Richard eyed him. “I suppose.”
“Well, I called the recruiting center on Bloomfield Road, the closest one to the high school. Apparently, the posters were removed without permission.” Will kicked off his shoes. “There are some rules about using them on school grounds as well.”
Richard wasn’t sure where Will was headed. “And?”
Will raised an eyebrow. “Taking the posters without permission is theft of federal property.”
Richard laughed. “The thinnest of charges, Will.”
“The recruiter’s willing to play. He’s agreed to speak to the parents, kick up a bit of a fuss.” He paused. “The principal, too. She was embarrassed, honestly, and I took advantage.”
He’d been busy. “I remain skeptical,” Richard replied, crossing his arms and waiting for Will’s reply.
“Well, that’s one facet of the plan,” Will said firmly. “I also spoke specifically to the boys’ parents.”
Richard gazed at his feet for a moment to hide a grin before lifting his head. “Better . . .”
“And their punishment would be having you and Ed Gardiner run the boys involved through your own version of boot camp. Sunday.” He grimaced. “I know it’s short-notice, but with everything happening, it sort of fell through the cracks. Ed Gardiner knows, though, and he’s in.”
“Why wouldn’t Bennet want to . . .” Richard’s eyes twinkled as the question trailed off. “Never mind.” He clapped Will on the back. “I think I’ll enjoy this. How did you find out who our victims are?”
Will smirked. “Apparently, Elizabeth’s little sister Lydia knows the boys very well. She was a fount of information.”
“All right, count me in,” Richard said cheerfully.
“Thanks, Richard,” Will nodded. “I may need you to keep Ed from running the kids until they puke. He’s pretty protective.”
“Who said I’ll stop him?” Richard asked. Will nodded once, satisfied, and leaned back into an overstuffed reading chair.
Richard stretched out his legs and dropped his feet on the coffee table with a thump. “Now that we’ve discussed woman number one,” he said with an irreverence that suddenly darkened, “we need to talk about woman number two.”
Georgiana and Elizabeth were in the middle of watching a romantic comedy Georgiana insisted Elizabeth see when Jane texted to ask how her sister was feeling. She’d called earlier, but Elizabeth had been asleep. She texted back that she was fine.
I heard from Charles.
Uh-oh. She hadn’t even thought about the fact Jane had gone out with him. Oh?
He said he’d resigned. Going back to school.
Elizabeth was cautious. Did he say why?
No, but he said he’d done something stupid and it was his fault.
Huh. That was surprisingly mature. Okay.
You’re going to tell me, right? Elizabeth could hear the impatience in Jane’s words.
Later, she typed.
Promise?
Yes.
There was a pause, and Elizabeth thought they were finished. She was about to put her phone down when it buzzed again. He still wants to date.
And you said . . .
No. I said no.
Elizabeth apologized to Georgiana by pointing at her phone and walking out to the kitchen. She gazed out the window at the terrace. As she was calling Jane, she walked to the entryway and grabbed the first coat hanging there before opening the slider and stepping outside.
It was cold but beautiful, and most of all, it was private. Jane picked up on the second ring.
“Lizzy?” she asked.
“So, tell me. Are you okay?”
There was a quiet sigh. “We’ve only been out a few times, and I wasn’t that keen on him to begin with.” Elizabeth waited while Jane mused. Even on the phone, she could tell her sister had more to say. “It’s just—I don’t know. He’s a perfectly lovely man. But he doesn’t have . . . when you compare Charles Bingley with Richard Fitzwilliam, there’s no contest.”
Elizabeth blinked. “Are you dating Richard? When did that happen?”
Jane laughed, a trilling giggle that still sounded womanly. Even Jane’s laugh is musical, she thought distractedly. But Richard?
“I’m not dating him,” Jane assured her sister. “But I’m comfortable around him, and he seems interested.”
“What did he say?”
“Not much. I was so worried about you, Lizzy, and he made me laugh. That’s all.”
Elizabeth softened a bit. “Well, I guess that’s good, then,” she said slowly.
“Don’t tell him I said anything,” Jane commanded. “If you love me, you will stay out of it.”
“Fine,” Elizabeth said shortly. “But if he hurts you, I’ll make him pay.”
“I’m a big girl, Lizzy,” was the amused reply. “I may not be a Marine, but I can handle Richard Fitzwilliam.”
After the conclusion of his discussion with Richard, Will remained in the library for a time, trying to control both his temper and his fear. He was incensed that the very first time his sister had asked him to keep his distance, the very first time he’d trusted her to be on her own, someone had targeted her and tried to take advantage.
The first and only time G had skipped classes in high school, he’d followed her from class to class for three days. He vividly recalled how she’d screamed at him that he was ruining her life. The front office was given his personal cell phone and told to call him any time she was tardy to, let alone absent from, any of her classes. As Richard laid out what he’d learned, Will had visions of returning to Stanford with Georgiana and following the same program. He’d like to talk to this Farkas himself.
Yeah, his cousin had scoffed. That’d go over well. She’d be eternally grateful to you for that.
Sometime later, Will found himself on his feet, gripping each side of the window casement and gazing down at the sidewalks below. How is this going to work? he thought desperately. How can I send G back out into a world that wants to eat her alive when she refuses to see it? They’d all talked with his sister before she left for school a few months ago—he, Oscar, Uncle Terry. Even Richard had called. They’d discussed how to handle her finances, how to spot those who weren’t sincere, how to be on her guard against those who would use her for her name and her funds. They’d talked about not walking on campus alone after dark, not attending a party without a designated driver and trusted friend. Even though she wasn’t old enough to drink legally, Will had especially warned her about ever letting a drink out of her sight, regaling her with a mountain of information about date rape drugs. Yet after all of that, she’d fallen for the first guy with a good line and, he assumed, good looks.
He heard the shower running in the master and realized he was wasting the last evening he had with Elizabeth at the apartment. He had until Sunday to think about how to handle this issue with Georgiana. She didn’t have any classes on Monday, so she was flying back then. He scowled, thinking about how she’d managed to cram her entire schedule into three days in the middle of the week. What was she doing on her four-day weekends? Finally, he shrugged and tried to pull himself together. Maybe Elizabeth or even Ed and Maddy might have some ideas. They were flush with daughters over at the Gardiner house, and they seemed to be doing well by them all.
He stepped out in to the hall as Elizabeth was emerging from his bedroom, her hair still wet and a peeved look on her face. He moved to intercept her, pulling her into an embrace, which she returned. Still, he could tell something was wrong. The towel around her neck smelled like . . .
“Elizabeth,” he said slowly, taking another, more calculated sniff of her hair. “Why do you smell like chicken?”
Chapter Thirteen
“You should take your shower in the guest bathroom tomorrow morning,” she said, her voice muffled in his chest.
Will thought his head might just implode from all the disconnected information he was receiving today. “May I ask why?”
Elizabeth sighe
d. “I’m so stupid. Of course Richard would take advantage of my being here.” She shrugged. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m going home tomorrow.”
He pulled her in and kissed the top of her head. “What happened?” He tried not to let it bother him that she thought going home was a good thing. While there were several important reasons she needed to go home, he hoped she was at least doing so reluctantly.
“Very old prank,” Elizabeth was saying, the words finally penetrating his disappointed thoughts.
“What’s an old prank?” he asked, suddenly curious.
She pulled away a bit, allowing him to see the expression on her face, an odd combination of a scowl and grin. Will could read her fairly well now, and what he saw was irritation at being caught unawares giving way to pleasant thoughts of retaliation. Not for the first time, he was glad he wasn’t the one in her crosshairs.
“Bouillon cube in the showerhead,” she said, shaking her head in an exaggerated sadness. “I basically showered in chicken broth.” She kissed his cheek. “You’ll need to take the showerhead completely off and clean it out. I tried to get it all, but it’s kind of a mess.” She tilted her head. “In fact, you should make him do it.”
“Oh, I will,” he assured her.
Despite the fact she hadn’t been hurt or angered by the prank, Will was annoyed with his cousin. Elizabeth wasn’t indifferent to her health, but it was difficult to get her to admit when she wasn’t feeling well, as the entire Thanksgiving debacle had proved. He didn’t believe for a minute she couldn’t have managed to speed-dial Jane, at least; she just didn’t want anyone to know she was sick. Elizabeth still wasn’t at her best, and surprising anyone in the shower could easily lead to an accident. Could Richard not wait a few days until they were sure she was completely recovered before engaging her in some battle of stupid practical jokes?
“Whoa, Will, what is that?” Elizabeth asked in a lightly mocking voice, her head tilted up. “It’s like a black cloud just rolled across your face.”
“Nothing,” he grumbled.
“Oooh, did I get Richard in trouble?” she laughed softly. “It’s okay, Will, really. He’ll get his.”
He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her into his chest again. “I don’t doubt that. You’re still getting over being sick, that’s all.”
He knew she didn’t need him to protect her, not from Richard and not even in a physical way. But he couldn’t help wanting to anyway. He expected her to be exasperated with him, to chide him for his overprotectiveness, maybe even yell at him like she had the night she’d taken the late train back to New Jersey.
Instead, a laugh died in her throat as her eyes met his. She gazed up at him inquisitively, her head tilted slightly to the left, eyes searching his for something he couldn’t quite discern. A tiny frown played on her lips until she suddenly lifted herself onto her tiptoes and kissed him hard on the lips. A shock of desire coursed through him. He grabbed her shoulders, holding her steady while he reciprocated, unsure why she was kissing him but happy to be on the receiving end nonetheless. Finally, she gently pulled his head down to place a warm kiss on his forehead.
“You really are the most remarkable man,” she said quietly. Then she released him and darted into Richard’s room, leaving Will standing in the hallway, undone.
Will rubbed his temples. He felt a headache coming on.
Elizabeth emerged from Richard’s room less than five minutes later and waltzed back into the room where her computers were set up. Will found her there and held out his hand.
“Oh, just a sec,” she said, typing furiously on the keyboard. “Almost done.”
“Elizabeth,” he said impatiently, “I have to take you home tomorrow. May I at least have some time with you tonight?”
He waited as she nodded her head. “Almost . . .” She typed for about thirty seconds more, then smiled impishly and turned her laptop off. “All yours, Will.”
They were lying together on the sofa upstairs, ignoring both the bloodfest Richard had convinced Georgiana to watch and his increasingly bald hints about something “smelling fowl” when Elizabeth let out a little groan.
“You all right?” Will asked, looking down into her face.
“Yes,” she said, “I just remembered I have to replace my phone.”
“I’d love to replace my phone,” Georgiana complained from the easy chair. “It’s so old.”
Will’s lips turned up into a sarcastic smirk. “Yes, it’s nearly six months old now, ancient.”
“There’s been a new release since, Will,” Georgiana shot back, “I can’t help it if you’re Cro-Magnum Man when it comes to tech.”
Richard shook his head. “Don’t ever go into the military, Georgie-Porgie,” he said flippantly.
“Hadn’t planned on it, Dick,” came the quick response.
“Georgiana!” warned Will, sitting up, exasperated and embarrassed. It was jarring, seeing this rude, bratty version of his sister when he could remember so clearly the fourteen-year-old who had idolized her older cousin, who’d idolized him. As he had needed to become a parent, Richard had transitioned into a brother. He’d video-called G, emailed, written, and sent her gifts from around the world.
Will had been bursting with pride when his sister raced into his office almost a year ago, waving her early-admit acceptance letter from Stanford. He’d hoped then that he could eventually go back to just being her brother. But the woman Georgiana was becoming was so very different than the girl he’d said goodbye to just a few months ago; it appeared his job wasn’t done yet.
“Cro-Magnon,” Elizabeth said softly, breaking through his dismay.
Three heads turned to her. She had been displaced as Will straightened, so she moved back against the cushions and pulled her legs onto the seat, tucking her ankles behind her.
“What?” Richard asked.
“It’s Cro-Magnon, not Cro-Magnum,” she answered. “Magnum is an ice cream, a gun, and an old TV show. They actually don’t even use the term ‘Magnon’ anymore.” A shadow of a smile played on her lips. “Just sayin’.”
“It’s also a brand of extra-large . . .” Richard chimed in but was thrown off by a glare from the only other male in the room.
Georgiana lifted an eyebrow and turned back to Elizabeth. “Okay,” she said, “I’ll bite. What do they call them now? You know, just so I can get the insult right.”
Elizabeth’s eyes sparkled at the sarcasm. “Houston, we have a sense of humor,” Will heard her say under her breath. “Umm, Early Modern, I think,” she replied in a normal tone of voice, and then her lips quirked up. “Or Anatomically Human.” Everyone stared at her. “What?” she asked, shrugging. “I had to take anthropology to fulfill a requirement.” She pulled a face. “I thought it was going to be archaeology. Bit of a surprise.”
Georgiana snorted. “I can’t insult Will by calling him Anatomically Human,” she jeered, but there was a suggestion of laughter in her tone. “That’s just weird.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “Well, I can’t speak to your skill in that area,” she said, deadpan, “but I would appreciate your help picking out a new phone.”
“Really?” Georgiana asked excitedly. “Oh, I’d love that. I can show you some really cool ones.”
“You’ve unleashed a monster,” Richard warned her, grinning. “Can’t wait to see what you come home with.”
Elizabeth leaned back, snuggling into the corner of the couch. “I know what I need the phone to do, and I know what the insurance will pay. I’m okay upgrading a bit if Georgiana can convince me the features are worth it.” She frowned. “I just hate spending the entire morning trying to get it set up. I don’t even know if they can save the SIM card.”
“Did you back it up?” Georgiana asked, genuinely interested now. Will watched her wrap one long tendril of her hair around a delicate finger, the way she always did when she was feeling unsure.
Elizabeth nodded. “I’ll just lose everything between the last update a
nd the time the phone went for a swim. Shouldn’t be too bad. It’s just a pain.”
Will listened as the two women quietly discussed the options, amazed that Georgiana was speaking so enthusiastically to a woman she’d been prepared to hate less than two days before. Elizabeth has that power, he thought affectionately. Lord knows I don’t. Maybe she can get through to G. It occurred to him then that Elizabeth had rather expertly steered the entire conversation into calmer waters. She sacrificed her morning tomorrow to spare another argument and get on G’s good side. When he stole a glance at her, she was chatting amiably with Georgiana, but when his sister turned to say something to Richard, Elizabeth gave him a little wink.
The next morning, Elizabeth slumped into the kitchen, dressed, but still rubbing her eyes. Will said nothing, simply held out a mug of steaming hot coffee, for which he received a grateful kiss. Georgiana was already sitting at the table, breakfast half-eaten, nattering away about her plan of attack.
“They open at ten,” she said. “I want to be the first in the door this morning so we don’t have to wait.”
Elizabeth just sipped her coffee, her eyes only half open. She dragged herself over to the table and dropped into a chair.
Georgiana stopped for a minute, appearing disappointed at Elizabeth’s lack of enthusiasm. “What’s up with you? You’re not sick, are you?”
Elizabeth grunted.
Will chuckled. “Just give her a few minutes, G. She’s not a morning person.”
Georgiana stared at her shopping partner. “I thought you were a Marine.”
Elizabeth grunted again, then mumbled, “If one more person says that to me . . .”
Will scratched the back of his neck. “She worked nights, G,” he informed her, trying not to laugh. One of the many things he’d learned about Elizabeth was that if she rose before nine, it was safest to leave her alone until the requisite cup of coffee had been drained. He’d begun to look forward to the ritual of making her coffee, handing her a cup, and watching her come alive directly in proportion to the amount of java being consumed. He’d miss it when he went back to work. He waited until she was nearly finished before placing a bottle of water on the table next to her.
Adapt Page 14
