Chapter 3

LizE started work the first Monday in September. Juno and she packed into the tiny electric car and drove the short distance to work happy that their family home and their place of employment were so close. She quickly fell into a routine at work, processing through batches of seeds sent in by field personnel in far-away locales or collected by staff botanists from local trips.

Juno spared her twenty-five minutes for lunch every day and they talked of work or their colleagues. Much to Fancy's annoyance, Juno never mentioned Alex Morris or any other eligible young man to LizE, or brought the topic up at the family dinner table. Fancy did take LizE aside a number of times her first weeks at the Netherfield Institute to ask for insight on Juno's love life but LizE had none to give. Juno was only interested in her work; she had quite a senior position for someone of twenty-eight years of age and it looked likely she would earn the equivalency of tenure with the Institute in record time.

LizE was spending her time at work in different ways. She used every excuse she could to poke into every office, every lab, and every greenhouse of the Institute and to meet as many employees as possible. Her impressions of the people at the Institute were of individuals like Juno: hard-working, dedicated and devoted to the Institute's mission to identify, store and distribute native plants and seeds.

The topic of the Grand Gala was discussed by everyone at work and LizE discovered that she did indeed have tickets to the event as an Institute employee. She felt like no one could expect her to bring a real date (she had spent so long at Uni and in graduate school she never had time for boyfriends beyond some dates here and there) but her friend LotE Lucas was more than happy to go with her.

The Grand Gala was not until the second week of October and the Institute had been decorated with a Harvest theme, with subtle autumn colors decorating the walls and tables for all that they could be seen in the evening lighting. The Netherfield Institute was packed with people but not all of them where on the guest list. Fancy Ben and her two youngest children did not manage to get on the invite list for all that Fancy worked hard at it. She supposed that Tom had received an invitation and, by extension, had tickets, but he insisted he had not nor was he going to attend for all that his fellow soil science colleagues might be there.

So Fancy, KitE, and Luna showed up at the Gala claimed Juno as their sponsor and were admitted with no fuss. Most everybody knew everyone. The local area was small and no one really commuted a long distance to the Institute (a few people even lived in on-site dormitories). Most everyone knew that some of the Ben family members were gate-crashing but they were not the only ones, some of the younger Lucas sons showed up, and all three of the Goulding teenagers did.

A new visitor was definitely expected. Juno's team member Edi had met him earlier in the day and kept saying on how handsome he was so Juno looked forward to meeting him. Edi was not usually one to comment about men; she and Juno were quite alike in their love of, and devotion to, work.

Juno, Edi, LizE and LotE all stood together with drinks in their hands. None were used to drinking socially and their collected posture said as much as they held their three wine glasses and a beer bottle with overly cautious fingers.

"His name is Chaz Bingley. He is an investor, not a scientist," Edi Long was explaining as she swirled her wine glass. "He met with two of the board members this morning, and then the director in the afternoon."

"So, he is very rich then if he wants to invest in the Institute," said LotE.

"He must be if he got Mr. Nishino's attention," said LizE, "everyone knows he never comes into the Institute but just takes comms from home."

"But he's not a scientist, just some dumb rich guy," commented Juno with a down-turned mouth.

"You never know, maybe he's a smart rich guy, sweetie, that would really make Mom happy," joked LizE, "and you would still have someone decent to come home and talk to!" She sniggered and the others joined in. LizE managed to spill some of her beer on her pants leg which cracked her up even more.

Whispers went through the room and despite the crowd, and the poor lighting (the Institute was not designed to be lit or used at night) they knew that the honored guest had arrived.

"There goes my father," and LotE pointed with her wine glass, slopping some out onto the floor. Darren Lucas was obvious in his bright green jacket, one of his signature favorites, as he made an effort to get through the crowd to the front hallway. "He loves greetings all newcomers though I think he takes the retired politician thing a little too far. It's not like he was ever the Meryton mayor or anything and represents the local area."

"But your father feels responsible and is so warm and inviting, that counts for a lot," said Juno.

"I wouldn't discount being a state senator LotE, as a small thing," added LizE.

"Yes, but it made him think he did not have to spend any time in his shop," and LotE frowned, "like his business would run itself."

They watched the man in green greet a circle of people, three gentlemen and two ladies.

"Is he a real redhead?" they heard Juno in a whisper.

"Yes, the redheaded man is Mr. Bingley," said Edi.

"Red hair is a recessive trait; I thought there weren't any redheads left," said Juno looking at Chaz Bingley from across the room.

"I wonder who the others are with him? Other investors? Friends? Family?" asked LizE.

"I suppose it must be a girlfriend with him," announced Juno, "him being so rich and all."

"One of the women has reddish hair too, do you suppose it's a relative?" asked LotE. "Hers is not as striking as his."

"No, his is a magnificent shade," said Juno in a soft voice.

They watched in silence for many minutes as Darren Lucas introduced various locals to Mr. Bingley and his guests.

"Mr. Bingley seems cheerful, you can see him smile all the way across the room," said Juno, "look how animated he looks talking to your father LotE." She did not turn to look at her friend, but kept her eyes, as they all did, as so many in the room did, on the small group of well-dressed people.

"I thought him very tall, but look at that other man, the very dark one, he's half a head taller," said Edi.

"I wonder who he is?" LotE said voicing the question three of them were now considering.

"He is good looking," said LizE, "but rather stiff. Doesn't seem to have said a word besides hello, I don't think he really wants to be here."

"He's well-dressed, those are expensive duds," Edi said smiling.

"How in the world can you tell from here?" demanded LizE raising her voice. A few neighbors turned to look at the women.

"I guess I can tell quality, even in poor lighting. Come on J, let's go say hello," and she hooked her arm through her friend's and they pushed their way towards the man of the hour.

"Do people turn into idiots when they smell money?" asked LizE as she turned to LotE. She attempted a sip of her beer, but it was flat and warm and she pulled a face.

"That bad huh," asked LotE. She took the beer and set it on the floor next to the wall. "Perhaps you and your sister are the only two women here who are not beset by hormones? You and Juno were both so focused on school and then on work that you never talked about men. Sometimes we women like to admire members of the opposite sex."

"Not you too LotE," and LizE crossed her arms over her chest.

"People have been pair-bonding for thousands of years LizE, I don't see what the issue is for you. And with the population decline since the 40's we should feel obligated to at least have kids."

"I think that we don't all have to get married or have kids or pair-bond, as you call it. We both come from big families. We have enough siblings to do that for us, and if we are not inclined to 'pair-bond,'" and she held her fingers up to air quote the word, "then we shouldn't. The world got into a lot of trouble with the population rising so fast and not being able to sustain itself. I don't see that we should be in such a big hurry to replace it since it tanked."

"Perhaps you'll feel differently if you met the right man to pair-bond with?" said LotE as she drained the last sip of wine and then stepped backwards and knocked over LizE's bottle spilling the last of its contents.

"You sound like Fancy, and are you sure that is your first drink?" LizE smiled and put her arm around her friend's waist. They escaped from their corner and hoped no one noticed their indiscretion as they left the beer bottle and the mess.

There was dancing in one of the corners of the largest conference room. A small area had been designated, and some special flooring had been laid down, where people danced. It appeared, as LizE approached, that Mara and Mark were running the electronics, which made her cringe. Their curiosity often led them to experiment to the point of destruction.

No one over thirty was dancing and it was mostly the new hires and the Uni interns and all of the teens.

Armed with fresh drinks, LizE and LotE watched their teenage siblings dance wondering at the extent of alcohol the teenagers might have been able to sneak from the bar. There was no real pairing up of couples but all the kids danced in one big group.

"Is my brother dancing with your sister?" asked LotE as she drained her wine glass again.

"Which sister? I think they are all dancing together. Perhaps Maria is dancing with Luna," and she pointed, "and John is dancing with KitE, it is hard to tell." She looked into her bottle. "I think we should not be drinking so much." LizE turned and put her beer bottle on a small, high table that held many other discarded glasses and containers. She wondered at the extent that the two beers had made her feel so light-headed. LotE had consumed more alcohol but did not seem to be feeling, or showing, the effects as much.

"I am going to go get some water," LizE called over her shoulder and she trailed off to the bar. A small pool of people was in front and she waited patiently while the two bartenders, a short man and a taller woman, passed over drinks, conveniently forgetting to check IDs. LizE pursed her lips as she considered that Luna and KitE were smart enough to have noticed and probably had finagled a beer or two.

"No French varietals at all?" She was roused from her thoughts by a deep voice. A tall back in front of her stood stiff, his hands on the cold steel counter.

"No sir."

"Not even a champagne, a real champagne? From the Champagne region" and he pronounced the word with what must have been an exquisite accent.

"Sorry, sir," said the bartender. Her voice and demeanor did not indicate her contrition.

"You are rather rude," said the man leaning in towards the bartender.

LizE nudged beside him. "Look, your highness, this is California. We have wines to rival anything the French can grow, have you ever considered giving one of them a try?" The bartender gave her a smirky smile, and then schooled her face.

"I have only ever drunk French wine," he looked down at her with furled brows but with an otherwise unreadable face.

"Perhaps you ought to get down off your throne and consider trying what the little people drink. Might be tainted, might make you sick." She leaned in closer to him. He stood his ground. "You know what, we don't want to share. Don't you ever drink California wine, ever!" She slapped the counter. "It's our treasure. It's our local pride, our glory, our… "she faltered, racking her brains for more synonyms.

"Madam, you can be assured that I never will." And he turned abruptly and walked away.

"Oh boy!" LizE turned and leaned her back against the counter and watched him fade into the crowd. She turned back to the bartender. "Water, I came for water."

"Thanks, that was quite a show you put on." The bartender popped a glass in front of LizE and filled it with water. "I can't believe that guy only drinks French wine. He didn't sound foreign, sounded like a regular American to me."

"That was Mr. Derby or something like that, came with Mr. Bingley. They're investing in the Institute," said a man on the other side of LizE.

"Darcy, his name is Darcy, owns Darcy Rail," said Mr. Robinson, who owned one of the shops in town and was on LizE's left.

"I just insulted the owner of Darcy Rail?" said LizE who had heard of the powerful transportation empire that was Darcy Rail.

"It was so worth it," said the bartender.

"My god, he was so rude," said the one man.

"'Highness,' that was a great insult," said Mr. Robinson, "that was fitting, would have been even better if he was some airplane magnate," and he laughed.

LizE gulped down her water, had it refilled, then went back in search of LotE. By the time she reached her friend, who was still by the dance floor, she had decided that Mr. Darcy was rude, ridiculous, and disagreeable but that the whole incident was actually quite funny. The funniest point was that LizE did not actually drink wine. And she joked with LotE that she might actually have to begin. LotE was a little shaken when she discovered who it was that LizE had threatened, but LizE assured her that she had no reason to ever see him again, he did not know her name, and he deserved what he got.

"Why do you suppose Alex is moping about like that?" said a mischievous and taunting voice near them. Edi pounced on them then putting her hands around both of their waists to pull them close. "It's because he is jealous with a capital J about our J." Edi had imbibed perhaps a little too much California wine, but they turned to look at poor, morose Alejandro Morris. His back pressed against the wall, he looked like a child whose favorite toy had been smashed.

Juno was dancing. And not dancing in some snake-pit ball like the teenagers and the Uni students. Mr. Bingley had his hand on her waist and his other hand in hers and they appeared to be attempting to waltz against music that had no regular beat. LizE gasped to see Juno dancing and perhaps even blushing if there had been enough light to betray the color on her cheeks. Chaz Bingley kept twirling them around the floor in a 3-step movement despite the ravages of music and lights that Mara and Mark kept pounding across the floor and through the air and over the ceiling.

"Smoke!" someone yelled, and then the lights over the dance floor cut out. Then the music stopped. And the dancers stopped. All except Chaz and Juno who now kept waltzing around the floor, their feet creating music, heels on a wooden floor.

"One, two, three...One, two, three," called out someone. LizE suspected it was her mother, and the crowd picked up the chant and the pair danced around the floor for a few more rotations before he twirled her under his arm and then bowed to her. The whole room burst into applause.

Juno began fanning her face, partially from the heat, mostly from embarrassment. Spying LizE she ran to her sister, with Chaz following behind.

"LizE, this is Chaz Bingley. Chaz, this is my sister LizE. She works at Netherfield."

Chaz Bingley was handsome. His dark red hair was striking, LizE would allow him that. More than his face and his hair was his stunning smile, which radiated from gorgeous white teeth that LizE suspected were real and not expensive fakes. He said his hellos to LizE as if greeting her after a long absence, and not as if he was just meeting her for the first time.

"Do come and meet the family," and he grabbed LizE's hand in a familiar gesture, took Juno's hand with the other as if hand-holding were natural with strangers and dragged them off, all the while talking about what a wonderful time he had had that evening. "Best party I've been to all year." And he smiled down at Juno who had said nothing while Chaz talked and pestered LizE with questions about her work.

"Ah, there she is," and playfully tugged at their hands. "Lois, you've met Juno but here's one of her sisters, LizE. LizE, this is my sister Lois, and her husband Kai Hurst. They've come to see me through this venture. We're all sharing some nice house she found for me while we work out all those T&C s." He let go of LizE's hand as he gestured at his sister and brother-in-law.

"T&Cs?" LizE raised an eyebrow while she shook Lois's hand.

"Ah, you're a scientist, not a business woman. Terms and Conditions. T&Cs…" and he smiled, looking not at LizE but at Juno. He recollected himself and looked around the assembled group. "LizE is a scientist," Chaz prompted.

"How interesting," said Lois. Though like the bartender, her words and her tone of voice did not match.

"Oh yes, interesting," Kai stifled a yawn. "So where is Darcy?"

"Oh he grumbled about the lack of quality drinks and anything interesting to do," replied Chaz. "He can fend for himself. I will not let him cut short this evening. He has Caro to keep him busy; they can get some work done in an unused conference room."

"But you are going to want to go eventually?" prompted Lois Hurst.

"Oh not for ages; it's early yet," and he looked at Juno.

"I think they may be shutting things down soon," warned LizE who looked at the thinning crowds. Especially after the dance finale from Chaz and Juno, people seemed to feel it was time to go home and a stream of bodies was moving towards the door.

"I think perhaps I may need to throw a party of my own before I quit the area," and he smiled again at Juno who smiled back. LizE noticed that they were still holding hands. Lois kept glancing at the clasped hands too.

Juno yawned and brought her free hand up to cover her mouth. "Excuse me, perhaps I am tired. We should all go together, you know LizE, since Mom drove Bob, in case he misbehaves."

"Who is Bob?" asked Chaz, searching Juno's face as if to find the answer there.

LizE laughed before answering. "Bob is our old biofuel car. I think he is older than Juno. He used to run on ethanol before corn failed but Dad jiggered him to run on other biofuels. He is not reliable at all but we don't often all need to go somewhere, especially at night. And…" She looked at Juno who was staring intently at her. "And I think I'll go find out if everyone is almost ready to leave," she said quick goodbyes to Chaz and his family and went to find her own.

In rounding up her siblings, LizE wished she could find her friend to discuss this new Juno. She had never had her sister make those staring, googly eyes at her that so obviously said, 'shut up and go away' before. Not in all their middle school, high school and Uni years had Juno ever looked at LizE as the annoying little sister. They had far too many other sisters to do that; Juno had never had to be cross with LizE.

Her family in tow, Mr. Bingley parted from Juno with a sweet handshake for each family member. They all crammed into their two vehicles and safely made it home, Bob only hiccupping slightly on the way home and giving LizE a chance to tell her story of Mr. Darcy.

Fancy could not wait to sing Chaz Bingley's praises and tackled Tom who was up in his study, oblivious to the time. She poured out her heart about her hopes for Juno to her husband. "Oh, you should see that hair of his, think, her blue eyes, and his red hair, what our grandchildren would look like!"

"You can contemplate such a thing from their having met once?"

"Oh, but you did not see them dance, Tom, it was the most romantic thing. Everyone was doing all that modern light and sound and whirling about, and he takes her out and," but Tom Ben interrupted her and asked for an overview of the evening, not a minute account of it.

"They are meant for each other, just like you and I were, think of our Uni days, when dormitories were crowded, old Professor Burke's class, how we would sneak into the lab…" she kissed the top of his head and he patted her hand and smiled.

She related, with a lot of bitterness, and perhaps some exaggeration, the rudeness of Mr. Darcy.

"I can assure you," she added, "that LizE did the right thing jumping in there for all that he is so rich. There is nothing to be gained by getting along with that man for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. He is so conceited that there was no enduring him. Wouldn't drink anything but French wines indeed! I am sure, if you had been there, you would have given him an even better set-down!"