Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star (62 page)

Charles nodded. “Fair enough. We’ll deal with that if it happens. One step at a time.”

***

Elizabeth had been waiting in the interrogation room for almost an hour by the big clock that hung on the wall, an hour with nothing to keep her company but her own thoughts.

Talking to Darcy had been a mixed blessing. It was good to know he was helping her, but the pain and fear in his voice had made her all the more frightened.

She started when the door opened and a tall blonde woman walked in. “Ms. Bennet? I’m Linda St. Andrews. I believe Will told you about me?”

Elizabeth felt her heart lift with Darcy’s name. “Yes, yes he did,” she said quickly.

Linda smiled and held out an envelope. “This is for you.”

Elizabeth took the blank envelope and opened it, pulling out Darcy’s letter. She gasped as she recognized the handwriting and read it, eagerly devouring each word. She looked tearfully up at Linda and said, “Thank you,” in a tremulous voice.

Linda gave Elizabeth a reassuring smile and a tissue. “Feeling better? Now, let’s get down to work.”

A half hour later found them sitting with the police, going over questions. Elizabeth answered them all honestly, but it was clear the police were growing annoyed. After another fifteen minutes, the two detectives left in a huff.

“What did I do?” Elizabeth asked.

“Nothing.” Linda shrugged, going over her notes. “Cops hate that. They want you to trip up and be guilty. Innocent people make them nuts.”

“What’s going to happen?”

Linda looked up and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand sympathetically. It was clear that she was terrified. “They’re probably going to move you to a holding cell, where you get to spend the night.”

“Tomorrow you will be arraigned before a judge. That is when you will plead not guilty and bail will be set. Then you can go home to that man who is missing you so bad.”

“Will? Is he okay?” The color drained from Elizabeth’s face.

“He’s very concerned. Didn’t he tell you that in the letter?” She gestured to the paper in Elizabeth’s hands and Elizabeth nodded. “What about the trial?” she asked fearfully.

“Well, we will have to see about that,” Linda said in a businesslike tone. “I’m going to try to get the charges dropped, but that’s going to be tricky. The good news is that your fingerprints aren’t on the packet, there were no traces of residue on your hands, and with any luck Wickham’s prints will be on the packet. Add the fact that you have agreed to drug testing and that you agreed to let your bag be searched and I say we have a pretty strong case.”

“But what if…”

“Lizzy, don’t think about that now. I’m going to do my best to see this never gets to trial, and they don’t tremble when my name is spoken in the DA’s office for nothing.” She grinned. “I’m good. Have some faith.”

Elizabeth nodded, her faith stretched to its limits.

Linda smiled. “Good.” She turned to her papers and started working.

Elizabeth sat puzzled in silence for a few minutes and then asked, “What are you doing?”

“Very boring paperwork. But every minute you spend with me is one less minute you spend in the holding cell, right?”

Elizabeth smiled and nodded.

“Now, listen to me. You are semifamous, so the cops are going to be careful with you, but there might be other people in the holding cell. If at any time you feel afraid, demand to see me. I’ll be nearby so I can get here quickly. We’ll get you out of the cell and you can hang out in the interrogation room for a few hours. Understand?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“You’ll get through this, Lizzy.”

***

Darcy came out of the library when he heard Caroline swearing loudly. The large-screen TV was on and showing a picture of Elizabeth as an MTV News announcer said,

“Bennet is the singer for the girl group Long Borne Suffering, which is currently on tour with Slurry. In possibly related news, Slurry drummer Richard Fitzwilliam was also at LaGuardia Airport at the same time and was seen having an altercation with former Slurry lead singer George Wickham. Wickham now directs music videos after leaving Slurry in 2006.”

“Turn it off,” Darcy said disgustedly as he turned away.

“Well, there goes her reputation. I hope you’re happy,” Alex commented savagely at Darcy.

Darcy felt something inside of him snap. “Do I look happy? Elizabeth is being held by the police. Why do you think I would be happy about that?”

The room grew silent as every eye fixed on the two men.

“Well, you sure seem to be doing your best to mess her up.”

Darcy slowly closed his hands into fists. “You were the one with her when she was arrested,” he said in a dangerously low voice. “I trusted that you would bring her home safely, but you didn’t, did you? What were you doing, letting her out of your sight? Leaving her alone with him?”

Alex took a step forward, his eyes cold with disdain. “We both know Wickham would never have even looked at Lizzy if you weren’t involved. She was safe before she got messed up with you.”

Darcy took a step forward right at the same moment Richard used his strength and bulk to move Darcy away. Charlotte took that moment to grab her brother and drag him in the opposite direction. They ended up in Richard’s bedroom, which was at the far end of the loft.

“What the fuck was that about?” Charlotte asked incredulously. “Why did you do that?”

“He’s a jerk,” Alex sulked.

“That is no reason to attack the man like that. My God. Don’t you have any feelings? How would you feel if your lover was dragged away like that?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Probably not, but try me.”

“It’s just…” He stopped, unable to find the words.

“Don’t tell me you still love her?”

“No, at least not like that. I know that it’s over between us and has been for a long time, but… it’s hard, you know. Watching them. Even when they were fighting like cats and dogs, they would stare at each other. All the time. You had to notice.”

Charlotte nodded.

“She never looked at me like that, never.”

Charlotte put her arm around him and leaned her head against his. “I got bad news for you, Bro; you’re not Fitzwilliam Darcy.”

“Nope, I’m sure not,” he agreed resignedly.

Charlotte sat up and studied him. “You lied the other day at the airport. You aren’t okay with this, are you?”

“Char—”

“No, just admit it. For whatever reason, a part of you just can’t handle Lizzy being with Darcy.”

Alex stared at the floor.

“You can’t,” Charlotte said in a low voice that indicated she was thinking out loud, “and you won’t leave, and Lizzy won’t fire you.” She paused for a moment then said in a calm, resolved voice, “Alex, you’re fired.”

“What?”

“You’re fired. I’ll discuss it with Jane, but I’m sure she will agree with me.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Yeah, I can. When Lizzy gets back, we’ll finalize it, but we’re going to have to sever our professional relationship.”

Alex stared into the eyes that matched his own and saw there was no room for change in Charlotte’s mind.

“All right,” he conceded. “But I’m staying to help Lizzy.”

Charlotte shrugged. “Not a problem. Just stop pissing off Will.”

***

Richard dragged and pushed Will into his bedroom and shut the door. “Okay, take a moment and calm down. Punching Alex’s lights out isn’t going to help matters.”

“Oh, like punching George’s did?”

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t feel good,” Richard said. “And I’m sorry about that. I lost my temper. Besides, he was asking for it and I knew you weren’t going to hit him.”

“You’re right.” Darcy sank down on his bed. “What’s going to happen, Richard?”

Richard shrugged. “Lizzy’s going to be released on bail in the morning. We’ll take it from there.”

“And the press?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s probably going to die down. After all, I was the one who punched Wickham. There isn’t anything to connect Lizzy and you other than the tour. The fact is she’s not a big enough star to stay in the news long for a drug bust.”

“Actually, there is.”

“What?”

“When Jane was hit by that bottle, Lizzy and I created a diversion so Jane and Charles could get into the hotel. We… acted for the press in the lobby.”

“Oh hell, Will.” His eyes widened. “Christ, you were in love with her even back then, weren’t you?”

Darcy looked at him from where he was lying on the bed and nodded.

Richard sighed. “And they’ve got those pictures somewhere, don’t they?”

Again Darcy nodded.

“Well, then I’m guessing you’re going to be on the front page of the
Enquirer
again, my friend. Won’t be the first time.”

“But it will be the first time it’s true,” Darcy growled.

Richard looked on sympathetically. “I know. It sucks all around. Wickham really got us good.”

Darcy sat up and sighed. “I can’t help but feel like I’ve failed her. I should have never let her go down there. And now she is gone, forever. I’ve destroyed her.”

Richard stared, not believing his ears. “Will, will you listen to yourself? Christ, she’s just being held until her arraignment. It’s just one night. She’s not dead!” He lifted up his hands in frustration and dropped them again. “Try to stay based in reality, okay?

“Oh, and you’re one to talk,” Darcy hissed. “What kind of fantasy have you got planned? You and Charlotte living happily ever after?”

Richard set his jaw. Darcy was just lashing out, but he had hit a painful target. “I know. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. But at least I’m facing it.” He took a deep breath and released it. “I just don’t know what to do about it.”

Darcy stared, his dark eyes piercing Richard’s. “Talk to her,” he said. “That’s where you have to start.”

Richard nodded, and left the room.

***

Richard found Charlotte shaking her head from her encounter with her brother. He held out his hand. “Come on,” he said and drew her up a wooden and steel stair, through a doorway onto the roof.

“Oh!” she gasped in surprise. Before her was a beautiful garden. It was made of long, raised beds that were arranged with wooden screens to form a sort of maze. From the center, a visitor would be completely enclosed, shielded from any sight of the city. On the perimeter were lovely vistas, with benches to take in the spectacular views.

The beds were filled with a riot of bright colors, flowers of every type, blooming wantonly. The heat from the day was just starting to abate, and a cooling wind was blowing, carrying with it lush perfume from the flowers. “It’s beautiful.”

Richard nodded. “My aunt had it made. She loved having a sanctuary in the middle of the city that she could escape to.” He led her along the edge of the garden, stopping with her to watch the sun setting low in the sky. He lightly placed his arms around her as he gathered his thoughts. Absently he noted the way the sunlight brought out the highlights in her hair, reminding him of the orchid he had given her.

After a minute, Charlotte asked, “What are we doing?”

All of Richard’s worry and concerns broke away with the smile that warmed his face. “We’re watching the sunset. Shhh. It’s romantic.”

“I’m not seeing the romance here,” Charlotte disagreed. “I see New Jersey.”

Richard laughed as he turned her in his arms to face him. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

“I’m not really the romance type,” Charlotte stated. “And you know that.”

Richard sighed dramatically. “Come over here then, my nonromantic one.” They walked into the maze to the elegant wooden benches at the center there. He took her to one that was covered with a large, plain, dark green cushion. “I was going to put out some candles but—” He stopped at the expression on her face.

They sat comfortably side by side in silence. Finally Charlotte pulled out her cigarettes. “I need this,” she murmured before offering one to him. Sitting together, smoking, brought them both a flood of memories, both good and bad. Gently, Charlotte explored them, evaluating again her feelings for the complex man beside her.

Richard struggled for a moment, and Charlotte let him, waiting silently to see what he was going to say. Finally he began, “Char, I don’t know why this is so hard. I can talk to you about anything, but when it comes to us? I’m tongue-tied. What I want to say is I want you, and I want us to be better.”

“Better?”

“I know,” he sighed, dropping his head into his hands for a moment. “That’s not very good. Sorry. What I mean is, I don’t want us to go back to how we were. I want us to be better.”

Charlotte crossed her arms and then started rubbing her forehead with her hand. She sighed. “Richard, you’re the only one who’s keeping us from being better.” She dropped her hand and looked up at him. “I was doing what people usually do, moving from nonexclusive dating toward exclusive dating.” She tilted her head a little. “You, being the creative soul that you are, went from nonexclusive dating to not dating me, to not dating at all—if your phone calls are to be believed. I think the next step would be to reverse puberty.” She stopped herself, wondering if she had gone too far, and regrouped her thoughts. “My point is, if you want us to be better, then
be better.
” She touched his arms to emphasize her words. “I don’t need the orchid and candles in the middle of the day and the view of beautiful New Jersey. I haven’t suddenly morphed into Jane. I want us. You and me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”