“I don’t know,” Jane said softly. “He’s been sounding so down and unlike himself over the phone, and he said it was something bad.”
“Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s something totally different that’s bad, and it’s been getting to him.”
“Then why wouldn’t he tell me?” she asked, her eyes begging for hope.
“I don’t know, Jane,” Elizabeth said, putting her arm around her sister’s shoulder. “But I do know there is no sense in worrying about it. There’s nothing we can do but wait, right?”
Jane nodded. “I know,” she smiled weakly at Elizabeth, “I’m trying.”
Elizabeth tried to smile back but found it hard in the face of her sister’s obvious pain. She squeezed Jane tight, then heard Lydia calling to her from downstairs. “Lizzy! Phone call!”
Elizabeth reached over and picked up Jane’s extension. “Hello?”
“Hey, gorgeous,” George Wickham’s voice answered.
“George!” Elizabeth exclaimed. Jane smiled at her and lifted her eyebrows. “How are you?”
“I’m great! I just got into New York, and I wanted to make sure I would see you tomorrow at the VMAs.”
“Yes!” Elizabeth grinned, surprised. “Are you going to be there?”
“Oh yeah. A couple of my videos are up for awards.”
“Oh! That’s wonderful!”
“So, I’ll see you there?” George said coyly.
“You will! I’m looking forward to it,” Elizabeth said pleasantly.
“Bye, Lizzy.”
Elizabeth hung up and turned to an expectant Jane. “That was George.”
“Who will be at the VMAs and is looking forward to seeing you,” Jane continued.
Elizabeth laughed. “Yes, basically that’s it.”
“And are you looking forward to seeing him?”
Elizabeth inclined her head. “Of course I am. George is my friend.”
“What about Will?”
Elizabeth frowned thoughtfully. “Yeah, what about him?” She sighed. “Well,” she said, drawing the word out, “I guess we’re both going to have to see what happens.”
As usual, Charles and Caroline were late. Darcy would have left without them if it weren’t for the media exposure. That was the whole point of the party. It was after eight when they finally arrived. Darcy and Richard were in their “Slurry-wear,” waiting in the kitchen.
Darcy was struck by the change in his friend right away. Physically Charles looked good; his skin was tanned, but his eyes were an emotional mess inside. “What the fuck?” Darcy asked him. “Didn’t your father get parole?”
Charles waved the question away. “Oh, he did. I have him all settled in the apartment at my place.”
“Then why do you look like your puppy got run over?”
“Jane,” Charles said simply. Caroline said nothing, but the set of her mouth made it clear this was not a new topic.
“What happened?”
“I miss her. I hated being away from her. She sounded so sad, and I couldn’t even tell her why we were apart.” He pulled his hair back. “And now I can’t even see her tonight.”
“Charles, this is a business thing. It will be full of photographers and reporters. Why would Jane want to come to this?”
Charles looked at Darcy, his eyes haunted. “I know that. I told her that, but still she would have come, just to see me.”
“Did you call her?”
“Her line was busy.”
Darcy sighed. This was not going well. He had seen Charles get into trouble emotionally before and he knew the signs. “Look, Charles, tomorrow you will see her, and you two can work it all out.”
Charles nodded dumbly.
“Now let’s go.”
Elizabeth answered the phone. An angry voice said, “Finally.”
“George?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Damn, it’s hard to get through to you!”
“Sorry, too many girls,” Elizabeth explained lightly. “What’s up?”
“I got some bad news, Lizzy.”
“What?”
“I won’t be seeing you tomorrow night.”
“Why not?”
“It’s that friggin’, bastard.”
“Who?”
“Darcy!” George growled. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take it out on you, Lizzy.” His tone softened. “It’s just that the jerk must have found out I was going and he pulled some strings, so now I don’t have an invitation to the show.”
“What?” Elizabeth was shocked. “How could he do that?”
“Oh, he could do it. He’s fucking Fitzwilliam Darcy. If he said jump, all of MTV would ask how friggin’ high!”
“I can’t believe he would do that!”
“Oh, believe it, Lizzy,” George said with certainty. “Did you tell him about me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, puzzled.
“Well, there you go. He doesn’t want me anywhere near you.”
“Oh God!” Elizabeth said in a low voice. “Oh my God!”
“I told you he gets what he wants, didn’t I, Lizzy?”
“George, you were right,” Elizabeth whispered.
“It’s okay, Lizzy. I’m just pissed because I wanted to see my work win.”
“That bastard,” Lizzy whispered harshly, her anger building. “I can’t believe him! That arrogant prick! It’s bad enough he thinks he can fuck with me, but it’s so wrong that he would mess with you.”
“He’s something, that arrogant jerk,” George snorted.
“Well, what are you going to do?” Elizabeth asked tentatively.
George sounded sad. “Nothing I can do, Lizzy. He’s got me.”
Elizabeth remembered Darcy’s anger as she told him about Wickham. “That’s it! He’s not getting away with this. Tomorrow I’m going to tell him off!”
“Lizzy, don’t get yourself in trouble for me.”
“It’s not for you, George! It’s because he’s wrong! He’s an arrogant bastard and I’m going to tell him just what I think of him!” She stomped her foot. “God! If I knew where he was, I would go there right now!”
“Oh, that’s not hard,” George said lightly. “He’s no doubt at his big fancy loft. Hasn’t he ever taken you there?”
“No,” Elizabeth said, her tone soft and hurt.
“Figures,” George muttered darkly. “It’s on Broome Street in the Village.”
A plan came to Elizabeth. “Could you tell me how to get there?”
Darcy stretched and hit the lights. He was dead tired. The nap hadn’t helped much, and the nervous energy that came from traveling was wearing off. He was happy to leave the party the first chance he could and go back home. Richard volunteered to stay and to look after Charles when Darcy announced he was leaving at ten thirty. Anne gave him an evil look, but he hadn’t cared. He pressed the flesh and posed for pictures. His job was done. Darcy got himself a large glass of water. He hated affairs like that. The hypocrisy of it all disgusted him.
He was surprised when the phone rang ten minutes later. Even more surprising was the message. The doorman had an Elizabeth Bennet to see him. He ordered her sent up and went to the gallery to meet her, smiling. She had come! Just like he knew she would!
The elevator stopped and Elizabeth stepped out, her eyes flashing. She was surprised to find Darcy in a white shirt and his leather pants. Elizabeth bit down hard on her lust and snapped, “What? You wear those all the time?”
“I was just at an appearance,” he explained.
“Do you know why I’m here?” she asked.
“I think so,” he replied, lifting an eyebrow.
“You aren’t even ashamed, are you?” she said, appalled.
“Why should I be?” he asked, suddenly uncertain.
“Oh! That just takes the cake! You ban your oldest friend from receiving awards he rightfully deserves and it doesn’t bother you in the least!”
“Lizzy, what are you talking about?” Darcy asked, confusion plain on his face.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “So now you’re playing stupid? Fine! I’ll tell you. I’m talking about George Wickham, who just told me you had him banned from the VMAs,” she snarled scornfully.