long time. Although we promised that we would all keep in touch, we all had different paths to walk in life. I had no doubt that they would cross in time, but it was difficult to wait for that to happen. It might have been merely months, or maybe even years. As I travelled home from that place, I realised that even minutes felt like an eternity. It hurt me deeply to know I could no longer wake up in the morning, and see Jenny smiling at me, or see that Meg has spent the entire night reading and forgotten to go to sleep. I would even miss seeing Lisa and Chrissy fight over their nail polishes.

It wasn't always perfect, but those imperfections were what made it special.

As it happened, I didn't have to wait long at all to see the other girls.

Jenny and I had often speculated on the relationship between our parents. Given we were such good friends, it made sense that they ought to be on excellent terms. If they'd hated each other, then neither would have allowed for such a strong bond to form among their children. The true nature of it all was revealed.

They were getting married.

I know, it was ridiculous, and yet it felt right somehow.

When we were away at school, Dad had often travelled to meet up with Madeleine. At first, it had just been to discuss how we were getting along, and to confirm any plans that Jenny and I had related to them concerning where we might spend our summer breaks. Out of concern for how we may react to the revelation, they'd concealed it from us until we were out of school. Perhaps they thought if we hated it, it might cause a rift between us, and it would make sharing a dorm with one another a total nightmare.

As if that was ever going to happen.

I'd always thought of Jenny as a sister. To find out that, legally at least, we would finally be a family was more than I could have ever hoped for. What had started out to be a terrible year, particularly after Christmas, had turned into the best time of my life. Even better, Will had talked his mother into coming back to their holiday home for the summer. So, not only did I have my best friend coming to live with me, but I had my boyfriend within easy reach. They were even letting Dad have his wedding in the grounds.

Jenny and I were the bridesmaids, and it was so much fun going shopping with Madeleine. I'd dragged my heels a lot over that before. But she wasn't just my friend's mother any more. She was mine, too. She'd even said that I could call her that.

I might have choked up a bit.

No one could ever know that I had.

It would ruin my reputation.

The day of the wedding came so quickly in mid-August. The weather stayed clear and warm for us, which was a blessing because I was wearing a really thin dress. We were dressed in elegant silver grey gowns, which had a strap over one shoulder, and had a beaded silver band around the waist. Even though I thought we looked pretty good, we were never going to outshine the bride.

Her blonde hair was up in romantic curls, and the dress tied in with ours. The long train was white, and the beautifully draped bodice was adorned with expensive crystals. They were all around the sweeping train and hem, and I had foolishly commented that she looked like a princess when we were still in private. At least she thought it was cute.

I couldn't remember the last time I saw Dad so happy.

His face lit up when Madeleine walked down the aisle towards him. She was blushing like a teenager, and I wondered how I hadn't seen it earlier. Throughout the ceremony, Jenny and I stood at Madeleine's side. I was trying to avoid eye contact with Eric, who was Dad's best man. He was trying to make me laugh. It wasn't going to work. Not when I knew that Will was watching us. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. He'd already met my friends, but it had only been brief. It wasn't enough for him to get a good measure of them.

“
You may kiss the bride,” the presiding minister announced.

I hadn't been focused on the ceremony at all. I was too busy thinking about getting to dance with my boyfriend. It was just as well I caught the ending, because I had to follow the bride and groom back down the aisle afterwards. I didn't want to be left standing there like a total idiot.

Most teenagers wouldn't want to see their parents kissing. It was a little different for me. I'd been in a single parent family for so long, that I'd just come to accept my Dad would never meet anyone. And, if any potential partners he had in mind were like my mother, I was happy about that. But Madeleine was the total opposite of her. With that kiss, I saw the start of something amazing. It was the start of a whole new life for us as a family. And I could get on board with that.

I didn't get changed before the reception. I'd have only put on a pair of jeans, and I didn't think that would look too good. The first person I looked for was Will. Eric intercepted me, and said, “You know, the best man is meant to kiss at least one of the bridesmaids.”

“
Too bad we both have boyfriends, right?” I said, “Come on, it's not going to happen.”

“
Fine,” he huffed, and moved on.

Where he moved onto, was Amanda. She didn't look like she was too worried about his advances. In fact, she looked like she enjoyed them. It didn't take much for Eric to convince her to dance. I got the sneaking suspicion that he might be just what she needed to totally forget about Gideon.

There was someone else who needed to get over the same man.

Lisa was smiling, but there was something reserved about the way she moved. Either she was concerned about making a spectacle of herself in front of people, which would be a first, or she wasn't sure what to do when she was surrounded by so many guys. I was about to go over and talk to her, when Lewis got there before me. He introduced himself, stammering throughout, and sheepishly asked Lisa to dance. I'd thought he'd never find anyone he liked more than me, and I was pleased to be proven wrong. I knew it was just a childish crush, even if he had lingered on it for far longer than was healthy.

Georgia had brought Wyatt along. He was being a little pompous, but he wasn't as bad as he used to be. I thought that, with her very constant help and support, he might grow out of it. Okay, so he was a full grown man already, but he had a lot of emotional maturing to get through. She was happy, and that meant I was as well. I still thought deep down that she could do better. But it was their relationship, not mine. She might have the same opinion about me and Will. In the end, we loved who we loved. If we could make a conscious choice about it, then it would be easier, but a lot less fun.

“
Well, well,” Freddie said, “Don't you look stunning?”

“
Oh my God, you made it!” I hugged him tightly, “I thought you'd ignore the invite.”

“
From you? Never. But I heard from Will that if I hit on you, I'll get another black eye.”

“
Now I'm tempted to flirt just to annoy him,” I confessed mischievously.

“
Don't you dare. I like my face as it is. But it's good to see you. I'll have to take a lot more holidays in this part of the world, I think.”

“
For my sake?”

“
That, and your friend over there,” he nodded in Meg's direction, “She's cute.”

“
And very timid,” I laughed, “I don't know if you'll be her type.”

“
One way to find out...”

I covered my mouth with my hands, watching in awe as Freddie sauntered up to the quietest girl I'd ever known. Meg stared up at him in disbelief as he introduced himself, and then kissed her hand. I thought she might faint. The blood rushed to her cheeks so quickly, it must have left her feeling light-headed. In a daze, she was led away to dance, her eyes as wide as saucers. Well, if anyone could get her to come out of her shell, it was him.

“
What are you looking at?” Jenny asked. I pointed out the dancing pair, not quite able to make enough sense of it to form real words. She gasped, “Oh, that is so cute! Look at them!”

“
I know,” I hugged her arm, “How perfect would they be together? He would make her so much more confident!”

“
Didn't you kiss him at Christmas?”

“
Yeah, and she is going to love that. I mean, if it happens. He was really good.”

“
Good at what?” Will asked.

“
Oh – er – nothing,” I backtracked quickly, “Dancing, or something, I guess? Hi.”

“
Jenny, do you mind if I borrow my girlfriend? Charlie's looking for you. He's worried that Eric might steal you away, I think.”

“
Really? He's so sweet,” she said, and pecked my cheek, “I'll see you in a little bit, okay?”

“
Okay, have fun!”

“
So, what is my cousin good at?” Will asked.

“
I told you, I just meant dancing! Anyway, how do I look?”

“
Gorgeous, as always,” he said, “I still want to know -”

“
If I kiss you, will you shut up?”

“
I'll think about it.”

“
Then I'm not going to do it,” I teased.

We were interrupted by a crash. Someone had tripped, and knocked over a waiter carrying glasses of champagne. Chrissy apologised profusely to him, and he assured her that it was no big deal at all. While she was trying to brush the spilt drink from herself, a young man came to her aid. Henry dabbed gently at a splash on her cheek. Their eyes met, and I had a feeling another couple had just been made. He was a little older than her, but not so much that it wouldn't work. He had seemed like a good guy. I just hoped his employers didn't mind him dancing on the job, because Chrissy quickly dragged him off to do just that.

“
What is it about weddings?” Will asked.

“
Huh?”

“
Everyone gets it into their heads that they should pair off.”

“
Romantic setting?” I asked, “Or maybe it's just a good place for people to meet.”

“
I'd better not see my sister kissing your friend. I'll need therapy for the rest of my life.”

“
Don't be so grouchy,” I chided, “It's sweet. Look at them! I haven't seen Lisa look that genuinely happy in forever, and Meg is actually talking to someone besides us.”

“
Okay, it's cool. Just don't let them know I said that.”

“
Yeah, your life would be so over if they knew you had feelings,” I joked.

“
I know!” he grinned, “I meant to ask. Where are you going to live?”

“
Uh, above the garage,” I said, “At my house.”

“
Is there room?”

“
Room for what?” Jenny had come over with Charlie, “We noticed you weren't dancing. We were going to tell you to stop being miserable. Are you actually talking about something important?”