Page 32 of Third Time is the Charm
When it rains, it pours.
That should be the tagline for her life since meeting Darcy. The series of ups and downs that she’d been on with him (and then without him) were more than enough to drive her crazy and yet, she’d managed to hold it together.For the most part.
Hearing what he’d done for Jane and Charles –that was an up.Kissing him only to realize that she hadn’t gotten over her feelings for him –a down.Learning how he had helped Lydia turn her situation around, made it feasible for her to leave a man who was breaking her heart –up.Coming back to hear Darcy on the phone with someone who he obviously cared about, in all reality, probably his new girlfriend –down.It should have been time for an ‘up’, but instead, Beth walked down the hall to Jane’s room, knocked on the door, only to watch it open in slow motion and be greeted by Caroline’s coldly smiling face, all dressed and dolled-up, looking undeniably spectacular.
Definite down.
She stared in shock at the woman who was responsible for several unfortunate circumstances in her life, not the least of which was the partial role she played –encouraged –in allowing Darcy to break her heart.
“Hi, Beth,” Caroline exclaimed, the deceptive smile on her face only growing larger. “It’ssogood to see you.” She barely moved from the doorway, forcing Beth to shimmy her way into the room.
“Hi, Caroline,” was all she could manage to respond with as she entered the room that was thankfully filled with the rest of her sisters, her mother, and Mrs. Bingley. She tried to quickly make her way towards Jane and away from Caroline, but she didn’t move fast enough.
“How have you been?” Caroline asked with a smirk, continuing without a pause for Beth to answer. “I was just talking to your mother that you’re in Boston now; that’s quite a change of pace from here – and so sudden, too! I was wondering what had happened after my show when I was contacted by Mr. Gardiner that he would be taking over any future needs that I might have.”
Beth seethed, knowing full-well that Caroline knew exactly why she had left and knew the role she had played in it. She took a deep breath.No, you cannot punch Jane’s future sister-in-law on the day of her wedding. No. You. Cannot.
“Yes, I’m really enjoying Boston,” Beth finally replied with a sickeningly sweet tone.
“Caroline, stop interrogating her,” Mrs. Bingley said coldly to her daughter, the tension between them intensifying;clearly their relationship had only become more strained after she’d left. Before either could say anything more, Mrs. Bennet rescued the quickly declining situation.
“Beth! Finally, you are here,” Irene exclaimed from further into the suite. “It’s your turn for hair and makeup; they have beenwaiting.” For once, Beth didn’t mind the public scolding since it came with the welcome ticket to escape Caroline’s toxic presence.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, both as a response to her mother and to Caroline as she practically ran toward where the stylists were set up.
“Hey,” Jane said as Beth approached her, mouthing ‘sorry’ as she got closer; Jane was sitting in the chair next to the one Beth was instructed to take, getting her hair done. She reached out to squeeze Beth’s hand, the look in her eyes indicating that she saw the confrontation with Caroline and desperately wanted to intervene if only she hadn’t been tethered to an eyebrow curler.
“Hey, sorry for being late. I got distracted eating breakfast,” Beth gave her best attempt at a smile; she couldnotworry Jane today.
“Oh, it’s fine,” Jane assured her. “They just finished with Lydia, so I don’t know who mom was talking about when she said that they’ve been waiting for you.”
“Probably just herself,” Beth grumbled as the hair stylist, Liz, introduced herself and asked how she wanted her hair done. “Jane, how should I have my hair done?” Honestly, it was the last thing she wanted to make a decision on right now; she did not care.
“How about a low bun with some wisps down by your face?” Jane suggested, her eyes closed as the makeup artist began to apply eyeshadow onto her lids.
“Sure,” Beth shrugged. She stared at the mirror in front of her, even though she wasn’t paying any attention to what was being done to her hair; she was just trying to block out everything around her as Liz went to work on her messy, boring-brown mane. Jane tried to make small-talk over the next few minutes until the makeup artist, Nicole, began to apply her lipstick and she was forced to keep her lips still.
Jane was finished after that, which meant that her seat in the chair was replaced with Kat – the only other person there, aside from Beth, who still needed make-up done. Kat, annoyed that she’d been pulled away from the conversation with her mother and Caroline, desperately tried to continue to listen and interject from halfway across the room. It was annoying, but it was better than trying to have to talk to her youngest sister who seemed intent on following in old Lydia’s footsteps.
Thankfully, it only lasted a few minutes before it was time for Jane to get into her dress. The sight of which bringing back the vivid memories of that day at Kleinfelds, the argument with Darcy, Jane looking stunning in her dress, and Caroline trying to pry information out of her; not much had changed. The joy on Jane’s face as she stepped into her gown, now perfectly fitted to her form, outweighed the heavy sadness on Beth’s mind, and she smiled in happiness for her sister, watching as both mothers helped fasten the dress and arrange her veil.
“Last, but not least,” the makeup artist said with a smile urging Beth to move over into her chair. “Any thoughts on how you want to look?”
Can you do ‘invisible’? That would be great.
Beth bit the side of her cheek to prevent the self-deprecating smile from spreading over her face. “Just something natural is fine,” she responded quietly instead. The upside about having her makeup done? Being told to close her eyes… until closing them brought Darcy’s face to her mind.
Why was he helping her family? Was it really out of guilt for how he had treated her? Why couldn’t he just apologize to her?
Not that she would forgive him; for his outburst, maybe, but not for sleeping with Caroline the very same night.
“Beth, can you open your eyes and look up for me?” Nicole’s voice exited the image of Darcy’s face and Beth’s eyes shot open.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
Nicole laughed. “It’s ok, I thought you’d fallen asleep or something; how anyone would be able to do that in this noise is beyond me.”
Beth managed a weak smile, doing as she asked. Looking up put the clock on the wall into focus; it was almost one fifteen.Forty-five minutes. That was how long she had until she had to see, to touch, to talk to Darcy again. It was also how long ago Col’s plane had landed, which meant he was probably in a car on his way here now. A wave of relief spread over her, knowing she would have his constant support soon, and for the night.
