“I’m fine,” Georgiana said, clammy and trembling, but she didn’t try to pull away. Her gaze followed the fallen shards of her glass. “I’m fine.”
“Caroline,” Charlie hissed. “What the fuck is your problem?”
Elizabeth aimed a glare at Caroline. “To answer your question,” she said through clenched teeth, nearly vibrating with enough rage to bring down the entire goddamned house, “the last time I saw Wickham, I kneed him in the family jewels. Suffice it to say, we didn’t have a second date.”
Georgiana abruptly stopped shaking. “Wait… You what?”
Elizabeth pulled back, and despite herself, she couldn’t keep from grinning. “Right in the balls,” she said. “And then I stepped over him and went to get some Chinese.”
Georgiana stared at her for a moment, blinking.
Then threw her head back and burst out laughing. True, hard cackles that shook her shoulders and filled the air until the sound was bouncing off the walls at maximum volume. Georgiana laughed until her face was almost purple and fat tears were tearing down her cheeks, until the sound became wispy and hoarse.
“This is why you’re my favorite person!” she bellowed, throwing her arms tight around Elizabeth. “Oh, did he cry? I bet he cried. Big fat man-tears. I don’t suppose there’s any chance that you recorded this? ‘Cause that’s one movie I’d pay to own.”
“Sadly, I did not think ahead.”
“Next time you kick him in the balls, please tape it for me. Or better yet! We can do it together. Take turns.”
Elizabeth barked a laugh herself and shook her head, looking back to Will for the first time since Wickham’s name had come up. He, too, was on his feet, his gaze fixed on his sister, his mouth drawn and skin a shade paler than normal. He released a long breath and turned to Caroline. Whatever warmth had been in his eyes vanished immediately.
“Never do that again.”
Caroline looked alarmed, but lifted her chin. “Do what?”
“Mention him. Not in this house, not in front of Georgiana, and especially not to score points.”
“I didn’t—”
“Yes, you did. Don’t play dumb.”
The air in the room grew hot and thick. Elizabeth swallowed and followed his gaze, and tried—really tried—not to smirk at the stricken look on Caroline’s face. From the way her brow was pulled and her mouth twisted into a snarl, it seemed she was torn between anger and tears.
“I never meant to upset Georgiana,” Caroline said, her voice thick. “It’s the last thing I’d want.”
Georgiana snorted and rolled her eyes, crashing back into her seat. “Yeah. It shows.”
“Georgie—”
“No worries, C. We’re cool.” The girl popped a strip of bacon in her mouth and grinned. “Actually, hearing that fuckwit might not be able to bring little fuckwits into this world is exactly what I wanted for Christmas.” She tossed Elizabeth a beaming smile. “So thanks. I’d say you really shouldn’t have, but it’s just my size and I am so not taking it back to the store.”
Charlie, who had more or less spent the past couple minutes looking desperate for an escape hatch, sputtered a laugh and raised his glass of orange juice. “Hear, hear.”
“Will, Georgiana…” Caroline pressed her lips together, visibly struggling. “I apologize.”
“What part of best story ever don’t you understand?” Georgiana replied.
“You also owe Elizabeth an apology,” Will said.
Caroline blanched like she’d been asked to eat slugs. “What?”
“Elizabeth is a guest in my home and you have been nothing but rude since she joined us for breakfast.”
Caroline blanched again, looked up and down the table, then sighed and shook her head. “I think I might head home, Charles,” she said instead, pushing back her chair. “I suddenly have a headache.”
Charlie shrugged and stuffed a forkful of potato in his mouth before shifting and dragging a set of car keys out of his pocket. “I’ll borrow one of Will’s cars. See you this afternoon.”
Another pause, and this time Caroline looked like she might cry after all at her brother’s apparent apathy. But she didn’t cry, which Elizabeth respected, albeit begrudgingly. Instead, she gave a haughty nod, took the keys, and left the dining room without another word. No one spoke until the echoes of the front door closing had died.
“We’ve been fighting since you left campus,” Charlie said quietly. “Well, before you left campus. After…” He seemed to catch himself and glanced to Elizabeth, a somewhat pained smile contorting his face. “How is Jane?”
“Jane?” Elizabeth looked to Will for help, but he had none to offer. “She’s…the last I knew, she was doing well. I talked to her a couple nights ago.”
Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t checked in with Jane since she’d joined the Darcy household. She frowned, trying to remember when she’d last checked her phone. Then she tried to remember when she’d last seen her phone, which proved next to impossible.
Elizabeth shook her head and shifted to Will. “Have I used my phone at all since I’ve been here?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think I’ve seen you with it.”
“Which means it’s probably dead.” She turned back to Charlie. “Jane was good when I last talked to her.”
Charlie offered a small, almost sad smile. “She loves you a lot, doesn’t she?”
“She’s the sister I always wanted and probably the best person I know.” Elizabeth paused, glancing to Will, then to Georgiana, and found herself flooded with warmth. “Well…one of the best people I know, at least.”
“Do’h, you’re such a sap.” Georgiana threw an arm around Elizabeth and tugged so hard she nearly toppled out of her chair. “But I love you too. And if you and Will don’t end up getting married, I’m pretty much going to demand that you adopt me.”
Will grunted something unintelligible, his cheeks going pink.
Charlie gave him a long look before turning back to Elizabeth, a sly grin spreading across his face. “So are you two serious?”
Elizabeth swallowed. There was no good way to answer that question, particularly since she had zero idea where she and Will stood right now. Even with the conversations they’d had, they hadn’t come close to broaching the subject of what their relationship was now or what would happen when they went back to campus. At one point, not so long ago, Will had told her he loved her, but those words had not resurfaced, either, and Elizabeth was too much of a chickenshit to try and chase them down.
But she wanted to know too.
When the silence shifted from awkward to uncomfortable, she licked her lips and gave herself a mental nudge. “I—”
“Charlie,” Will said suddenly, “on the subject of Jane, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
Charlie jerked his head to Will so rapidly it’d be a miracle if he hadn’t given himself whiplash. “What? Is something wrong?”
“No,” Will replied. Then hesitated. “Well, I was. Wrong, that is.”
Elizabeth inhaled, seized her orange juice and took a healthy swig.
“Wrong about what?” Charlie demanded, his voice somewhat manic.
Will hesitated. “I think you should talk to her.”
“Okay, but wrong about what?”
There was nothing for a moment but the sound of Georgiana’s enthusiastic chewing. The girl was watching the exchange like others might a professional sport.
“I think it’s easy for people like me to believe the worst in others,” Will said carefully. “After what happened…” He shifted his gaze briefly to his sister and back again. “I can be a little…closed-minded and reactionary.”
Georgiana snorted and crunched on a strip of bacon.
Charlie blinked, looked to Elizabeth, to Will, and back again. “Do you know what he’s talking about?” he asked bluntly.
Elizabeth hesitated. “I think it’s easy to…infer certain things, especially if yo
u aren’t direct.”
“Neither one of you are being very direct at the moment.”
“Caroline implied Jane was using you for your connections,” Will said. “I didn’t disagree with her because I wasn’t sure what to think. But what I should have said then, and what I’m saying now, is that you should talk to her and figure out what’s true and what’s not.”
Charlie was quiet for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed. “Seriously? You’re telling me this now?”
“To be fair, this seems like something you might have worked out on your own,” Elizabeth said.
Charlie, for his part, looked somewhat wounded. He sighed and sank into his seat, giving his half-eaten plate of food a look like it had betrayed him. “I was afraid it might be true.” He jerked his head up. “What has Jane said about me?”
Elizabeth smothered a cough. “Um, no.”
“What? You can’t just dump this on me and not share!”
“I’m sorry. I am prohibited from speaking on the subject by the Best Friend Code of Conduct.”
Charlie released a sound that was half moan, half whine. “Can you just tell me if she liked me or not?” he asked in a loud whisper. “It’s Christmas! You have to tell me.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not a toddler therefore that argument will not work on me.”
“Elizabeth!” Charlie shot Will a pleading look. “She’s being unreasonable. Make her stop.”
Will laughed outright. “You clearly don’t know Elizabeth.”
“You know that Jane means the world to me.” He refocused on Elizabeth, eyes round and pleading. “Jane means the world to me. It hasn’t gotten better. I miss her so fucking much it’s like…poison in my chest.”
“Regular poet, you are,” Georgiana muttered.
“You love Jane like…poison,” Elizabeth repeated dully.
“Yes. No! That’s not what I mean at all and…” He looked down now, shoulders slumping. “I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about Jane. Cutting things off with her was the worst decision I ever made.”
“If you’re looking for ways to grovel, that’s a nice start,” Georgiana offered. “I mean, I guess. I’ve never been dumped but as far as lines go, I wouldn’t throw you out if you admitted from the get-go that you were a dumbass.”
“I was dumbass,” Charlie repeated blandly.
“From what I gather, you had help being a dumbass,” Elizabeth said. “If that makes you feel any better.”
“It doesn’t.” He shook his head and for a horrible moment, she thought he might start crying. “But you think there’s a chance she’d take me back?”
“I’m not going to speak for Jane at all.” She paused. “Except to say that you have a lot of work to do if you want to make things right. And warn you, obviously, that should she decide to take you back and you hurt her again…your body will never be found.”
Georgiana snorted again. “Seriously. Favorite person ever right here.”
“Can you at least ask Jane if she’d be willing to talk to me?” Charlie asked. “If she’s not, I’ll leave her alone, but… Elizabeth, for Christmas. Would you at least do that?”
That request was easy enough. She offered a small smile. “That I can do. But if the answer is no, you’re on your own.”
“Okay.” He nodded so emphatically it was a miracle his head didn’t pop off. Then he stared at her with marked expectation, until it dawned on her that he was waiting for her to whip out her phone.
“You want me to do this now, then,” Elizabeth said.
“Okay,” he agreed with a smile.
“It’s Christmas—she might not be in the mood to talk ex-boyfriends. Plus, my phone, wherever it is, is dead. I haven’t charged it since I got here.”
Charlie nodded. “Okay. Well, go charge it.”
Will heaved a hard sigh. “Can she at least finish breakfast?”
“It can charge through breakfast,” Charlie replied. “Come on. I have to know if there’s a chance.”
“I hope this Jane chick likes her men extra needy,” Georgiana muttered. “Otherwise Charlie’s gonna be SOL.”
Elizabeth snickered and pushed her chair back. “Fine. I’ll be right back.”
Charlie relaxed, a dopey, almost drunk smile stretching his mouth wide. “Thanks, Elizabeth. You’re the best.” He turned to Will and winked. “I love your girlfriend. Hope that’s not weird for you.”
Will’s lips twitched but he didn’t say anything, just met Elizabeth’s eyes. The uncertainty she felt was thrown back at her, and for the first time since arriving at Pemberley, her gut twisted with something other than excitement.
They needed to figure out what they were doing and if it would last beyond this interlude from real life. If Will still felt any of what he’d shared before, if he wanted to continue seeing her when they returned to Meryton.
If the thing she felt for him was what she thought it was, and if she was brave enough to face it.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, standing. “Have a phone to charge.”
Ten minutes later, when Elizabeth returned to the table, she knew immediately she wouldn’t be sitting there for long. Charlie radiated a sort of manic energy that seemed seconds away from combusting. He did, at least, let her get through breakfast before suggesting—or shouting—that she might go check and see if she had enough battery to place a call.
“I’m going, I’m going,” she said after she’d polished off her second helping of breakfast potatoes. “You guys start the gift exchange. I don’t have anything to contribute, anyway.”
“Yet,” Charlie told her, rocking on his heels. “You may yet get me the best present of all.”
“Then I suppose I’ll be returning that tie I picked out for you,” Georgiana muttered with an eye-roll. She looked to Elizabeth. “Seriously, woman. Next time learn when to not volunteer information.”
“It’s fine,” Elizabeth replied, pushing in her chair. “Since Charlie making me break out the chargers, I’ll go ahead and power up my laptop and see if any grades have been posted.”
Georgiana made a face. “Yuck. That’s one way to kill the holiday spirit.”
“Some of us make grades we’re not ashamed of,” Will replied, standing and starting to collect dishes. And for some reason, the sight of him doing something so ordinary, so domestic, made her think things so well beyond the normal range of her thoughts they almost felt like they belonged to someone else.
Maybe because she’d never pictured Will cleaning up after himself or his guests. Still, the house staff had the day off, and someone had to do the dishes.
Which made her aware of something else.
“Did you cook?” Elizabeth blurted.
Will paused, hand outstretched for her plate. “Breakfast? Yes.”
“You cooked.”
“Will knows how to scramble with the best of ‘em,” Georgiana said. “But breakfast is all he can do.”
“You cooked.”
Will studied her for a moment before a sexy grin took over his mouth. “You don’t have to sound so surprised.”
“I think I do.” Elizabeth stood and handed Will her plate. “And since you cooked, it’s kinda criminal that you have to clean up. I’d help, but—”
Charlie mewled in complaint.
“But, that.”
Will winked. “Wouldn’t let you lift a finger, anyway. Something tells me you could burn down a kitchen just by looking at it.”
At that, Elizabeth barked an appreciative laugh, her insides flooding with the sensation she thought could be love. “I’d be offended if it weren’t so true. I think you might know me too well.”
“Not too well,” he replied, his tone dropping. “Don’t think that’s possible.”
A charged beat filled the air until Georgiana began making gagging sounds.
Elizabeth drew back and sighed, the spell, fleeting as it had been, broken. “Right,” she said, starting once more for the staircase. “I’ll be back in a mi
nute.”
“Thank you!” Charlie called after her.
The phone had charged enough to show she had several thousand notifications to surf through—most looking to be texts from Jane, though she also had missed a call from her mom and another from a phone number bearing the Meryton area.
A knot of unease settled in her stomach—small yet potent all the same. Elizabeth swallowed and seized her laptop, her racing brain already seizing the rather sizable list of potential catastrophes for the likelihood rundown. She settled herself on the bed and began scrolling through her texts as her laptop slowly came to life.
Jane: Hey—everything OK? Haven’t heard from you in a couple days.
Jane: Did you get my last message?
Jane: Making sure you saw this.
“Shit,” she muttered, pressing down on the phone icon with her thumb. There were still rows of messages to read through, but it seemed better to go ahead and get this part out of the way now.
She had just managed to connect her laptop to Will’s Wi-Fi—he’d given her his password the first night, which Georgiana had later told her was the modern day equivalent of going steady—and bring up her campus email application when Jane answered.
“Elizabeth?”
“Jane, I am so sorry, I—”
“Oh, thank god. Where the heck have you been?”
That was a loaded question. Elizabeth sighed again, her gaze falling on the apparently insanely valuable Jawa situated inside the display case across from the bed. Georgiana was right—this was the Fortress of Geekitude.
But it was all Will, and that made it perfect.
“It’s been a crazy couple days. But good crazy. So good I let my phone die and kinda forgot about it until right now.”
There was a pause. “You understand that is the lamest excuse in the history of excuse making and you will be punished for making me worry.”
“You are firm but fair.”
Finally, her email client opened to a slew of unread messages.
Her world stopped when her eyes landed on the subject line of the first.
A Higher Education Page 40
