“You never lied to me. There was no reason to distrust you.”
His lips twisted into a bitter smile. “You are more forgiving than you should be. I could have stopped Wickham before. I told myself it was enough that my family was safe from the man, but if I had done something earlier, he couldn’t have hurt another family.”
Her heart ached as she listened to him take the blame for Lydia’s bad choices. “It’s not your fault.” Tentatively, she touched her fingertips to his hand where it lay clenched on the counter.
His gaze was fierce. “If it’s not my fault, then it’s not yours either.”
“Okay, I must concede that point.” She barked a laugh. “You have trapped me with your logic.”
A smile played around Will’s mouth, but he still seemed sad. “Perhaps we should hold Wickham accountable for his own actions rather than burdening ourselves with them.”
Elizabeth stared down into her coffee cup. “Easier said than done.”
“As I know all too well.” His hand clasped hers, and she was surprised how much the simple touch affected her. “I just— I am possibly the only other person in the world who knows what it is like to have failed to protect a beloved sister from this man. No one is better positioned to understand your sentiments. I beg you to use me as a resource.”
Tears were threatening again. Elizabeth could only ward them off by staring fixedly at the magnificent view. “I…will. Thank you.” The parallels between their situations had not previously occurred to her; she was immensely grateful that he had pointed them out.
Something had been bothering her since she had first read his email about his sister and Wickham. “I did have one question. You said George Wickham got your sister addicted to drugs. But then in Palm Springs, you were arrested for possession of cocaine.” Will sucked in a breath, but Elizabeth forged ahead. “Did-did Wickham turn you into an addict, too?”
Will released his breath in a sound that was almost a laugh. “Huh, that wasn’t the question I expected.” He firmly intertwined their fingers. “I’ve often wondered what would have happened if I’d been Georgie’s age when I’d known Wickham. If I’d spent as much time with him as she did, I might have fallen under his spell, too. He’s very charming and persuasive. She believed him when he said the pills wouldn’t hurt her and would just make her feel good. I was just luckier than Georgie.”
He stared at their hands for such a long time Elizabeth thought he might be finished, but finally he spoke again. “I’m not an addict. I haven’t used opioids or coke. I did some pot in college, but otherwise I’ve never done drugs.”
“But the coke was in your car when it crashed—”
“Yeah, it was in my car, but it wasn’t in me. The police did bloodwork, and I was clean. Of course, that particular piece of information wasn’t especially sensationalistic, so it didn’t receive a lot of media coverage.”
Elizabeth struggled to make sense of this news. “You hadn’t taken any coke? What, were you saving it for later?” She gave him a lopsided grin.
He laughed. “No, it wasn’t mine.” He took both her hands in his, gazing deep into her eyes. “I don’t want you to worry about that, okay?”
“Am I allowed to worry about your driving skills?” He huffed another laugh. “Or are you going to tell me that you weren’t driving the car either?”
He froze. After a moment he managed a feeble smile, but Elizabeth knew. “You weren’t driving the car.”
He exhaled heavily. “It was Georgiana. It was her coke, and she was high. We were staying at this luxury hotel in Palm Springs for a friend’s wedding. She’d been in rehab, and I thought she was clean, but that night I found out about the cocaine. We had a fight, and she tried to drive away. I didn’t want her to be alone, didn’t want her to drive, so I got into the car as well. But she…she swerved, ran over a fence, and drove straight into the hotel swimming pool. It was 3 a.m., and the car was sinking in the pool. We only had a few minutes before someone found us, so I told Georgie to run back to her hotel room. I slid into the driver’s seat to make it seem as though I was driving the car.”
“Why?”
“Georgiana already had an arrest for drug possession that my father’s lawyer managed to hush up. But another one…? She might have gotten jail time. I was a huge star by that point, which meant that her arrest would have been very public news.
“We didn’t have a lot of time make a decision, and I chose to take the fall rather than let it ruin her life. Actually, it was real wake-up call for her. She agreed to return to rehab, and she’s stayed clean. Maybe it’s been more for my sake than for her own, but I’ll take success any way I can get it.”
Elizabeth mused that Will had been more of a parent to Georgiana than their actual parents had been. “But at what cost to you?”
His hands clenched where they rested on his knees. “I was willing to pay it. I didn’t have any prior arrests on my record, so I just got community service.”
“But your career—”
His gaze was averted as if something outside the window was utterly fascinating. “I’ll get it back on track. Maybe In the Shadows will win a few Oscars.”
God, I hope so. Elizabeth gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. He had taken a terrible risk for his sister’s sake. And this was the man she had believed was arrogant and unfeeling! He had risked his freedom, his reputation, and his career for his sister’s happiness.
“Please don’t say anything to anyone. It could still cause problems for Georgie if anyone found out.”
“No, of course, I won’t.”
“I know all this”—he spread his hands wide—“lying and hiding isn’t what you expected. It’s not what you’re looking for from…a friend. If you want to leave, I’d certainly understand, and no hard feelings.”
“Are you suggesting that this confession might make me think less of you?”
He gaped at her. “Elizabeth, I lied to the police!”
“To protect someone you love. It only makes you that much more admirable as far as I’m concerned.”
He shook his head in wonder. “You keep surprising me.”
“If only I could have gotten in the car with Lydia and stopped her from getting hurt.” Tears burned her eyes, and she bit her lip to prevent them from spilling down her cheeks.
“Last night you said that you took care of Lydia when she was little.”
Elizabeth swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah, my dad worked, and my mom was managing Jane’s film career. Lydia had asthma; I would babysit and make sure she used her inhaler when she needed to.” Ugh. The hangover made her ramble and sound maudlin. “Well, I’m sure you know how it is with younger sisters.”
It was getting too intense. Elizabeth drew her hand from Will’s and slid off the stool. She turned toward the windows again. “This view is…unreal. How long have you had this house?”
Will didn’t remark on the abrupt change of subject. “The property has been in my family for more than one hundred and fifty years. But the house is relatively recent. There was a more modest one on the property, but my parents built this one about forty years ago with the profits from A Beggar’s Lot.”
She peered down at the smooth carpet of green lawn that led to the jagged edge of the cliff. “How much land belongs to your family?”
“About ten acres.”
“Goddamn.” That would be worth a fortune.
Darcy stood behind her, sharing her admiration of the view. “I have a condo in L.A. for days when I can’t make the trip out here, but Pemberley really is my home. I’m happy you had a chance to see it.”
This simple statement took her off guard. “Why?” She twisted around to look at him.
He met her eyes. “Because I’ve often dreamed of having you here.”
Wow, he didn’t mince words. Suddenly she felt naked under his gaze and glanced hastily away.
“My feelings about you haven’t changed.”
“Is that why you brough
t me here last night?”
He frowned. “No. You were too drunk to be on your own.”
Surely that wasn’t the only reason. “But there were a hundred other places I could have gone.”
“You told me you didn’t want to go back to your apartment. It would have been irresponsible to leave you alone.”
It was as simple as that. He just wanted to take care of her—because it was the right thing to do. She cringed inwardly, remembering some of the things she’d thought about him. Things she’d said to him.
She’d been very comfortable feeling superior to him, hadn’t she? Believing he was a shallow, rich, pretty boy. But she apparently had been as wrong about Will as she was about George Wickham.
Heat rose to her face. “And we didn’t, um, you know…?” She made a vague gesture.
He chuckled softly. “No. You were drunk; I’d never take advantage. Besides, the last time I suggested such an activity to you, you rejected it in no uncertain terms.”
“I overreacted.”
“I deserved everything you said to me. My parents raised me to have good principles, but they didn’t always demand that I act on them. That’s one of the privileges—and hazards—of wealth. That day in the trailer…some of my less honorable impulses guided my actions. You were quite right to call me on my behavior. I was a bore…and I apologize.”
Wow. He stood so close that she could see the pulse pounding in his neck, but he didn’t touch her except for gently cupping her elbows in his hands. She couldn’t look away from his eyes, which nearly glowed with sincerity.
Suddenly her mouth was dry. “It’s okay.” The words came out like a croak.
He frowned. “No, it isn’t. Not yet. But maybe it can be. Maybe I can make it up to you. You deserve better.”
What did he mean by that? “That’s not necessary,” she said hastily. “I didn’t cover myself in glory in the trailer either. I said all kinds of things you didn’t deserve.”
“Didn’t I?” His smile had a bitter edge.
“And it wasn’t all bad. It was also…” He waited while she struggled for words. “Well, flattering. Every woman likes getting a compliment from an attractive movie star, although it could have been more adeptly phrased—”
“I’m sorry—”
She shook her head. “Don’t be. There are times I wish I’d said yes to you.”
His eyes grew round. God. Why had she said that? She wasn’t still drunk, but her brain was clearly not firing on all cylinders.
She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. Although it was the truth, particularly on a day like today—when he looked at her with his heart in his eyes. She wished she’d said yes to anything he’d ever asked of her.
Whoa. When had it gotten so hot in the room? She really needed to slow things down. Feeling a bit lightheaded, Elizabeth stumbled toward the family room and practically fell into an overstuffed loveseat.
This, all of it, was so unexpected. She had thought he would gloat at her inebriated state—at the fact that she had wound up in his bed. He would press his advantage and attempt to seduce her. She had been prepared for anything…except chagrin.
His phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and dismissed the call, but it reminded Elizabeth that he had a life to get back to. And she had the semblance of one.
“I should get out of your hair.” She started to rise from the loveseat.
He hurried over and perched on the coffee table opposite her. “You don’t need to leave on my account. I don’t have anything I need to do today. Nothing pressing, anyway. I scheduled it as a day to recover from jet lag.”
“Oh.” She settled back, reluctant to leave. Will’s house was an oasis of calm where nobody would seek her out and nothing reminded her of George or Lydia.
He leaned toward her. “I don’t want you to leave, Elizabeth, unless you want to.”
She stared down at the phone screen as if checking her schedule, but she knew it was blank. Everything in her life had been put on hold after Lydia’s accident. She had spent all her time at her sister’s bedside, until it was clear she was no longer welcome.
It was nice to feel wanted somewhere. “No. I—” I will not cry, she ordered herself. “I don’t have anything I need to do today.”
He grinned. “Then maybe we can just hang.”
She stared down at her rumpled evening gown. “These aren’t exactly my ‘just hanging’ clothes.”
“I probably have some women’s clothes that would fit you.”
Elizabeth didn’t want to ask why.
“They’re my sister’s. She has an apartment in San Francisco now but still comes to visit occasionally. Or I can run you by your apartment, and we can grab a change of clothing.”
She shook her head. “I’ve, um…I’ve been avoiding going home.”
His eyebrows rose. “Why? Surely Jane doesn’t blame you for Lydia.”
“She doesn’t. Not really. But she’s stuck in the middle between me and my family, and she feels bad about the way they’re treating me. She spends all day with them at the hospital….so it’s easier if I’m not there. Then she’s not torn, and I don’t feel guilty.”
“Does Lydia blame you?”
Elizabeth winced. “It’s hard to tell. She drifts in and out of consciousness. And she doesn’t remember anything about the accident—not even where she was or who she was with. She said the entire day is a blank. According to the doctors, that’s not unusual with head injuries.”
“So she can’t confirm that it was Wickham?”
“No. He’s disappeared, so the police haven’t been able to question him. He hasn’t been home, and his roommates don’t know where he is.”
“Yeah, that’s not suspicious at all.”
“I know.” A thought occurred to her. “Hey, do you have any idea where he might be?”
Will considered for a long moment before responding. “Not really. I could give you names and addresses for his mother and a few old acquaintances, but not much more, I’m afraid.”
“Would Ricky know anything?”
“No. He might remember that Wickham was around, but most of our troubles with him happened after Ricky left…er, was thrown out.”
Elizabeth nodded; it had been a long shot.
Darcy rubbed a finger over his lips, an unconscious gesture that Elizabeth found very distracting. “If you’ve been avoiding your entire family, where have you been staying?”
“Recently I’ve been staying at Charlotte’s apartment. She’s, um, absent a lot because she’s dating Bill.”
“Yeah, I saw them at the premiere.” Will shook his head. “Jeez, you go to Asia for a month, and the entire world goes crazy.”
“They seem really happy.” Don’t be bitter, Elizabeth. You wouldn’t want Bill. “Although I find it inexplicable. They were home one night that I was there and…”
“And?” He lifted an eyebrow.
She lowered her voice even though they were alone in the house. “Don’t tell anyone, but they, um, role play.”
It took him a moment to catch on. “Role play? In the bedroom?”
She nodded. “Loudly.”
“Like what? Naughty schoolgirl? French maid?”
Laughter nearly prevented Elizabeth from getting the words out. “Charlotte pretends to be M-Mrs. de Bourgh and g-gives Bill orders.”
William’s laugh could best be described as a guffaw. “I did not need that image in my head.”
“I know, right?”
Their laughter eventually died down, and silence stole over the room. Maybe I should leave after all. What do we have to say to each other?
Will leaned over, elbows on his knees, watching her intently. “How long until you leave L.A.? You’re going to medical school in August? September?”
He doesn’t know. She cleared her throat. “Actually, I’m not going to medical school.”
“Why not?”
She fought the urge to fidget under his gaze. “Lydia had
the accident and we weren’t sure if she would survive, so I missed all the med school application deadlines.”
His eyes were soft. “Damn! Oh, Elizabeth, I’m so sorry.”
She shrugged.
“You can apply for next year, right?”
She shrugged again. “Maybe.”
“I thought that’s what you wanted to do.”
“Yeah, it was. But lately I’ve been aware of my tendency to make assumptions—jump to conclusions. I’ve been wrong about a lot of things, including you. I’ve…I’m not sure how great my judgment is.” Tears filled her eyes; they were impossible to hide when Will was this close.
He reached over, gently wiping a tear away with his thumb. “Last night you told me that the screenplay was wrong. That the movie didn’t know what it was talking about.” His voice was soft and low.
I did? Man, I really did have verbal diarrhea. “Yeah, ” she said cautiously.
“I think you’re wrong.”
“But aren’t you Mr. Cynical?”
“Yeah, I was. But you’re not.”
Elizabeth’s head was fuzzy, making it impossible to think clearly. What did he mean?
“The world needs doctors like you.”
It was nice that someone had faith in her, however misplaced. “Thanks.”
“And you may not realize it, but you’ve already made an impact.”
She managed a smile. He was very kind.
“Here,” Will said, “let me show you.” He held out his phone so she could see the screen and she recognized the picture as his mentee. “Garrett learned some sound design and mixing on the set, and now he’s an intern at Paramount. Tony says he’s quick, cooperative, and has a good ear.”
“That’s great. Good for Garrett!”
“But it wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t insisted on the program and then bugged me to take a student.”
She shrugged. “I was just a small piece of—”
He flipped to another picture: an African American woman in Goth makeup who seemed vaguely familiar. “This is LaShana. Her mentor was Emily in the costume department. She convinced LaShana to go back to high school and get her degree.”
Darcy in Hollywood Page 21
