“Miss Liu,” came a calm, mild voice from behind them, “are you ready to make a formal statement now?”
Elizabeth had nearly forgotten that the officer was in the room. The woman was standing again, her dark blonde hair bundled up in a tight bun, her chestnut-brown eyes kind and compassionate.
Kaylie’s eyes widened, and she put her hand on Elizabeth’s arm. “Will you stay with me?”
The officer nodded in response to Elizabeth’s questioning look. “She’ll have an advocate, too.”
Elizabeth stood, thought fleetingly of the welcome home dinner she would miss, then smiled warmly at the girl. “Of course I’ll stay,” she said decisively.
Chapter Five
The meeting at the airport had gone well despite the crushing crowds. Richard had appeared in the baggage claim area like a hero right off the movie screen, his duffel slung across his back, his dress blues unwrinkled, and the man himself remarkably relaxed. He’d drawn quite a few approving stares, and when Georgiana squealed and launched herself into his arms, a small crowd had even clapped. Will had shaken his hand and drawn his cousin in for a quick hug, feeling all his worry and anxiety draining away in the reassurance of the embrace, leaving him feeling strangely ebullient. He explained Kit’s voice mail to Richard, and though his cousin looked a bit disappointed, he rallied quickly.
“She’s supposed to meet us at the restaurant,” he had told Richard, both surprised and a bit concerned when she wasn’t there and that they couldn’t reach her by phone. Georgiana was clearly irritated with them for obsessing over who wasn’t there rather than enjoying their first meal together in over a year.
“What did her sister say?” Richard asked.
“Just that there was an emergency, and she’d call as soon as she could. She expected to make it to dinner,” Will replied. “I know she was really looking forward to seeing you, Richard.”
“I wanted to thank her for the upgrade,” Richard said with a grin. “I think she could sweet-talk a scorpion.”
Will smiled warmly, but before he could speak, Georgiana broke in. “Oh, I’m sure Will or Uncle Terry got the ticket, Richard. She was probably just taking credit for it.”
Both men turned to the young woman sitting at the table with them. “Georgiana!” both exclaimed, taken aback at the hostility.
“Actually,” Will continued, giving her a perplexed, annoyed look, “not only was it all Elizabeth’s doing, it was her idea to begin with.” He returned his attention to Richard. “She was so happy with the first-class seats to Maine she started calling around almost as soon as we returned.”
“Did she really call the mayor?” Richard asked, amused at the conversation that must have ensued.
“She did,” chuckled Will. “She said, very pleasantly, that she was an Order of the Crown recipient and that she was sure the mayor had time to speak with her.”
Richard smiled. “Did you know?”
Will nodded and took a sip of his wine. “She wouldn’t let anyone tell you. She wanted to catch you on the line at the airport.”
Georgiana sat quietly for a moment, toying with her napkin, before abruptly asking, “You took her to the beach house?”
After dinner, with still no word from Elizabeth, Will called Jerry to pick them up and drive them home. Senator Fitzwilliam wouldn’t arrive back in the city until the morning and had plans to meet with both his sons before the large dinner he had planned. Richard had been pleased to have the time with Will and Georgiana before the madness began, but he was concerned about Elizabeth’s disappearing act and the way in which Georgiana was taking every opportunity to disparage her. He was sure they’d like one another if G stopped acting like a spoiled brat.
“I can’t believe you took her to the beach house,” Georgiana hissed. “I’ve begged you for years to go up there with me. I guess I know how much I mean to you, Will.”
“Are you kidding me?” Will shot back. “Have you any idea how underwater I’ve been for the past five years, G?”
“All I know is that everything was apparently more important than me.”
Will’s mouth actually fell open a bit at that. He blinked, but did not speak.
As they arrived at the building, Richard realized that Georgiana had never really understood how much responsibility Will had taken on with their parents’ sudden deaths, that he couldn’t just take time off to join her in Maine because he had to make up the time he’d spent on seeing to her day-to-day needs while his work piled up. She’d been so young when their parents died, she might not have understood all he’d given up for her.
Now that she was off on her own and didn’t need him quite so close and had, in fact, asked that he keep his distance, Georgiana didn’t seem to realize that Will was finally free to date and even clear his schedule a bit from time to time. Richard heartily approved. He was determined to quickly get himself up to speed at FORGE so Will could finally have a relatively normal schedule. As a Marine, he understood sacrifice, and he knew it came in many forms. Will had sacrificed enough. It was time for him to enjoy his life a bit more. And Elizabeth Bennet is just the one to help him do it, Richard thought with a small grin.
As they walked past the front desk, the concierge lifted his hand in a wave, but Will and Georgiana were still engaged in their argument. They were whispering, but it was growing heated. Maybe G would go to bed early, and he and Will could try and figure out what was going on with her. Being disappointed that her boyfriend had decided to stay in California hardly seemed enough to account for her hostility towards a woman she’d not yet met. Poor Elizabeth, he thought with a shake of his head. She has no idea what she’s walking into. Then he checked his phone for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Still no word.
Will waited for the beep that told him his door was unlocked and turned the knob roughly. Georgiana was acting as though she was twelve, not nineteen, and it was ruining Richard’s first night home. He couldn’t fathom her anger over his trip to the beach house with Elizabeth. It was his house, too. What was the big deal about him visiting with someone other than her? He felt another flash of irritation with his sister. She’s moving on, but I’m not allowed to?
He swung the door open. G pushed past him as he tried to turn on the lights. Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing.
“Damn it,” he muttered, stepping back out in the hall.
Richard was behind him, waiting to enter. “What’s up?”
“The lights are on out here,” Will said, perplexed, “but they’re out inside.”
Behind him, he heard his sister stalking inside despite the darkness. “Georgiana,” he commanded. “Just wait for a minute. I don’t want you going down the stairs in the dark.”
Suddenly, all the lights turned on. The television and surround sound switched on at volume, a football game competing with Tom Walker in an ear-splitting cacophony of sound. Everyone clapped their hands over their ears, and Will followed Georgiana, who had made a beeline into the family room. The music stopped, and she emerged holding her phone before she scampered down the stairs and into her room. The door slammed.
The television was still on. Richard walked into the room and fixed the sound before tossing the remote down on the coffee table.
Richard’s expression was wary, but all he said was, “You may need to get an electrician in here.”
Will nodded uneasily, his eyes lingering on G’s door. “These old buildings. There’s always something.” He recalled Elizabeth’s comment about the dangers of a smart house. He pulled out his phone and changed his passwords. Just in case.
By the time Kaylie Liu finished her statement, had been taken to the hospital for a check-up and photographs, and was formally transferred into the care of a social worker, Elizabeth was physically and mentally exhausted. Kit was asleep on the plastic chairs in the hospital’s waiting room. She put her hand on Kit’s back and shook her slightly. Her sister sat up and stretched, blonde braid beginning to frizz at the ends.
“Good job today, Kit,” she said approvingly, offering her sister a tired smile. “Kaylie’s lucky to have you as a friend.”
Kit shrugged uncomfortably before looking away and saying, “Kaylie’s a good person. Besides, I remember what it was like.”
Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut. The hits just keep coming, she thought, wishing for her bed, a warm blanket, and Will to share it with. She sat heavily next to her sister, leaning forward, her two hands clasped together and her elbows resting on her knees. “I had hoped you all were too young to remember that.”
“Lydia doesn’t seem to, but Mary and I do.” Kit shook her head. “When you’re the one with the crazy mother or the broken family, you have a great big target on your back.” She rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand. “You were always so strong for us. I never even thought about how hard it was for you until you walked out of your graduation. Even I figured it out then.”
Elizabeth grunted. Her eyes felt like they were filled with sand. “At least we had each other. We had Uncle Ed and Aunt Maddy.” She felt a familiar surge of gratitude for her uncle and aunt. Kaylie’s statement had made it clear that as the only child of her mother’s first marriage, she’d been made the scapegoat of the family. It had brought back some difficult memories for Elizabeth. Apparently, Kaylie’s mother denied there was anything wrong, and her two younger stepbrothers taunted her when their father abused her, first emotionally and then physically.
“Yeah,” Kit agreed quietly, “Kaylie didn’t have anyone.”
Elizabeth shook her head. An overdeveloped sense of guilt was clearly a Bennet trait. “That’s not true, Kit. She has her dad, who I’m told is flying in and will be here in the morning.” She leaned over until her shoulder touched her sister’s. “She has you.”
Kit smiled sadly. “She has us.”
“Yep,” Elizabeth agreed wearily. “She has us.”
Kit stood and picked up her bag. “I hope you didn’t miss anything important,” she said apologetically. “I know you were on your way out when I called.”
Elizabeth felt a wave of disappointment crash over her. She’d been anticipating Richard’s welcome for weeks. She consoled herself with the thought that perhaps it would be nice for Will and his sister to see their cousin first without her there. In any case, there wasn’t much to be done about it now. “Did you call Will for me?”
Kit nodded and turned to sling her backpack over her shoulder. “Uh-huh. I had to leave a voice mail for him. Jeremy did say the package was at the desk, though, and he wrote out the message.”
“Okay, good.” She held out her hand and Kit dropped the phone in it. She had several voice mails and texts. “Let me just call Will, and we can head home.” She checked the time. “Hey, it’s late. Don’t call Aunt Maddy, just call a cab.”
Kit nodded sleepily and began to work on her own phone.
Elizabeth hit the speed dial for Will. The call was connected, but there was no voice at the other end.
“Hello?” she asked tentatively.
“Is this Elizabeth?” came a girl’s voice.
“Yes . . .” Elizabeth said, drawing out the word uncertainly.
“This is Georgiana Darcy.”
“Oh,” Elizabeth replied, a bit taken aback. “Hello Georgiana, how are you? I’m sorry I missed you guys tonight.”
“What’s the matter, Elizabeth?” the cultured voice inquired. “Afraid to meet me?”
Elizabeth was through with nasty surprises for the day, so she simply replied, “May I speak with Will, please?”
“He’s busy.”
“I beg your pardon?” Elizabeth swiped at her tired eyes.
“What? You think he’s impressed with your little light show? That he’s waiting around for your call?”
“I’m not following,” Elizabeth replied. “Didn’t he get Kit’s message?”
“I know what you’re doing,” the girl said smugly. “Will is much wealthier than Richard, so you decided to go after him instead. Well, I’m on to you. It won’t work.”
“Uh . . .” Elizabeth felt as though she was fighting through a swamp. These accusations were so ludicrous it was difficult to know where to begin. “Georgiana . . .”
The connection was lost. Georgiana Darcy had hung up on her. Well, that’s strike three today, she sighed. I’ll have to call tomorrow. I can’t deal with catty sisters tonight.
She opened a text window and pulled up Richard’s number as clearly Will’s phone was not in his possession.
Welcome home. Sorry I missed you. Did you like your surprise? I wanted to catch you off- guard.
There was a brief wait, and then, That was you?
Of course, she typed. Who else?
“Taxi’s coming,” Kit called from the sidewalk. She pointed to the street, and they watched the driver make his way through the parking lot. “He was close. They must get a lot of calls from the ER.”
Elizabeth rolled her shoulders and rubbed her ear with the heel of her hand, shoving her phone into her pocket. She had to position it carefully, as the pocket was a bit shallow, and as she focused on the task, the tell-tale throbbing began at the base of her skull.
She’d been holding up well all day, but Kit’s revelation and the odd exchange with Georgiana had finally tipped her over the edge. Her shoulders were only so wide. When they climbed into the cab, she tipped her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. The migraine rolled in hard and fast, and by the time they’d dropped Kit at home and arrived at her own apartment, it was all she could do to unlock her door and drag herself into the bathroom before she was violently ill.
Will saw his phone sitting on the kitchen counter and picked it up, carrying it with him as he joined Richard on the couch.
“It makes no sense,” Richard said. “I think she was talking about something else.”
“Of course she was talking about something else, you idiot,” Will replied tersely. “Why would she want to mess with my apartment?”
“To warn you that your security wasn’t solid?” Richard theorized. Will glared at him and Richard held up his hands. “I don’t believe it, but it is possible, Will. This is exactly what she does for a living—finds the weak spots and points them out so people can shore them up.”
“She didn’t do it, Richard,” Will said flatly. “She wouldn’t do something like that without clearing it with me first. I trust her.”
Richard grinned a little at that. “In case you don’t recall, so do I.”
Will checked again. Still no calls from Elizabeth. He tried not to worry. Whatever she was dealing with was likely taking longer to resolve than she thought, and then she’d go home to bed and call in the morning. Be reasonable, Will, he told himself. She left a message. She’s fine. It was too late to call the Gardiners and foolishly, he still didn’t have Jane’s number. After the paparazzi debacle at the VFW, he should have made it a point to get contact information for everyone, but he’d just been so relieved to see her he’d not thought of it. He would make sure to remedy the oversight as soon as he spoke with Elizabeth.
He had checked the elevator and the television, both of which ran on electric—they were functioning perfectly. He opened the refrigerator. Cold. This is weird.
“You want some wine?” Will asked Richard. His cousin shook his head.
“Beer,” Richard replied.
There was a knock on the door. Will sighed but stood and went to answer it. When he peered through the peephole, he saw Jeremy standing in the hall with what appeared to be a gaily wrapped package.
“Richard,” he called, glad to have evidence. “I think your surprise from Elizabeth is here.”
Richard rose to greet Jeremy as Will opened the door.
“Sorry to bother you, sir,” Jeremy said in his low rolling bass. “But I wanted to be sure Major Fitzwilliam got this.” He held out the box. “I needed to get someone to watch the desk while I ran up here.” He smiled. “I saw the light under the door and thought
you might still be awake.”
Will saw Georgiana peeking out of her bedroom door before slowly walking halfway up the stairs. He turned back to Jeremy.
“Thanks,” Richard said. “I presume this is from Elizabeth?”
Jeremy nodded. “Ms. Bennet had it sent over this afternoon, before my shift. Her sister called later with the message. I tried to get your attention when you came in, but you didn’t see me.”
Will shot a reproving glance at Georgiana, but the truth was he felt stupid. He’d spent all that time arguing with his sister instead of paying attention to his surroundings. He knew better than that. He just didn’t understand why G was being so nasty about Elizabeth when they’d never even met.
Jeremy handed off the bundle to Richard. Will thanked Jeremy and watched as the man nodded and headed down the hall to the staff elevator. Richard carried the present into the kitchen and called, “G? I think you should come watch me open this.”
Will waved her up. She averted her eyes but did ascend the stairs and pad into the kitchen.
“That’s the surprise?” she asked quietly, suddenly shy for the first time since she’d arrived. “Not the lights and music?”
“That’s the surprise,” Will replied, nodding at the present. His steady gaze was a challenge. Georgiana had the good grace to look embarrassed.
As soon as they were all standing at the island, Richard plucked the card from the wrapping and opened it.
“Welcome home, civilian,” he read aloud. “I hope you have a great Thanksgiving dinner and get some rest, because you’ve declared war and you’re going to need it.” He gave a little laugh. “In the meantime, enjoy your surprise, and make sure Georgiana gets some of the chocolate.” He set the card down and tore off the wrapping to reveal a box. He opened the flaps. On the top of a cardboard divider, wrapped in cotton batting, was a one-pound box of Belgian chocolates from Neuhaus. Underneath were four bottles of chilled Fou’Foune. She must have asked Jeremy to keep it in the cooler.
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