Adapt

by Melanie Rachel

  Will gazed down at Elizabeth, her face so peaceful in her sleep, and wondered, not for the first time, how she was able to mostly just live her life as though nothing much was wrong. “Is your middle name Job, love?” he asked, only partly joking, placing a feathery kiss on the top of her head. His thumb was unconsciously making light circles just above her ear, and Elizabeth sighed without waking, happily, he thought. If anyone could understand the pressures he felt, it was the woman in his arms. She’d been there when he needed her most, when Richard and G needed her most. He would do the same. Not Cinderella tonight, he smiled. Sleeping Beauty.

  Will was up and dressed by six, ready to drive back into the city. He sat on the bed and watched Elizabeth rest, as he had the night before. He didn’t believe he would ever tire of it. She was curled on her side, one hand under her cheek, the other arm tossed over a pillow. He brushed her hair from her face and smiled when she opened her eyes and saw him there. She sat up.

  “Are you leaving?” she asked, offering him her hand and a sleepy smile.

  He nodded. “In a few minutes. How’s your head?”

  She paused. Assessing, he thought fondly.

  “Better.”

  “Good,” he said softly. He cupped her cheek with his palm. “Jane called last night.”

  She frowned. “Mmm.”

  “She mentioned the book.” He placed his hand under her chin and gently tilted her face

  up to his.

  Elizabeth stared straight into his eyes. I don’t think I will ever get over the color of her eyes. Why is she the only one of her sisters who has them? He was brought back to reality when she said, quite firmly, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I can go beat some sense into him if you want,” he told her, his face deadly serious.

  “He’s old. I can take him.”

  She removed his hand from her chin and held it to her cheek. “I’ll deal with it. Just not now. There’s so much going on, and I’m not sure anything can be done.” She gave him a peck on the cheek. “Besides, if anyone’s gonna hit him, it’ll be me. I’ve earned it.” She closed her eyes again. “Or Lydia. I could let her have a go.” She yawned. “She’s still a minor.”

  “Well, it’s only six,” he said, relenting. “Go back to sleep and I’ll call you later.” Elizabeth resumed her position on the bed, and he tucked the blanket around her.

  As he stepped to the door, she mumbled, “Hope it was worth it for a whole nine hours.”

  “Completely worth it,” he assured her. Then he picked up his bag and headed outside to start the long commute.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Elizabeth was in the middle of tracking down the source of several unusual deductions from a client’s accounts when Will’s name popped up on her phone screen. She smiled, thinking about how he’d braved morning traffic into the city to be with her overnight. Because she didn’t want him to nag her, she’d been taking extra care to eat and drink water even when she was engrossed in her work. She was certain that had helped, but just being with Will made her migraines less severe.

  She answered the call cheerfully, only to find herself in a conversation about the last man in the world about whom she wanted to be thinking.

  “Will,” Elizabeth said warningly, “I’m just not ready to discuss Tom Bennet.” Why is everyone so insistent I take this on immediately? He has kids. I can’t just go scorched earth.

  “I understand, Elizabeth,” he said in the even voice he probably used for negotiations, “but it has to be dealt with. He can’t get away with this—it’ll just encourage him to do more. You could just call Liu, let him deal with it.”

  “Later,” she said tiredly. “I need some time to consider what to do. Can we just talk about it next week?” Next year, next decade?

  Will pressed the point. “Do you promise you will talk about it next week and not deflect again?”

  She rested her elbow on the desk and her forehead against the heel of her hand. “Yes. I promise.”

  “All right,” he agreed reluctantly.

  “Thank you,” she breathed, relieved. “Now, has your uncle said anything about G?”

  Will’s dissatisfaction was evident in his pique. “No. He’s being stubbornly private about it, which means either they’ve found him and can’t get to him, or they haven’t found him at all.”

  Elizabeth grew quiet as she ran through the possibilities. Was Argentina another dodge? I was hoping he was at least on that plane, but it doesn’t matter. He could be anywhere by now. When she spoke, it was pleading. “Will, I’ve got to get back on the case. I know how to do this. Let me help.”

  Will was insistent. “No, Elizabeth. The FBI is serious business. The way they see it, anything you find will be tainted anyway.” She began to protest, but he cut her off. “I know that’s not true but proving it will just slow things down. And you know as well as I do that we can’t afford the time.”

  Elizabeth could hear both what he was saying and what he wasn’t. He was anxious not to hold things up, but more than that, he didn’t want her to get into legal trouble on his or G’s behalf. Their lawyer had scoffed at the “concerns” the FBI was posing, but cautioned that it might take weeks, even months, to clear Elizabeth’s name entirely. There was a procedure for these sorts of things, and it had to be followed to the letter.

  Will was right, she knew he was right. But she hated this, hated being lied about by anonymous sources, being out-maneuvered by Wickham. She could pinpoint his location within the week, she was sure of it, but having to wait for official clearances at every juncture was just allowing Wickham to evade detection until it would be too late to capture him. Most infuriating of all was that he seemed to know exactly what the government’s policy required and just how to play it to his advantage. He’d not expected her to come to Palo Alto. She was sure of that. But he’d reacted swiftly and deftly, taking her out of the game as effectively as though he’d been planning it from the beginning. If it was Wickham at all.

  There was a way to stop him without being involved herself. But she wasn’t sure she was ready for what it might cost. Everyone was safe for the moment, so there really was no need.

  “Elizabeth,” Will asked, “you still with me?”

  “I’m here,” she said with a sigh.

  “Let’s just let Oscar and Uncle Terry cope with it for now,” he advised, “and think about something more pleasant. Like tomorrow night?”

  Despite her trepidation about everything else in her life, Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Will seeing her in Kit’s dress. “Oh, it’ll be pleasant. You’re going to like the dress Kit made for me.”

  There was a squeak that sounded like an office chair tilting back. “What color is it?”

  “Why do you want to know?” she teased, tapping her computer’s touch pad to keep the screen lit. She didn’t want to lose her place.

  “Just curious.” There was more than curiosity in his voice, though. He wanted a mental picture of her in a sexy dress. Elizabeth barely contained her amusement.

  “Black,” she said simply.

  “That’s it? No other details? I can’t get Georgiana to stop talking about her dresses.”

  She laughed. “Not on your life, Fitzwilliam Darcy. You have to wait and be surprised tomorrow.”

  When he spoke again, there was a smile in his tone. “You know, nobody ever uses my full name.”

  “Not even your parents when you were in trouble?” she asked incredulously. She stood to stretch.

  “I was never in trouble,” he said proudly. “Well,” he amended, “except for the once. That was enough to count for my entire childhood.”

  I was in trouble all the time. She bent sideways at her left hip and reached as far as she could with her right arm. “Liar.”

  “No, it’s the truth,” he assured her. Elizabeth switched to her left side. “Unless I was with Richard, and then he took the blame. Rightly so, I might add.”

  She
stood up straight. “Hmm. Well, I like it. I think I’ll keep the name in my arsenal.”

  There was another squeak, and Elizabeth pictured Will inclining towards the phone. “And how well does your arsenal fit in that dress?”

  She snorted at that. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Yes,” he complained, “I would.”

  “Well,” she said airily, “pick me up on time and you’ll get to see. I’ll be in Montclair. You know the address.”

  He sighed. “Fine. I can see you are determined to torture me. Jerry and I will be there on time.”

  “See you then, Will,” she teased. “And not a moment before.”

  “Elizabeth, you are a very vexing woman,” he told her affectionately, emphasizing each word carefully.

  “Yes,” was her flippant reply, “I’ve been told that before. But I think the word that was used was obstinate.” She smiled to herself. “Oh, and headstrong.”

  Will was nervous. He didn’t understand why he was nervous. He was a grown man, a wealthy and successful man, a man who was by no means a stranger to women. But as he knocked on the heavy wooden door to the Gardiner residence, he felt like a boy meeting a girl for a middle school dance.

  He held a dozen long-stem red roses in his hand, having recalled Elizabeth saying something about vintage Hollywood and thinking the flowers should match. He’d liked the color of the pink roses for her, like the blush in her cheeks, but red roses signified love. Every dolt knew that, and he’d decided to err on the side of tradition. He didn’t want any miscommunications tonight.

  He’d been waiting for this dinner for . . . well, it felt like much longer than a week. So much had happened in the interim.

  They’d only known each other three months, but Will had never felt as deeply connected to a woman as he did to Elizabeth Bennet, and as he’d gazed at her in her sleep, he’d wished he could see her like that every day. He’d told her he loved her early on in their relationship, and it had been true. But every day that followed both tested and deepened his love for her, making that initial feeling pale in comparison. I think she feels the same. I hope she does.

  Will knew exactly where he wanted this relationship to go, and so far, it had just happened, as natural as breathing. Breathing with arguments and a lot of stress, he thought laughingly. If she wanted to wait three months to discuss their future, he’d give it to her. He’d wait forever, though he hoped he wouldn’t have to.

  Ed Gardiner answered the door, grinning, and Will knew he was tonight’s entertainment. Ed could rib him about the tux and the flowers, but he was going to see Elizabeth tonight and walk into a black-tie dinner with her on his arm. His chest swelled at the thought.

  “There’s been a lot of frenzied preparations going on,” Ed told him, slapping his back and guiding him inside. “I’ve not even been allowed to see her, so I’m assuming there’s quite an entrance coming.” He let out a small chuckle at Will’s anxious face. “Come on in. I was about to have a drink. You look like you could use one, too.”

  Maddy Gardiner skipped down the stairs, smiling widely. “She’s nearly ready, Will. Oh, may I put those in water for her?”

  Will just handed the flowers over and followed Ed to his office, where the man poured out a scotch. He took the proffered glass gratefully and sipped the golden liquid. He let out a deep breath, and Ed shook his head.

  “You need to relax, Will,” he said, his eyes twinkling with laughter. “You’ll never get through the entire night with that twitch.”

  Will glanced down, realizing only then that his free hand was tapping anxiously against his thigh. He stilled the movement and met Ed’s gaze, embarrassed. “I’m just really looking forward to showing her off tonight,” he admitted bashfully. Great, Will, he reproached himself, way to sound possessive. Elizabeth already laughs at you about that.

  Ed didn’t seem to mind; in fact, his face softened a bit. Will took another sip of his drink and tried to loosen up.

  Maddy opened the door a crack and said, “She’s ready, Will.”

  Will nodded and walked back out to the foot of the stairs, his humor beginning to return. She’s purposely making me wait. That’s not like her. I’m going to make her pay. His mind thus agreeably engaged, he took another drink while he waited. Just as he began to swallow, he was greeted with an apparition in black silk. There, at the top of the stairs, stood the most beautiful, alluring woman he’d ever seen.

  The dress was opulent without being ornate. It was cut close to her body, accentuating every elegant curve, her trim waist, one long leg just visible through a slit in the straight, ankle-length skirt. His eyes traveled up to a thin gold chain holding a small green pendant that reflected her eyes and hung perilously between her breasts. Her breasts. He blinked rapidly. She’d never worn anything that revealing, and yet there was a modesty to it, too. Her bust was well covered, but the neckline was deeper than anything he’d seen her wear, displaying the alabaster skin of her chest.

  Vintage Hollywood, he thought, stunned, the drink going down the wrong way as his attention was so swiftly diverted. He started to cough and couldn’t stop. Smooth, Will, very cool, he thought helplessly. Ed Gardiner pounded him on the back and removed the glass from his hand. From his position, bent over and hacking, he could just make out slender green heels that matched the necklace and the end of a green silk wrap hanging from her bent arms. As he recovered, he heard Elizabeth’s voice coming from the body of a goddess as she descended the stairs.

  “I wanted to surprise you, Will,” she was saying somewhere above him in a voice rich with laughter, “but I may have overshot the mark.”

  He just stared at Elizabeth, unable to speak. His muscles ached he was smiling so widely, but he couldn’t stop that, either. She was breathtaking. Literally. When his eyes finally made it to her hair, he realized it was flowing over her shoulders in long, soft waves. He moved to take her hand and kiss her cheek. Someone had done her makeup, and he knew from Georgiana that he shouldn’t mess it up. Not until the end of the night, he told himself. It was nice, though, not too heavy. She’d done something that made her eyes dark and sexy. Her cheeks were rosy, but he wasn’t sure whether that was rouge or the result of his inept appreciation.

  “You’re going to crack your face with that smile,” Elizabeth said quietly, her eyes bright and sparkling. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “We may not make it to dinner, Elizabeth,” he crooned in her ear. “I’m not sure I can take you out in public like this. You might actually give some poor unsuspecting guy a heart attack.”

  Her smile was uncertain but pleased. “Thank you.”

  “Uh, I brought flowers,” he said, looking around. “Your aunt put them in water.”

  She nodded. “She put them behind you on the hall table. Thank you.”

  He took a deep breath. “Well, now that I can draw breath, shall we?” He offered her his arm and she looked askance at him as she took it.

  “Such a gentleman,” she teased, giving his arm a squeeze. “By the way, I like your tux.”

  “Thank you,” he said warmly, still drinking her in. “But you’re about to make your sister famous.”

  As they said their goodbyes, Ed Gardiner gave Elizabeth a sad smile and shook his head. “You look stunning, Lizbet,” he told her. “Have a wonderful time.” He turned to Will. “Take care of her, Will.”

  “I think she can take care of herself,” Will answered, his eyes never leaving Elizabeth, “but I’m happy to do my part.”

  “Good answer, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth replied approvingly, as Will led her outside. “Good evening, Jerry,” Elizabeth called demurely as they approached the car.

  Will was sure he saw Jerry’s eyes widen for a second before shutting down the expression and simply nodded. “Good evening, Miss Bennet,” he said calmly.

  Better than me. Will sighed and considered how he was going to keep all the other men at this dinner from monopolizing his date.

  He took Elizabeth’
s hand and moved to help her into the car, placing his other hand protectively on her back. He nearly shook with pleasure when he felt his hand touch Elizabeth’s skin. Bless you, Kit.

  Elizabeth squeezed Will’s hand as they prepared to run the gauntlet of the paparazzi and society page photographers. She stepped onto a red carpet—literally a red carpet—and chuckled a bit. I thought this was just a charity dinner, she though, a little dazed. How does he do this? She glanced up at Will to see his face shuttered, his jaw clenched, his eyes trained on the entrance. Oh.

  It was certainly daunting, the crowd a dinner like this had generated. Her heart was racing, but Will was with her, and as tense as he was, she still trusted him to get her inside. There were a lot of questions being lobbed, the words being shouted one over the other, coalescing into a loud, bright jumble. Just as they reached the very end of the red carpet, she heard a female reporter call, “Whose dress are you wearing, Lizzy?”

  Elizabeth smiled and tugged Will to a stop. This is for you, Kit. “It’s a K. Gardiner original,” she told the reporters, just as Kit had asked her to. “She’s an up-and-coming designer.” Okay, Lydia, she thought, start your tweeting. You’re on. She smiled up at Will, but his face was drawn, stoic, as he watched the entrance and waited for her to finish. She could feel his posture had become nearly rigid. She needed to do something to loosen him up.

  “Turn for us!” cried someone else. Elizabeth kept the smile on her face and executed a perfect turn without letting go of Will’s hand—just like when they waltzed. She felt him relax a tiny bit and he brought his other hand up to rest on her back, just below her shoulder. Leatherback Lovelies, eat your hearts out, she laughed to herself, and then thought, I’d better invest in Kit’s company, like right now.