Prom and Prejudice
Page 29

"I have this huge desire to out Wick for the opportunistic gold digger he is," I admitted.
"I would have to agree with you, but I'm not sure that's what Darcy would want."
Yes, there was Darcy to consider. Darcy, who'd gone missing this past week.
Darcy, who I'd been thinking about a lot lately.
"I know it isn't any of my business, but ... and I can't believe I'm about ready to say this, but I think Darcy has gotten a bad rap."
Jane burst out laughing. "Lizzie! The only person who has really given him grief is YOU. Everybody here already knew him. He can be pretty serious, yes, but he's a great guy. I can't be sure, but I bet I've told you this a million times before."
I didn't want to be reminded of what a close-minded person I'd been. I kept trying to reconcile everything in my mind.
We started to climb up the steep hill toward our dorm. The sun was setting and the lights outside the large residence hall had been turned on. Someone was silhouetted beneath one of the lights.
As we got closer, we realized it was Charles, holding a bouquet of roses.
Jane stopped short as Charles turned around. His face beamed when he saw her.
"Lizzie ..." she said softly to me.
Charles approached us slowly.
"Jane, would it be okay if I talked to you alone?" he asked apprehensively.
I smiled at them both and started heading inside.
"No, wait," Jane called out after me. "There isn't anything you can say to me that you can't say in front of Lizzie."
I stood awkwardly next to them. It seemed that Jane wanted to make this as uncomfortable as possible for Charles. I couldn't blame her.
Charles gently grabbed Jane's hand. "I'm so sorry for everything, Jane. I truly am. I have been distant, cold, a total fool. I'm an idiot. A complete and total idiot."
"Charles ..." Jane blushed slightly.
"The entire semester in London, all I could think of was you. I couldn't wait to get back here and see you. And what do I do? I completely mess everything up. I know you have such a kind heart, Jane. That is the only reason I have an ounce of hope that you can forgive me."
Jane looked down at the ground. I could tell that she was fighting back tears.
Charles leaned in closer to her. "There's no point in me going to prom, unless it's with you. There's no point in me doing anything, unless it's with you."
Jane lifted her head up and let Charles see the tear trickling down her face. "Of course I forgive you."
I quietly walked away, not wanting to intrude any further on their moment.
As I headed back inside, I started to think about Darcy and what he'd said. In his e-mail he'd said he was going to fix things between Charles and Jane. It seemed as if he had.
Later that night, I saw Caroline with bloodshot eyes. It seemed as if he may have corrected her as well.
Darcy was starting to put everything back together.
So much so, that Jane's trip to Vera for a prom dress was not in vain.
22.
I MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT WICK AND DARCY, BUT I had always known that Charles Bingley was wonderful. And I was so happy to be right about someone (for once). His connections had almost cut off his connection, but in the end, the truest connection had prevailed.
A dark cloud had lifted. The week of midterms was pretty uneventful, and that was a good thing. All of my exams went well. Jane was happy. It looked like I was going to be able to keep my scholarship.
Unfortunately, not all was going smoothly. I was having trouble with my recital piece.
"Try it again, but slower," Mrs. Gardiner said to me after I botched a complicated run for the third time.
I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. I lightly ran my fingers over the keys, trying to get my brain and fingers to work together to go through the most difficult sequence in Rhapsody. I slowed the pace and was able to hit every note.
"Perfect. Now faster."
I went up to tempo and my fingers ran into each other. A horrible sound erupted from the piano.
"Sorry, I've been practicing, really. I'll work on it over break."
Mrs. Gardiner smiled at me. "I know you will. But I have another assignment for you over the break."
I held in a groan. Rhapsody was challenging enough.
Mrs. Gardiner went over to her desk and pulled out an envelope. "You know Claudia Reynolds?"
"Of course!"
Claudia Reynolds was my idol. Any time I got stuck on a piece, I'd find footage of her playing it to try to figure it out. The emotion she put into her music was without equal, and her phrasing was always perfect.
"Well, this is for you." She handed me an envelope, and inside were two tickets to see Claudia Reynolds that weekend at Carnegie Hall.
I was stunned. "I can't ..."
Mrs. Gardiner waved my protest away. "Nonsense. It's my pleasure. You deserve it."
I thanked her profusely and immediately called my mother to tell her our plans for Saturday afternoon. Having that to look forward to made the remainder of the week, including the rest of my exams, bearable.
I could hardly wait to get back home. Every time I returned to the city Jane offered me a ride with her and Lydia. But, as always, I declined and took the ninety-minute train ride from town to Grand Central Station. No other Longbourn or Pemberley student would be caught dead on mass transit, so I knew I would be alone. I needed the solitude before going home, a chance to detox myself from all the negativity and pressure of campus. It was as if I dropped off my emotional baggage at each station stop along the way.