He shook his head and tried to dismiss these unpleasant thoughts. He was getting nowhere on baseless speculation. All he could do for the moment was wait for her to reveal her big surprise.
Suddenly Georgiana's phone rang out, drawing his attention. He was just about to call her to attend to it when he saw a name flash on its caller ID. He froze in shock and stared in disbelief, willing it to be a trick of his mind. He had to have read it wrong. There was no reason in the world for that name to appear on Georgiana's phone.
George Wickham.
He felt his blood run cold as his hand darted out to answer.
Chapter Ten
He smashed the button with his thumb but he was a second too late. The phone now sat silent in his hand. It was all he could do not to go through her contact list or call log and make a return call to the number. This had to be a mistake. Perhaps it was a different George Wickham, or maybe even a joke on her part, applying the name in her phone to someone who simply reminded her of the man. She had certainly been fond of him when she was a small child, years back when he and George were still on speaking terms, but surely there was no reason in the world that George Wickham would call on her now, especially on a private cell phone she rarely used, not even sharing the number with friends. His lawyer instincts threatened to take over. He needed to get answers before he acted rashly, first by finding out if this George was indeed his old friend.
He clutched the phone as he bit the inside of his cheek, trying to steady his thoughts.
“Will! I thought I heard my phone. Did you catch it?” Georgiana called out.
“I'm sorry. I missed it,” Darcy called back, trying not to sound as disturbed as he felt. He needed to settle himself before he started demanding answers.
“Oh okay. Dinner's almost ready. Do you want tea or soda?”
“I'll come fix it in a minute.”
He leaned against the desk as he set the phone back down and stared at it, willing the thing to reveal the answers he so desperately needed. George Wickham...
The last time he had spoken to George, they’d both been attending college and Georgiana was about ten years old. There had been a day where Darcy's father had lightly told them that if they worked hard, they might both even become his partners one day in his law firm. George would show up at Pemberley unannounced, and often intoxicated, during the first year they attended Vassar together. He used those words to try to get money out of Will, or trying to secure an internship at the firm. When those attempts failed, he resorted to spreading around the campus that Will’s father had been responsible for Ben’s death. Will finally had enough and made it clear to George that he was no longer welcome on his property.
The man had not been a blip on their radar in close to a decade, so why would he suddenly show up now? Why to Georgiana? How long had he been talking to her without his knowledge?
He forced himself to regulate his breathing, trying to fight off a wave of anxiety and irritation. First, he had to make sure that it was indeed the same George Wickham. It was the only sensible course of action to take. While it was an unusual name, maybe there was another possible explanation, perhaps a distant cousin or some such, someone who attended school with Georgiana. Obviously, hearing that name would have caught her attention and probably caused her to introduce herself and make enquiries. By the time he went to take his place at the dinner table, he’d almost convinced himself that it was the only sensible account of the matter. Georgiana soon dashed all his hopes on that score.
“The very same one! It's part of the surprise about this weekend,” she announced with glee in answer to his question as she sat down across from him. “I can't believe you just missed each other! I keep telling him that you two really need to talk out whatever happened between you as soon as possible. It would be terrible if you stayed at odds now.”
“Is that so?” Will asked, shifting in his seat in an attempt to release some of the horrible discomfort he felt at her confession.
“Yes,” she stated as she brushed her long hair back over her shoulder, gracefully placing her napkin in her lap. “You two are both stubborn like that. I wish one of you would tell me what it is all about. Surely you can both make up for my sake?”
For her sake? Why did it matter to her? This was getting worse by the moment. “How long have you been talking to each other?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady as he examined the pasta dish, his appetite lost.
“A few months. He substituted for one of my classes. You should have seen the look on his face when he called attendance,” she said with a giggle, chattering on, not seeming to notice that her brother’s face lost all color at the revelation. “I remember him always being kind and entertaining, but he really is quite charming nowadays. We got to talking after class. He told me what a fine young woman I've grown into, and how Father was his inspiration. I liked him right off but didn’t think I’d see him again. But when another one of my teachers took some of her accrued vacation days, guess who subbed for her?”
“George, I take it.”
“Yes! He got to know Mrs. Parks when he first subbed. He’s the one who talked her into taking some time off and offered to take over her classes. He said she deserved it and needed to enjoy life a little. He’s so thoughtful that way.”
“Ah. And did he happen to know you were in her class?”
Georgianna blushed, “Maybe. We started going for after school snacks and you know what they say; one thing led to another. Oh, and guess what else? He's going into the movies soon! Did you know he's a star in the movie that came out last week? Well, was a big star; they cut his scenes because the lead actor hated sharing the spotlight and complained that he was being overshadowed. That's why I hate his movies. That actor comes across as such a jerk when you see him in the offstage interviews, so arrogant and self-centered. Anyway, George is going to be in the movies soon, just not as soon as he’d hoped.”
“Why haven't you told me about your chats with him?” Will asked with as level a voice as he could muster.
He had seen George's acting back when they were in college. Unless there had been a miracle professor there that turned things around for the man, he'd been as hopeless as they came. Posing with a grimace on his face that was supposed to be a smile, stiff as a cardboard cutout, monotone, forgetting his lines.... Will had seen goldfish with better acting skills.
“I already told you. The stubbornness of the pair of you and whatever this silly feud is that you both refuse to work out!” She pouted a little, giving him an annoyed look. “He said that if I told you about talking to him you would probably put a restraining order on him before he could explain anything, and if he got a charge like that on his record then he'd never be able to act again. I didn’t believe you would go that far but he insisted, so I was waiting for a good time to tell you.”
“Well, this is as good a time as it would ever be,” Will said with a strained smile. “I'm not happy with the secrecy, Georgiana. I know your heart is in the right place, but I really should have been informed right away.”
“Why are you so angry with him anyway, Will?” Georgiana asked, surprising him with the strength of challenge in her voice. “You were supposed to be like brothers, weren’t you?”
“That was a long time ago, Georgiana,” Will replied with a weary sigh.
It was true that they had been practically brothers, but that felt like a lifetime ago. He didn’t even know the exact moment when his best friend had become a stranger, couldn’t pinpoint it, except that it was sometime during high school. Later he’d been so preoccupied with his grief over his loss and trying to comfort and raise his sister that he had simply turned and found his good friend long gone. Or perhaps his friend had been an illusion the whole time, and grief cleared the bewitchment from his mind. He would never know the true answer.
What he did know was that he needed to shield his sister. Perhaps George had changed for the better since he last saw him; it had been years after all. Ne
vertheless, something about his chatting with a girl Georgiana's age in secret unsettled him greatly.
“Well, surely you can both be friends now,” Georgiana pleaded. “He's so kind and charming. He's going to be really famous soon, too. He really just wants to be a part of our family. Make his place in society. I know you would both be fast friends again if you would just talk it out.”
“Talking was the least of our problems, Georgiana.”
“Would you please try? For me?” Georgiana begged as she clasped her hands in front of her.
Will sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. His sister was hard to resist, especially when she asked for so little most of the time, but this was a lot to ask of him considering the circumstances. However, a blunt refusal would not only seem churlish, but it would hurt her greatly. “No promises,” he replied, the best he could do until he had more time to gather his thoughts and come to a decision.
He still failed to understand how a childhood fondness could carry over to this day in such an enthusiastic manner. The more he recalled about the man he’d discovered Wickham to be back then, the more worrying this situation became. “You said that he was connected to this weekend. How so?”
“We love each other, Will. So much that it hurts.” She straightened up and smiled at him with excitement. “We're getting married this weekend!”
Will felt all color drain from his face and his head start to spin. He waited for her to laugh and say that it was a joke, if one in really bad taste. Unfortunately, she seemed to believe every word of it. “You're not even eighteen, Georgiana.”
“I will be in just a few months, Will. I know he's a little older, but love doesn't have any boundaries, right? We were actually going to elope. He knows where we can get married and it won't matter that I’m a little underage,” Georgiana said, fidgeting with her shirt. She seemed to be attempting to process her own thoughts over how she felt about this now that she’d said it aloud. “But Will, I'd love it so much more if you would give us your blessing and be there to walk me down the aisle. When you see George, you'll know he's every bit the brother you wanted him to be. I swear you won't regret it!”
Chapter Eleven
William Darcy sat in the middle of the restaurant, where he could watch the entrance yet not be easily seen straight away. He actually knew this neighborhood restaurant fairly well. It surprised him that they would let a man meet a young girl Georgiana's age without raising eyebrows and perhaps making a few subtle enquiries. The discovery tainted his once high opinion of the place, but it was not his primary concern at the moment.
He clenched Georgiana's phone in his hand as he stared at the chat screen. It was all he could do not to throw it against the wall as Wickham texted updates and endearments. Will swallowed and reminded himself that this was to be a civil meeting. As civil as it could be under the circumstances at least.
He tried to remember some redeeming quality about the man, something that might help him find some sort of peace with the fact that a man nearly thirty years old would ask a girl barely old enough to drive to elope with him. However, the more he tried to reconcile himself, the more he smoldered.
By the time George Wickham finally appeared, Will was tightly wound. The man was carrying a duffel bag in one hand and had a smile of smug triumph plastered all over his face as he strutted towards the private booth that Georgiana had told her brother they often reserved. He felt his blood pressure rise at the all too familiar face, the one he’d hoped never to set eyes on again. He glowered at the bag, able to guess its contents. George had texted Georgiana to bring her “things,” and at that time, Will did not want to upset Georgiana by demanding what things he might be referring to, but he had to admit that he already knew, and it infuriated him. He was ready to strike as George reached the booth.
“You seem a little old for sleep overs,” Will commented in a cold tone as he glared at the man.
The look of shock and the slow horror spreading across the man's face was almost priceless. Had Will been in a better mood, maybe he would have had the luxury of savoring that small victory, but he wasn’t. “I shall say this though; I regret we’re not back in the day when it was still socially acceptable to shoot someone in your particular situation. Running off in secret with a child.”
“Well, Will Darcy, what a surprise.” George quickly recovered and gave him a kindly smile. Perhaps his acting abilities have improved somewhat over the years, Will thought. To a more trusting person, it might actually have seemed sincere. “I don't know what you think you heard, but let me explain—”
“Fifty million dollars,” Will said shortly, tapping the phone on the table as he waved the man to sit.
“Pardon?” The man looked ready to bolt, but he must have seen the unspoken warning in Will's eyes. He slowly lowered himself into the chair across from him.
“The money Father left Georgiana. A trust fund in her name, which seems to have conveniently found its way into your discussions on how to survive financially while you are 'waiting for your big break' in show business.” Will studied the man in front of him, “As her husband and guardian, I am sure you would have had nothing but her best interests at heart. Finding true love with a child who can't even legally drink a toast to your wedding for another four years!”
He took in a deep breath through his nose, trying to keep his temper from getting away from him.
George gave an uncomfortable smile. “Come on, Will. I was just humoring the girl. You can't really think I would be interested in your baby sister, can you? I thought it was just some vivid fantasy she was playing. I never expected her to think it was real.” He quickly gestured to the bag. “I just wanted to drive home the fact of how out of hand this game was. I figured that if I turned it from a schoolgirl fantasy into a reality that she would come to her senses and back off. I had no intention of going through with this, I promise you. That’s why I insisted we keep it quiet from you, hoping it would be over before you even had to be involved. I would have called a halt before it went any further.”
“Indeed?” Will asked as he pulled out a file and slid it across the table. “I've tried my share of cases in the last few years. I have to say, you are very good at playing along. So good that I don't think a judge would think it was a game at all.”
“Come on, Will.” George gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Let's be serious. I'm not into little girls. I thought I was humoring a harmless crush. Maybe I did let things go a little too far, letting her sneak around behind your back and all, but the truth is that I can have any woman I want. What would I want with a little kid who probably still has unicorns and tiaras all over her bedroom?”
A high-pitched sound came from under the table, causing Will to grimace, feeling a pang of regret as he took the phone from where it was hidden on his lap. “Richard?”
“I've got her,” their cousin answered over the phone. “I told you this was a bad idea.”
Indeed. He should have just called the police and let them handle this, but he’d wanted to confront the man directly and somewhere along the line, he'd thought that if Georgiana could hear the man speak when she was not directly in front of him that it would break this spell he had on her. It had worked well, too well in fact. He'd have never wished the truth on her in this manner if he'd thought it through more fully. He'd meant to grill Wickham, delve into his story to have her hear the inconsistencies and excuses. It had never occurred to him that her heart would be trampled so directly. After making sure that Richard had everything well in hand, he turned off the phone to continue the conversation without the distant audience.
“Ha! I can sue you for that! It’s illegal to record conversations without the other person’s permission.”
“I didn’t record anything, George. My sister who was on the other end of my phone overheard you, just as anyone at a nearby table might. Now, it seems as if we are all on the same page. She's already heard from the movie director about your so-called cut scenes. For the record,
sneaking into a studio to hijack a live camera scene does not count toward acting in a major movie. In fact, it's a wonder it didn't become jail time.” Will gave a tight, cold smile. “You know Richard knew straight away that you must have done something to get yourself thrown off the team and lose your scholarship. It seems you were caught taking money from a professional NFL agent. I wondered why it didn’t make the news. Turns out the college hushed it up because they had been giving you money under the table since high school. George, really! Even I who knows almost nothing about sports read about Reggie Bush. Let’s see, graduated even; congratulations, you must be so proud. You transferred from Vassar after two years, getting a refund of the close to fifty thousand I prepaid for the last year’s tuition, and went to a community college for around five thousand.”
“Always on your high horse,” George snarled, the awkward, nice guy routine melting away. “Like you’re one to talk, stealing my inheritance from me, abandoning me when I needed you. You owed me that and plenty more besides!”
“We both know that's not how the story went,” Will said as he as collected the things on the table. “I promised her that I would not get the law involved this time. Of course, that was when she was still certain that your love for her was real if nothing else... You and I are going to make this simple. Stay away from Georgiana. Stay away from me. Stay away from my business. Stay away from our home. Go crawl back under whatever rock you came from and don't bother us again. In return, I won't make sure your love notes are presented before Judge Norman who, by the way, happens to have a daughter Georgiana's age.”
“You're loving this, aren't you?”
“No.” Will glared at the man from across the table. “The only way I would love this right now is if it were still legal to find a tree to hang you from. Unfortunately for me, neither of us walks away with what we really want tonight...but perhaps fortunately for you.”
Legally Darcy: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice Page 5