Smitten With Sense: A Modern Sense And Sensibility Retelling (Pemberley Estates Book 4)

by Keena Richins

  Since the truth was out anyway, Edward decided to be blunt. "If Star has been watching my story, then she has seen Lucy."

  "Yeah, she showed me some of her segments. She's a very good liar."

  Edward faced the sign. "How do you know she's lying?"

  "Brandon."

  Edward resisted scowling at the mention of Elinor's new boyfriend.

  "He has a sixth sense when it comes to people," Harv continued. "And he's known Lucy for a long time now."

  Edward looked up in surprise. "He has?" Had Lucy gone after him, too?

  "He knows her cousin and the man introduced the two, thinking they'd be a good match." Harv laughed as if the idea was the funniest thing ever. "Brandon could tell the girl was only interested in money and has avoided her since."

  Edward wished he'd been as smart. "How long ago was this?"

  Harv scrunched up his face. "Mmm, six or seven years ago?"

  A year or two before she had shown up at his father's funeral.

  "Did he ever mention if she tried to blackmail him?" Edward couldn’t help asking.

  Harv shook his head. "But he did say she milks her cousin for money. They both grew up poor but the cousin managed to move into the middle class and Brandon says he feels guilty so he keeps helping Lucy out. Neither of them had fathers and their mothers died young."

  Edward sighed. "She used to say she was born white trash but won't die as one. I never knew if that was true or not." The first part, at least. He was sure she'd die a trillionaire with all the blackmail she did.

  "That why she went after you?" Harv asked.

  He shrugged. "Perhaps? She once mentioned the only reason she came to my father's funeral was because the obituary claimed he was a billionaire with two single sons and she figured that gave her a good chance to score with one of them."

  "She preyed on you while at your father's funeral? That's low. How long before you realized she was using you?"

  "Six months."

  Harv raised an eyebrow. "That's rather impressive."

  "It is?"

  "Lucy sounds like a narcissistic emotional abuser. Victims in those types of relationships can take a long time to realize they're being abused. I've had lots of clients come here still believing their abuser really does love them and that the abuse is my clients' fault since they weren't perfect enough. But you were able to figure it out while also still dealing with grief from your father's death. You have a good head on your shoulders."

  Edward shook his head. "Didn't do me much good. I'm still heading to jail and my family's being ruined."

  "Is that why you sent Jess away? Because you didn't think you had a future?"

  "I don't think it. I know it."

  Harv leaned against the fence, gazing at the horses. "You know, in a way, you remind me of myself."

  "You were on trial for something?"

  Harv chuckled. "Maybe not before a jury, but I had a moment when I thought I had no future." He tapped his lame leg. "When that bomb hit my vehicle, I was sure my life was over. When the doctors proved me wrong, I wished they hadn't. I didn't know what to do as a broken man." He faced Edward. "Lucy looks like she was a bomb in your life, blowing all your dreams to smithereens, and now you're sitting in a hypothetical hospital, defeated and not wanting to fight anymore."

  Edward focused on the horses as well, unsure of what to say. The man was hitting it right on the spot.

  "But you can't give up," Harv continued. "If I had given up, you know where I'd be? Working some dead-end job somewhere, going home to a stale, empty apartment, and waiting for death to show up and end my miserable life. But I didn't give up. I had my eye on this beautiful girl and though I doubted she'd want someone like me, I still tried. And look where it got me. The perfect wife, the perfect job, and the perfect life."

  "But you didn't face prison," Edward couldn't help saying.

  "Several of my clients have and they still have found a good life."

  Edward couldn't argue against that.

  Harv clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm just saying, don't throw this Jess away just because you think your life is over. She came all this way for a reason. Don't forget that."

  Edward groaned. "This was all about Jess?"

  Harv eyed him. "You really don't like her?"

  "She's a good friend, but that's it."

  Harv frowned. "Then who is the lucky girl you keep thinking about?"

  Edward had no intention of naming Elinor. Harv was a good man, but Edward wasn't sure how he'd take the news that Edward was in love with one of his best friend's girlfriends.

  "No one," Edward said instead.

  Harv folded his arms and leaned against the fence as if content to wait all day for the real answer.

  Edward sighed. "She's dating someone else."

  "So was my wife."

  "She was?"

  "Yep, and I didn't have a good reputation. I had been quite the player before that bomb. In fact, I didn't believe in love or marriage. Thought it was a bunch of nonsense that only led to misery. But I could never get Star out of my mind and when I sat in that hospital, wondering what I was going to do with the mess of my life, all I could think about was her. I had no idea if she'd take a broken man," he tapped his lame leg, "but I wasn't going to go down without a fight. And I'm glad I did. Just think if I hadn't given her the choice of myself. The other guy would have been terrible for her," Harv added with a grin. "You're a good man, Edward. A hard worker, reliable, smart, and honest. You'd be doing this girl a big favor going after her."

  Edward shook his head. "Better than your friend Brandon?"

  Harv's eyes widened. "Brandon is dating?" He suddenly muttered a curse and pulled out his flip phone. "This would be the second time I get the news late," he lamented as he dialed a number.

  "Don't call—" Edward began, but it was too late.

  "Rick!" Harv exclaimed. "I'm not doing well at all. First I don't get to hear you're dating until after you're engaged and now I find out Brandon is dating behind my back as well? Whatever happened to being the best of buds?"

  Edward stepped away, not really wanting to eavesdrop, but Harv's next sentence stopped him.

  "She's in a coma?"

  All the blood in Edward's face drained. Elinor had been in a hospital the last time he had spoken to her, but she had insisted she was okay!

  "Oh, she was in a coma. No, no, I get it. Figures you'd end up in a hospital again. Yeah, you bet I want updates or I'm gonna start hiring a detective just to know what's going on with you two."

  Harv slid into another topic and Edward impatiently waited for the conversation to end so he could get more details about the coma.

  "Well," Harv began as he hung up, "I certainly wasn't expecting that today."

  "How's Elinor?" Edward blurted out, unable to wait any longer. "What caused the coma?"

  Harv blinked at him. "Elinor? It's Marianne that was hit by the car."

  Marianne. Elinor's younger sister. Edward was both elated it wasn't Elinor but devastated the family had endured another tragedy. It was like the Dashwoods couldn't catch a break.

  "Will she be okay?"

  "Yeah, they believe so. Time will tell and Brandon will make sure she's well taken care of, but that girl is not Elinor."

  "But he did so much..." Edward trailed off, remembering how Brandon had rushed out of the stairwell in a determined panic. And of Elinor's face of worry. It must have been right after the accident. Brandon must have come to rush Elinor to the hospital. And it would make sense that Brandon knew of the incident since he was dating Marianne.

  "Even if Brandon was dating your girl," Harv continued, "I'd still suggest you go after her. It's not fair to deny her the choice."

  Edward wanted to agree, but he still had a major problem: Lucy.

  Chapter 26

  Harv caught him at breakfast the next morning, a big grin on his face. "You in the mood to go to Boston?"

  "Boston?" Edward asked in surprise.

/>   "That's where the Dashwoods are. I told Star about the accident and she wants to go and see them. You could be her chauffeur."

  The idea that he could see Elinor burst forth joy, but was quickly doused by the memory of Lucy. And that he was on trial. "I can't leave the state, remember?"

  Harv frowned. "Forgot that detail. That's too bad. Star doesn't like driving long distances."

  Edward could only nod glumly then gave up on finishing breakfast; he'd lost his appetite. Retreating to the eastern fence, he resumed the work, hoping it would keep his thoughts quiet. Unfortunately, the eastern fence lined the road that led to the farm, meaning he'd know when Star and presumably some other chauffeur would be taking off without him.

  When the sound of an engine pierced the peaceful woods around lunchtime, Edward refused to look and wave goodbye. He didn't want them to see the envy written all over his face.

  However, the sound was coming from the wrong direction—someone was coming in, not going out.

  Assuming it was a new client, Edward didn't bother to check out the new vehicle until he realized it had stopped near him. He turned in surprise, then backed up against the fence when Lucy stepped out.

  "Hi, Eddie," she called in an uncertain voice like she was a timid girl approaching the aloof guy she had loved for years. But since he knew that was false, he just leveled a stare at her and didn't respond.

  "How have you been?" She edged toward him.

  He remained pressed against the fence and kept his silent stare on her. She had already done her worst. He had no desire to give her anything more.

  She hunched her shoulders as if wounded by his cold manner. "Look, Eddie, I'm sorry."

  His eyebrows shot up. He hadn't thought she was capable of apologies.

  "I've been thinking things over and I..." she edged closer to him, "I realized that I don't want you to go to jail. I don't want to be away from you for the twenty years they'll put you in."

  He wished the fence could move backwards. He wanted fifty feet between her and him.

  She indicated the car. "Run away with me. I've made arrangements. We could be in South America by tonight."

  "Or you could drop the charges," were the first words out of his mouth.

  Sadness descended over her face. "Oh, I wish I could, but your mother won't listen to reason! She won't let me backtrack on anything I've said!"

  He laughed. It bubbled out of him without any control. The idea that she'd be so upset that her plans finally failed was too funny.

  "Eddie! It's not funny! I'm trying to save you!"

  Edward's laugh died, an idea stirring. Jess had tried to swoop in to save him. Was this Lucy's plan? To ruin him only to step in like a savoir and save him?

  No, that would only make sense if Lucy wanted to be with him and not the billions of dollars he was to inherit.

  Besides, he was done playing her games. There wasn't anything more she could do now. "You've already saved me, Lucy."

  Her eyes widened. "I did?"

  "Yeah. Sending me to jail frees me from you and my mother. So, thanks." He turned his back on her and resumed his work on the fence.

  "Eddie!" Her cold hand fell on his arm.

  He shook it off. "Don't touch me and I hate that nickname."

  Her cold hand gripped his arm. "Eddie, please, you don't understand!"

  "Understand what? How much you hate me?"

  "No, I never hated you!" She wrapped both hands around his arm.

  "Quit it, Lucy." He grabbed her hands with his free hand and ripped them off his arm. "You're incapable of telling the truth. All you want is to control me. You've got narciss—" Edward struggled to remember what Harv claimed she had, but couldn't remember it. "You're messed up in the head," he said instead. "And you've already ruined me. So go find some other victim."

  "I'm not trying to control you or ruin you. Eddie, can't you understand? You got me all mad but I didn't want to be mad. I didn't want to be so mean to you but you weren't listening to anything I was saying. You kept doing stupid things. I was just trying to save you!"

  "And you did. Congrats. Now, go away."

  "Eddie—"

  He slammed down his hammer on an innocent nail as if it was Lucy's head. "I told you already, I hate that nickname. It's Edward."

  She formed a pout. "Eddie, why do you have to be like this?"

  Now he wanted to throw the hammer at her. Nothing he said seemed to ever register through her head.

  "Go away, Lucy."

  She stood there quietly as he hammered in two more nails. Then she sighed. "You're going to make me be mean again, aren't you?"

  Knowing he wanted to throttle her, he gripped the fence instead. How was he ever going to get rid of this woman?

  "What do you want from me, Lucy?"

  She was suddenly all smiles. "Now there's my good Eddie."

  "No." He seethed. "There is no good Eddie because there is no good Lucy. When are you ever going to get it through your head that I want nothing of you? Go. Away!"

  "Eddie! Stop being like this! Can't you see this is why I can't be the good Lucy you want? If you were just like you were when we first met, none of these horrible things would have happened to you!"

  He couldn't believe it. It was like she had no idea she was the problem. "You used me from the beginning, Lucy. You never cared about me—"

  "But I do! That's why I've done all this. To make you love me!"

  "Love?" He gripped her shoulders and shook her hard. "You know nothing of love! Love is caring for someone without ever asking anything back. And you, you couldn't give a drop of love unless it meant chaining someone to you for eternity. But it's not going to be me, you hear?" He gave her shoulders another hard shake. "It's not going to be me!"

  "What is going on here?" Harv's voice suddenly descended on them.

  Both Edward and Lucy jerked to find Harv standing in the pasture about thirty feet from them, his right hand clutching his cane and his opened flip phone while his other hand wrapped around his back to where Edward knew he kept his gun.

  "Help!" Lucy suddenly screeched, squirming within Edward's grasp. "He's trying to hurt me! Help!"

  Harv pulled out his gun. Edward immediately raised his hands and backed up, eyes wide. Of all people, he thought for sure Harv wouldn't believe Lucy—

  The gun fired. But it was the left front wheel of Lucy's car that was the victim. The air hissed out of the deflating wheel like a tired scream.

  "That's my car!" Lucy yelled, her fake fear disappearing amidst her outrage.

  "Yep," Harv said with a steely glare, then waved his gun at the sign Edward had put up yesterday. "Trespassers will be shot. Survivors," Harv took aim at the other front wheel, "will be shot again." He pulled the trigger, deflating the wheel.

  "Are you insane?" Lucy screamed.

  "The car is trespassing, but," he shifted his weight and let go of his cane to wave his opened flip phone, "I've called for a tow. They'll come with flashing lights."

  She took a step back as if he was waving the gun at her instead of the phone. "You called the police?"

  "The trespassing car brought an unwelcome visitor that's harassing my client." He finally aimed his gun at Lucy. "I'd suggest that visitor wait in her car for the tow."

  A very un-innocent string of curses shot through Lucy's teeth before she clambered into her car. Harv kept his gun leveled on her as she revved up the engine. If she had all four wheels, Edward would have feared she'd plow through the fence and run Harv over. Instead, she fought to turn the vehicle around, the blown-out tires refusing to cooperate. When she finally pulled it off, Harv shook his head with a chuckle.

  "That is one stubborn girl." He put the gun away and bent down to retrieve his cane. "The cops will have fun pulling her over."

  "The cops won't do anything," Edward said. "She'll make up a story—"

  "That what, I'm the bad guy?" Harv laughed as he limped toward Edward. "I know every cop in this area. If they believe a pretty
face over me, I'll give them a good whooping and so will my wife."

  "You don't understand. She's very good—"

  "You've lived in the city for too long. Out here, we all know each other and they know we have bad people who can show up to harm a client. She can say whatever she wants, but she can't refute that she trespassed on my property and harassed my client. But, enough of that. You have a phone call." He held out his phone. "It's your lawyer. She said it was urgent so I've been hobbling the past ten minutes to get here. Take it already."

  Edward hesitated. While he may have bragged to Lucy he was happy going to jail, he didn't really want that to become a reality.

  But Harv was waiting so Edward sighed, took the phone, and greeted his lawyer.

  "Sorry I can't do this in person," his lawyer began, "But this is faster and I'm sure you'll appreciate the news. All charges have been dropped. You're free to go wherever you want."

  The world seemed to swirl around him. "What?"

  "Your brother, Robert, came forward with sufficient proof that completely clears you. Apparently, Lucy began preying on Robert several years ago and convinced him they were in love but she needed money. She insisted she had some uncle back west that was in dire need of funds for his failing business. He has been diverting his mother's funds to this so-called uncle but when he saw you go down, he realized it was all a scam. When he confronted Lucy, she insisted she loved you, not him, and started to make death threats and since he knew she was capable of going through with such threats, he got scared and decided he'd be safer confessing then dealing with her. He wants to plead guilty and not bother with a trial."

  Everything started to fall into place. Lucy had been playing both of them and Robert was how Lucy constantly knew Edward's schedule and how she always seemed to be one step ahead of him. As to her loving him over Robert, he didn't care. All he wanted to know was if she'd be gone, too.

  "Is Lucy being charged or is only Robert going to jail?" Edward asked.

  "There is a warrant out for her arrest as we speak."