“No, we cannot. Still, I could more easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine.”
“He has a right to some pride; he and Charles have spent years building up the business.”
“Yet, so have we, and you do not find us gallivanting around the countryside offering our opinions on the apparent suitability of young men quite so freely. I for one am glad he did not ask me to dance. It would have been insufferable on my part.”
Jane just shook her head at her. “Oh, Lizzy. I quite despair of you.”
Lizzy laughed at her sister’s tone. “Come, Jane. Why are we still sitting here discussing men and dancing when we have so much work to do? We had best get back to it if we want to be able to give Netherfield Park our full attention on the morrow.”
“You are right, of course.”
With that, the two sisters busied themselves, the conclusion of one project and the beginning of another filling them with satisfaction and excitement.
It was not until that evening, when Lizzy was preparing for bed, that she had time to reminisce about the project at Netherfield Park and what it meant to her.
Only a few days earlier, she had been traversing its halls to say good-bye, sure she would never set foot in it again. Now, she would be spending a great deal of time within its walls, at least through the middle of November. She and Jane had spent a good part of the afternoon bouncing ideas off each other, and she thought they had come up with a good plan.
All they needed was Darcy’s approval, and they could start collecting bids and making their vision a reality. It wasn’t a difficult thing to imagine, since they had spent years renovating the home in their heads. It was a dream come true for them to be asked to work on the property. It would be a challenge to turn it into a hotel, since they had always envisioned the property as a family home, but it made sense. The building was large and meant to be enjoyed by many people. One family would easily become lost in it.
She just hoped that their vision of the space would align with that of Bingley Hotels. After researching the projects the company had completed, she wasn’t sure that what she and Jane had in mind was exactly what they would be expecting. But the fact that Charles and Darcy had come to them gave her hope.
She didn’t doubt that Charles’ good impression of Jane had given him the idea of hiring them in the first place. Jane had that effect on people, and Lizzy didn’t have any qualms about using that appeal to their advantage, especially not when it came to Netherfield Park. It was the best thing for the property, for Bingley Hotels, and for their company.
She had sought her father out upon their return to inform him of Darcy’s proposal, only to find that Darcy himself had called upon him to apprise him of the situation. Mr. Bennet had been quick to praise the man for his business acumen and for appreciating the work his daughters did, but he had also been quick to remark on his proud demeanor and pompous attitude.
There had been no small amount of joking and mimicking, which had the surprising effect of making Lizzy profoundly uncomfortable. Normally, she was able to join in with her father’s good-natured teasing with aplomb and sincerity. But this time, for some reason, it just didn’t feel right. Her father must have sensed her discomfort, for he eventually calmed, enabling them to have a rational discussion about the plans for the property. Lizzy could tell her father was confused by her attitude, but she didn’t explain.
She didn’t know how to, when she really did not understand it herself. Instead, she had taken herself off to bed. Now, she lay awake, unable to find sleep, because her mind was riveted with thoughts of Darcy, hanging on to the subject with a tenacious grip. He confused her, and she did not like feeling confused. She also really did not want to like Darcy, especially when it felt like he was always watching her with a critical eye.
She thought back to their earlier encounter and groaned as she pictured herself through his eyes. She had looked a hot mess, with her ponytail half hanging down and sweat staining her t-shirt. She shouldn’t care what she looked like, but she did. She wanted him to think she was a professional who cared about her job and her image, not a slob. Unfortunately, her job demanded physical labor and a willingness to get down and dirty when necessary. Lizzy had never regretted that before now, and she resolved not to in the future.
Darcy could criticize her all he wanted, but she was not going to be affected. She was who she was, and he could take it or leave it. He would be gone at the end of the project anyway, and she would no longer have to deal with his heavy gaze and criticizing eyes.
She just had to keep reminding herself of that between now and then.
It took longer than she would have liked, but Lizzy eventually found sleep, although her dreams were haunted by Darcy’s unrelenting gaze and the knots that tied her stomach whenever he was near.
Chapter 4
Even though the project was on an accelerated timeline and much planning had already gone into it before Lizzy and Jane got their hands on it, it still took a week for them to come to an agreement on a vision and get all their ducks in a row so they could start construction.
It was another week before Lizzy felt she had things well enough in hand that she could start to relax. She had not seen much of Darcy or Bingley since the work had started, although she had seen a lot more of Caroline Bingley than she would have liked.
The woman was quickly becoming a pest, checking up on them at all hours of the day and questioning their decisions. Jane had far more tolerance for Caroline than Lizzy did, attributing her intrusiveness to overprotectiveness toward her brother and a desire for things to work out for his best interests. As Jane also had that aim in mind, it was not particularly difficult for her to greet Caroline with a smile. Lizzy, on the other hand, had taken to heading in the opposite direction whenever she saw Caroline heading her way, and barring all else, scaling the scaffolding. That was one place Caroline could never follow, with her short skirts and high heels.
Construction was now going on around the clock, and both she and Jane could be found on site at all hours of the day. They were only home to sleep and shower, and even then only for a few hours at a time. Charles wanted the project completed as quickly as possible, and they aimed to give him what he wanted even if it came at a cost to themselves.
With that in mind, Charles had kindly designated an extra bedroom for them to serve as their office on site, and Jane had quickly outfitted it with desks, décor boards, fabric swatches, and a couch that more frequently than not served as a place to catch a few minutes of sleep. Lizzy was a bit more mobile, since she was often in the thick of the fray, answering questions and directing contractors. She worked from a set of blueprints slung over a sheet of plywood on two sawhorses and her cell phone.
It was an exhausting pace, and by the end of the second week, it became evident that Jane was coming down with a cold from the strain on her immune system. She was sniffling away in their office when Darcy came in looking for Lizzy on Friday afternoon.
His knock on the door had her swiveling around in her chair to give him a weak smile. “Hello, Darcy. Come on in.”
He did so, eyeing her red nose and watery eyes with unease. He gave her a wide berth to take a seat on the couch. “Have you seen Elizabeth? They were asking for her in the lobby.”
Jane swiped at her runny nose and added the used tissue to the growing mound threatening to topple out of the trash can. Darcy watched her warily, afraid she might spew her germs on him. She frowned, something Darcy was shocked to see she even knew how to do. “She said something about taking a lunch break about thirty minutes ago.”
Darcy looked about him in confusion. “Wouldn’t she have come in here for that?”
Jane smiled. How little he knew her sister. “No. She would be too easy to find. When Lizzy needs a break she knows how to disappear. Especially here at Netherfield Park. If I know her, she’s probably in the library.”
“The library?”
“Yes. You saw it when you toured
the house, did you not? It has always been her favorite place, and it doesn’t see much use by anyone else. If she was looking for privacy, that is where she would go.”
“I know where it is.” He started to push to his feet, then thought better of it. “You seem ill, Jane. Perhaps it would be best if you went home and rested.”
She shook her head. “I cannot. If I leave, all of the load will fall on Lizzy, and I cannot do that. She has too much on her plate as it is. It wouldn’t be fair.”
His brows drew together, puckering his forehead. “If you will not leave, at least let me talk to Charles about assigning you a room to sleep in. You will be no good to anyone if you are too ill to work.”
She gestured at the couch he was currently occupying. “There is no need. I can rest on the couch if I must. Lizzy and I have been taking turns sleeping on it as it is.” They also each had a couple changes of clothes and toiletries stored away in a tub stacked against the back wall, but he didn’t need to know that. With the hours they had been keeping, sometimes even the ten minute drive home was too much.
Darcy jerked his hands off the fabric of the couch and looked around for some hand sanitizer. Why couldn’t she have led with that information? He did not want to get sick. Smiling wryly, Jane handed him the industrial-sized pump bottle off her desk.
Darcy pumped a large dollop into his hand and rubbed it in briskly. It was time to get out of this germ-filled den of iniquity. “Nevertheless, I will speak to him about the matter. You are too easily accessible here if someone has a question, and we do not want the crew becoming ill as well. If I know Charles, he will insist.”
She didn’t look happy about it, but she nodded grimly. Darcy wondered briefly if her displeasure was based in her desire to help her sister or her incapability to disturb Charles.
One thing he had learned about Jane Bennet in the last two weeks was that she did not like to rock the boat and she hated to impose on anyone. It was an admirable quality, if somewhat misguided. For one thing, he was pretty certain that Charles would find any interruption by Jane to be a welcome one.
Charles had fallen head over heels for the pretty interior designer who had a sweet temperament to match. If Darcy could be certain that Jane felt the same way, he would have happily approved of the match. But while he was fairly certain that Jane enjoyed Charles' company, he was not sure that she was not just being polite when she responded to his flirting.
This time, he really did push to his feet. He gave her a nod in good-bye, then sought out Charles to see about getting her a room to rest in. As he expected, his friend was very concerned for Jane’s well-being, and immediately went off to see what could be done.
That left Darcy to carry out his original intention of tracking down Elizabeth Bennet. Her sister had said she would most likely be found in the library, so that is where he headed to look for her.
It took him a couple tries to find the room, but after doubling back to the west wing, he managed to find his way. He had only been to the library once before while touring the house with Charles. Since then, there had been a great many changes to Netherfield Park, and Darcy had not ventured much beyond his room and the kitchen in an effort to avoid Caroline. He had only recently begun venturing out, and that was mainly to check on the progress of the construction so he could report back to headquarters.
The doors were closed, so he knocked. But the heavy wood absorbed the sound instead of dispersing it. If she was inside, which he had no way of ascertaining at that moment, there was no way she would have heard him. He would have to go in.
To his surprise, the heavy doors opened soundlessly. When he stepped into the room, all was still and quiet. His stomach dropped, twisting with a disappointment he did not care to examine. As he turned to leave, he noticed a lunch pail on the hearth of the fireplace. It was open, a can of soda beside it, and someone’s half-eaten sandwich.
He smiled at the sight. Perhaps the room was not as empty as he had originally thought. His heart lifting in his chest, he walked further into the room, his eyes scouring his surroundings. There was a seating area in front of the fireplace, and as he stepped around the couch toward the forgotten lunch, he spotted her.
She was curled up on the couch, fast asleep. Apparently, Jane was not the only one feeling the effects of their full schedule. He hesitated to wake her, the scene before him an appealing one.
He had not seen her much in the past week, so he took the opportunity to soak in her features now, while she did not know he was watching.
She looked young with her face relaxed in sleep, the smile she often wore while awake still reflected in the upturned corners of her mouth. She had taken out the ponytail she wore to work in and her curls cascaded over one shoulder to frame her cheek and jawline. Her porcelain skin was unmarred by the strain of a busy week. If he did not know better, he would think she was a lady of leisure without a care in the world.
Darcy definitely knew better, and he admired her work ethic, even if he couldn’t agree with her working herself into exhaustion the way she seemed to be doing. He would not have found her asleep in one of the few quiet places in the house if she was not.
He frowned at the subtle signs on her features that she was working too hard. If he had to insist that the two sisters took regular breaks, he would. With his position within the company, he could do it. And he knew Charles would back him up. Even if it did put them a little behind schedule, it would be worth it. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if some real harm came to the sisters because of their grueling pace.
He contemplated letting her sleep, knowing she really did need to, but the electrical inspector had shown up unexpectedly, and they did need her in the lobby. He crouched in front of her sleeping figure and shook her shoulder gently. “Lizzy, wake up.” The nickname slipped easily from his lips, surprising him. He was not usually one for informalities.
She stirred at his touch but did not wake.
He shook her again, this time a little harder. “Come on, Lizzy.”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him with a dreamy smile. He felt the impact of that smile like a punch to the gut. Goodness gracious, she was gorgeous when she smiled at him like that. He forced himself to breathe.
“Lizzy, you’re needed in the lobby. The electrical inspector is here.”
She was quickly losing that half-asleep look in her eyes. Darcy was sad to see it go. He had rather liked that softer side of Lizzy, before she remembered why she disliked him so much.
She sat up on the couch, swinging her legs to the floor and running a hand through her tangled curls with a grimace. Darcy backed up to give her some space, forcing his hands into his pockets where he knew they would behave themselves and not brush the curls off her cheek like they itched to do.
She reached for the steel-toe boots she had discarded beside the couch and started lacing them up over her neon green socks. “What’s he doing here? They just started roughing in electrical this morning. He’s not scheduled until next week at the earliest.”
Darcy shrugged, finding it hard to tear his gaze away from those bright socks. What sort of woman wore neon socks and expected to be taken seriously? “I don’t know. That’s why I came to find you. He said you were the one he needed to talk to.”
“Yes. You’re right.” She stood, finished tying her boots, and started collecting the remnants of her lunch together. She drained the last of her soda with a gulp.
She packed it up and Darcy took the lunch pail from her grasp before she could object. “I’ll take care of that while you see to the inspector. We’ve kept him waiting long enough.”
She stiffened and Darcy wanted to kick himself for his tone. He was not trying to sound critical, but it had certainly come out that way. It did whenever he was uncomfortable with a situation, and Elizabeth Bennet had that effect on him.
She frowned but didn’t say anything, just started for the door. She had almost gained it when Darcy’s voice stopped her in her tracks. �
��Jane isn’t feeling well, so Charles is having a room made up for you both while you’re staying here. We’re having dinner brought in tonight. You and Jane are welcome to join us. You both deserve a break after all your hard work.”
The look she gave him was filled with surprise and a little uncertainty, as if she wasn’t sure how to take his words. He had meant them as a compliment, but it was obvious she wasn’t sure that they were.
She nodded, once. “Thank you. We’ll see you at dinner, then.”
He nodded back, and then she was gone, leaving him staring after her, still holding her lunch pail, for far longer than he would care to admit.
*****
After dealing with the unexpected visit from the electrical inspector, which turned out to be more of a social call than a business one, Lizzy took herself off to the office they had commandeered to check on Jane.
Her sister looked miserable.
Her nose was red, her eyes were puffy, and she had a mound of tissues by her elbow the size of Mount Vesuvius. And like said mount, she looked like her sinuses were going to blow at any moment.
Lizzy collapsed on the couch and got right to the point. “Darcy and Bingley invited us to dine with them tonight, but I’m not sure you’re up to it. Do you want me to take you home?”
Jane shook her head and then groaned, pressing one hand to her forehead. “No. I don’t want to leave you here alone in case something comes up. But I don’t think I’m up to dinner. You should still go though.”
Lizzy slid a concerned gaze over her sister. “If you’re not going, I shouldn’t either. It would just be awkward.”
“I insist. You deserve a nice dinner and a chance to relax without thinking about work. Charles stopped in while you were gone. He arranged for us each to have a room to stay in while we’re here and had our things moved upstairs. He even sent someone over to Longbourn to pick up a few things. I think I’m going to take advantage of it and get some sleep, so you needn’t worry about me.”
Pride and Precipice Page 6