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47
The following morning was rushed; Elizabeth and Will had breakfast with Georgiana, Matt, and Mrs. Reynolds, and then decided to spend the night in Boston, allowing them to drive Mrs. Reynolds home, and also making it easier to catch their flight the next day.
Elizabeth wanted to see her aunt and uncle before they went back to the Vineyard and agreed to meet them at the ferry dock, so after breakfast, Will drove her to her house so she could pack for California, and then they made the short drive to the pier, where they found the Gardiners in the ticket line for the ferry.
“We only have a few minutes,” Elizabeth said to her aunt after they’d purchased their tickets. “We’re heading to Boston and have to pick up Mrs. Reynolds before we go.”
Her eyes were trained on Will, who’d wandered further down the dock with her uncle. The two men appeared to be deep in conversation.
“I'm glad you came anyway,” Dee said. “Wasn't yesterday beautiful? Jane was glowing, and Charles is such a nice young man. They looked so happy.”
“They are. Charles is a great guy.”
“And you and Will are doing well?”
“We are. I can’t believe I haven't talked to you since I visited during the storm! I feel like I should apologize for not staying in touch.”
“Nonsense. You have a lot going on, I don't expect you to call me all the time. We always find time to catch up.”
“I know.” Elizabeth sighed. “We're trying, Aunt Dee. We want to make it work. And I want to thank you again, for everything. The things you said to me, about regret and second chances... I took some time to think about what I truly want, and it’s him. He’s worth putting myself out there again and taking a chance.”
“I’m happy for you. And I have a good feeling about the two of you.”
“Thanks.” Elizabeth smiled, and watched as Will and her uncle shook hands. “I do too.”
* * *
The driveto Boston passed quickly, thanks to Mrs. Reynolds amusing Elizabeth with tales of Will's youth. Fortunately for Will, most of the stories were mild, as he never got into much trouble when he was young. She mostly spoke of watching him and Georgiana grow up and talked quite a bit about his parents and what they were like.
Elizabeth was enthralled but noticed that as the conversation went more and more in the direction of Will's parents, he became a bit quiet and withdrawn. Mrs. Reynolds seemed to sense it as well and soon began asking Will about their trip to California. He grew talkative again and even showed a bit of nervous excitement when he spoke about FRD Designs. Still, Elizabeth was concerned about his change in demeanor, enough that she wanted to ask him about it later.
They dropped off Mrs. Reynolds at her apartment, and Will carried in her bags. During the short ride from there to the townhouse he was mostly quiet, and Elizabeth tried to draw him out by asking more questions about their trip.
“What time does our flight leave?”
“Eight.”
“And where are we staying?”
“The Four Seasons.”
She studied his profile. “Are you okay?”
He glanced at her and nodded, then squeezed her hand. “Yes. Sorry, I'm just thinking about the trip.”
“Have you stayed at the hotel before?”
He nodded. “It’s nice. Close to the RJD offices. Um, once we get settled, we can go somewhere if you'd like. There's Union Square, or we could go to Fisherman's Wharf. Whatever you would like to do.”
Elizabeth smiled. “We'll figure it out when we get there.”
“I might see if Richard and Lauren can join us for dinner, if that's okay.”
“Sure.”
Once inside the townhouse, she stopped and looked around the foyer and recalled when she was here for Georgiana's birthday party. Even though it was just a couple of weeks ago, it felt like much longer. So much had transpired since then.
She turned to look at Will, who was typing on his phone, presumably texting Richard or Georgiana. Her heart swelled as she watched him, focused on his task. Their conversation from the night before drifted into her mind, and she smiled. Yes, she’d beencompletelycaught off guard when he’d brought up marriage, but thinking about it now, she felt a sense of security, as if that short discussion had solidified everything they were doing, everything they were hoping for.
