Beginning, Section II, Next Section
Part 5 Posted on Sunday, 08-Nov-98
Georgiana paced the foyer, wondering where Caroline was, wondering whether or not she'd made the right choice in calling her. After all, Caroline had known about the plan against her and had done nothing. And she did hold a major grudge against her brother and new sister-in-law. Plus, Caroline had never actually succeeded in winning Fitz. But Georgiana reasoned that there was no one who was as determined as Caroline Bingley. Besides, Georgiana didn't actually intend to use every idea Caroline came up with. She'd just use the best of them.
Still, she couldn't help wondering if she'd made a mistake because Caroline had said she'd be there in thirty minutes. Which meant that Caroline was in Chicago, and not Boston as she should be. Which led to Georgiana questioning why she was there, and why she hadn't tried to interrupt the wedding or ruin the reception. Those sorts of things she wouldn't put past Caroline.
Georgiana walked to the door of the room where she knew Rich and Lydia were still talking in. It had been thirty minutes since her call, and the two still hadn't come out. What could they be talking about in there?
The minute after Lydia broke away from him, Rich wondered what the hell he'd just done. Had he really just kissed Lydia Bennet? The girl who had nearly ruined his best friend's future, not to mention the future of her rival? Had he really just enjoyed it?
He looked at Lydia, who was sitting back and looking at him with a slightly stunned expression on her face. She smiled. "You look sort of like I feel," she said.
"You're shocked, too?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Why?"
Lydia turned away. Why had she felt stunned? Perhaps because she didn't want to admit the truth--that the last person who had made her feel so tingly inside had been George Wickham. And look where that had landed her.
Lydia had divided her life into three segments--her life before the Olympics, the week and a half she'd been at the Olympics, and her life after her humiliation.
Her life before the Olympics, Lydia realized as she reflected on it, had actually been pretty good. She'd been respected, if considered unartistic. She'd had her mother's love and support, her father's attempts to guide her into being more artistic (although she never fooled herself into believing that he preferred her to Lizzy), her older sister to watch over her. And if she didn't have George Wickham's love, well, it was the only gray spot in her life. She'd been feisty, young, happy. She'd been the favorite to win a gold medal in her event. She shouldn't have worried about Georgiana Darcy at all. Things had been pretty terrific.
Then came the time she'd spent at the Olympics. As Charles Dickens had written, it had been the best and worst of times for her. Lydia had been the press's darling. Georgiana Darcy had been faltering in practice. Living in the Olympic village had been fantastic, even if she had had to share a room with Lizzy. The only thing, in the beginning, that had been bad was that George obviously preferred Lizzy to her. He'd always preferred Lizzy to her. Lydia didn't fool herself anymore--if she hadn't thrown herself at him, George would never have known she was alive. At the time, she'd thought that he was falling in love with her. She'd even thought of telling him the truth--that he was the only man she'd ever made love with. He'd been too drunk to notice.
Then, for whatever reasons, he'd deliberately dropped Lizzy during their long program. Lydia, who thought that she'd done a lot of foolish things, had never been able to understand why he would deliberately sabotage his own Olympic hopes. And, having done so, why he would blame Fitz Darcy for all his problems. At the time, believing herself to be in love with him and believing George to be in love with her, she'd been able to see his point of view. It was what led her to go along with his scheme, even if she still didn't quite see herself as being as heavily involved as everyone else seemed to think.
After he'd been caught and arrested, and Fitz Darcy had given her the choice of being arrested and going to jail or else going free and going home, Lydia had blamed Fitz and Georgiana almost as fiercely as George did. And that had started the last part of her life--waking up to the reality of what she'd done and growing from her mistakes. Hard as it might seem to the world in general, Lydia Bennet was capable of growing up. She was capable of adult emotions. She'd learned her lesson the hard way, because she knew she'd never skate without hiding her identity again. It had been hard, when she'd finally realized it.
Realizing that George didn't love her, that had come easier and faster. In fact, that had happened soon after she'd been released and she'd gone to visit him in jail. He'd coldly looked at her, said that she was a stupid little kid, and told her to get the hell out of his life. She realized that this, then, was the real George Wickham--not the golden man of her dreams that she'd wanted for so long, but the reality. The man who had crippled Georgiana once before and tried to do it again. The man who had caused her sister to lose a gold medal. And for the first time in her life, Lydia felt embarrassed and ashamed by her actions.
And she realized that she hadn't loved him, either, because she hadn't really known him.
Which was why she was so shocked by how she'd felt when Rich had kissed her now. Perhaps shocked wasn't the right word. Maybe scared was more accurate. After all--hadn't Rich liked Lizzy, too? Just like George. And if there was one thing Lydia liked to think, it was that she'd learned her lesson about men. Especially men who carried torches for her sister.
"I just am," she said quietly.
Rich looked into her brown eyes again. She had eyes just like Lizzy's...no, that wasn't right. Lizzy's eyes were a bit darker, a little plainer, while Lydia's were...were almost like..well, he couldn't quite figure out how they were different, but he knew they were.
"How did you know who I was?" Lydia asked.
"You stand out in a crowd," he said. "If your hair didn't give you away--"
"No, Rich, I don't mean...I meant, how did you know I was Lindsey Bent? How did you even know about that?"
"Oh! That...well, I heard your mother calling you one day, and she asked for Lindsey Bent. A minute later, she called you by your real name. I really wouldn't have told anybody about you. I just said that because..."
"I know why you did it. You didn't want me to cause a scene."
"I didn't know that you weren't going to cause one."
"I think my presence caused enough of a scene for Lizzy and Fitz." Lydia's eyes filled with tears again.
Rich felt something in his heart tug again. Damn! Richard Allen Fitzwilliam, get a hold of yourself! This is Lydia Bennet!
"They're never going to forgive me, are they?"
"Well, Liddy, Georgiana is Fitz's sister..."
"But Lizzy could at least forgive me. I'm her sister. If she'd only give me a chance to..."
"To what? To apologize? You don't really need to apologize to Lizzy. You should apologize to Georgiana."
Even though Lydia was a bit more mature, she still felt the old distaste for Georgiana Darcy rise within her. Quickly she squashed it. "I guess this brings us back to whether or not I should've been invited to the wedding."
"I can't say anything about their decision--it's theirs to defend. But...and you're not going to like this...I think you should've--"
"But I told you, I thought I was invited. I didn't think I was coming uninvited, or I wouldn't have come. My mother called to tell me that Lizzy had changed her mind and wanted me to come to the wedding. She even told me that I should wear a dress like this. How was I to know that she was lying, and this dress she sent me was exactly like the bridesmaids' dresses?" The tears spilled over Lydia's cheeks. "I guess you think I'm lying, that this was all my idea."
"No. I believe that Frances did all this."
"You said that you can't question their decision. That's a lie, because you can. So do you think I should've been invited?"
"Lydia, you can't ask me--"
"Just answer me, please."
"Yes." It came out quickly and honestly, before Rich could take it back. "I think you should've been invited. I don't know whether or not it would've been advisable to have you in the wedding party, but you should've been allowed to come."
Lydia stared at him for a long minute, just looking at him before nodding her head. "Thank you."
The petite but curvaceous figure graciously emerged from the taxi. She gave a bill to the driver and walked away without bothering with change. Looking up at the building, she raised one elegant and perfectly plucked eyebrow. She then walked into the building and noticed the young woman pacing furiously.
"Hello, Georgiana," Caroline Bingley said with a smile that never quite reached her green eyes.
Georgiana suddenly remembered why she'd never really liked Caroline. Caroline was fake and vain and envious. Caroline was annoying and petulant and scheming.
Scheming. That was why you called her. Now you're stuck with it.
"Caroline...it's good of you to come. I was so surprised when you told me that you were in Chicago," Georgiana replied, extending her hand.
Caroline shook it lightly. "I decided to do some shopping, and see a few friends I hadn't seen in a while. It was good for me to see old friends."
"Then you had no idea that Fitz was getting married today."
"Not until I saw it on television this morning. There was a small bit about them getting married today on the anniversary of..." Caroline trailed off, not wanting to think about why today was so special.
If there was one thing Caroline had regretted, it was allowing Lizzy to set herself up as the successor to her throne as Fitz's partner so easily. Caroline knew now that she should've insisted on skating with Fitz in that exhibition, which had been the starting point of three golden years for her former partner and that...that...
Well, anyway, instead of trying for one last chance to convince Fitz that they were a far superior team than he ever would be with Lizzy, she'd gone home to Boston, humiliated and furious, and eventually she'd been shunted off to singles ranks because Catherine de Bourgh could find no one to partner her. Considering that Caroline was lucky to have mastered a double axel, things weren't going well.
"How are you doing?" Georgiana asked politely. "I heard that you were thinking of retirement."
"Yes, well, I haven't had as much success as you have."
"You almost sound envious."
"Nonsense. I never was a singles' skater. You and I both know it. I'm very happy for you, Georgiana. You know...I never did apologize for not telling you or Fitz about what George Wickham and that awful Lydia Bennet intended to do."
"It's all water under the bridge, Caroline. I need your help."
"Yes, you said that on the phone. What do you need help with?"
Georgiana frowned. "I want you to come with me." She led Caroline to the room where Rich and Lydia had gone. She opened the door a crack so that Caroline could see what was going on.
"Oh, my God," Caroline breathed. "They're....kissing. I can't imagine what's gotten into Rich."
"Neither can I."
"Why do you care? I mean, why did this bother you enough to call me? It's not like..." Caroline looked at Rich and Lydia again. They weren't kissing anymore, but she could hear Rich's voice.
"Not quite as stunned this time," he said.
"No," she replied. "I think I'm getting used to this."
"Scared?"
"Out of my wits," Lydia said with a chuckle. "You?"
"Ditto."
Caroline shut the door, hoping they hadn't heard the click. "I see," she said. "You're in love with Rich."
"Yes."
"And obviously, the fact that he's kissing Lydia doesn't sit well with you."
"I think you can understand why."
"When did this start?"
"I think I fell in love with him when he saved me from George at the Olympics."
"I figured that. I meant, when did this thing with Lydia start?"
"Today, I would imagine. No one's seen her in almost two years, not since her last attempt to skate at Nationals. Now, after all this time, she butts back into my life to steal the man I'm in love with. She seems to have impeccable timing."
"That she does." Caroline thought swiftly. "What, exactly, is it that you're looking to do?"
"I'd like to run in there and rip her rotten little heart out...if I could find it."
"A bit messy, but a possibility," Caroline said. "What else?"
"Just the obvious, I guess. I want to win Rich's heart, and I have no idea how to go about it. I mean, I never had to fight for anything before."
Caroline smiled. "Now this makes sense. I wondered why you'd bother calling me after all this time, especially since the last time we talked, we weren't exactly on the best of terms."
"Are you willing to help me?"
Caroline's smile grew wider. She hoped it looked innocent, even though the mind behind it was thinking anything but kind thoughts. If she could help Georgiana, it would surely filter back to Fitz and Lizzy. And anything that would cause problems with them was good. She may have lost any hopes for a future in skating because of them, and she may have lost Fitz to Lizzy, but she could still have some sort of revenge.
She would help Georgiana win Rich--her way. And if she knew Fitz, it would drive him crazy because it would require Georgiana to take some risks and act more mature than Fitz would like.
"Come on. Let's head back to the reception before they hear us or come out and find us here. We can talk there...and come up with some sort of plan."
Georgiana put all of her fearful thoughts aside. Caroline was going to help her, and that was the most important thing to her right now.
Surely, with Caroline's planning and Georgiana's good sense, Rich would fall in love with her in no time. She was sure of it.
Part 6 Posted on Tuesday, 17-Nov-98
The inexplicable sight of Georgiana Darcy and Caroline Bingley talking amiably as they returned to the reception caught everyone's attention. Everyone turned to whisper to one another, trying to figure out what Caroline was doing there, and why Georgiana seemed happy to talk to her.
The general opinion was that Caroline had arrived to ruin the reception as Lydia had and had arrived too late. As for Georgiana's cheerfulness, they put that to her being a bit drunk. Everyone had seen her drinking two whiskey sours, which for someone as little as Georgiana was probably the equivalent of a six-pack of beer. Since Caroline had arrived too late to ruin anything and Georgiana would come to her senses with nothing more than a headache in the morning, the other guests turned their attention back to more interesting things.
Charlotte Lucas had taken off her God-awful heels and danced a fast dance with James Hampton. It had taken all of ten minutes to finally convince John that she wanted to stay. Finally, she'd told him he could leave if he wanted, but she was staying. So of course he stayed, and now she saw that he was giving James the same murderous glances he'd been giving Carl.
He's jealous!
Charlotte couldn't help smiling. It was most refreshing to have actual proof of John's feelings for her. She wished she had a camera, so she could get a picture to show everyone who wasn't there to see him.
She was so tired of the look everyone got whenever she talked of John. Charlotte knew he wasn't perfect. She knew he'd had quite a few women in his life. She knew that he rarely bothered with any female skater who hadn't won at least a National title. And if she thought for a second that he'd gone back to his old ways, she'd call off the engagement in a heartbeat.
But she knew he hadn't. How could he, when they spent nearly all their time together? He even came to all her practices. She'd heard the rumors. Had anyone asked her to her face (which no one did--rumors didn't work that way), she would've asked, "When does he find the time?"
Still, it frustrated her the way all her friends seemed to think John was no good for her. And it didn't help her frazzled nerves, because John was supposed to meet her family soon, and Charlotte was so scared of their opinion that she'd been nauseated at times.
No one believed that he'd changed and that he actually loved her--except Carl.
The song ended, and James thanked her for the dance. Before she could make her way back to John, a slower song came on and her old student, William, came to ask her to dance. Charlotte wasn't about to refuse one of her students, even though she wanted to dance with John, so she looked apologetically over her shoulder as she walked back to the dance floor. He was looking less than pleased, but not jealous as he'd been before.
Of course, that probably had something to do with William's age.
Charlotte made small talk with the young man as they danced. She was able to see Carl, who was frowning.
Charlotte inwardly sighed. Poor Carl. Obviously his heart was in tatters. If she could get her hands on the rotten little witch who had hurt him so badly....
Then again, maybe his problem wasn't that he'd been rejected. Maybe he was in love with someone and was afraid to say anything to her, either because she was with someone else or because it would cause problems.
Charlotte tried to see who he was frowning at, with no success. The only people in his line of vision who could possibly be causing such a reaction were Caroline and Georgiana. Since she knew in her innermost heart that Carl had more sense than to fall in love with Caroline, that would normally leave Georgiana. And while Carl would certainly have problems with Fitz if he were to fall in love with Georgiana, the young lady was too young for him. Besides, it didn't look like he was really glaring at her.
So much for thinking she might be at the reception. Charlotte thought for a minute that perhaps she could help him by trying to set him up with someone else. Someone who would help him get over the heartless tramp who had broken his heart.
Charlotte smiled. Carl had been such a good friend to her that it was the least she could do for him.
John saw that enigmatic smile and wondered what Charlotte was smiling about--for nearly thirty seconds. Then his attention was caught by a stunning brunette waitress. He found a pen and paper, wrote a quick note, and discreetly handed it to her when she came around with more champagne. She winked, knowing full well what he was interested in.
John smiled in anticipation of a good evening. What Charlotte didn't know wouldn't hurt her.
When Rich finally returned to the reception, Lydia was nowhere to be seen.
"You see? He might kiss her in private but he wouldn't be seen with her in public," Caroline told Georgiana. "Who knows? Maybe it was just a moment of madness and now he's over it."
"Maybe," Georgiana said glumly, knowing Rich better than that.
Caroline hadn't given her a single useful idea for winning Rich. All the ideas she had given her were too risky. Fitz would kill her if she even considered them.
Georgiana truly began to believe that calling Caroline had been a dreadful mistake, because not only wasn't she giving her dreadful ideas, she was making criticisms of everything.
Rich had told Lydia that he wouldn't mind if she joined him for a dance or two, but Lydia had declined. She knew that appearing with her would only cause trouble for Rich. When he asked if he could call, she gave him her cellular phone number. In return, he'd given her his.
Rich went to the bar and ordered a Dr. Pepper, having decided that he'd had enough to drink. Before he could get it, however, he saw Georgiana sitting at a table with Caroline. His eyes narrowed, and he nearly marched over to them.
"He doesn't look happy," Georgiana whispered as he approached. "I think he knows we were spying on him."
"He would've said something when he found it out," Caroline hissed.
Rich stopped just short of their table and glared at Caroline. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked coldly. "I don't remember Liz or Fitz suffering from major blows to the head which would render them stupid enough to have sent you an invitation."
"Georgiana invited me," Caroline replied with a small, satisfied smirk on her face.
Rich snorted. "I'm not that stupid, Caroline."
"But--" Caroline was about to defend her statement when Georgiana stepped on her shoe. She let out a gasp of pain and fell silent, giving Georgiana a dark look.
"I hate to break your heart, but Liz and Fitz already left for the honeymoon. You missed your opportunity to mess things up."
Caroline didn't quite comprehend the gleam in Georgiana's eyes, but she knew the young woman had come up with a plan that required her to keep quiet about who had asked her to come.
"And now you're claiming that Georgiana asked you to come?"
"Rich, please don't make a scene," Georgiana said, standing up and placing herself between the two. "You wouldn't let Lydia cause one. Don't let Caroline."
Rich looked down at her. Her luminous blue eyes were so full of innocence and pleading that he couldn't help but give in.
"Let's dance," he said, leading Georgiana to the dance floor. The DJ was playing George Michael's "Kissing a Fool."
"What happened?" he asked as the song began.
"Well, I ran into her when she arrived. She seemed sincere--just like Lydia."
Rich almost thought that Georgiana was being sarcastic, but her eyes looked so innocent that he thought it must've been his imagination. "Lydia was sincere," he said. "But I thought you hated her."
You have no idea. "Don't get me wrong. I dislike her and I'll never trust her, but..." God forgive me for this whopper... "I think she should've been invited to the wedding."
Rich was surprised to hear her say that. "Really?"
"Mm-hmm. It would've been tough for me, seeing her and all, but I could've handled it."
Rich said nothing, but he couldn't help admiring her mature attitude toward the Lydia situation. "So what did Caroline say that made you think she was being sincere?"
"She...well, she didn't say much of anything. She said she was sorry she'd missed them. But she was really nice to me, and we've been talking--"
"Georgiana, have you forgotten Caroline's part in that little plot?"
Have you forgotten Lydia's? "No. But she was so sincere..."
Rich sighed. Georgiana looked so little and helpless. It was so easy for the Caroline Bingleys of the world to insinuate themselves into the lives of such innocents like Georgiana.
"She's only trying to cause trouble," Rich said. "Believe me, if she's being nice to you, it's only because she knows it'll bother Fitz and Liz."
Georgiana bit her lip until tears formed in her eyes. "I guess you're right," she mumbled. "I feel so stupid."
"Hey...don't feel stupid. Caroline's good. Really good." Rich felt like he'd stepped all over her, and he hated the feeling.
Rich wondered why she seemed to upset. He figured she was lonely, now that Liz and Fitz were married and gone. They were her nearest and dearest, since her parents, whom she rarely saw, were divorced and were arguing even at this moment about some insignificant matter. Liz and Fitz had become her surrogate parents. Without them, Georgiana had reached out for anyone who would be nice to her. That it was Caroline Bingley was of no importance, as long as someone cared.
"Tell you what," he said. "How about if we go see the new Adam Sandler movie tomorrow night?"
Georgiana wanted to shout, she was so thrilled. "Okay."
She'd done it! That kiss had meant nothing--it was only comfort because Lydia had been hurt by not being invited to the wedding. Nothing more.
Rich went to dance with Charlotte, and Georgiana motioned for Caroline to join her in the ladies' room.
"Why did you do that?" Caroline demanded.
"Because I came up with a plan!" Georgiana's eyes were bright, and she talked excitedly. "And it worked! We have a date."
"Fill me in so I know what's going on."
"It's simple. I'll hang out with you--a lot--and Rich will try to get me away from you. So we'll spend time together, and eventually he's going to fall in love with me, and everything's going to work out just fine."
Caroline vaguely saw the logic, but wasn't sure she liked her role in all of it. Still, it served two purposes, since Fitz and Lizzy would be annoyed by her presence as well. And if Georgiana gained her objective, well, so much the better. Caroline would go along with it.
For now.
Part 7 Posted on Tuesday, 17-Nov-98
James Hampton had managed to remain single after thirty-three years for two reasons. First, because he'd dated so many women who wanted him for either his money or his celebrity (although he maintained that sportscasters were hardly celebrities, he was well-known). Over the years, it had led to a certain cynicism toward the female sex.
His second reason was far more simple. He'd never fallen in love.
James often felt that his first reason tended to interfere with the odds of the second one ever happening.
It wasn't that he didn't believe in love. His own parents were happily married after forty years. He had friends, including Fitz, who were almost disgustingly besotted in love, clear evidence that it was possible. James even dreamed sometimes of getting married, settling down instead of jet-setting everywhere around the world, maybe having some children.
Then he looked around at the all-too-available pool of women. Vultures, every one. He'd dated many of them, hoping to find one who might be real underneath. A woman who wouldn't lie to him about important things. He'd dated more than his share of liars, women who would look him right in the eye and lie to him. He wanted a woman who liked comedy clubs and wasn't above pulling the occasional practical joke. She wouldn't have to be the perfect housewife, but cooking and cleaning weren't things she would consider beneath her dignity. She would look at him and see more than a famous sportscaster, see more than the fact that his mother had been Melissa Darcy before she'd married and thus had cursed her son with a major inheritance when he'd turned twenty-five.
Impossible.
James prided himself on being an observer of human nature. It kept him from falling into many of the traps that had been set for him even from the age of seventeen. It allowed him to think rationally when the occasion called. If a negative side effect was that he became a bit distant with people at times because they didn't understand his sense of humor, he didn't let it bother him.
And it allowed him to maintain a strong sense of humor. The sight of Caroline Bingley palling around with Georgiana Darcy was fairly amusing. Although James couldn't figure out why Georgiana was enduring Caroline, he'd bet every dime in his money market account that he had Caroline's motives on target.
Georgiana and Caroline returned to the reception separately. Georgiana walked over to dance with Carl Denny, while Caroline found a table to sit at and ignore some of the looks coming her way.
James studied her as she sat alone. He supposed Caroline was rather attractive. Her nose was too pointy and she needed someone to tell her that orange was never going to be her color. Her green eyes narrowed too often, which was going to give her wrinkles far sooner than she'd want if she wasn't careful. Of course, since he'd heard she had some money of her own, she'd probably be able to have the surgery to remove them. Her brown hair was expertly styled and suited her face. She looked--and probably was--just like all the other women he'd dated. Were he to walk up to her and ask for a dance, he'd see her doing the calculations in her head as she figured how much money he had.
Still, he'd always had a weakness for lost causes, and Caroline showing up at this reception and staying even though the bride and groom had left struck him as being a bad case. He walked over to the other side of the room where Caroline sat.
"Hello," he said politely.
Caroline looked up and smiled. "Hi."
"James Hampton." He waited for her to say, Yes, I know.
"Caroline Bingley." She waited for him to say, Yes, I know.
"Would you like to dance?"
Both were surprised at the other's seeming nonchalance about their celebrity. It confused them both. Caroline wondered why he hadn't mentioned her being and Olympic champion. Surely he knew.
Of course he knows, Caroline. He's James Hampton. But to her utter embarrassment, she had no idea who he was, not being one to watch much TV and not knowing his connection to the Darcy family.
"Sure," she replied, feeling a bit like a teenager.
James looked at her closely, waiting for that all-knowing look which had yet to appear in her eyes. Didn't she know who he was?
Of course she does. Caroline's never been the type not to know the names of the fifty richest men in America.
He led her to the floor. The DJ played a slow song.
Caroline looked into the brown eyes of this stranger she was dancing with. He reminded her of someone. She just wasn't sure who.
"So why are you here?" he asked.
"Why are you here?" Caroline replied, her voice sharp. She was tired of the question, because no one believed the answer she'd been giving and she couldn't tell them the truth.
"I was one of the groomsmen."
"You know Fitz?"
James and Fitz didn't advertise their relationship, but most people were observant enough to notice their similarity to each other. Yet here stood the woman who had been Fitz's pairs partner for several years, and she couldn't see what was right before her.
He had no idea how she could miss it, but it was almost refreshing.
"Yeah," he said simply.
"Oh. Then you know...the papers said they were going to Australia for their honeymoon." This was said with a dazzling smile that James recognized.
The papers had said no such thing, and James knew it. He knew they were going to Florence for their honeymoon, and also why Caroline had posed the question. And that smile was purely to get information out of him.
"Did they?"
Caroline frowned. Was the man obtuse? Most men, when she smiled at them, were willing to tell her anything...or give her anything, depending on what she wanted. Surely Fitz had told his friends where he was going.
"Or perhaps it was Japan."
"Hope they brought enough clothes. There's quite a temperature difference between Australia and Japan."
"I didn't say both."
"And neither did the papers." James winked at her.
Caroline's jaw tightened. He'd known all along what she was hinting at--the skunk!
"But you know?"
"I know, but you need to see a neurosurgeon if you think I'm going to tell you. Planning to visit Fitz and Lizzy in Portugal, are you?"
"Are they going there?"
James could not longer hold back his laughter. "No. You didn't answer my question."
"You asked one?"
"Why do you want to know where they're headed?"
"So I can send them a card of congratulations."
"I'm betting you'd be sending them a funeral wreath."
"What gives you the right to presume so much about me? You don't know me at all."
"Caroline Ariel Bingley--you must tell me how you got the middle name. You were born on April 13, you're twenty-six, brown hair, green eyes, and you have a fondness for orange. It's not your color, though. You wanted Fitz Darcy as more than a skating partner but lost out. Now you're looking for revenge, not only because of that, but also because Fitz is enjoying more success now than he did with you."
"That's not true! Fitz and I skated to a gold medal--"
"I'm well aware of that. But like it or not, Caroline, he's a more popular skater with Lizzy. And after they get their gold together next year--"
"There's no guarantee of that."
"Nothing is guaranteed, but you can bet Fitz's performance will be a lot more inspired than the one he gave three years ago."
"He gave a flawless--"
"--and emotionless."
"--performance with me. We won, didn't we?"
"You had some assistance in that area."
Caroline scoffed, "I never believed that nonsense about how we would've lost if Wickham hadn't dropped Lizzy."
"Of course not. You won, didn't you?"
Caroline felt ready to smack him. "If all you were going to do was insult me, why did you ask me to dance?"
"I'm not insulting you. If anyone's been insulted here, it's me."
"You?"
"Yes, me. You honestly thought I'd mention that they were going to Antarctica for their honeymoon?"
"Now I know they wouldn't go there."
"A pair of figure skaters? Don't you know what great ice they have down there?"
"So they went somewhere cold."
James laughed. "Caroline, you're still insulting me. I'm not going to tell you where they've gone. You see, I do know who you are."
Caroline glared at him. "And I know who who are. A complete jerk!" She pulled away from him and walked off the dance floor--a reaction which would've made more of an impression had the song not ended at that moment.
As she walked away, James couldn't help liking her. She was deceitful and dishonest, and absolutely nothing at all what he would like.
But she had a lot of spunk.
James liked spunk. He followed her at a discreet distance. A young woman stopped her at the door, someone Caroline knew in Boston.
"Caroline! I didn't know you knew James Hampton. Is it serious?"
Caroline frowned. She knew the woman vaguely. She was Laura somebody. Caroline had never been good with names.
"Serious? You're kidding. He's a jerk."
Laura frowned. "He wasn't when I dated him. He was a great guy. I wish he'd wanted to become more serious, but he said that things would be better if we were just friends. A few months later, he was telling my friend Annie the same thing. He dumps you, but he makes you feel as though you were the best thing to happen in his life that you don't feel so bad."
"I think you and your friend are being awfully generous to him. I've talked with him, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that he's a creep."
Laura figured that Caroline was nuts. "A woman could put up with a lot for a man like James. He's got all that money, he's fairly well-known, and he's connected to Fitz." Laura knew that last part would pique Caroline's interest.
"He is?" Caroline realized that she now knew who he reminded her of.
"First cousins, I think."
"They could be identical twins and it still wouldn't make that man appealing to me," Caroline muttered. "Excuse me."
James watched her retreat and laughed again. It seemed that Caroline was full of surprises. At least, enough to interest him for now.
Part 8 Posted on Tuesday, 24-Nov-98
The reception finally ended. The guests went home, either in their own cars or cabs for those who shouldn't be driving. The clean-up crew arrived to take care of the mess, and the wedding day of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy officially was over.
Frances Bennet was exhausted from the day's activities. She asked Thomas if they could put off the talk he wanted to have until morning, then crawled into bed and fell asleep without waiting for a reply. Thomas was frustrated because he'd wanted to berate his wife for her underhanded tactics to get Lydia to the wedding, and thus had trouble sleeping.
Georgiana Darcy, feeling a little nauseated, went to bed happy nonetheless. Rich had agreed that they would go out after practice on Tuesday, and Georgiana was almost too excited to sleep. Finally, a mixture of alcohol and the emotions winding down from the day tired her out, and she fell asleep.
Rich Fitzwilliam tried sleeping, but a pair of velvety brown eyes kept him awake. He couldn't help thinking of how much more mature Lydia seemed. It was too bad she'd be going back on tour and he wouldn't get to see much of her, but he thought that perhaps he could call her tomorrow and they could go out for coffee of something. He had few thoughts for Georgiana outside of making sure she wouldn't go near Caroline Bingley again anytime soon.
Lydia Bennet stared out the window of her old bedroom. It brought back too many memories of the past, and she couldn't sleep. She was reminded too much of the silly teenager who had been crazy about George Wickham, which got her thinking of Rich. She wondered if he would call. She wondered if he would've asked if he'd known that she'd quit her tour. Lydia wondered what her mother would say when she told her she was giving up skating altogether. It was going to be a restless night for her.
John Thorpe didn't return to his hotel room, but instead went back to the brunette waitress' apartment, where the two of them spent a good part of the night in bed, although sleeping wasn't what they did there.
Charlotte Lucas returned to her hotel room, feeling more tired than she'd thought she was. She didn't realize that John had continually suggested that she needed rest because she was tired, which had worn her out. She read a couple chapters of Bridget Jones' Diary before turning out the light.
Carl Denny spent most of the night tossing and turning. When sleep finally came, his dream was of the day Charlotte would realize how wrong Thorpe was for her.
As for the newlyweds, they were in the honeymoon suite of Chicago's best hotel, resting in each other's arms.
"Mrs. Darcy," Lizzy murmured.
"That's you," Fitz replied.
"It sounds strange to call myself that. Men are lucky that way."
"How so?"
"You were born Fitzwilliam George Darcy, and that's what you'll be called the rest of your life. I was born Elizabeth Rose Bennet, and now I'll be called Elizabeth Bennet Darcy. I have to get used to a completely foreign name."
"Shall I help you become accustomed to being my wife?" Fitz nuzzled her neck.
"Fitz, I think I'm a little tired." The excuse was said with a little giggle, and he knew she didn't mean it.
"That's okay," he murmured. "You relax. I'll do all the work."
"You call this work?" she feigned outrage. "Well, fine. I'd hate to be the one who causes you to work on your wedding night, so..."
"I promise you'll enjoy this, and it won't be hard work for me."
Lizzy could pretend no longer, because he was doing all sorts of amazing things with his hands at that moment.
Besides, what if he believed her?
James stifled a yawn as the doorman opened the door for him. He walked into the hotel, stopping by the front desk to ask for messages. Gratefully, there were none, so he looked forward to a quick shower and then a lot of sleep. What with the wedding rehearsal, Fitz's bachelor party, then the wedding and reception, he was exhausted.
As he waited for the elevator, he heard a voice coming from around the corner. It sounded as though the person were on the telephone.
"Hello? This is Elizabeth Ben--net Darcy," the voice said, hesitating because clearly she'd forgotten that Lizzy was now married. "I'm in the honeymoon suite. Could you send up some raw oysters, along with a couple bottles of beer and--"
James rushed over to where Caroline Bingley was standing. She froze upon seeing him, giving him the opportunity to snatch the cellular phone out of her hand. "Please ignore this call. It's a prank," he said into it, then turned it off.
"Give me that! It's mine!" Caroline exclaimed.
James took a firm grip of her shoulders and practically pushed her onto the elevator when the doors opened.
"How dare you manhandle me! I'm going to press charges in the morning. Enough to make--"
"I'll just have to explain, then, about how I found you about to disturb the Darcys on the wedding night. That should make for interesting reading, don't you think?"
Caroline wanted to scream.
"How did you find out where they were going to be tonight?"
Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and set her jaw.
"Did you call every hotel in Chicago in order to find them?"
"No."
"Then how did you know? I know Georgiana wouldn't have told you, no matter how friendly the two of you seemed this evening."
"I got lucky, I guess." She had her head turned away as she said it. "I was in town, visiting friends, and staying here. I heard a bellhop talking about them staying in the hotel's honeymoon suite."
James would've thought she was telling the truth, but it was too convenient. He took her shoulders and forced her to look into his eyes. "Repeat that," he said.
"I...I..." Caroline tried to hide from those brown eyes boring into hers, almost as if he could see her mind and read her thoughts.
"You can't lie to me," he said softly, amazement creeping into his voice.
"Yes, I can," Caroline hissed quickly. "I think you're extremely attractive."
"You were looking at me when you said that," James said.
"Proof that I can lie to you."
"So how did you find out where they were?"
Caroline muttered, "I told you I heard a bellhop." But she was looking away.
"You were looking away that time," he said. "You can't look me in the eye and lie to me."
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded.
"Back to my room."
"You're nuts!" Caroline practically shouted.
"Keep your voice down. People are trying to sleep."
"I'm not going to your room."
"Fine. We'll go to yours. Where are you staying?"
"You're not coming to mine, either!"
"I'm not going to let you out of my sight. You'll cause Lizzy and Fitz all sorts of grief if I do."
"I promise to be good as gold," Caroline said as James opened the door to his room.
"And I'll bet you weren't looking at me when you said that, either."
"I was!" Well, she hadn't been, but he couldn't possibly know that.
James escorted her into his room and shut the door.
Caroline's first thought was that Laura hadn't been kidding--apparently, James Hampton had money. He was staying in a suite he called a "room."
"Would you like something from the minibar?" he asked.
"No." Caroline sat in a chair and resumed her crossed-arms, set-jaw posture. "I look people in the eyes all the time when I lie to them."
James, who had been in the process of opening a bottle of brandy, paused. "One could interpret that to mean you do nothing but lie to people."
"Ooh!" Caroline looked for something to throw, but one look from James and she stopped searching. "You are the most infuriating man! I'm not a habitual liar."
"Then how did you find out that they'd be here?" James was looking at her intently.
Caroline tried looking away and repeating her story, but his eyes were lasers. She felt she could hide nothing from this man, and for the life of her she didn't know why.
With a huff, she finally mumbled, "I had the limo trailed."
"What was that?"
"I said," she repeated, her eyes on his, "I had them followed. From the reception. There, are you happy?"
"Immensely." James filled two glasses with brandy and handed her one.
"I told you I didn't--"
"You're just holding it for me. I'm going to need it before this night's over."
"And what am I going to be doing all this time?"
"For all I care you can juggle knives in the nude, as long as you don't leave the room."
Caroline flushed. "I can't believe you're related to Fitz," she said coolly.
"I am. Would you like to see my family tree? He's right there on my mother's side of the family."
"The two of you are nothing alike."
"Really? I'm about as wealthy as he is, even if I'm not as famous."
"What the hell do you do?"
"I'm a sportscaster. Imagine--an athlete who hasn't heard of me."
Caroline thought he sounded downright pleased, but she couldn't resist the obvious dig. "What an ego. Fitz never had an ego."
"Before he met Lizzy, Fitz had an ego big enough to fill Wrigley Field."
"And yet he selected you to be a groomsman."
"That he did. Speaking of the wedding and reception, what were you doing there?"
"I had an invitation."
James would've thought she was lying, but her eyes were on him.
Since when did you believe that nonsense? Caroline Bingley would look God himself in the eye and lie to him.
Yes, she would. But she couldn't lie to him without looking away.
God, why did you put the one person I could possibly fall in love with inside the body of Caroline Bingley? Is this a joke?
James sighed. Since Caroline wasn't lying, that left the question of who invited her. So he asked it.
"Georgiana," she said. "It may be hard to believe, but she did ask me to come. She was angry with someone and needed my help."
"To do what? And who was she angry with--her brother?"
"No. It's a long story, and Georgiana doesn't deserve to have me tell you or anyone else. It's confidential."
James smiled. "It's strange that you care about anyone's confidentiality, but I suppose you could make a case that you were keeping Lydia and Wickham's confidentiality three years ago."
Caroline blushed beet-red, furious. "I had my reasons for keeping that quiet. If I'd told anyone, I would probably have been accused of lying."
"You also thought you'd look good to Fitz in the aftermath of the tragedy," James said.
Caroline set her jaw again and looked away. He knew he had the truth of it.
"I'm not going to tell you why she asked me to come," Caroline said. "It's none of your business, and it concerns only Georgiana and I."
"That's fine. I respect that," he said. "It contradicts everything I know about you, but--"
"For God's sake, she's in love with Rich and she wants my help to win him away from that rotten Lydia Bennet!" Caroline snapped.
James sighed. "Richard Fitzwilliam?"
"None other."
"What does Lydia have to do with anything?" he asked.
"You didn't notice how long they were alone together?"
"No, but I was otherwise occupied."
"Well, Georgiana trailed them to an empty conference room and saw them kissing. It's bad enough that Lydia nearly ruined her career. Now she has to swoop down and take away the only man Georgiana's ever loved."
"You don't think that Lydia's changed?"
"I don't know. I didn't talk to her, remember? But Georgiana thinks she's up to something, probably another revenge scheme against her, although how Lydia could possibly know of Georgiana's interest in Rich is beyond me. No one else seems to know."
"Certainly not Fitz, and it would infuriate him if he found out."
"Right."
"Which is where you come in."
"No. I'm here only to help Georgiana."
"Knowing it'll needle Fitz and Lizzy."
"I don't care about them."
"The hell you don't. That was you I just pulled off the telephone, wasn't it?"
"Look, how would you feel? He was my partner for all those years. And the first chance he gets, he dumps me. Right after we'd won our gold medal! What was I supposed to do? Be happy for him and let him go? You're right. I want them to be as miserable as I've been the past three years!"
"Why would you hurt Georgiana to do it?"
"I was going to warn him ahead of time."
"You're not looking at me, Caroline. You were going to play the concerned friend after Georgiana was hurt, looking like an angel of mercy when all along you knew that she was going to be attacked." James sighed. "And that was wrong. Don't you understand that now?"
"Of course I understand that it was wrong. I should've told him beforehand, but--"
"I know. No one would've believed you. Or perhaps you were also waiting for the opportunity to ruin his relationship with Lizzy when it was revealed that her sister was in on the plot."
"If it's any consolation to her, it was all Wickham's idea. Lydia was reluctant to go along with it...at least from what I heard that night. She might've been happier to do it later."
"Only Lydia would know that for certain, and she clearly doesn't want to talk about it. Can't say I blame her."
"Me, either." Caroline took a drink of the brandy she was still holding. It was soothing and good. "You didn't answer my question."
"Which question?"
"How would you feel if someone had done that to you? Say you're a pairs skater. Would you graciously step aside to let her skate with the man who had been your rival for most of your skating career? Someone you couldn't stand? Someone who--in your innermost heart--you knew would've won if she didn't have a moron for a partner?"
"You mean you're actually admitting to that now?"
Caroline raised her eyes. "Weren't you the one claiming just a little while ago that I couldn't lie to you? I could continue to say that we would've won anyway, and rest assured, I still think it for the most part. But you know, and I know, that they would've won."
"If you knew that, then why did you do everything you did? Why did you--"
"Because I loved him. I'd loved him for so long and he'd never paid attention to me except to skate with me. And then here came little Elizabeth Bennet with her pretty dark eyes and her opinions and all this, and she takes him away. And she takes away any career I'd ever have in skating."
"That's nonsense. You were a gold medalist, Caroline. You could've had any partner you wanted after the Olympics. There are quite a few, I'm sure, who would've given their right legs to skate with you. Then you went and screwed up by getting involved with that little plot, even if only on the outside. The only person you have to blame for the ruination of your skating career is yourself."
"Sure. So who told the media that I'd known about it beforehand?"
"One of the nurses who was listening outside the door when Georgiana started screaming at you for your deceit. She called the tabloids and mentioned that Caroline Bingley might have been involved. Did you think Georgiana or Fitz had done it?"
"I guess I did."
"No. They were trying to keep the other participants' involvement as low-key as possible. Lydia's involvement because they wanted to salvage any chance Lizzy had of ever skating again, and yours because they were too embarrassed to admit that someone close to them, someone they trusted, was involved. You owe them something for that."
"Sure. I'm going to be grateful to them. I think they've done enough. I've become the laughingstock of the skating community, but I should be grateful."
"You should be grateful that you're still a part of it...and that the fans aren't treating you the way they treated Lydia Bennet."
Caroline finished the drink in one gulp. "You'll forgive me if grateful isn't what I'm feeling. I was never all that good at gratitude."
"I never would've guessed," he said.
Caroline looked at the amused twinkle in his eyes. She smiled. "But you still haven't answered my question. You're doing quite well at avoiding it, which makes me think that you might've done the same thing if it had happened to you."
James smiled. "Quite observant, Caroline. You're right. I might've tried to get some revenge, but I don't think I would've involved someone else, especially someone as fragile as Georgiana was three years ago. I would've tried to undercut the competition altogether--play it up in the tabloids, cast her as the villain in the piece. I would've warned them ahead of time. Fitz probably would've believed you, since it involved George Wickham. You might've let him discover Lydia's involvement on his own. It would've been more effective than your plan."
"Where were you three years ago? I could've used you."
"I was with a different network."
Caroline laughed. "You really are quite funny," she said. "Maybe if you had been around three years ago, I wouldn't have cared what Fitz had done."
Now what made me say that? she wondered.
James looked into her green eyes, a bit startled by what she'd said. And then he smiled.
"I--I didn't mean--I don't want you to think--I--"
Caroline never finished her thought because James kissed her. As she felt his warm lips caressing hers, Caroline felt the world and all her problems disappear.
"I've been wanting to do this since I saw you sitting alone at the reception," James murmured as he kissed her again.
"You should've told me that rather than torture me all night," Caroline said, putting her arms around him.
"Believe me, Caroline, you were being far more torturous than you think." He stood up abruptly, still holding her in his arms. He looked at her, almost as though he were waiting for a sign.
She pulled him closer to her, and it was all the sign he needed. He swept her into his arms and carried her to his bedroom to continue what they'd started.
Part 9 Posted on Wednesday, 30 December 1998
Two days after the wedding, Lydia was sitting on her parents' tiny balcony, a smoldering cigarette with a long ash beside her. She hadn't smoked the stupid thing, but for some reason the smell was vaguely numbing and reassuring at the same time. She pretended that it was bolstering her courage, but in reality she was just putting off the inevitable.
Besides, it was guaranteed to drive her mother nuts. Perhaps that might offset the news she would be telling her.
Right. And maybe Lizzy would come home today and announce that she wanted a divorce.
"Lydia?"
She turned to see her father. He wasn't frowning or looking disappointed, which came as something of a shock to her. Those were his two favorite expressions when looking at her, or so she seemed to remember.
"Hi, Dad," she said. She glanced inside at the clock on the wall. It was nearly seven. "You're up a little later than usual."
Thomas Bennet was normally an early riser, just as most skaters, coaches, and parents were.
"I'm older than you remember," he said. "I sleep more these days, since you took off and Lizzy's married."
Lydia looked at him with far more critical eyes than she had before, beginning to panic as she recognized the truth of his words. Thomas was nearly sixty, having been in his late thirties when Lizzy was born. Lydia realized that he had looked healthier when she'd last seen him.
Perhaps it's good that I've come home. Mom probably hasn't bothered to notice.
At the disloyal thought, Lydia felt guilty. A small voice in her conscience, however, refused to let it go because she knew it was true.
"Dad...about the other night..."
"I was wondering about that."
"I know. Dad, I swear, Mom told me Lizzy had extended the invitation. I thought I...I didn't think to call Lizzy to see if she was telling the truth, I just believed Mom. God, I was so stupid!"
"You weren't stupid, Lydia," Thomas said.
"She even told me what sort of dress to wear. Why didn't I see it then?"
"Why have you come home?" he asked. "Elizabeth's wedding wouldn't normally have brought you home."
Lydia looked away. The cigarette had burned itself out. "I quit the show," she said, turning back in expectation of his disappointment. Instead, he was just looking at her impassively.
"You did." It was not a question.
Lydia nodded.
"Did someone figure out who you were?"
"No. I just quit. I'm tired of it all. I'm ready to move on with my life."
"What made you tired?"
"Everything. Having to remember to answer to Lindsey, or Bent. Fearing that a promoter, one of the other skaters, or a sharp-eyed fan would notice that my double axels were big enough they could've been triples. Or that they'd recognize me." There was more than that, and she wasn't close enough to him to say what it was.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. Being Lydia Bennet is quite a curse. It's not like I'll ever be able to do much once people know who I am."
Thomas took a hard look at his forlorn daughter. The two had never been close, but he sensed that this Lydia was far different from the hotheaded nineteen-year-old who had taken off so abruptly.
"You're going to quit skating altogether?" he asked.
Lydia nodded. "There's no joy in it anymore. Three days ago I stepped onto the ice and I realized that the feeling I used to have when I was out there was gone. There was nothing. All those years before the Olympics, I skated because Mom wanted me to, but also because I loved it. Now all of that is gone and I don't ever want to skate again."
A tear trickled down Lydia's cheek.
Thomas sighed. "I feel that I'm to blame for this."
Lydia's smile was brief and faltering. "Don't. I made this decision, not you."
"Not just this, Liddy, but everything." Thomas looked out at the view. "Your mother and I, we made a lot of mistakes with you and your sister. Your mother was determined that you both become champions, while I buried my head in music and artistry on ice. Lizzy shared my passions, while you eschewed them. Thus, you became your mother's favorite, and Elizabeth became mine."
"You loved us both."
"Yes, but perhaps not as equally as I should have. A parent shouldn't have a favorite child. He should love them equally."
"I know you loved me just as much as you did Lizzy. Her being your favorite just meant you could relate to her better."
"Perhaps, but if I'd bothered to pay attention, you might not have gotten involved with that man and you would be preparing to win your second gold medal now."
Lydia's bittersweet smile was more permanent than her last. "I was too much my mother's daughter," she said. "One way or another, I was going to screw up."
"Not in such a disastrous and permanent way."
"It's too late to change what happened. All I can do is move forward."
"Have you thought about what you're going to do now?"
Lydia shook her head. "Not in the long run. I thought of hiding for a while. Maybe college later. Hopefully I'll have as normal a life as possible, but I don't know what sort of career I could have, as much as people still seem to hate me. I'll be lucky to be working at McDonald's."
"I'm sure there's more than that out there for you."
"No. And with the Olympics coming up next year, everyone's going to relive the scandal, and I'll be back in the limelight. Forever in infamy. Forever linked to George Wickham and Georgiana Darcy."
"Damn the man!" Thomas rarely vented anger, but George Wickham was an exception. "He's to blame for it all."
"No," Lydia said quietly. "I am. I was the one who chose to go along with it. I could've stopped him, and I didn't. I didn't want to. And I'm paying for my mistake."
"You were just a child--"
"I was eighteen. Eighteen is old enough to know better."
"Eighteen is hardly the age when a person can truly be considered a mature adult capable of rational thought. Not even Lizzy was completely mature at eighteen."
Lydia raised her eyebrows. "That's the first time I've heard you say something like that."
"It's true. I think it's a shame that you'll go through your life feeling like you do simply because you were an innocent eighteen-year-old suckered by a consummate con artist."
Lydia hugged her father. "Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome. I love you, Liddy."
"Love you, too."
"When are you planning to tell your mother?" he asked.
"I guess it's going to have to be tonight. I was going to do it yesterday, but she was in such a snit after the fight you two had that I couldn't say anything. I'm going to wait until she comes home from the rink."
"You have my support in this, if you need it."
Lydia smiled at him. "Thank you."
Caroline brushed a straggling hair away from her forehead and concentrated on the recipe again. Normally she wouldn't be caught dead in a kitchen, but she'd made an exception for him and she was going to see it through. Now, if she could figure out what half of the instructions on the recipe meant, she'd be in good shape.
Caroline gave up a minute later, flopping into a chair in the living room and deciding that it was much preferable to recall the scene which had led to tonight. She smiled when she thought of yesterday morning...
Caroline woke up in a room that wasn't her own. That didn't startle her once she remembered that she was in Chicago, staying at a hotel.
But when a man's arm reached out and flung itself around her waist possessively, Caroline nearly screamed.
Then she remembered the night before, and she did scream.
James Hampton was having a dream he'd never remember when Caroline woke him up so abruptly.
"For God's sake! Stop screaming in my ear," he growled, pulling a pillow over his head.
Caroline quickly realized that she was completely nude under the blanket, and she couldn't remember what had happened to her clothes. They'd been in such a frenzy that clothes had been thrown helter-skelter.
"Oh God," she breathed, far more pleasant memories of last night flooding back to her.
Oh God, why did you do this? Why is the first man to appeal to me so infuriating? Why?
"Glad to see you remember," a bemused, muffled voice said. One brown eye was peeking out from under the pillow. "You aren't going to start screaming again, are you?"
"No."
James tossed the pillow aside and sat up on his elbows. His dark brown hair was rumpled, making him look younger and boyish. Caroline had trouble remembering to breathe.
Thank you, God, for only You could've created a man this appealing and sexy and then put him in my bed.
His bed, actually.
"Good morning, my sweet," he said, rising to his waist and then leaning over to kiss her.
One kiss almost led to a repeat of the night before, but James broke it off, saying, "We need to talk."
"Yes."
"It would probably be a good idea if we were dressed while we were talking."
"I agree. Just tell me where my clothes are."
"You'll have to find them yourself. I don't know where they're at."
"I don't have anything to cover up with while I look."
James grinned. "As the old cliché goes, you don't have anything I haven't seen."
Caroline gave him a nasty look, snatched the blanket off the bed as a cover, and went hunting. She tried to ignore the amused chuckles coming from behind her.
James was still smiling as he headed for the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later wearing a robe. Caroline had managed to round up her clothes, which were hopelessly wrinkled. She put them on anyway.
The two of them faced each other, wary, reluctant to speak first and betray an emotion the other might not feel. Finally, James broke the silence.
"Last night was incredible."
Caroline couldn't help feeling rather tingly. This man, who had apparently dated (and probably bedded) a lot of women thought she was incredible.
"It was?"
"Yeah. For me, it was."
"Me too."
"But obviously...we don't know each other well."
Caroline felt her stomach go numb. He was about to send her out the door with nothing more than a "thanks for your time" and cab fare. Only she didn't need the cab fare as she had a room at this hotel.
Caroline knew she could be difficult and make him draw the process out, but it would only hurt her in the long run. "I understand. If you'll just give me my cell phone, I'll go."
"Go?" James felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Here he was about to ask her if she wanted to pursue a relationship, and she wasn't interested. Good thing he'd found out before he'd asked.
Too bad he spoke without thinking. "But I don't want you to go."
Caroline had held her hand out for the phone, but drew it back. "You...you don't?"
"No. I mean, unless you want to leave. I won't stop you. I just hoped that maybe..."
"Do you want to get to know me as much as I want to know you?" she asked.
"Yeah. I would."
"You're sure? You're not joking with me?"
"No joke."
Caroline smiled. "Then how about dinner tomorrow night at my place?"
"But Caroline, your place is in Boston."
"I know. We'll work that out somehow."
Caroline smiled again in memory, but her smile faded as she remembered the last thing she'd told him. Surely the man must've known she was telling a whopper, since she'd been putting on her shoes to avoid that eye thing.
Why, God, why what she told the man she could make chicken Kiev? What had possessed her to even mention she knew what to do in a kitchen besides open a refrigerator door and get milk out to put on her Special K?
Caroline sighed. She'd told him she could do it, so she might as well get back into that kitchen and get started.