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Hopeless Case
Chapter One
It had not been a good day for William Darcy. It began with his younger sister’s declaration that she was involved with a man eleven years her senior and progressed steadily downhill from there. He misplaced a file on the case he was to defend in court that morning and was forced to seek a delay, resulting in a thorough and humiliating dressing down from the judge for his lack of preparation. Then his cousin left a disturbing and cryptic message on his answering machine while he was out to lunch trying to soothe his client’s ruffled feathers. And to top it all off he now found himself on what he perceived to be the worst blind date in history.
Charlotte Lucas was not an unattractive woman. She came from a prominent Connecticut family as did William and, like William, she was a skilled attorney on the fast track to a partnership in a prestigious law firm. She was poised, articulate, witty, knowledgeable, and interesting--in that superficial way first dates have of capturing a man’s interest. She was also unstintingly predatory, and William flinched as he realized that she had him firmly in her sights. They had been introduced by a mutual friend--William was convinced by the end of the first course that the set up was made more out of his friend’s desperate longing to divest himself of Charlotte than any sincere desire to further William’s love life. William sighed as Charlotte prattled on about some event taking place at some marina on some beach somewhere in the Hamptons. He surreptitiously checked his watch and began to worry anew about his cousin’s message.
What on earth is Richard about? What did he mean by that remark? It’s not enough that I have to be the executor of his father’s estate; do I have to be his baby sitter as well?
“…William.” Charlotte paused to draw breath, placing her hand meaningfully over his. William flinched again and looked up. Having no idea what to say, he merely smiled and prayed that the waiter coming in his direction was carrying his dinner. He needed a diversion and fast. “So do you think you can make it? Mummy would love to meet you.” She barely knows me and she wants me to meet her mummy? No way in…ah, food! William smiled as his steak was placed before him. Charlotte looked at her comparatively austere repast, a green salad over which a skinless breast of chicken had been artfully sliced and arranged, and compared it to William’s 16 ounce tenderloin.
“You know that steak is going to send your cholesterol level through the roof, William,” Charlotte said as she took up William’s steak knife and began to cut up his entree for him. “You’re looking at an early heart attack if you keep eating like that.” Hey, it can’t happen soon enough for me! One big whopping heart attack would be ideal right about now! I want “do not resuscitate” to be the last words I ever say. Death, where is thy sting? William snatched the knife back, hoping Charlotte wouldn’t find the gesture as abrupt as he feared it was.
“I am more than capable of cutting my own meat, thank you,” he said. Charlotte smiled in acquiescence and for the third or fourth time that night, William wanted to scream. I have the distinct impression that if I agreed to meet Mummy she’d let me set her hair on fire and dance naked on the table! William sighed and began to eat. He was interrupted by the sound of his mobile telephone. William colored slightly as he pulled the phone from his pocket and turned it off. He glanced at the number on the tiny screen and wished he had taken the call. He had plenty to say to Frank Churchill at that moment. There wasn’t a doubt in William’s mind that the man was calling to gloat over his success in unburdening Charlotte on him. William chewed his steak and considered various means of exacting revenge on his colleague, concluding that public flogging was perfectly appropriate, given the infraction.
He somehow survived the date--fortunately, he relied on his cousin’s past experience and confined the date to just dinner, pleading an early appointment in the morning. Charlotte, tractable and eager to please, had agreed to the arrangement, suggesting that they might “do something more” on the weekend. William rode home in a cab thanking his cousin Richard for his advice: never commit yourself to spending more than two hours with a blind date (William still berated himself for saying “dinner” instead of “drinks” when he returned Charlotte’s call), only give out your office number, and always schedule the date for midweek. William strode into his apartment and headed directly for the kitchen. He pulled a small sheet of paper from his pocket and lit it at the stove. He dropped the burning paper into the sink and watched it turn to ash.
“I suppose I should have said a chant or something. She may not be properly exorcised,” William said, smiling for the first time that evening. He shrugged and reached for a beer from the refrigerator. Tugging at his tie, he went into the living room, pausing to note that he had several messages on his answering machine. William pulled off his jacket and tossed it aside as he flopped onto the couch. The first two messages were from his mother. “Oh no,” he moaned. “Don’t tell me that Charlotte has managed to recruit you into her ‘ruin William’s life’ crusade? I didn’t even know you knew each other!” William covered his eyes as the next message, a lengthy entreaty from a telemarketer, played. He was about to shut off the machine when he heard Richard’s voice. William sat up and reached into his jacket pocket for a pen and pad. He replayed the message and scribbled down the number his cousin left. William was taken aback when the receptionist answered his call in Spanish. She slipped into English immediately and connected William to his cousin’s room.
“Finally! Hello, William!”
“Richard? Where are you?” He heard the distinct sound of female laughter in the background, not surprisingly. Wherever Richard went, women tended to flock to his side.
“I’m in a tiny hotel in a tiny town in Mexico you’ve probably never heard of. Heck, I’d never heard of it before I arrived here,” Richard replied easily. William sighed patiently.
“All right; would you mind telling me why you’re in Mexico when I distinctly recall putting you on a plane bound for Athens not two weeks ago?”
“It’s a lot easier to get married in Mexico.”
“I see,” William said before Richard’s words registered. “Richard,” he said with forced calm, “Did you go to Mexico to attend a wedding?” His cousin’s laughter did nothing to settle the growing sense of dread that was competing for attention with the residual effects of his Charlotte-induced headache.
“I got married this morning--or I should say we got married.”
“Who are ‘we,’ Richard?” William said as he massaged his temple.
“Me and Mrs. Fitzwilliam, naturally,” Richard laughed.
“Have you been drinking, Richard?”
“No. There’s an appalling dearth of champagne in this town. We’re going to have to make do with beer, I guess, or maybe Margaritas.”
“Don’t start partying just yet, cousin,” William said slowly. “I want to know exactly where you are and how to get there.”
“No offense, cousin, but I think I can manage this without your assistance,” Richard quipped.
“Richard--.”
“It’s my wedding night, Willy Boy! As much as I like you, there’s someone here I am absolutely crazy about and right now I’d rather have her speaking into my ear than you.”
“Richard! Richard, don’t hang…up.” William sighed as the call was cut off. William stared at the receiver in his hand for a moment as he ran his free hand through his hair. Then he took a deep breath and hit the redial button. He made five more calls that night and the next morning he was on a flight to Mexico.
**
It took William hours to reach his cousin’s hotel from the airport. Had he taken the time to look at a map, he might have realized that it was far easier to drive to the tiny hamlet from San Diego, California than to fly across the border. Doing so would have saved him a half-day of travel and a great deal of energy wasted on swatting bugs in an un-air-conditioned taxi. William entered the hotel lobby and checked in, making certain that “Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam” were still in residence. He was too tired to seek out his cousin immediately, so William took a long, restorative shower before he succumbed to the lure of the pillows on his bed and took a nap without giving a second’s thought to how to deal with Richard.
Richard Fitzwilliam was William’s best friend as well as his cousin. The sole heir to a sizable fortune, he had become a very wealthy man at the age of twenty-seven when the twin engine Cessna carrying his parents crashed in Maine killing all on board. Prior to his parent’s death, Richard had never taken a very serious interest in anything, although he was ostensibly being groomed to succeed his father in the communications company that had made the family’s fortune. Upon inheriting the company, he sold it for a tidy profit and became extremely serious about managing his finances. As the estate’s co-executor and legal counsel, William strongly approved of Richard’s business dealings as well as his new-found maturity, at least where his money was concerned. Richard still wasn’t terribly serious about anything else and William became his self-appointed guardian. It wasn’t that Richard was inclined to do anything foolish, at least until now. It’s just that people--and women in particular--always seemed to congregate around him, and William (being the overly cautious, consider-the-worst-case-scenario-first type of person that he was) feared that it was only a matter of time before someone tried to take advantage of him. And now William’s worst fears had been realized. Someone had apparently talked Richard into a hasty marriage.
William awoke from his nap and mulled over the situation. To his knowledge, Richard hadn’t been seeing anyone special since his break up with the grasping Mandy several months earlier. It was far more likely, therefore, that his new “wife” was someone he’d met in Greece. William’s mind ran rampant with possibilities. Was she a Greek national or an American who recognized him from the countless pictures that appeared in the media over the past year? William winced when he recalled the article and two page pictorial spread that had appeared in one magazine shortly after his aunt and uncle’s funeral depicting Richard as one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. He vowed, in future, to prevent such publicity and his head throbbed to think what the media would make of the news of Richard’s quickie Mexican wedding. William sat up and hearkened his ears when he heard the unmistakably familiar sound of Richard’s laughter. He rushed to the terrace, where he saw his cousin, accompanied by a dark haired woman, getting out of a car.
“Richard! Richard!” William cried, waving frantically.
“William?” Richard laughed. “What on earth are you doing here?” The woman shaded her eyes and peered up at the third-story terrace. Richard pulled her toward the hotel entrance and gestured for William to meet him inside the lobby. William grabbed his shoes and the room key and awkwardly hopped his way to the stairway. He rushed down to the lobby and saw Richard speaking with “that woman,” as William was determined to think of her. Richard looked up and she turned in his direction. William froze in his tracks for a moment but quickly resumed his pace and approached the pair.
“Your shoes are untied,” the woman said. William frowned, mostly in an effort to swallow his embarrassment. He suddenly felt foolish for rushing downstairs without properly tying his shoes or looking in a mirror. He was certain that he had a bad case of “bed head,” a fear promptly confirmed by Richard’s smirk. William was also embarrassed by the fact that he was having a very hard time keeping his eyes off of his cousin’s wife--if indeed she and Richard were legally married. He was more curious about her than anything else. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, but not beautiful in the ordinary way. She had huge dark eyes that gazed back at William with such earnestness that they unnerved him. She had very short hair (something William was averse to in women, but he found hers attractive nonetheless) and she was also very tall, nearly as tall as himself. She smiled at William, revealing a set of perfect teeth. He took a deep breath and forced himself to lock eyes with Richard.
“Hello, William,” Richard said pleasantly. He looked relaxed and happy, but then--with the exception of a long period of mourning the loss of his parents--he always looked as though he hadn’t a care in the world. William always envied that trait in his cousin; he thought that he always looked worried and had taken to checking himself in the mirror daily for signs of early wrinkles. Now, as he gazed upon the serene couple before him, William was certain he would finally see at least one wrinkle come the morning. “I’d like you to meet Olivia. Angel, this is the cousin I told you about, William Darcy.” Olivia extended her hand to William and he took it reluctantly. Her smile spoke volumes and William had to wonder exactly what Richard had said about him.
“I’m pleased to meet you, William,” Olivia said in a light tone that convinced William he was being laughed at. He awkwardly cleared his throat and hoped that she’d mistake it for a greeting. He turned his attention back to his cousin.
“Richard,” William began, “I think you and I should talk.” Richard frowned and William realized that he was being rude but he was too concerned for his cousin’s emotional and financial wellbeing to care.
“Why don’t you visit with your cousin, Richard,” Olivia suggested. “We can always go shopping later.” She smiled radiantly and touched Richard’s cheek in an intimate gesture. He caught her fingers and kissed them, oblivious to William’s exaggerated sigh and rolling eyes. Olivia smiled at William and left the pair to talk privately. Going shopping? She’s not wasting any time spending your money is she, Fitz, William thought as both men watched her head for the stairs and disappear. Richard turned on his cousin.
“That was--.”
“We have to talk, Richard. Now.” William’s tone brooked no refusal. Richard sighed and submitted to his fate.
“Why don’t we go into the bar?” he suggested. The two cousins repaired to the hotel’s tiny lounge and ordered two beers. “Before you say anything--.”
“Before I say anything? You’d deprive me of the chance to have the first word when you call me up yesterday and leave a message telling me that your life as you knew it ceased to have meaning? For cripes’ sake, Richard! I thought you were going to commit suicide!” William cried.
“Doesn’t the news of my marriage sound so much better?” Richard said cheekily before he took a swig from his bottle.
“Do you mean to tell me that you purposely scared me half out of my wits just so you could call later and spring this surprise on me? What, am I supposed to be so happy to know that you’re alive that I’d be willing to overlook the fact that you ran off and married a woman you met--what, a week ago?”
“You’re funny, Will. That wasn’t my point at all,” Richard lied. “I meant it: my life changed completely when I met Olivia.”
“So much so that you flew off to Mexico and married a complete stranger?”
“Would you chill out before you pop something?” Richard chuckled. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Richard--.”
“I don’t understand why you’re upset.”
“Why am I upset? You’re married, Richard! M-A-R-R--.”
“I can spell.”
“What on earth possessed you?”
“She did.”
“What did she use, a magic incantation? Where did you even find her?”
“She sat next to me on the flight,” Richard said simply as he grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar.
“Oh. So a complete stranger sits next to you on a plane for seven or eight hours and you conclude after that brief eternity that she’s the woman of your dreams?” William sputtered. Richard just looked at him.
“I didn’t meet her on the plane to Greece. I met her on a helicopter ride I took for a hop over to Crete.” William blinked.
“How long was that flight?”
“I don’t know, twenty minutes? We spent a bit of time on the ground first.”
“You--.”
“And no, I didn’t decide to marry her over the course of the flight. I must admit, I did fall in love with her then.”
“So your ‘grand amour’ with that woman was even shorter than I first thought,” William said as he ran a hand through his hair and ordered a second round. “How long did it take her to get her claws into you?”
“Her name is Olivia, William,” Richard said sternly. “And I don’t like what you’re implying.”
“Well, I don’t like it either, and I like the idea of her being successful at it even less.”
“Now, wait a minute! Why are you so quick to condemn Olivia? How do you know that I wasn’t the one who rushed this whole thing?” William took a long swig of beer.
“In spite of everything you just told me, Richard, I give you credit for having better sense than that. Did you at least stop to think long enough to get a pre-nup? Richard rolled his eyes.
“William…”
“Look, I know I am being a royal pain, but that’s my job as both your attorney and friend. What on earth were you thinking, Richard?”
“I was thinking that I had met the woman of my dreams and found true happiness,” Richard said with a wistful smile. He pulled a few bills from his wallet and tossed them onto the counter. He turned to leave, but William grabbed his shoulder.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“I believe we’ve wasted enough time here.”
“Not nearly enough! Look--.” But Richard waved him off and turned away. “We aren’t done, Richard. Not by a long shot!” William watched Richard leave and drained his bottle. He signaled the bartender for another beer and pulled his phone out of his pocket when it rang.
“What’s this about your playing hooky from the office today? Your grandfather didn’t become the managing partner by playing hooky, William.”
“No, Grandma Bess. Grandfather became managing partner of his law firm by opening his own practice,” William said dully.
“Don’t take that tone with me, young man! Now why on earth did you take off on a week day and since when have you been interested in hunting?”
“Hunting?” William put down his bottle and changed the phone to his other ear, convinced that he’d misunderstood the family matriarch.
“Yes, hunting. Jo said you took the day off to go hunting with Richard.” William sighed.
“I took the day off to go hunting for Richard, Grandma Bess. You won’t believe what he’s gone and done.”
“I’m listening.”
“He met a girl somewhere in Greece and flew off to Mexico to get married.”
“Richard is married?”
“Yes, Grandma Bess; your favorite grandson is married.”
“You’re all my favorite grandsons,” Bess replied sweetly.
“Well, Richard went and eloped.”
“Why didn’t he get married here in Connecticut?”
“You’ll have to ask him that when he brings his new bride home to meet the family, won’t you?” William said testily.
“Jealous, are you?”
“No, Grandma Bess, I’m worried,” William said sulkily.
“Dear lord, what about now? You’re always worrying yourself sick over something or other.” William let the comment pass.
“Aren’t you the least bit concerned that Richard went off on vacation and less than two weeks later sneaks back across the Atlantic to marry someone he just met?”
“I could say that I’m delighted about being one step closer to finally seeing a great grandchild, but you’re in no humor to hear it.” William fumed for a moment in silence.
“I suppose it hasn’t occurred to you that he probably won’t be married long enough to produce an heir?”
“William, you’re nearly thirty. I think you know that it takes hardly any time at all to produce a child,” Bess said archly. William’s eyes opened wide in disbelief.
“Grandma Bess! The fact remains that Richard ran off and married some stranger without telling a living soul! Doesn’t that bother you at all?”
“How did you find out about it?” William paused for a minute, taken aback by the question. “Well?”
“He, uh…he called me yesterday.”
“Then he apparently told at least one living soul…” William put his head on the bar and banged it twice. A mariachi band began to tune up at the back of the bar and William sat up abruptly.
“Where on earth are you?”
“I’m in Mexico with Richard,” William said as he paid for the beer and walked out of the lounge.
“Oh, William! Don’t tell me you went down there and spoiled his honeymoon.”
“Spoiled his honeymoon? What about his throwing away his future, his fortune, his--.”
“All of which are his to throw away. As much as you’d like to--and as much as I love you for wanting to help him--it’s his life, William.” William sighed deeply. He knew that on some level his grandmother was perfectly right. But on a more primal level, he knew that he couldn’t stand by and just watch his cousin make a mess of his life. William’s every instinct recoiled at the notion. He was determined to stay and fix things.
“Grandma--.”
“Come home, Will. We’re having the Lucas’s over to dinner Friday night. Why don’t you come up and join us? Charlotte will be there.” William found this news to be another incentive to stay put in Mexico--even if Richard left the continent. William bid his grandmother a hasty goodbye as he saw Olivia cross the lobby to meet up with Richard. The pair kissed briefly and walked out together arm in arm. William wondered how long it would be before Richard’s bubble was burst.
“He’s young, women think he’s hot…maybe she’ll hold onto him for a while. Maybe she’ll hang on long enough to get a kid or two. They’re always useful in divorce court,” William mumbled to himself as he walked to the door and peered down the road at the disappearing pair. Richard and Olivia had decided to walk wherever it was they were headed and William was sorely tempted to follow them. He was eager to observe the interaction between the pair. But his zeal was tempered by his grandmother’s words so he returned to his room instead and lay on the bed, hoping his headache would abate. The phone rang again. William looked at the phone and saw a number he didn’t recognize.
“William Darcy.”
“Hello, William. I hope you don’t mind; Frank Churchill gave me this number.”
“Hello, Charlotte,” William said. A thundercloud rolled across his brow as Frank Churchill plunged to an all-time low on his list of acquaintances.
“I called your office today, but your secretary said that you were unreachable. Really, William, she acted like a mother bear protecting her cub! What’s the big mystery, or is she just trying to keep you all to herself?”
“No mystery, Charlotte. Jo simply told you the truth. I’m…out of town today, on family business,” William said, praying that she wouldn’t ask questions and that his grandmother wouldn’t subsequently answer any.
“Oh. Well, I just received an invitation to dinner this Friday with your family. I was wondering if you’d like to ride up to Connecticut together.” William sighed
“Well, I don’t know if I’ll be back in the city before Friday,” William began, and then thought better of it. “I may fly directly into Connecticut instead.” There was silence on the other end of the line, during which William realized that, gold digger or not, his cousin’s love life was in far better shape than his own.
“Oh, well I hope it’s nothing serious…”
“It’s just a business matter, nothing to worry about.” William made up an excuse and got off the phone. He shook his head and made a mental note to (1) change his phone number as soon as was humanly possible, and (2) throttle Frank Churchill on sight the next time he encountered the man.
**
“Tell me about William,” Olivia said as she walked arm in arm with Richard. He immediately began to laugh.
“He’s my cousin, my best friend, my legal counsel, a great guy, and my personal watch dog. In fact, he such a great guy I’m glad I married you before you met him.”
“He did seem fiercely protective of you,” Olivia observed. Richard laughed again.
“He’s a worry-wart. William is the kind of guy who would send a woman a dozen roses and then spend the next two hours worrying whether or not she had an appropriate vase for them.” Olivia laughed lightly.
“Tell me: are all the men in your family as handsome as you two?”
“Nope, you’ve met the cream of the Fitzwilliam crop,” Richard immodestly assured her. Olivia laughed and Richard pulled her closer as they continued to stroll through the narrow streets of the village aimlessly.
**
William left the hotel at sunset and wandered the streets of the village looking for a place to eat. He found a respectable looking place and, coincidentally, it sat directly opposite another restaurant where Olivia and Richard were eating on a terrace overlooking the town square. William sat down at a table and tried to be inconspicuous as he opened his menu. It occurred to him, as he perused the list of appetizers, that he despised Mexican food. That revelation caused him to sigh. He stole a glance across the street. Richard and Olivia were laughing at something, and obviously enjoying themselves. William swatted at an invisible bug and tossed the menu aside. He quickly lifted it again when he saw Olivia look in his direction. The waiter appeared and William half-heartedly ordered some sort of seviche and a Margarita. When the waiter took the menu from his hands, William glanced across the street and saw Olivia dining alone. William was about to look around for Richard when he felt a firm grip on his shoulder.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Richard demanded.
“I’m trying to find something to eat that won’t put me into a hospital before morning,” William replied with annoyance.
“And you just happened to choose a restaurant that was directly opposite the one where Livy and I are dining?”
“As far as I can tell, cousin, there are only three restaurants in this town and I wouldn’t go into the third one without a Haz-Mat suit.” Richard sighed.
“Listen,” he hissed. “I don’t know what you hope to accomplish by following us here--.”
“I just told you what I hoped to accomplish. I had no idea you two were eating over there until I sat down. Honest!”
“I’m not buying it, Will.”
“Would you like me to get some takeout and go back to the hotel? I’d just as soon order in Chinese, but for the life of me I can’t find a single place to get lo mein in this town!” Richard released his grip on William’s shoulder and sat down in the seat opposite his cousin.
“Look; if you’re thinking of interfering in any way--.”
“I’m not planning to interfere…” Richard’s look of disbelief gave him pause. “All right, I still think you’re making a colossal mistake and I think that you should--.”
“Good night, Will.” Richard rose to his feet, but William gripped his arm.
“Look, Richard. I want to see you happy, you know that. But you can’t blame me for being a little concerned.” Richard’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t want to see you hurt. Listen, let me just check into a few things,” Richard pulled his arm away.
“Listen to me, William. Don’t ruin this for me, okay? I have something real here, something special. Don’t spoil it!”
“If she’s legit, there’s nothing to spoil,” William reasoned. “I just want to make a few inquiries--.” Richard wrested his arm from William’s grasp and strode away. A moment later, he reappeared at the table with Olivia. William sipped his drink and played with his appetizer as he mulled over his cousin’s words. It pained him to be at odds with his cousin, especially as it concerned so crucial a matter as Richard’s future happiness. William sighed as he watched the couple across the road rise and leave the restaurant. Richard steadfastly refused to look in his direction, although Olivia offered a brief acknowledgment. William forced himself to remain where he sat, long after he’d abandoned both his drink and his food. After about an hour, he rose and returned to the hotel. He went to the reception desk and arranged for a taxi for the following morning, then dragged himself up to his room and watched a Marx Brothers movie dubbed in Spanish.
**
Lizzy Bennet looked at her place card and checked the numbers on the table as she walked into the ballroom. She found her table and took a seat.
“Hello, Lizzy!”
“Hi, Alva! Thanks for arranging to have me at your table this time. Last time I came to one of these meetings I was stuck at a table full of strangers with only--.”
“Lizzy Bennet!” Charlotte called. “I haven’t seen you since our last meeting. Looks like we’re sharing a table again.” Lizzy cast a horrified glance at her friend and sat down. “I just love these meetings, don’t you?” Alva smiled benignly as Lizzy suppressed an urge to gag. She had joined this particular women’s association only because it looked good on her resume. It was a prestigious organization with a long history of public works, and Lizzy had yet to meet a female partner in a New York City law firm who did not belong to it. Lizzy had every intention of being offered a partnership in her firm before her thirtieth birthday. But to be completely honest, she found the meetings tedious and time-consuming, and she found the membership by invitation policy somewhat offensive, particularly since it meant that the New York City chapter--presumably the most ethnically diverse-- had only a handful of Black and Latino members. Lizzy’s friend Alva Sanchez was one of the rare exceptions. She and Lizzy had attended law school together, and both women only attended association meetings because it gave them an opportunity to see each other more frequently.
“How are you, Charlotte?” Lizzy asked in spite of herself.
“Oh, the usual; up to my neck in a big case and trying to manage my love life around it all.” Neither Alva nor Lizzy wanted to ask the follow up question, but Charlotte satisfied their curiosity nonetheless. “I’ve been seeing someone new.”
“Oh?” Alva said noncommittally. She knew Charlotte only a little, but she already knew enough of the woman to be put off by her odd personality. Charlotte was one of those people who always gave the appearance of being interested in others but in reality was only concerned about promoting her own agenda.
“Yes. I’ve been invited up to meet his family this weekend in Connecticut,” she said coyly.
“Really?” Lizzy gasped, nearly choking on her roll. Alva quickly came to her assistance.
“Yes. In fact,” Charlotte said as she pulled her phone out of her bag, “I should call and see what time we’re leaving town tomorrow. She made a show of dialing a number and asking for William Darcy. Lizzy and Alva exchanged a significant glance. Charlotte closed her phone with a pout. “He’s still out of town on business,” she sighed. “I’ll have to try him again later.” Lizzy tried to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. Another woman joined the trio at the table and Lizzy eagerly engaged her in conversation. Alva busied herself with the meeting program and material packet until she, too, found someone else to speak to. When the luncheon meeting broke up an hour and a half later, during which Charlotte prattled on incessantly about “William,” Lizzy and Alva strolled out of the hotel together.
“I don’t know who William Darcy is, but I pity the poor man,” Lizzy said as she pulled out her appointment book to make a dinner date with her friend.
“You’ve never heard of William Darcy, or I should say Fitzwilliam Darcy, III?”
“Darcy…That name sounds vaguely familiar.”
“It should; I work for Darcy Taylor North--as in Fitzwilliam Darcy, I, Fitzwilliam Darcy, II, and--?” Alva reminded her.
“Oh, so you work with the victim,” Lizzy smiled.
“I wish! He’s in estate, I’m in copyright. I wish I had taken a few more electives with you.”
“Alva, you sound pathetic.”
“Honey, you have never seen William Darcy!”
“Hot?”
“Look up inferno in the dictionary and his picture would be there above the caption ‘as hot as it gets’.” Lizzy laughed. “And they say he’s a brilliant attorney, to boot.”
“I think you’re exaggerating, dear.”
“Hey! Ask any woman in the building under the age of ninety and she’ll tell you that an elevator ride with him is like female Viagra. If you don’t feel anything when you look at him, girl, you’re dead.”
“Where has this man been all my life?” Lizzy sighed dramatically.
“Hey, I love you Lizzy, but I don’t share everything! I’ll throw you a bone, though. When we meet for lunch next week, you come to my office and meet me.”
“And we’ll ride the elevators?” Lizzy giggled.
“Laugh if you must, but I can’t tell you how many times I have prayed for that elevator to stick--and I’m claustrophobic!” Lizzy raised an eyebrow.
“And this man is dating Charlotte?” Alva’s face fell.
“You’re right. I don’t like the sound of that.” She immediately brightened. “But as my abuelita says, God divides. William Darcy got the looks, someone else got the brains.”
“What’s an abuelita?” Lizzy asked.
“She is the little old lady who always tells you you’re too skinny when you come to my family gatherings.” Lizzy smiled.
“Oh. Give your grandmother my best when you talk to her.” Lizzy hailed a cab and headed uptown with a smile on her face.
**
William arrived in New York late Thursday afternoon. He dragged himself to the cab stand and stared dully out the window all the way back into the city. By the time he arrived at his apartment he was exhausted.
“Evening, Mr. Darcy,” the doorman said as he pulled William’s suitcase out of the trunk. “Did you have a nice trip?” William mumbled something unintelligible as he collected his mail. The doorman gave him his dry cleaning and William struggled with the additional burden as he reached out to hit the button that would take him to his floor. The doorman took pity on him and pressed it for him before the door closed. William dragged his suitcase to his door, scattering envelopes behind him as he went. He reached his apartment and rested his dry cleaning on the suitcase and went back for his mail. The plastic-encased suit slid to the floor as he did...