Page 24 of Third Time is the Charm
Well, he’d have to figure out another way to survive.
The practice processional had begun to move forward, both of them forced to focus on the event going on around them. Darcy cocked out his elbow – the last thing needed before they could walk down the aisle. Beth stared at it as they took the last step forward, about to move out from behind the building. With a deep breath, she placed her hand on his arm as they started to walk.
It was a mistake.
Even though she had tried to rest it on him as gently as possible and even though there were at least two layers of clothing between her hand and his skin, she could still feel the heat of him searing through her. The intensity of it almost caused her to jerk her hand away, but her rational brain stalled her from creating a scene. Forcing what was hopefully a small smile onto her face, she tried to walk calmly in-step with Darcy down the last fifteen feet of the aisle.
Just breathe, Beth.
She tried, but she felt like even breathing was a struggle right now. Her senses grew fuzzy from where they were touching. She’d forgotten how easily she was physically consumed by her own need for him. Her dress felt tight and constricting, her breasts straining against the material. Her nipples, noticeably sensitive against the material of her bra; it was all so familiar.
When they broke from each other at the end of the aisle, Darcy going to stand next to Charles, and Beth taking her place at the beginning of the rest of her sisters, it was only then that she felt the oxygen being dragged into her lungs. Her senses returned to her just as Jane and their father made it up to the preacher.
At this point, the preacher motioned for everyone to gather around as he began to run through a summary of the ceremony. Beth watched his mouth move mindlessly as her thoughts were drawn elsewhere.
Or to the man on the other side of the aisle.
Most of what she was feeling, she tried to push aside – the feeling of being next to him, touching him, it was all just reminiscent of their past, she kept telling herself that she knew that. What she did want to focus on was the nuanced changes that she’d again noticed. Yes, he was still reserved and distant, but the old Darcy would never have reached out to Jane, or her, like that.
Jane was right – it wasn’t even in the same realm as Charles’ personality, but it definitely wasn’t like Darcy either; reserved politeness had been a stretch for him before.
The other thing that she’d noticed was the familiar dark desire brewing in his eyes caged behind a thick haze of sadness and regret.
She couldn’t understand it.
The shifting of everyone around her caused Beth to halt her musings. The rehearsal was over, it was time to head to dinner. She looked around wishing Col was here to help her feel comfortable; Jane was walking next to Charles, her dad was locked into a conversation with her mom and Mr. Bingley, and she, well, she was alone. Beth stole one last glance at Darcy and, feeling like she would become easy prey if she didn’t put some distance between them, turned quickly toward the exit.
Suddenly, an arm linked through hers from behind; looking back, Beth saw it was Lydia who had attached to her. Her eyebrows raised curiously atLydiacoming to her rescue, coming to her support.
“I didn’t know it was possible either,” she whispered quietly, her voice almost completely lost amongst the commotion, “to feel like you are suffocating and yet realize it’s the air around that’s drowning you.” Beth just nodded as the truth of her little sister’s words washed over her. “So, where is dinner again?” Lydia asked as they turned and walked slowly back to the limo; her tone switched towards more superficial conversation to disguise the pain that neither of them wanted to talk about.
The car brought them all back to the Castle Hotel, and the Equus restaurant, where the rehearsal dinner was taking place. They had the entire closed-in patio all to their party, the tables broken down to seat six people per in order to accommodate everyone. The bride and groom-to-be sat at a table with their parents, the bridal party split up into bridesmaids and groomsmen, with Charles’ grandparents seated with the groomsmen, and the Gardiners seated with Beth and her remaining sisters. It was a reprieve to know that she wasn’t at the same table as Darcy. She set her purse down on her chair, the position of which put him at her back – so she wasn’t tempted to look at him.
Ok, she was tempted. But it would have been too obvious.
Before even sitting down, Beth went in search of the restroom just to have a brief moment to herself.Another mistake.When she returned, she saw her purse had been moved; Phil’s wife had taken her seat. Walking up to the chair next to Lydia, where her clutch now resided, she turned to her sister with a questioning glance.
“Sorry,” Lydia mumbled. “He said something about wanting to be able to see the almost-newlyweds.” Beth just nodded briefly in response before Phil approached her himself and enveloped her into a hug.
“Beth!” he exclaimed. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too,” she said, returning the embrace.
“How’s everything going? Boy, I sure do miss you at Gardiner – and so do your clients! Let me tell you. I’ve already had Renée email me and tell me that if you won’t coordinate her birthday party still this year, she’s just not going to have one,” he chuckled –drama queen.
Beth smiled, knowing that Renée would probably contact her personally when it came time – and she would be happy to do it. “She’s a piece of work, that’s for sure,” she replied with a smile. “Everything has been going really well, actually. It’s a whole different vibe, working for a non-profit, and I’m finding myself really enjoying it.”
“Wonderful, just wonderful. You had me worried there, just up-and-leaving like that. Well, even before you left, I knew something was up. You’re looking better, though, which is all I can ask for.” He grinned, kissing her on the cheek before letting himself get waylaid by Mr. Bennet, motioning him over to his table.
Finally, able to sit down, Beth reached for the already poured glass of white wine that was at her seat, taking a healthy sip. From her new position, she could now see Mr. Intolerable again – well, at least the side of him. Beth sipped her wine and watched as he… made small talk? She didn’t care if she was caught staring, she watched as the cold and callous Darcy talked with Charles’ groomsmen, with a (small) smile on his face, seeming to express a genuine interest in what they were saying.
“He’s different,” Lydia’s reserved voice hummed over her.
Turning her gaze towards her sister, she asked the question that neither of them could know the answer to. “Why?”
“Hmmm,” Lydia murmured in response, taking a sip of water as her other hand lightly rubbed her stomach.
“Are you feeling ok? We were standing outside for a while…” Beth asked, concerned that something was wrong.
