Page 21 of Third Time is the Charm
“It’s alright,” Lydia said, the smile falling from her face, her voice turning hollow.
“What’s going on? You seem different… Is everything ok with George?” Beth asked, maybe a little too bluntly, but she didn’t have the emotional capacity right now to tip-toe around the issue.
Lydia started at the question, her face flushing as she took a moment to collect her thoughts before responding. “I’m different because nothing is like I thought it would be, so how could I stay the same?” she asked rhetorically. “Life doesn’t always work out the way that you plan or want it to; except with this little girl.” She paused as her hand rubbed over her stomach. “Having her, loving her so much already is more than I expected.”
Beth just stared, wondering if she was dreaming, waiting for the self-obsessed Lydia to make her appearance, waiting for her to start ranting and raving about how perfect George is. “How’s George doing with everything? Is he excited?”
Lydia let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I left him.”
WHAT?!
Beth felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her, Lydia’s words punching her so strongly right in the gut. She just stared at her sister for who knows how many seconds, the shock paralyzing her ability to think or respond.
“I know that you know him and that you know it’s the right thing for me to have done,” Lydia whispered, sadness creeping into her eyes at her admission that no one else would be able to understand or approve of her leaving George, especially being seven months pregnant.
And by no one, they both knew she meant their mother.
Just as Beth found her wherewithal to respond, Irene’s voice cut through the heavy silence that had settled over the courtyard confessional. Lydia’s eyes darted to hers, a silent plea to say nothing of this to their mother or Jane.
Who was the woman sitting in front of her? Where was the spoiled brat of a sister that had left for Chicago months ago?Beth just stared at her little sister, her heart starting to ache for whatever it was that she had endured. Yes, she had been obnoxious and annoying and spoiled, but Lydia had always been upbeat, always excited for the simple things. Now, she looked defeated – the only thing keeping her going was the life growing inside of her.
Jane could sense that something was going on between her two sisters, but Irene was completely oblivious to anything that didn’t have to deal with her one daughter’s upcoming wedding, and her other daughter’s chosen plus one for the nuptials.
“So, what do you think Beth? Lydia? Isn’t it wonderful?” she continued right where she had left off. “It’s going to be the most talked about event of the season, I just know it. Of course,” she paused. “I’m sure it will be nothing like the Hollywood parties that your Mr. Dempsey is quite used to.”
Beth rolled her eyes; her mother’s focus of excitement clearly struggling to center on either Jane’s wedding or McDreamy’s brother as her date. She didn’t even bother to try to explainagainthat Colin wasn’t a movie star and therefore, wasn’t a part of any of those parties. Irene wanted to believe what she wanted to believe. And sometimes, it was just better to let it go that way.
“Oh,” her mother started, assaulted by a thought. “What about Mr. Darcy? I could have sworn he had a thing for you, Beth. I hope you having a date doesn’t upset him, after all, we wouldn’t be –” Jane quickly cut her mother off, obscuring the train of thought.
“When does Col get here? I should have asked sooner, Beth, I’m sorry. Will he be at dinner tonight?” Jane asked fervently, piquing Beth’s curiosity as to what their mother had been about to reveal that Jane didn’t want her to know.
This was another thing she didn’t miss about the city and her family – all the secrets.
It didn’t matter; if it had to do with Darcy, she didn’t care, she couldn’t. “He’s actually not getting in until early tomorrow morning, unfortunately. We have a big event coming up; it’s a miracle that he even took off this weekend to come down here with me, really,” Beth answered, thinking about how true what she said was. Col had so many other important things that he could… and probably should be doing, and yet, he was taking time away fromhiscenter –hisbaby – to be here with her.
“Oh, Beth,” Irene exclaimed, her eyes wide as they climbed back into the car. “That must mean he really likes you! This is wonderful! Can you imagine – Charles Bingley for one son-in-law and Colin Dempsey for another!” Beth clenched her teeth as her mother practically squealed. “Oh, and of course my dear George, Lydia, my very first son-in-law.”
Beth’s eyes darted to Lydia, sitting quietly on the other side of the back seat rubbing her stomach absentmindedly, her blank stare focused firmly outside the window completely oblivious to what their mother had said – either that or she was purposely ignoring it. The old Lydia would have jumped the second Mrs. Bennet had excluded George from her initial statement, begging for the attention to be back on her. Now, this Lydia was squished as far into the corner of the car as possible, determined to try and get as far away from this conversation as she possibly could; if only their mother would let her go that easily.
“Lydia? Dear, don’t be upset with me. I said that Geor—” Irene persisted, having no perception into what her daughter was actually feeling, until Beth cut in, willingly martyring herself to keep George out of the discussion and Lydia’s secret, and pain, sequestered.
“Mom, Colin said he’s very excited to meet you, I just wanted to let you know and ask that you please be on your best behavior; please don’t say anything embarrassing about me,” Beth blurted out, cringing at everything that she’d just said, especially knowing that it would set off giant red warning lights in Jane’s head that there was something wrong with Lydia since Beth wouldneverotherwise utter such things.
It had been the start of a very tortuously long, twenty-minute ride back to the Castle Hotel, filled with lots of deep breaths and fake smiles.But, at least Lydia had been spared.
“All done, Beth.” Jane’s voice drew her back to the present, away from the events of earlier that afternoon.
Frustratingly, she hadn’t had another chance to talk to Lydia alone since they’d gotten back exactly when they needed to start getting ready for the evening. Disappointingly for Jane as well, since Irene refused to leave Jane’s side, preventing her from asking Beth what was going on with their younger sister; their mother even had Mr. Bennet bring her dress for the evening over to her daughter’s room so that she could get ready there.
Beth had put on sweats and came to Jane’s suite to ask for her help with her hair and makeup – the four months of not caring only making her dismal skills in those areas that much worse. She hadn’t realized that Irene was going to be there the entire time. As much as she wanted to stay with Jane, she needed a break from their mother. So, with her hair and makeup done, Beth made sure her sister was ok before insisting, with apologetic eyes, that she needed to go back to her own room to finish getting ready. She really just needed a moment alone. First, what had happened this afternoon, and now, the imminent situation of seeing Darcy again – it was an informational and emotional overload.
Leaving the bridal suite barefoot and in her sleeping t-shirt and yoga pants, she quietly padded down the hall to where her room was located, in the older section of the castle. She bit her lip, knowing that Colin’s room had to be in the newer section of the castle, on the other side of the reception area, since he’d been a last-minute addition.
Nearing the end of the hallway, she rounded the corner to where hers and one other room were left; she rounded the corner and her legs came to a screeching halt, as though she’d run into a wall.
She had.
It was a wall layered with bricks of need, of anger, of hurt, of passion, of memories, of love, and of loss.
