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Her father held the door open and gestured for them to enter. After stepping inside, Elizabeth made a formal introduction, and Will held out his hand, which was firmly grasped by her father.
“Hello, Mr. Bennet. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well, William. Please, call me David. No need for formalities here. Come along, everyone is in the kitchen.”
Elizabeth’s father walked ahead of them, and Lydia’s voice echoed down the hall from the kitchen.
“I can't believe she'sfinallygot a boyfriend! Maybe this one will stick around.”
“Lydia!” Jane reprimand her.
Mr. Bennet continued down the hall, but Elizabeth stopped and turned to Will. It was clear from his stern expression that he’d heard Lydia as well, and she placed her hands on his chest.
“Can I apologize now for anything and everything that's going to happen while we’re here?”
He grinned. “So this next hour isn't going to be as nice as the last?”
“Not even close.”
He stroked her cheek. “Don't worry. What happens here has nothing to do with you and me, okay?”
She sighed in relief. “I'm holding you to that.”
Her father stepped into the hallway again and cleared his throat. “You’re already twenty minutes late—are you trying to make it thirty?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and led Will into the kitchen, where Jane, Charles, and Lydia were seated at the table.
“Hi, everyone,” Elizabeth said.
“Hi, Lizzy, hi, Will,” Jane greeted them happily.
Charles rose to shake Will's hand, and the two men began their own conversation. Lydia’s eyes never even left her phone, and Jane nudged Elizabeth.
“We thought maybe you guys ditched us,” she said quietly.
“It wasn’t for lack of trying. But no, we were just…um, we got busy.”
Elizabeth cringed at her inadvertent admission, and the sisters giggled lightly.
“TMI, but yay!” Jane whispered. “Did you have a good night?”
Elizabeth smiled and nodded, and when she turned to see Will’s gaze fixed on her, her face heated. She looked away and her eyes went to Lydia, who was now staring slack-jawed at Will. Elizabeth hoped her younger sister wouldn’t make a fool of herself.
“You remember Will, right, Lydia?” Elizabeth asked.
Lydia smirked. “How could I forget Willy?”
“Hello, Lydia,” Will said flatly.
“Well, now, the two of you have met?” Mr. Bennet asked. “You didn't tell us you knew him, Lydia.”
“When I met Willy, he wasn't Lizzy’s boyfriend.”
Mrs. Bennet walked into the kitchen then, and her eyes immediately went to Elizabeth. “Oh, Lizzy, you're finally here! Can't you get yourself anywhere on time?”
“Hi, Mom.” Elizabeth sighed, already feeling like she wanted to grab Will and run. He squeezed her hand, and she smiled at him gratefully.
Fran Bennet walked straight to Elizabeth, bright blue eyes looking her daughter up and down. She was petite, but only physically; her diminutive body held a formidable personality. Her salt-and-pepper hair was styled perfectly, and she wore a beige linen skirt and a bright white top, her pedicured toenails and manicured fingernails painted a vibrant coral. Gold dripped from her neck, arms and ears, as she was a firm believer that one should never skimp on accessories.
