Richard’s eyes narrowed, “What did you do to her? What the hell did you do?” he shouted into the man’s face, oblivious to the crowd gathering around him.
Darcy moved forward, trying to get to Elizabeth beyond the security gate, when Rebecca stopped him. “Will, you can’t go in there. It’s no good. They won’t let you by.”
Darcy stared, as if he couldn’t understand her. “No. No, she needs me.”
Rebecca stopped him from going any farther, using his shock as an advantage in turning him around. Two policemen were hurrying to Richard and Wickham. Richard heard their shouts and released Wickham, holding his hands up in the air. “Search him! He’s carrying something.”
One of the officers put his hands on Richard while the other helped Wickham to his feet. “Are you okay, sir?”
Wickham smiled evilly. “I’m fine.”
“Search him!” Richard insisted. “You just arrested a woman, Lizzy Bennet. Whatever you found on her, he planted it. Search him!”
The officers exchanged looks as two more ran up to the group. “Sir,” one of them said, “we can’t just search someone. That’s a violation of their rights.”
While he was talking, Rebecca made eye contact with one of the officers and nodded. The officer pulled his walkie-talkie out and spoke softly into it. A minute later, as Richard argued, a police dog was escorted to the scene.
“Watch,” Rebecca told Darcy discreetly in a low voice. As they watched, the beagle pointed to the bag and made a whining noise in her throat. “That’s an alert.”
“Sir?” the officer who was holding Wickham said, “could you come with us?”
Wickham looked at the small dog, as if seeing it for the first time. “Of course,” he said smoothly.
Rebecca set her jaw. “He’s clean.”
“How do you know?”
“He would have never agreed to the search otherwise. Whatever he had, he planted it on Lizzy. It’s a setup.”
Darcy’s hands began to shake. “How bad is this?”
Rebecca shook her head. “I don’t know. It could be real bad.”
It was then that Jane and Alex caught up with the group. Jane flew into Charles’s arms and he held her tightly for a moment, his face expressing relief.
“What happened to Lizzy?” Darcy demanded of Alex.
Alex glared. “I don’t know,” he replied sullenly. “We were walking through the gate when a cop asked her to come with him. A few minutes later we were informed she’d been arrested.”
Darcy closed his eyes, as his face became a hard mask. “For what?” he growled between clenched teeth.
“I don’t know,” Alex answered softly.
Darcy opened his eyes to reveal the desolation he felt at that moment. Charles stepped forward and put his hand on his shoulder, subtly indicating the photographer who had appeared in the crowd watching them. “Hang on,” he said softly. “This isn’t the place.”
Darcy looked at his friend. “I can’t leave her.”
“She’s probably already gone,” Charles replied calmly. “You can’t help her by making a scene here. Let’s go to the loft now, all of us. We can do something there.”
The walkie-talkie at the belt of the officer holding Richard squawked, and a moment later Richard was free to go. Charles and Rebecca directed the group to the doors, informing everyone they were to meet at the loft. Charles pulled out his cell phone as he kept one arm around a shaken Jane and pressed a button.
“Caro? Caro, damn it! Pick up, now! It’s an—It’s me. I’m at the airport. Lizzy’s been arrested… We’re not sure… He—” Charles stopped and looked at Darcy, who was moving as if he was sleepwalking. “He needs our help. Get Rachel and meet us at the loft… okay, bye.”
Charlotte sat quietly in the passenger seat of Richard’s car. She was in a state of shock, barely noticing the way Richard had carefully fastened her seat belt. She felt rather than saw him get in on the driver’s side.
“Char?”
Slowly she turned her head to him. She opened her mouth once, but no words came out.
Richard took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s going to be okay, Char,” he told her gently. “It’s okay.”
The gentle kindness in his voice was almost her undoing. She felt herself losing it and forced all her upset down, into her stomach. Calming her expression, she stared at her hands until she was sure they wouldn’t shake and nodded her head slowly.
Richard watched her, able to read her emotions perfectly. What he wasn’t certain of was if she didn’t trust herself to break down, or if she didn’t trust him. He remembered their last time alone, when she held herself back from him, and it cut him deeply.
Richard looked down, surprised to see the small white box in his free hand. Jane gave it back to him when the cop released him. He smirked at the way all his great plans for this night had been destroyed in an instant.
Slowly he turned to Charlotte, who was still in a daze and held out the box to her. “This isn’t how I planned your homecoming,” the irony was thick in his voice, “but I got this especially for you.”
Charlotte’s eyes met his with a look of disbelief and confusion.
“Open it,” Richard said gently.
Slowly Charlotte opened the box and saw the single perfect blossom resting there. It was shiny and delicate, dark black with purple undertones that matched Charlotte’s hair perfectly.
“The black orchid is one of the rarest and most treasured flowers known. It’s exotic and precious.” Richard squeezed the hand he was holding and with his other hand lightly touched Charlotte’s cheek. “That’s how I feel about you, Charlotte.”
Charlotte looked from the flower to Richard, and he watched as her carefully constructed wall disintegrated, revealing the fragile woman underneath. “Richard,” she gasped.
He pulled her close, pressing her face into his shoulder and holding her as sobs began to rack her slender frame. He rubbed his face against her hair, murmuring softly, “Charlotte, my beautiful, beautiful Charlotte, it’s okay. It’s okay.”
She clung to him, suddenly weak, overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions ripping through her. She didn’t know if she should feel happy or sad or afraid, and her heart was heavy and sore.
When her tears subsided and she was still, Richard gently pressed her back so he could look in her eyes. When he spoke it was in a low earnest tone. “Char? We’re going to go to the loft now. Lizzy and Darcy need us, but I promise you we will talk. We need to talk.” He grinned to himself. “I need to talk to you, Char.”
Charlotte nodded, her short hair swinging back and forth. “I’m not normally like this,” she told him, her voice trying to sound normal.
“I know,” Richard smiled, giving her hand a final squeeze before turning to start his car. The vintage Mustang came to life with a roar and Richard took off toward the Village.
He knew she was feeling better when fifteen minutes into the trip she looked around the car, as if seeing it for the first time, and asked, “What year is this?”
“Sixty-seven,” he answered lightly.
“Damn,” she replied, drawing the word out.
Richard’s warm laugh bubbled up and filled the small car.
Elizabeth sat in a daze, completely at a loss. Never before had she dealt with the police beyond a speeding ticket, and now she was sitting in the station house, hands cuffed together.
Now it all seemed clear. Wickham must have put something in her bag. Elizabeth assumed it was cocaine, but the fact of the matter was she didn’t have a clue what was in that tiny packet they showed her. She had certainly never seen it before, and she could only guess how it had gotten in there.
She felt sick with the knowledge that while all those things were true, they were also what every single person, guilty or innocent, said when confronted by the police.
She couldn’t believe this was happening. Everything seemed so surreal, and a part of her kept expecting someone to walk out and tell her it was all just a mix-up and she could go home. Every second she wore the handcuffs, she realized that this was real, and she was in a great deal of trouble.
She trembled with fear, not knowing what she was going to do. She needed a lawyer, that much was clear, but the only attorneys she knew were her uncle and the lawyer for LBS. She didn’t even know if she could afford a lawyer. Then she remembered with a pathetic chuckle what the police at the airport had recited to her: “if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided to you.” Elizabeth felt tears pricking her eyes and she bit her lip hard, trying to keep control.
A bored-looking officer calling her name interrupted her thoughts. She followed the woman to another room where she was photographed and fingerprinted.
As the elevator doors shut, Charles drew his love into his arms. He needed the reassurance of her touch as much as she needed his. Gently he lifted her chin up and softly kissed her, savoring the taste and feeling of the one he loved best.
“It’s going to get wild for a little while, baby. Are you going to be okay?” He looked at her carefully, studying her and measuring her distress.
“Charles.” Her voice was weak and frantic.
“I know, I know, angel.” He soothed her as he rested his large hands on either side of her head, his thumbs rubbing her cheeks. “I know. And I’m going to do everything I can to get her back. Try not to worry.”
Jane responded to the strength and authority in his voice. Instinctively she trusted him to know what to do. She nodded, pulling herself together.
“I’m going to be busy, but if you start to lose it or need me to hold you, tell me. Don’t wait. I’m going to be there for you.”
Jane nodded again, even managing a weak smile. Charles made her feel infinitely better. She now had someone to trust and something to hope for. As Charles released her with a final kiss, she watched him turn toward the doors and square his shoulders, preparing for the emergency waiting for them. She couldn’t help but smile to herself, knowing with sudden clarity that this was the man she would spend the rest of her life with and that she had made the right choice.
As the doors opened, the first thing Charles saw was Tommy. He was waiting at the end of the gallery, clearly functioning as gatekeeper, providing security as he always did. Charles nodded and was informed that Alex was in the kitchen and the rest were in the living room.
Charles nodded his thanks and stepped forward, Jane’s hand in his own.
Alex was talking on his cell as they passed by the bar, and Charles gave him a nod and moved on. In the main room, he found Caro and Rebecca both on their phones while Rachel sat at the table next to Darcy, pale and staring into oblivion. Faust was standing by the kitchen entrance, watching and ready to help where needed.
Charles caught Caroline’s eye and gave her a nod. She returned it while speaking into the phone. Jane let go of Charles’s hand, sitting down on Darcy’s other side, and gave him a hug. Darcy’s awareness seemed to return and he hugged Jane back, exchanging a few low words with her.
“I found her,” Rebecca announced as she hung up the phone. The room stilled and Alex appeared. “She’s been turned over to NYPD and they have her at the 114th in Queens.” Rebecca seemed pleased with her discovery until she noticed the look of distress on the others, and her mood sobered.
Caroline relayed the information to whoever she was talking to and hung up. “We’re in luck. Linda was nearby for a seminar or something. She’s on her way here.”
“Do we know what she was arrested for?”
“They found 500 grams of cocaine in her bag,” Rebecca announced in a professionally indifferent tone. “A dog sniffed it and Elizabeth probably never thought to refuse the search because she thought she was clean.” She shrugged. “Actually, that may help her case. She doesn’t have any previous convictions, does she?”
Jane shook her head no.
“That’ll help too.”
Darcy went even paler at her words.
The shrill of Darcy’s phone shattered the silence. He answered it quickly, exclaiming, “Lizzy!” when he recognized the voice at the other end.
“Will,” Elizabeth said in a calm yet brittle voice. “I need help.”
“Are you okay?”
“They found drugs in my bag. I have no idea how they got there. It’s a mistake. I’m so scared.”
Darcy’s heart was breaking at the terror in her voice. “I know, love. We think George planted them on you. Listen, the best lawyer I know is going to be there soon. Her name is Linda St. Andrews. She’s going to help you.” His voice ran down. “I love you, Elizabeth.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“We’re going to get you out, Lizzy. You’re going to be released and you’ll be all right.” Neither of them was convinced by his words.
“Oh God, Will,” she whispered.
“Lizzy, listen to me. You have to be tough. I’m going to get you out of there. No matter what I have to do. Do you understand?”
“Okay, I’ll be tough.” Her voice sounded more like her usual self. “But please hurry.”
“I will. I love you!”
There was a pause, and then Elizabeth said, “I have to go. Bye.”
“Bye.” He turned to see Richard watching him. He had clearly just arrived with Charlotte.
“Lizzy?”
Darcy nodded.
“Is she okay?”
Darcy nodded once, then shrugged and turned away.
Charlotte passed by her brother, touching his arm supportively, and placed her flower in the refrigerator. She noticed the bouquet of roses intended for Elizabeth lying forgotten on the counter and began unwrapping them. Silently Richard joined her, reached into a cabinet, and brought down a crystal vase.
“That’s lovely,” she said softly.
Richard gave her a slight smile as he put some water in it. “Aunt Anne always had great taste.”
Charlotte smiled gently back to him and began arranging the roses. She longed to do something more, but recognized that she couldn’t and was grateful she could occupy herself with this simple task.
The elevator rumbled and opened and a woman entered the loft, talking on a phone. She was tall and slender, in her midthirties, with blonde hair that was wrapped in a neat twist at the back of her head. She was the top criminal attorney in the law firm that handled De Bourgh Records and had a long history with Slurry. She hung up as she reached the living room and walked right into Darcy’s arms.
“Damn, Will. What happened to you? You look horrible,” she commented after releasing him.
“Linda, thanks for coming.” His eyes were haunted. “You have to help her.”
Linda nodded. “I’ve been talking to my friends downtown; I’m on it. The deputy DA who’s been assigned is a good guy. It’ll be okay.” She smiled and looked around. “Charles, could you introduce me to the people I don’t know?”
Charles quickly took care of the introductions. Linda nodded to LBS, making a silent observation on the pairing-up that was going on. “It’s nice to meet you all.” She walked Darcy to the table and pulled out a chair. “Now, I want you to sit down and tell me what you know.”
Darcy settled into a chair, with Charles joining him. Linda sat across from them and crossed her legs, waiting.
“It was Wickham,” Darcy said without preamble.
Linda’s face changed in a flash. “That asshole?! How the hell did he get involved? I thought it was part of your contract that he got nowhere near you?”
“Lizzy is a part of Long Borne Suffering, the warm-up band on our tour. The Wickham rule doesn’t apply to them,” Charles explained quietly.
“What happened?”
“Wickham was hired to direct LBS’s video.”
“And why don’t I believe that was a coincidence?” Linda interrupted “Oh, wait, I know! It’s because he’s a scumbag who would do anything he could to screw you over.”
Charles hid the smile he couldn’t repress behind his hand. “We suspect Wickham learned about Lizzy and Will’s relationship, but that’s just a guess based on what he told us.”
“Go on.”
“LBS flew down to Tampa yesterday to shoot a video. Everything was fine until today, when Elizabeth was stopped at the airport, searched, and found with drugs.”
“Help me out here; is there any chance the drugs were hers?”
Darcy’s eyes narrowed as Charles answered, “None at all. She’s clean.”
“And Wickham?”
“Wickham was on the flight back to New York with them.”
“He rode with Lizzy to the airport as well,” Jane volunteered.
“Why was she in the same car as him?” Darcy hissed.
“Winnie was there as well,” Jane answered softly.
Linda continued. “Now, we know that Wickham was in the car and on the flight with Lizzy. Do we have any other reason to suspect him?
“He said some pretty provocative things at the airport,” Richard answered.
Linda was making notes on a legal pad. “What kind of comments, how provocative?”
Richard shrugged. “Enough that I punched him in the jaw.”
Linda looked up and held out her palm to Richard, who slapped it. “Wish I was there.”
“He said she would be going to prison,” Darcy said quietly.
Linda looked at Darcy and lifted her eyebrows. “Well, that’s pretty telling, isn’t it?”
“Wickham was searched but he was clean.”
“Sadly, he’s not that stupid. If he was, my job would be a lot easier.” Linda looked at her notes. “Okay, I think I have enough. I’m going to go over there now.”
“I’m going with you,” Darcy announced firmly.
Linda looked at Caroline, then Charles.
“No, Darcy. You can’t do that,” said Caroline.
“Why not?”
“Because, they won’t let you. She only gets to see her lawyer, and besides, Will, right now this is nothing. It’s probably not even going to be picked up by the press. But if you go, it’s going to be news. Big news.”
“Charles is right,” Linda added. “Write her a letter, and I’ll slip it to her.”
Darcy looked from Linda to Charles. Charles nodded and, frowning, Darcy walked to his library.
“Okay,” Linda said, turning to Charles, “who is she to him?”
Charles smiled. “She’s the love of his life. Can’t you tell?”
Linda sighed. “She must be to make him act like this.”
“I better check on him,” Charles said as he followed Darcy into the library.
Darcy sat at a desk, staring into space, a blank sheet of paper in front of him. “I don’t know what to write. What do you say in a situation like this? I want to apologize and beg her forgiveness, but…” He sighed, disgusted with himself.
“Don’t beg for her forgiveness.”
Darcy ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “You’re right.”
“Good. Now, write this down.”
Dearest Elizabeth,
I wish I could be there with you, but I can’t. This note is all I can do. Linda is the best lawyer I know. I trust her completely and you can trust her too. I will not rest until you are back here, safe in my arms. Please be brave, and know that I’m with you in my heart.
All my love,
Fitzwilliam
Darcy handed the note to Charles, who read it, sealed it in an envelope, and gave it to Linda, who was waiting in the living room. He then returned to Darcy and shut the living room door.
“Will, let me help. I know what you’re feeling.”
Darcy looked at him in disbelief. “How? How can you know?”
“Because I’ve been there. Remember? My dad? I went through all of this. You’re feeling angry, terrified, guilty, and helpless.”
Darcy looked down at his desk and his hands began trembling. “She trusted me, Charles. She trusted me, and I let that monster destroy her.” His voice was a harsh whisper. “I’m so afraid. She’s in jail, all alone. I would give anything for her to be here, and safe. What if, what if she’s…”
Charles could see what Darcy was so afraid of that he couldn’t even say it. Charles put his hand on Darcy’s shoulder. “I know. It’s hard. Get it out. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m afraid that she’ll be convicted, that she’s going to prison. What if Wickham is right? What if she does go to jail and it changes her? What if she blames me?”
Charles nodded. “Those are all reasonable fears and I don’t blame you for being terrified. It sounds like you are afraid of losing her as well.”
“I am going to lose her,” he said in a dead voice. “I can’t expect her to forgive me for this. It’s just like before. I just got a chance to love her, and she’s being ripped away.”
“Do me a favor. Try to reverse the situations. Imagine that an old enemy of hers framed you. Would you hate her? Would you even blame her?”
Darcy looked at Charles incredulously. “Never. I love her. I will always love her.”
“There’s your answer, Will. If I know Lizzy, she probably just wants to get back to you, not to hate you.”
Darcy put his head in his hands and thought. “All right.”
“Are you going to deal? ’Cause Elizabeth needs your help.”
Darcy nodded. “I don’t know how I’m going to cope if she’s not released.”
Charles nodded. “Fair enough. We’ll deal with that if it happens. One step at a time.”
Elizabeth had been waiting in the interrogation room for almost an hour by the big clock that hung on the wall, an hour with nothing to keep her company but her own thoughts.
Talking to Darcy had been a mixed blessing. It was good to know he was helping her, but the pain and fear in his voice had made her all the more frightened.
She started when the door opened and a tall blonde woman walked in. “Ms. Bennet? I’m Linda St. Andrews. I believe Will told you about me?”
Elizabeth felt her heart lift with Darcy’s name. “Yes, yes he did,” she said quickly.
Linda smiled and held out an envelope. “This is for you.”
Elizabeth took the blank envelope and opened it, pulling out Darcy’s letter. She gasped as she recognized the handwriting and read it, eagerly devouring each word. She looked tearfully up at Linda and said, “Thank you,” in a tremulous voice.
Linda gave Elizabeth a reassuring smile and a tissue. “Feeling better? Now, let’s get down to work.”
A half hour later found them sitting with the police, going over questions. Elizabeth answered them all honestly, but it was clear the police were growing annoyed. After another fifteen minutes, the two detectives left in a huff.
“What did I do?” Elizabeth asked.
“Nothing.” Linda shrugged, going over her notes. “Cops hate that. They want you to trip up and be guilty. Innocent people make them nuts.”
“What’s going to happen?”
Linda looked up and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand sympathetically. It was clear that she was terrified. “They’re probably going to move you to a holding cell, where you get to spend the night.”
“Tomorrow you will be arraigned before a judge. That is when you will plead not guilty and bail will be set. Then you can go home to that man who is missing you so bad.”
“Will? Is he okay?” The color drained from Elizabeth’s face.
“He’s very concerned. Didn’t he tell you that in the letter?” She gestured to the paper in Elizabeth’s hands and Elizabeth nodded. “What about the trial?” she asked fearfully.
“Well, we will have to see about that,” Linda said in a businesslike tone. “I’m going to try to get the charges dropped, but that’s going to be tricky. The good news is that your fingerprints aren’t on the packet, there were no traces of residue on your hands, and with any luck Wickham’s prints will be on the packet. Add the fact that you have agreed to drug testing and that you agreed to let your bag be searched and I say we have a pretty strong case.”
“But what if…”
“Lizzy, don’t think about that now. I’m going to do my best to see this never gets to trial, and they don’t tremble when my name is spoken in the DA’s office for nothing.” She grinned. “I’m good. Have some faith.”
Elizabeth nodded, her faith stretched to its limits.
Linda smiled. “Good.” She turned to her papers and started working.
Elizabeth sat puzzled in silence for a few minutes and then asked, “What are you doing?”
“Very boring paperwork. But every minute you spend with me is one less minute you spend in the holding cell, right?”
Elizabeth smiled and nodded.
“Now, listen to me. You are semifamous, so the cops are going to be careful with you, but there might be other people in the holding cell. If at any time you feel afraid, demand to see me. I’ll be nearby so I can get here quickly. We’ll get you out of the cell and you can hang out in the interrogation room for a few hours. Understand?”
Elizabeth nodded.
“You’ll get through this, Lizzy.”
Darcy came out of the library when he heard Caroline swearing loudly. The large-screen TV was on and showing a picture of Elizabeth as an MTV News announcer said,
“Bennet is the singer for the girl group Long Borne Suffering, which is currently on tour with Slurry. In possibly related news, Slurry drummer Richard Fitzwilliam was also at LaGuardia Airport at the same time and was seen having an altercation with former Slurry lead singer George Wickham. Wickham now directs music videos after leaving Slurry in 2006.”
“Turn it off,” Darcy said disgustedly as he turned away.
“Well, there goes her reputation. I hope you’re happy,” Alex commented savagely at Darcy.
Darcy felt something inside of him snap. “Do I look happy? Elizabeth is being held by the police. Why do you think I would be happy about that?”
The room grew silent as every eye fixed on the two men.
“Well, you sure seem to be doing your best to mess her up.”
Darcy slowly closed his hands into fists. “You were the one with her when she was arrested,” he said in a dangerously low voice. “I trusted that you would bring her home safely, but you didn’t, did you? What were you doing, letting her out of your sight? Leaving her alone with him?”
Alex took a step forward, his eyes cold with disdain. “We both know Wickham would never have even looked at Lizzy if you weren’t involved. She was safe before she got messed up with you.”
Darcy took a step forward right at the same moment Richard used his strength and bulk to move Darcy away. Charlotte took that moment to grab her brother and drag him in the opposite direction. They ended up in Richard’s bedroom, which was at the far end of the loft.
“What the fuck was that about?” Charlotte asked incredulously. “Why did you do that?”
“He’s a jerk,” Alex sulked.
“That is no reason to attack the man like that. My God. Don’t you have any feelings? How would you feel if your lover was dragged away like that?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Probably not, but try me.”
“It’s just…” He stopped, unable to find the words.
“Don’t tell me you still love her?”
“No, at least not like that. I know that it’s over between us and has been for a long time, but… it’s hard, you know. Watching them. Even when they were fighting like cats and dogs, they would stare at each other. All the time. You had to notice.”
Charlotte nodded.
“She never looked at me like that, never.”
Charlotte put her arm around him and leaned her head against his. “I got bad news for you, Bro; you’re not Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
“Nope, I’m sure not,” he agreed resignedly.
Charlotte sat up and studied him. “You lied the other day at the airport. You aren’t okay with this, are you?”
“Char—”
“No, just admit it. For whatever reason, a part of you just can’t handle Lizzy being with Darcy.”
Alex stared at the floor.
“You can’t,” Charlotte said in a low voice that indicated she was thinking out loud, “and you won’t leave, and Lizzy won’t fire you.” She paused for a moment then said in a calm, resolved voice, “Alex, you’re fired.”
“What?”
“You’re fired. I’ll discuss it with Jane, but I’m sure she will agree with me.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Yeah, I can. When Lizzy gets back, we’ll finalize it, but we’re going to have to sever our professional relationship.”
Alex stared into the eyes that matched his own and saw there was no room for change in Charlotte’s mind.
“All right,” he conceded. “But I’m staying to help Lizzy.”
Charlotte shrugged. “Not a problem. Just stop pissing off Will.”
Richard dragged and pushed Will into his bedroom and shut the door. “Okay, take a moment and calm down. Punching Alex’s lights out isn’t going to help matters.”
“Oh, like punching George’s did?”
“I didn’t say it wouldn’t feel good,” Richard said. “And I’m sorry about that. I lost my temper. Besides, he was asking for it and I knew you weren’t going to hit him.”
“You’re right.” Darcy sank down on his bed. “What’s going to happen, Richard?”
Richard shrugged. “Lizzy’s going to be released on bail in the morning. We’ll take it from there.”
“And the press?”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s probably going to die down. After all, I was the one who punched Wickham. There isn’t anything to connect Lizzy and you other than the tour. The fact is she’s not a big enough star to stay in the news long for a drug bust.”
“Actually, there is.”
“What?”
“When Jane was hit by that bottle, Lizzy and I created a diversion so Jane and Charles could get into the hotel. We… acted for the press in the lobby.”
“Oh hell, Will.” His eyes widened. “Christ, you were in love with her even back then, weren’t you?”
Darcy looked at him from where he was lying on the bed and nodded.
Richard sighed. “And they’ve got those pictures somewhere, don’t they?”
Again Darcy nodded.
“Well, then I’m guessing you’re going to be on the front page of the Enquirer again, my friend. Won’t be the first time.”
“But it will be the first time it’s true,” Darcy growled.
Richard looked on sympathetically. “I know. It sucks all around. Wickham really got us good.”
Darcy sat up and sighed. “I can’t help but feel like I’ve failed her. I should have never let her go down there. And now she is gone, forever. I’ve destroyed her.”
Richard stared, not believing his ears. “Will, will you listen to yourself? Christ, she’s just being held until her arraignment. It’s just one night. She’s not dead!” He lifted up his hands in frustration and dropped them again. “Try to stay based in reality, okay?
“Oh, and you’re one to talk,” Darcy hissed. “What kind of fantasy have you got planned? You and Charlotte living happily ever after?”
Richard set his jaw. Darcy was just lashing out, but he had hit a painful target. “I know. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. But at least I’m facing it.” He took a deep breath and released it. “I just don’t know what to do about it.”
Darcy stared, his dark eyes piercing Richard’s. “Talk to her,” he said. “That’s where you have to start.”
Richard nodded, and left the room.
Richard found Charlotte shaking her head from her encounter with her brother. He held out his hand. “Come on,” he said and drew her up a wooden and steel stair, through a doorway onto the roof.
“Oh!” she gasped in surprise. Before her was a beautiful garden. It was made of long, raised beds that were arranged with wooden screens to form a sort of maze. From the center, a visitor would be completely enclosed, shielded from any sight of the city. On the perimeter were lovely vistas, with benches to take in the spectacular views.
The beds were filled with a riot of bright colors, flowers of every type, blooming wantonly. The heat from the day was just starting to abate, and a cooling wind was blowing, carrying with it lush perfume from the flowers. “It’s beautiful.”
Richard nodded. “My aunt had it made. She loved having a sanctuary in the middle of the city that she could escape to.” He led her along the edge of the garden, stopping with her to watch the sun setting low in the sky. He lightly placed his arms around her as he gathered his thoughts. Absently he noted the way the sunlight brought out the highlights in her hair, reminding him of the orchid he had given her.
After a minute, Charlotte asked, “What are we doing?”
All of Richard’s worry and concerns broke away with the smile that warmed his face. “We’re watching the sunset. Shhh. It’s romantic.”
“I’m not seeing the romance here,” Charlotte disagreed. “I see New Jersey.”
Richard laughed as he turned her in his arms to face him. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”
“I’m not really the romance type,” Charlotte stated. “And you know that.”
Richard sighed dramatically. “Come over here then, my nonromantic one.” They walked into the maze to the elegant wooden benches at the center there. He took her to one that was covered with a large, plain, dark green cushion. “I was going to put out some candles but—” He stopped at the expression on her face.
They sat comfortably side by side in silence. Finally Charlotte pulled out her cigarettes. “I need this,” she murmured before offering one to him. Sitting together, smoking, brought them both a flood of memories, both good and bad. Gently, Charlotte explored them, evaluating again her feelings for the complex man beside her.
Richard struggled for a moment, and Charlotte let him, waiting silently to see what he was going to say. Finally he began, “Char, I don’t know why this is so hard. I can talk to you about anything, but when it comes to us? I’m tongue-tied. What I want to say is I want you, and I want us to be better.”
“Better?”
“I know,” he sighed, dropping his head into his hands for a moment. “That’s not very good. Sorry. What I mean is, I don’t want us to go back to how we were. I want us to be better.”
Charlotte crossed her arms and then started rubbing her forehead with her hand. She sighed. “Richard, you’re the only one who’s keeping us from being better.” She dropped her hand and looked up at him. “I was doing what people usually do, moving from nonexclusive dating toward exclusive dating.” She tilted her head a little. “You, being the creative soul that you are, went from nonexclusive dating to not dating me, to not dating at all—if your phone calls are to be believed. I think the next step would be to reverse puberty.” She stopped herself, wondering if she had gone too far, and regrouped her thoughts. “My point is, if you want us to be better, then be better.” She touched his arms to emphasize her words. “I don’t need the orchid and candles in the middle of the day and the view of beautiful New Jersey. I haven’t suddenly morphed into Jane. I want us. You and me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Richard put out his cigarette and slowly wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
His expression carried the uncertainty he felt. “You know I’m not cured, right? I mean, I want to be. I want to be with you and only with you, but,” his voice dropped, “I might stumble.”
“I know. All I’m asking is that you be honest with me.” She put out her cigarette and placed her hands on his chest. “I can handle stumbles. I won’t like it, but as long as you’re sure that you want to be with me, I can handle it. But I need you to promise to tell me. And if you ever change your mind, and you don’t want to be with me, you have to tell me that too.”
Richard considered her words solemnly. “That’s actually a really big promise.”
Charlotte nodded. “I know it. It just came out, I didn’t mean to…” She ran out of words. Then she took a deep breath and continued, “It’s what I need to be able to trust you again.”
“Can you promise the same to me? Full honesty? No keeping things secret to ‘protect’ my feelings?”
Charlotte paused and thought about what he was saying. “I can promise to do my best. That’s about all.”
“I think that will be enough,” he agreed. “We do pretty well when we’re honest with each other.” He took a deep breath, “And I promise to be honest with you, Charlotte.” He smiled and kissed her, slowly, sealing himself to her.
Charlotte felt like a tight band that had been wrapped around her chest was being removed. She felt like she could breathe again. All the grief and anxiety left her, leaving her rejuvenated. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched luxuriously against him, as if her body was responding to the relief in her heart. A smile of deepest joy graced her features. “Thank you,” she breathed softly as she leaned against him, lifting her lips to his.
Richard opened all his senses to her: her beautiful dark eyes against her luminous pale skin, her scent, her taste, the feel of her slender body in his arms, and he was transfixed by what he beheld. “Charlotte,” he whispered in awe. It had been a long time since he had thought of her as anything but beautiful, but in this moment, she was transformed again, almost like magic, to magnificent.
He kissed her, trying to express all the love and wonder that he felt for her. “I love you.”
She kissed him back, long and deep. Smiling, she said, “I got that. I love you too.” She threaded her fingers in his long dark hair, enjoying the silkiness of it. “Promise me you’ll stop being so stupid?”
He kissed her again, longer, using all his skill to pleasure her. “I’m trying.” He kissed her until she moaned. “I was trying to save you from me.”
She hit him, hard, on the shoulder. “Ow!”
“That’s what I mean. Stop being so stupid!” She kissed him again, sucking hard on his tongue as she worked at the buttons of his shirt.
“Okay,” he grinned before kissing her again, his hands slipping under her shirt.
She moaned as she felt his hands on her bare skin. “Oooooooooh God! It’s been so long.” She hit him again. “Don’t ever keep yourself from me again.” She kissed him again, hungrily, trying to touch all of his mouth with hers.
He grinned wickedly. “You like hitting me, don’t you?” he asked as he nipped lightly along the length of her jaw, before moving to the sensitive curve of her neck.
She cried out as the new sensations assaulted her. “Maybe I do. But I think you deserve it.” She found his hand and placed it on her breast, squeezing hard. “You’ve been a very bad—oh!—man and you should be punished.” She put both of her hands on the sides of his head and pulled him away. “Are we alone here? No one else has access to the roof, right?”
“We’re fine. It’s all ours,” he answered as she quickly removed her top. “Oh Char!” he whispered as he pulled her to him, needing to taste the newly revealed skin.
She curled her arms around his head as his mouth pleasured her, finding a hard nipple and suckling it eagerly. Longing that had been denied for so long flamed, causing an almost physical pain, driving her on like the lash of a whip. Her skin was on fire every place he touched. He was hers, finally, and she intended to possess every inch of him.
She pulled away from him and stood up to quickly remove every last remnant of clothing, until she stood before him, proud, her body throbbing.
Richard watched. His eyes were filled with her beauty, but his mind was stunned at what her eyes were telling him. This was completely different from any woman wanting him before; this was his mate demanding him. This was primitive, primal, and yet he was fully aware of the commitment he was making. This wasn’t a promise of words, or even of his heart; this was a promise of his soul. He removed his clothing and prepared himself until he stood like her, naked in that improbable garden, and he held out his hand to her.
With one step she grasped his hand, and with another step she was in his arms, skin to skin, heart to heart. “Take me, now,” she commanded, her voice clear and certain, as she sealed her mouth to his. Holding her close, he sat on the bench, drawing her up into his lap, her legs straddling his thighs. His mouth broke away from hers to find a breast, red, full, and swollen. As he drew her nipple into his mouth, his hand slipped between her legs, stroking her there.
She moaned low in her throat, dizzy with the pleasure that was filling her. His touch was teasing, pleasuring, but leaving her wanting more. “Richard,” she cried, her voice shrill with need. Balancing with her hands on his shoulders, she found him pressed against her, his cock hard and ready. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he drew his tip across her, playing with her clit, making her scream. “Please,” she begged as she ground mindlessly against him.
“Open your eyes, Char,” he said, and once she did, he guided himself to her, watching as she sank down on him, slowly, inch by delicious inch, until he filled her completely. Her body shook equally from both the need for release and from the relief of having him again. Closing her eyes again, she rose and fell on him, savoring every sensation, the sweet fullness that seemed to be growing with each second. She felt wicked and dirty, and she adored it. With every stroke, she worked out every ache and scar that had pained her heart, grinding and polishing every defect from it, until she glowed, bright and hot.
She opened her eyes and took in his expression of wonder and amazement, owning the compliment that it was, even as a deep, aching need filled her. “Richard,” she prayed through swollen lips just as the circuit closed and every muscle tensed and molten pleasure exploded throughout her body. Again and again she throbbed, fresh pleasure filling her each time.
Richard’s voice was frantic as he called her name, pleading, as if for his life. Quick as a thought, he pulled her close and rolled on the bench, drawing his knees up and clasping her hips. “Charlotte, my God, Char!” he roared. “That was so hot. God, Char, that was so hot.” His hips pistoned in and out.
Charlotte smiled wantonly as her hands played at her own breasts, pinching her nipples as her desire rose again. Richard’s thrusts were becoming violent as he lost control he didn’t even know he had and she drew in each thrust and demanded more. She was distantly aware of boundaries of pleasure she had never crossed before. She demanded more than she had ever dared, risking more, taking more.
“Richard,” she said, low and urgent. “You’re mine. Do you understand?” She waited for him to nod, her words breaking through his lust. “You are going to fuck me any time I want, any way I want. Understand?” His eyes rounded in amazement even as he nodded and moaned desperately.
“If I want to spank you, I can. If I want to tie you down and use you like a toy, I can. If I want to watch porn while you lick me off, I can! Understand?”
He nodded rapidly, almost unable to believe what was happening. “Now, I want you to fuck me hard and come like you’ve never come before.” Even before the words were out of her mouth, he was shouting as his release overtook him. Charlotte came with him, her cries joining his as their bodies violently shook and then slowed before coming to an exhausted stop.
Richard rolled to his side to take his weight off her, holding her tight to him. “Char?” he said when his breath returned to him.
“Yes?” she panted.
“That was amazing.” He laughed. “And kinda scary.”
“Want me to do it again?”
“Oh God, yes.”
Charlotte smiled to herself and kissed him. “I love you.”
“And I adore you, my Charlotte,” he said as his eyes studied her face, contemplating all that had happened. “I’ve lived most of my life being a monster in bed. It’s been my identity.” He voice was soft with wonder. “And here I find you, and you’ve not only matched me but completely overtaken me. You’re a wonder, Charlotte.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “I know.” She kissed him sweetly. “I’ve resolved that if you ever stumble, it won’t be because you’re bored or wondering if someone else could be better.”
“There’s anyone else?” he asked disbelievingly. “Honestly, Char, you keep this up and I don’t think I’ll have the energy to stumble.”
She ruefully shook her head and sat up. “Come on; it’s been a long day and I need to get some sleep.”
“You’re sleeping with me.”
“Where else would I sleep?” she asked as she started dressing.
Without rushing, they dressed, pausing now and then to kiss or simply hold each other close. They stopped a long moment before moving from the area around the bench, each wishing to protect the other from the pain and conflict that was waiting for them back in the loft.
“We’re a team now, right?” he asked.
“I’m yours and you’re mine,” she answered. Satisfied, they joined hands and walked back to the doorway and into the loft. Wordlessly they descended the staircase, and after ensuring that there had been no change, Richard led them to his room.
Charlotte sat on the bed and as he watched, her eyes filled with worry for her friend, like water in a jar.
“Have you ever been arrested?”
She nodded. “Twice.” She smiled deprecatingly. “I’m a bit of a brawler when I’m drunk.”
“Oh, I’d never have guessed that,” he joked lightly as he sat down beside her. “I’ve done the same, plus the DWI,” he admitted. “We’ve been through it and know what’s involved, so why am I so nervous for Lizzy?”
“Because we were guilty?” Charlotte guessed. “Because poor Lizzy didn’t do anything, so just being arrested is wronging her, and because, well, she’s not like us.” She reached out and drew him close to her. “I am worried for her. And I’m glad you punched that asshole.”
Richard kissed her lightly. “So am I.” They lay down together and he cuddled her close, pillowing her head with his shoulder and covering her lightly with a sheet. “Try to rest now, Char. We’ve done enough today.”
She snuggled closer, content to leave her worries until morning, and soon fell asleep in his arms.
Sleep took much longer to come to Richard as he struggled to understand all that had happened, what he had promised and been promised, the new opportunities that had opened to him, and the astonishing woman in his arms.