He sighed comically, his eyes dancing with good humor. “No, though I think there’s a senator on the Emerging Threats subcommittee who has egg on his.”
Will let the meaning of his uncle’s words sink in as he watched Elizabeth’s cheeks bloom with color.
“Someone asked me if I saw what happened to G as part of an emerging threat,” she mumbled. She gave Annesley an apologetic glance. “I was so close to being one hundred percent diplomatic, I swear. I just couldn’t believe he would ask me that.” She rubbed her forehead with one hand.
“Clearly,” Senator Everest chuckled. “I have the transcript. I may frame it.”
Elizabeth scowled. “So, it’s closed meetings unless I say something stupid?” Her forehead furrowed. “It’s not going to the press, is it? That’s all I need, a public feud with a senator.”
“Closed isn’t necessarily the same as top-secret,” Uncle Terry explained. “But no, this won’t go to the press. You saw how well we shut the worst of it down last night.”
Elizabeth nodded. The paper had only contained a brief mention of the fire at the restaurant and another, unrelated mention of a suicide at the hotel.
“Even if it did leak, the senator who asked you that question is well known as a first-rate idiot.” He shook her head as he read his screen again. “My advice to you is to not go into politics. You tell the truth like that in a campaign speech, and you might just get yourself elected.”
Senator Everest laughed aloud at the horror-stricken expression on Elizabeth’s face. “Exactly,” she said emphatically. “You might even wind up becoming the president.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at that and scoffed. “Please. Like anyone actually wants that job.” She tipped her head thoughtfully, “Although, Senator, if you were on my security detail . . .”
Everest replied with a small smile and picked up her water.
“You realize,” Will said quietly, “that now I need to see that transcript.”
Georgiana clapped her hands together. “Me too!”
Oscar smiled. “I could just look it up tomorrow, so you may as well let us see it tonight, Dad.”
“I’m going to use the ladies’ room,” Elizabeth sighed, tossing her napkin on the table and standing. “Whatever happens when I’m not here, I can’t be held to account for it.”
As Elizabeth left, everyone leaned in except Everest and Annesley, who said she’d already seen it.
“How did you get it before me?” Oscar asked, surprised.
Annesley just smiled. “She’s my client.”
“Okay,” Uncle Terry said. “I was given permission to share Elizabeth’s response, but you’ll have to just read it. You can’t have a copy yet. The chair wants to take the full transcript to the entire Armed Services committee, so it’ll be in the public record eventually.”
Will winced. “I don’t think Elizabeth will like that,” he said slowly.
Uncle Terry shook his head. “The public never looks at transcripts. We generate so many documents, they have to really know what they’re looking for to find anything. Hardly anyone even watches the big votes on C-SPAN.” He poked at his phone with one finger, and Will elbowed G, who was smirking. “Someday,” their uncle said, “some enterprising doctoral student might run across it and quote her in a dissertation, but even that’s a long shot.” He located what he wanted and handed it to Will. With G and Oscar hanging over his shoulder, he read:
Bennet: These threats are not emerging, senator. They have been with us from the beginning of human civilization. If we’re speaking about current issues, well, I’ve been working on them for years, and threats from those who manipulate digital assets to commit crimes have been commonplace since long before 9/11. Anyone considering the threats I’ve talked about today as new or surprising simply has not been paying attention. And the fact that this lack of attention has resulted in a lack of sustained action on the part of the government, sir, frankly borders on the criminal. [Muffled sound]. I generally don’t like to speak for anyone but myself, but I’d like to think that today I speak for those who are concerned about the welfare not only of this nation but of decent people around the world. Technology creates problems, but it also holds the solution to those problems. And falling so far behind that you see the problem of using technology to support international abduction and sex slavery as something only now emerging, as if we have limitless time to address it, well, it boggles the mind. Do your homework, senator, please don’t expect me to do it for you. [Muffled sound]. Are we done here?
Will heard a chuckle from Oscar and a small squeak escape from G.
“Will,” she whispered. “Your girlfriend is brilliant.” She tossed her arms around him from the back and gave him a hug. Then she moved gracefully back to her own chair and sank down into it, pressing her lips together to keep from saying anything more.
Will’s uncle was watching him carefully. “Well,” he said, “what do you think?”
Will glanced at the phone, read the words again. I think I’m amazed. I think I’m proud. I think I want this bad-ass woman in my bed every night of my life. He had long known that Elizabeth was a protector—she’d told him so herself. He’d seen it in action. It was no surprise to him that she’d been unable to keep her righteous anger in check under the circumstances.
“I think,” he said drolly, handing the phone back to his uncle, “that they should have fed her.”
Chapter Thirty
“It feels like we just did this,” Will groused, rolling up a large floor rug and slinging it over his shoulder.
“It’s been six months, Will. But I can always move back here until October if you think you need to rest up first,” Elizabeth replied. She slowly bent at the knees to pick up two of the boxes by the front door, wiggling her bottom as she lifted them, and then turned to smile at him.
He narrowed his eyes. “You know we’re going home tonight,” he growled. “I can take my revenge all night long.”
She swung out the door. “We’ll see, old man,” she said, tossing the words over her shoulder. “Are you sure you have enough stamina?”
He followed her out. “Just keep digging the hole, Bennet. Just keep digging.”
Charlotte turned to Jane, who was checking her phone. “They’re not like this at soccer,” she said, laughter in her eyes. “Is this normal?”
Jane rolled her eyes. “It’s worse, usually.” A foghorn blared, and Jane grimaced. “Sorry, I have a call.”
“Go ahead,” Charlotte waved her off. “I’ll go help your boyfriend.”
“Richard!” Jane called in a voice that sounded like velvet wrapped around steel. “Stop slacking and clean that oil up! We’re on the clock!”
Richard poked his head out of the bedroom, wiping his hands on a paper towel. “Just a second, Attila,” he said, a broad wink taking the sting out of his words. “C’mere, there’s something you both need to see.”
He disappeared back into the room.
“I’ll have to call you back.” Jane said. “Yes. Five minutes.” Charlotte was already entering the bedroom, and Jane followed.
Richard pointed to Will’s jacket, hanging from one of the two hangers left in the closet. “Do you see anything?”
Charlotte shook her head, but Jane’s mouth dropped open a bit. “Is that . . .”
Richard fished into the jacket pocket to remove the small box. “I think it is. Want to see it?”
Jane shook her head. “It’s not ours, Richard. Put it back.”
At the same time, Charlotte clapped her hands together and squealed, “Yes, open, open, open!”
Richard winked at Jane. “Two against one, Janie. Besides, you know you want to see it.” Jane clapped a hand over her eyes as he lifted the lid and squinted.
Charlotte frowned. “It’s pretty, but is it an engagement ring?”
Jane still had her eyes covered. “I’m not looking, but whatever it is, I’m sure Elizabeth will love it. Put it back.”
Rich
ard kissed her cheek and put everything away. Jane whirled around and walked out to the living room, punching something into her phone. Richard lifted a large box marked sheets and tripped slightly over the floor register.
Jane was speaking to someone at work, explaining that no, she would not be covering anyone’s shift.
Richard hauled the box out to the landing, motioning with his head for Charlotte to follow him. “Check to be sure there’s nobody below.”
Charlotte made a worried noise. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He shrugged. “Better than me tripping on the stairs.”
She walked halfway down the stairs and saw the empty foyer. “Okay, then. It’s clear.”
Richard pushed the box over the railing but exerted too much pressure at the top. It immediately tipped over, releasing the neatly folded towels and sheets in a cascading waterfall of fabric just as the door to the front opened and Elizabeth walked through, Will behind her.
Charlotte winced as Elizabeth ducked, but was still hit with the now empty cardboard box. It bounced off the hands she’d thrown up over her head and fell onto the floor. Elizabeth looked up the stairs at Richard, a white towel hanging from her shoulder. “Seriously?” she asked as Richard doubled over, gasping with silent laughter. “How old are you?”
“Elizabeth,” called a man from the upstairs railing, “are these your friends?” He gave Richard and Charlotte a skeptical evaluation.
“I’m still deciding, Mr. Pizanski,” Elizabeth called up to him. “But they aren’t dangerous.”
Mr. Pizanski frowned. “I be in city next month,” he informed her. “I call you and we go out for drink.” He gave Richard a dark scowl and returned to his apartment.
“You all right?” Will asked her. He plucked the towel from her shoulder.
“Yes,” she said, sounding put-upon. “Richard, get down here and fold all these up. I had them all cleaned and ready to go to the Goodwill. That’s your job now.”
“C’mon, major,” Charlotte said, touching his arm, “I’ll help, but I’m not doing this alone.”
Elizabeth grabbed Will’s hand and pulled him upstairs. Richard had just reached the first floor when the apartment door opened again and a perplexed Jane stepped out and moved to the railing, still holding her phone. The door closed and locked behind her.
“We’re being kicked out,” she told the other two. “What did you do?”
Charlotte flung her hands out to indicate the mess. “Courtesy of Richard.”
Jane’s brows drew together. “She’s upset you made another mess?”
Richard stared up at Jane. “I feel as though I ought to be reciting Shakespeare.”
“Are you supposed to be Romeo?” Jane asked sardonically. “Because he was about seventeen. And stupid.” She lifted an eyebrow, and for a moment, appeared eerily like her sister. “Actually . . .”
“Way to kill the mood, Doc,” Richard teased her, smile still etched across his face. “What did they say before they pushed you out the door?”
“Lizzy said to stop asking if she was okay, Will said he told her to hire professionals in the first place,” Jane replied, shaking her head, “and she said this wasn’t a big job and she thought she could trust her friends . . .” She placed a hand over her mouth. “You don’t think they’re . . .”
Charlotte started grabbing the sheets and shoving them hastily into the box. “Arguing their way into angry sex? Probably.”
Jane bit her bottom lip. “Great. Now Will won’t propose today. Well done, Richard.” She pointed at the mess. “Pick that up, and then we can go to lunch.”
“We have no idea how long Will’s been carrying that thing around,” Richard protested. “Besides, a little angry sex might lead to . . .” Both women were glaring at him now. He put his hands on his hips and his lips quirked at the corners as he regarded Jane. “You know, I haven’t been able to give a single order since we got together,” he told her. “You are very hard on my ego.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “You have the healthiest ego I’ve ever seen, and I work with doctors. I’ve seen some very, very large ones.”
Charlotte squeaked and covered her ears. “Stop that right now,” she insisted, “or I’m leaving.”
Elizabeth poked her head out into the hallway and glanced around. “They’re gone,” she said, returning to the apartment.
“Thank God,” Will said, sitting on the sofa. “They were completely useless.”
“Not just useless,” she concurred, plopping down next to him. “Between puncturing that can of WD-40 and then dumping out a box of sheets, Richard actually made more work.” She rested her head on Will’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t just let you hire people.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Think of it this way. You can help some very deserving movers earn a living.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
Elizabeth sighed and curled her legs up on the cushions. “Okay.”
Will sounded surprised. “Really? You’ll let me hire movers?”
She hummed her agreement. “It’s not a big job. Most everything’s going into storage for Kit in case she ends up going away to school. It won’t cost that much.” She closed her eyes. “I’m learning to let go.”
“You are?” he asked skeptically. She shoved him playfully and sat up.
“Yes,” she laughed. “But I’m warning you, this may be as good as it gets.”
“Dr. Kwon is a genius,” he announced to the apartment. “I’m putting her on speed-dial.”
“Don’t forget the group,” Elizabeth added, amused. “Celia is all about ‘spreading the wealth.’” She snuggled up against Will again, and he pulled her onto his lap. “Annesley called when we were outside. Goring,”—she pursed her lips—"I mean Andersen, is taking the deal.”
“Twenty-five to life?” Will asked. A lesser sentence had been floated, but Annesley had been firm. Treason, she’d said, ought to have a very high cost.
“He finally admitted everything. Carter intended to sell all that credit information to the highest bidder,” she affirmed. “Carter had been basically retired from the Corps—he knew about it when he took my software. It wasn’t his choice, and he didn’t take it well. Their potential customers included a few domestic terror groups, so Andersen plead out.” Her eyes were weary. “They must have leaned on him pretty hard.”
“He deserved it,” Will said firmly.
She nodded in agreement. “He did.”
“I’ll just call the movers,” he said and placed a kiss on her ear.
“Hey,” she replied, quickly shaking off her dark mood, “can we go get burgers at Stuffed after this?”
Will stared at her for a moment, a small smile lingering on his lips. She thought he was about to tease her for talking about food again, but he didn’t. Just as she was about to speak, he stood abruptly, pulling her up and dragging her along behind him into the bedroom. He grabbed his coat from the closet and tossed it on the mattress.
“Will,” she gasped, trying to keep up, “why don’t we just wait until we’re home?” As he pulled her along, she slipped on the displaced floor register. “Whoa, careful,” she said, regaining her footing. “Looks like someone kicked this up.” She moved to replace it, but suddenly Will was on one knee in front of her.
Elizabeth blinked and straightened slowly. “Uh . . .”
Will was breathing hard, as though he’d run up the stairs. “Elizabeth, you know I’m not good with flowery speeches. But . . .” He met her gaze and words seemed to fail him for a moment. He then said, in a rush, “You’re the best person I know. You’re strong and tough and smart. You argue with me and drive me nuts with your stubborn independent streak and you make me laugh out loud. You love with abandon. And I just don’t think I can live without any of it.” He shook his head. “Without all of it.” He grinned sheepishly. “I told you I wasn’t good at this.” He took her hand and kissed her fingers. “Elizabeth Bennet, I promise to argue with y
ou and drive you nuts with my smothering streak and make you laugh out loud. I promise to love you with abandon.” He held her gaze steadily, tenderly. “Will you marry me?”
Elizabeth blinked silently at him and for a long second, Will was afraid that he’d rushed it, that a few months of living together wasn’t enough. But he’d been carrying that ring around forever. She had no idea how long he’d wanted to propose, and he thought he’d done an okay job of it, considering that the eloquent proposal he’d memorized had flown right out of his head the minute he kneeled in front of her.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “Yes, Will, I’ll marry you.” Her eyes were wet with unshed tears. “I love you so much, and I can’t do without you, either.”
He stood slowly and lifted a hand to her cheek. Elizabeth’s hand wound around his neck, pulling him down to her. Her lips were soft and sweet and perfect. When he at last pulled back, her eyes were clouded and dreamy, the way they’d been on the red carpet. He was so deeply happy he couldn’t even smile. All he could do was hold her close and hope that she understood.
It was with a start he realized he hadn’t given her the ring, and he turned quickly to the bed. He dug into the pocket and withdrew the small black box, noticing distractedly that there was a small darker stain on it and wondering distractedly where it had come from.
“I thought,” he said earnestly, “that you’d like something a bit more low-key, but if you prefer a giant rock, we can do that, too.” He opened the lid to reveal a circle of individually sculpted olive leaves fashioned in yellow gold, connected by a vine of small emeralds that circled the band. It was unique, and he believed it particularly suited her.
“Rocks are for climbing, Will,” she told him, eyes still on his face. Her eyes fell to the ring, and Will heard her short, sharp intake of breath. “Oh,” she said, her voice rising in surprise and her hand slipping under his to lift the box a bit. “I love it.”
“I wasn’t completely sure,” he said, relieved, “but it just felt like you. It was my great-grandmother’s ring.”
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