Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam ~ Section XXI

    By Judy-Lynne

    Beginning, Previous Section, Section XXI, Next Section

    "Happy New Year, Danielle!" Richard cried as he bounded into the office of his chief financial office the following Tuesday morning. Danielle sprang from her seat to embrace him in a warm hug and accepted a bouquet of assorted flowers.

    "Happy New Year to you, too!" she replied. "And thank you. How were the holidays?" Richard smiled enigmatically.

    "Interesting," he concluded. "How about yours?"

    "Except for those rare moments when I wished I'd been born an orphan, quite nice," Danielle smiled.

    "Good, good," Richard replied. He immediately launched into a synopsis of what had transpired in his conference call the previous week. He rose to take his leave, pausing at the CD rack to return the disks he had been loaned. "I'll see you at eleven, then," he smiled. Danielle looked down at the flowers in her hands. Richard's behavior had been a bit strange. She smiled; When isn't it strange? But somehow, he was not quite himself.

    "Happy New Year, Danielle." Startled, she looked up to see William, who had somehow managed to slip into her office and take the spot recently vacated by his cousin without her knowledge.

    "Happy New Year, Boss Man. Did Richard see you?"

    "No," William said as he noticed the flowers. "He was going in the opposite direction. And even if he did, why shouldn't I be allowed to visit a friend and employee?"

    "Given what you told me last night, I assumed--."

    "I apologize for the lateness of the call, Danielle. I got into the city later than I expected and had to drop Lizzy off in Brooklyn..." Danielle waved it off.

    "No big deal, but I am concerned about what you had to tell me. I don't like the sound of this scandal that's brewing. And on top of everything it had to come when things were just beginning to move forward." William sighed in agreement.

    "That's why I think it's important that we lay all our cards on the table as soon as possible." William hesitated and bit his lip. "You know, Danielle, Richard probably won't take the news of your involvement in all this very well. Are you all right with this? I can try and keep you out of it..."

    "William! I have known Richard for what--six or seven years now? I think our friendship can weather this storm. I'm far more concerned about how the two of you are going to handle this. From what you said, he's already plenty mad." William raised his eyebrows at the remark.

    "That's a bit of an understatement. He hasn't voluntarily said more than a couple of dozen words to anyone other than Olivia in the last five days." He sighed pensively. "He's been doing a slow burn all weekend, but I think that he's more concerned about how this is going to affect Olivia than anything else. So am I. He wants me to stay out of it, but I have no intention of sitting back and waiting this out."

    "What are you planning to do?" Danielle asked as she began to trim the flowers she had unwrapped and place them in a vase she had filled from her carafe of cold water.

    "I intend to get to the bottom of this and see that whoever is responsible pays dearly," William seethed. "Christopher Brandon will be in a little later today and has offered to give me a hand."

    "Christopher Brandon?" Danielle froze momentarily. "As in Brandon Enterprises? As in Brandon-Dunford, LLP? As in Brandon Securities? As in--."

    "Yes," William smiled as he leaned forward and took a carnation from the bouquet and twirled it in his fingers. "I see you've been reading the Wall Street Journal," he quipped.

    "And the Financial Times. I was unaware that you two knew each other."

    "We went to Eton together. He's a half partner in DARCO. By the way, that's not for publication, Dani," William warned. Danielle took the carnation from William's fingers and trimmed it short before she put it into his lapel.

    "Do I get to meet this man? I understand everything he touches turns to gold, and I could use a bit of Midas' touch in my life right now." William laughed and promised her a meeting. He rose to leave and thanked her for the flower.

    "Boss Man? Tell me this isn't all going to blow up in our faces!" Danielle entreated. William shoved his hands into his pockets.

    "I'll tell you as soon as I find out."

    Richard, meanwhile, returned to his office after a brief stop in Geek Central. Anne was at his desk sorting his mail.

    "Happy New Year, Anne," Richard smiled as he entered. Anne looked up and returned his smile.

    "Thanks, Richard. And thank you for the flowers. They're lovely." Richard shrugged.

    "I'm sick of Christmas decorations; I want to see any colors other than red or green for the next ten months. What's on the front burner today?" he asked as he sat down and turned to his computer.

    "Not much. I think some people need a day or two to shake off the holidays, if you get my drift." Richard nodded absently as he scanned his e-mail. "There was something I thought I--." Richard met Anne's eyes when her voice faltered. She was flushed and her eyes were averted. For a second, he thought she was ill.

    "Anne?" He rose from his chair to move around the other side of the desk, but Anne was far from ill. She sat down in a chair and looked up at Richard with embarrassment.

    "I was in the elevator on Friday and--." Richard's jaw tightened; he knew what was coming. He braced himself for it and sat on the edge of the desk as he urged Anne to continue. "There's a rumor going around, Richard. I tried not to listen, but the thought of...I mean, she seems like such a nice girl I'd hate to think that such things are being spread about..."

    "From the beginning, Anne," Richard said patiently. His assistant glanced up.

    "You know about it already, don't you?" Richard nodded.

    "I was told on Thursday, but I'd like to hear the latest." Anne was a bit relieved to not be the one to break the news. She sighed before she plunged in.

    "As I said, I was in the elevator and I heard two women talking. Thank goodness it was only the three of us! One said that she heard that Olivia Crenshaw..."

    "Go on."

    "She said that Olivia Crenshaw was a former mistress of Mr. Darcy's who had become difficult when he discarded her for someone new. He bought her off with an apartment and a job with a big salary and cushy title, and..."

    "And?" Richard prodded impatiently.

    "...And...you," Anne finished meekly, blushing once more. Richard rolled his eyes and shook his head as he returned to his seat.

    "Fact," he spat. "Olivia Crenshaw and William Darcy have never been involved. Never! Fact: Olivia Crenshaw was employed by William Darcy to undertake a real live project that she was eminently qualified for. Fact," Richard said more loudly. His anger wasn't directed at Anne, but he felt a need to clear the air to someone whose gossiping might actually be productive, under the circumstances. "I don't know what Livy's salary is, but I assure you that it's not enough to allow her to sell that tiny cottage in Pennsylvania where she has lived for years and continues to live. There is no apartment. She stays with friends in Brooklyn when she's in town," he continued, suddenly angry with himself that, in his desire to protect Olivia, he had resisted the urge to ask her to stay with him for the remainder of her time in New York. Finally, he ran out of steam and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Anne. This is just so..." He threw up his hands in frustration.

    "I can imagine," she replied.

    Lizzy entered her office genuinely happy to be back at Cherry Blossom. She'd spent a lovely twelve days in Connecticut with William, but she'd begun to miss her work and her office. She'd even missed her own comparatively tiny bed...even if it meant sleeping apart from William. Lizzy stared at her computer as it booted. Her mind wandered: could she get used to living in Connecticut among two hundred year old antiques that were probably individually worth more than her entire bank account? Could she give up working at Cherry Blossom to be a wife and mother? Would she be expected to instead involve herself in dozens of charities and appear regularly in the society pages beside William? No, William would not demand that of her. He had expressed a willingness to buy Cherry Blossom for her. Surely he would expect her to continue to work after... Lizzy laughed aloud at her reverie. Since when had she begun to think about such things?

    "Happy New Year, Lizzy," Charlotte called from the doorway. Lizzy rose to greet her friend, nearly spilling the mugs of coffee Charlotte had brought for their reunion chat. Lizzy dug into a drawer for a napkin while Charlotte sucked decaf from her hand.

    "So, how were your holidays? What did you finally decide to do for New Year's?" Lizzy asked as the pair sat down for a serious gabfest.

    "I went dancing with Jeremy and we went up to Central Park for the fireworks after," Charlotte replied, her voice betraying surprise at her own decision.

    "You didn't!" Lizzy gasped. "How could you?"

    "Hey, I wasn't spending New Year's eve alone. Been there, done that!" Charlotte replied.

    "Yeah, but that slimeball, Char!" Lizzy retorted distastefully. Charlotte shrugged and changed the subject.

    "Never mind my miserable life, how were your holidays? What does a millionaire give a girl for Christmas? I've always wanted to know, and now I have two friends who can satisfy my curiosity," she smiled. Lizzy pushed back the cuff of her jacket and extended her arm to reveal the diamond tennis bracelet that William had given her. Charlotte looked upon it disappointedly.

    "The diamonds look a little small," she sniffed. Lizzy retracted her hand as if it had been stung.

    "It's the one I picked out. I didn't want anything so ostentatious I'd be afraid to wear it," she answered defensively. "I probably shouldn't be wearing it to the office, but I couldn't resist today. I miss him already..." Lizzy stared at her wrist, thinking of the man who had given her the gift. Charlotte was still not satisfied. The bracelet didn't live up to her expectations.

    "Is that all he gave you?"

    "No, Will also gave me a pair of diamond earrings, a cashmere bathrobe, a book of love poetry--first edition, a certificate for twelve full-day spa treatments at Elizabeth Arden, a piece of antique jewelry, a silk nightgown, a small painting, an antique silver pillbox...oh, and a pair of ski pants," Lizzy concluded, laughing at Charlotte's facial expression. "William believes in giving a present for each of the twelve days of Christmas, and he actually started a day early."

    "Then you have four more days of loot coming," Charlotte surmised. "Maybe there'll be an engagement ring in the last package." Lizzy sobered.

    "No, Char. We aren't going that route anytime soon."

    "No? Well, I suppose that a bachelor like him will be hard to wrestle into submission. So what did Richard give Livy?" Lizzy suppressed an urge to correct Charlotte's mistaken impression and thought for a moment.

    "Oh, he gave her the prettiest little charm bracelet. It was Sterling silver, and it had a zillion little hearts on it." Charlotte snorted.

    "Is that all?"

    "What do you mean, 'Is that all'?" she spat back. "They've been dating less than a month! What should he have given her, the Taj Mahal?"

    "He could probably afford it," Charlotte replied casually. "Just because they're new as a couple doesn't mean he couldn't spring for a bigger gift."

    "Char! Olivia loves the bracelet! I'm sure she wouldn't trade it for everything in Tiffany's! She's not mercenary like some people I can think of!"

    "I'm not mercenary! But I am practical, and I don't believe in wasting time with a man who's not interested in a commitment." Lizzy was completely thrown by the last part of Charlotte's remark, particularly given Char's revelation as to her date for New Year's eve. "You can always tell, you know. When a man as wealthy as Richard Fitzwilliam gives a woman an inexpensive gift it's a sure sign. Maybe he's still pining over you," Charlotte said after a moment's thought.

    "Charlotte!" Lizzy exclaimed.

    "Livy said that Richard took her for a tasting dinner at Aureole. Do you mean to tell me that a man who would spend upwards of $500 for dinner on a first date couldn't afford to spend more than-what--a couple of hundred for a Christmas present?" Lizzy rose to her feet in indignation.

    "Charlotte, you're dead wrong! You couldn't be more wrong! Not only is Richard not pining over me, he is very much in love with Olivia, and she is in love with him. They have both admitted as much, and even if they hadn't, it was plainly demonstrated in their actions for all to see. They've fallen hard," Lizzy said with a smile, as she resumed her seat. "I'm really happy for them." Charlotte still looked dubious.

    "Really? Well let's she if she's any better than you at securing him."

    The elevator doors opened on the 38th floor and Olivia stepped out. A silence fell over the three women who stood at the receptionist's desk as she approached.

    "Happy New Year...Lydia, right?" Olivia smiled pleasantly. Lydia fixed the newcomer with a look calculated to impress her company, but it was lost on her target, who was digging in her bag for her keys. Olivia looked up and Lydia nodded. "Happy New Year, Lydia," Olivia repeated, and continued down the hall to her office.

    "That's her," Lydia gasped excitedly as soon as Olivia was out of earshot.

    "I thought you said it was a no-show job!" Sandra said a bit too loudly. Lydia turned to peer down the hall after her.

    "Why don't you speak louder? They can't hear you in Cincinnati," Alicia said pointedly before turning her attention back to Lydia. "She doesn't look at all like I expected. I thought she'd be a blond, or at least have long hair. I also expected her to have more..."

    "...Of a body?" Lydia snorted. "Geez, you'd think that Mr. Darcy would have paid for surgery to enhance her assets!"

    "Some men like those emaciated model types," Sandra opined.

    "Bull! Men may like to fantasize about supermodels, but in reality they prefer women who won't break in half when they get sneezed on," Alicia retorted. The women all giggled conspiratorially.

    "Maybe Mr. Fitzwilliam will pay for surgery. That woman certainly needs some," Sandra suggested.

    "If Richard Fitzwilliam wants a woman 'nicely padded' he can have this one, ready made," Lydia said smugly.

    "As if!" Alicia laughed. At that moment, the elevator door opened and Matt Fitzwilliam stepped out. "Who is that?" Alicia asked softly.

    "That is the third best thing in this building," Lydia said as she poised herself for a flirtation. But Matt just smiled at the ladies, said good morning and continued down the hall to Ed Ferrars' office.

    Lizzy turned to her computer and looked through the long queue of e-mail. She'd looked at most of it when she was at Richard's, but now she would have to deal with the bulk of it. She scrolled to the bottom of the queue and was somewhat disappointed that there was no e-mail from William. She sighed and turned to her telephone, where a flashing light greeted her. She punched in the code for her voicemail account and turned back to her desk to type out a message to William as she listened to her message. The penultimate message caused her to turn around and stare at the phone. Lizzy listened to the voice carefully, but she couldn't place it and the caller left no name. She listened to it a second time. A stranger was inviting her to lunch.

    Good morning. I know this is out of the blue, but I was wondering if I might persuade you to join me for lunch some time this week. I realize that I didn't exactly endear myself to you last week at William's; perhaps what I have to say over lunch might convince you to think better of me. I certainly hope so. Give me a call back at (212) 555-782-0092.

    Lizzy played the message a third time. Maybe it wasn't meant for her but for Charles; after all, the caller hadn't said her name. Lizzy shrugged and turned back to her e-mail. She sent it off and smiled broadly when she got a reply.

    I'm wearing something you gave me for Christmas, too!

    Lizzy was distracted for hours.

    Olivia sifted through the materials that Ed Ferrars had sent her and found the chapter of the manual she wanted. She opened it to the page she had previously marked and began to read as she waited for the file she had been playing with at William's house to be uploaded into her desktop. It took just a few seconds and she turned her attention to the screen. She thought she'd add a few things to her preliminary notes prior to her meeting with the design team. She became so absorbed in her task that she jumped when the phone rang. She heard the voice of Aretha Franklin before she heard Richard's.

    "Good morning, Angel," Richard said pleasantly. Olivia smiled at the sound of his voice.

    "Good morning, Silly Man," she countered. She could almost hear him pout.

    "Is that what you think of me? Couldn't you just call me Fizz like everyone else?"

    "You wouldn't want to confuse me with your mother, would you?" Olivia teased.

    "Believe me, there is absolutely no possibility of that. But even if there was, did you have to choose such a 'unique' way of distinguishing yourself?" Olivia giggled and resisted the temptation to point out that he had distinguished himself in her eyes most uniquely on several occasions.

    "Did you call on a matter of business, sir, or do you just have too much time on your hands down there?"

    "I am calling on business, madam. I would have had my girl call your girl, but you don't have one, and if Anne heard me calling her a girl she'd get her fiancé to throttle me. Anyway, are you free for lunch or are you booked already?"

    "My lunch hours are all booked solid, I'm afraid," Olivia said seriously. She rifled the pages of the manual before her, pretending to be leafing through an appointment book. "I can book you for...next Tuesday. Should I pencil you in?"

    "Next Tuesday!" Richard cried, taking the bait. "Who are you having lunch with all week?" Olivia rifled the pages again.

    "Let's see...today I'm having lunch with a Mr. Fitzwilliam..." Richard gritted his teeth, but said nothing. If Olivia and Matt were having lunch he would not stop them. "Tomorrow, Mr. Fitzwilliam, Thursday, Mr. Fitzwilliam, and..." The light bulb went on.

    "What's Mr. Fitzwilliam's first name?"

    "I don't know. It just says 'SM.'"

    "Very funny. What time?"

    "How about 11:45? I have a 2:00 with William and the public relations people and I want a little time to prep before I face the big guns," Olivia suggested.

    "You're on, beautiful. Uh...why don't we meet in the lobby at 11:45, then?"

    "The lobby?" Richard rolled his eyes.

    "Yeah. I have a meeting out of the building but I should just be back by then." He felt uncomfortable with his lie, but he didn't want to explain further. "I can wear a carnation, if it'll help you to remember me," he quipped as an afterthought to distract Olivia. She smiled and agreed to meet him in the lobby. She hung up the phone and glanced at the clock. It was time for the meeting. She quickly printed out her notes, pulled on her jacket and reached for the manual. She arrived at Ed's door a few seconds later and was taken aback by the stares of the assembled group that greeted her.

    Lizzy returned to her office after a meeting with Charles and the designers. She turned to her computer to look at a client's new site when she noticed an e-mail had arrived.

    Dinner at my place tonight? Lizzy bit her lip.

    My place. I've already talked Olivia into making all my favorite things for dinner.

    She's working full-time now. Is that fair?

    You know, for someone who hired her to develop a food-related product, you've tasted very little of her cooking.

    You're right. I hired her on your recommendation. I was hoping to use that as my excuse if she's a dismal failure.

    Hey! Livy will NOT be a dismal failure! She'll be great! William sighed and prayed that Lizzy was correct, for Olivia's sake.

    I'd better come to dinner, then, but I was kind of hoping you'd stay in town with me tonight.

    I just got home last night!

    I know, and I have missed you every second since!

    A wry smile crossed Lizzy's lips as the phone rang. She picked up the receiver fully expecting to hear William's voice. At some point during their courtship he had taken to beginning conversations on e-mail and finishing them on the phone.

    "No arguments, sir. I have no intention of--."

    "Excuse me?" The sound of a woman's voice caused Lizzy to gasp and cover her mouth. "Hello?" Lizzy quickly put the receiver down. She would apologize to her caller later, should she have an opportunity, but at the moment she was too busy laughing at what she almost said to a complete stranger on the phone.

    Olivia left the meeting feeling quite content. The first few minutes had painfully reminded her of her first day of school the year when she skipped a grade. She had been stared at by everyone in her fourth grade class save for Jane, and they became fast friends. Later that same day, she was introduced to Lizzy and the two became inseparable. Olivia smiled at the memory as she strolled down the hall. She checked her watch and saw that it was 11:37. She picked up her pace and stopped in the ladies room to check her makeup before she met Richard. Olivia put down her folder and looked in the mirror. She turned on the tap and dampened a paper towel to repair a smudge in her eye shadow. As she did so, she became aware of two women who were standing at the far end of the counter. One was applying a garish shade of lipstick to her mouth while the other seemed to be imparting a tale.

    "They say she threatened him with a palimony suit for half of his income during the time they were together." The woman with the fluorescent lips looked up.

    "This is the one who was a permanent fixture on his arm at the Christmas party?" Olivia discarded the paper towel and began to rearrange the wisps of hair around her face. She had no intention of eavesdropping, but their words were impossible to ignore.

    "No, no, she's the new one. I like her; she's pretty and not full of herself, and it looks as though Mr. Darcy is completely besotted with her," Alicia continued. Olivia coughed to mask her involuntary gasp. The two women had not noticed, however. One was too busy weaving her tale and the other was too busy listening.

    "But the other one is this tall, emaciated model type with a lot of attitude. I heard she wouldn't let Mr. Darcy go without a fight," Alicia said authoritatively.

    "So she's taking him to court?" asked her bright-lipped companion.

    "No, he had to pay her off. He gave her his penthouse apartment, and an allowance--a hefty one. He hid it from his new girlfriend by putting her on the DARCO payroll." Olivia grabbed her folder and entered the nearest stall.

    They're talking about Lizzy and William! What were they saying about a palimony suit? Olivia tucked the folder under her elbow and placed her hands over her mouth. She could feel her heart beginning to pound and her palms starting to sweat. She checked her watch, but she could not will herself to leave the room until she had heard the rest.

    "You mean she works here?" Bright Lips cried.

    "Oh yes, didn't you know? She has a fancy title and an office and everything! She was put in charge of some bogus Companion project and is being treated like some sort of celebrity. I hear the press is coming today so he can show her off. I don't know, but if I were William Darcy, I'd keep Olivia Crenshaw in a closet somewhere where no one could see her. I saw that woman this morning. I think he's playing with fire," Alicia said.

    "Maybe he's into that,' Bright Lips suggested. "Maybe he gets his jollies juggling his women." Alicia responded but Olivia couldn't hear what was being said as the women left the restroom. Olivia bounded out of the stall and flew back to her office as fast as her legs could carry her. Fortunately, she encountered no one in the hall. She shut her door and leaned against it.

    They were talking about me! They were talking about me and William! Omigod! They think...they think...

    Olivia doubled over as dizziness overtook her. She stumbled to her seat feeling violently ill. She rested her head on the desk and closed her eyes for several minutes as she replayed what she'd heard in her head. The women had clearly referred to Lizzy and another woman who'd preceded her in William's life. But where on earth did they ever get the idea that she and William had been involved? And if that weren't bad enough, the women's gossip seemed to imply that Olivia was some sort of mercenary intent upon milking William for all she could get! And worse, William was indulging her! Olivia lifted her head and glanced at her watch. It was 11:50. She couldn't face Richard in her current state. There was no way she could tell him about what she had overheard. Not in her present state. She forced herself to sit up and dug into her purse for her cell phone. Much to her dismay, Richard answered on the first ring, giving Olivia virtually no time to organize her thoughts.

    "You're officially late, Angel."

    "I'm sorry. I...would you mind if I canceled for today? I--."

    "What happened?" Olivia cringed as Richard's voice registered alarm.

    "Nothing, I just...I have a headache."

    "Livy..." Richard had heard enough of her tears in the previous week to know when she was crying. He felt his blood run cold. Only two possibilities came to mind. Either she was still feeling the effects of the first anniversary of her father's death, or--more likely--she had heard the rumor. Richard closed his eyes and swore to himself. He headed towards the elevator.

    "Look, I'll talk to you later, Richard. I just need...I have to go to the ladies room. Let me call you back in a little while," Olivia said and quickly shut off her phone. She shoved it into the drawer and rose to her feet. She had to get out of her office immediately. She had to--it would be just a matter of minutes before Richard showed up. She knew that as surely as she knew her own name. Olivia wiped her eyes and headed for the door. She sucked in her breath, held her head high and strode out into the hall and past the reception desk, ignorant of Lydia's stare. Olivia paused at the bank of elevators. She turned to look down the hall and quickly followed the exit sign to the stairwell. She crumpled to her knees as soon as she entered the comparatively dark and private space. She sat on the steps, her heart racing and her head pounding. She gave in to the anxiety and frustration and began to cry.

    She would be ruined at DARCO before the Cook's Companion project even got off the ground. No wonder she'd been stared at in her meeting! That much was obvious now. At the time Olivia has chalked their behavior up to the novelty of having a newcomer in the room. Now she knew that she was perceived as a poseur who had been forced on them by William's fickleness and unwillingness to go public about a supposed affair...Olivia began to sob anew. How would she ever be able to face the team again? How would she be able to face William in meetings? And what about Richard? How would he react when he learned of the mess she'd fallen into?

    Olivia felt her stomach flip when she thought about Alicia's last comment. She had been right--Olivia was supposed to be interviewed this afternoon by members of the electronic media about her recent appointment. That meeting couldn't take place now. It could not! Olivia pulled herself to her feet in a panic. She had to speak with William immediately. She must stop him from exposing her--and himself--to further scandal by going public right now. Olivia blindly made her way halfway up the flight before she bumped into someone. She looked up and locked eyes with Matt Fitzwilliam.

    "Excuse me," she said quickly, averting her eyes. But Matt had already seen the tears. He grabbed a hold of her as she tried to move past him.

    "Hey, what gives? Who died?" In response, Olivia jerked her arm free and rather violently plunged her elbow into his midsection. She knew that he had done nothing to deserve it, but she was hardly thinking rationally. She started up the steps again. Matt recovered quickly and turned to look at her.

    "Hey," he panted. "What did you do that for?" His voice stopped Olivia in her tracks. It was sincere, and it was plaintive, and it so reminded her of Richard that she felt the tears welling up again. Olivia sat down on the steps and covered her face with her hands. Matt took a deep breath and made his way up the steps that separated the pair and sat beside her. He gingerly put an arm around Olivia and she turned to him and cried in his arms.

    Part 19

    Richard saw red as he stepped off the elevator. Lydia saw him coming and smiled prettily but, like Olivia, he was completely oblivious to her presence. Richard strode into Olivia's office and looked around. Olivia had managed to elude him and he strongly suspected that she'd done so on purpose. He heaved a sigh and threw himself into a chair to await her return.

    Lizzy had composed herself by the time Charlotte and Mina came to collect her for lunch. Lizzy braced herself as Mina insisted upon seeing her bracelet before they headed out.

    "They look pretty good to me," Mina said appraisingly as she examined the diamonds. Lizzy glared pointedly at Charlotte as they headed toward the door. When she returned an hour later, she found a message on her answering machine. It was the same person, and the message was essentially the same. Lizzy thought that the voice sounded familiar, but she still couldn't place it. But there was a lot of work to get caught up on, so she didn't bother to dwell on the matter.

    "What does it mean?" Mr. Bergman handed the cashier's check back to Caroline Bingley.

    "It means that your brother no longer owes you $250,000. Would you like to reinvest it?"

    "No," she replied absently as she stared at the check. "I mean yes; I don't understand why he did this..."

    "It's called getting out of debt, Ms. Bingley. Your brother obviously is trying to satisfy his obligations," Mr. Bergman said patiently.

    "But he doesn't have this kind of money! That's why he needed a loan in the first place!" Caroline retorted. Mr. Bergman shrugged.

    "Maybe he sold the loft. Maybe he came into some money from another investment. Or maybe sold something else of his to free up the cash." Caroline's eye went wide.

    "Would you like me to get Richard, or is he the reason for all these tears?" Olivia shook her head.

    "No. No, please don't call anyone," she sniffed, gratefully accepting the handkerchief Matt offered her. He hesitated a moment before asking the question that had been on his mind since he first saw her.

    "What has that idiot done to you?" Olivia somehow managed a smile.

    "Would you like another poke in the ribs?" She dabbed at her eyes. "This has nothing to do with Richard. I...look, I have to speak with William immediately," she cried. She rose unsteadily to her feet and would have continued up the stairs had Matt not stayed her with a hand.

    "You can't. He's out of the building. What's this all about, anyway?" Olivia sat down dejectedly and told him her tale. Matt checked his watch.

    "Well, William won't be back for another hour or so. But I can find out where he's having lunch and put in a call to him. Why don't you go back to your office? I'll have him call you," Matt said soothingly.

    "I can't go back there. Richard is probably there by now." Matt looked at her in confusion. "I'm not ready to have this conversation with Richard. I need to speak with William first." Matt shrugged.

    "Look, it's none of my business, but you really don't expect to be able to keep this from Golden Boy, do you? He's part bloodhound, you know. And don't tell me that you think he'd believe the rumors...I'd accuse him of being many things; stupid isn't one of them."

    "But you would accuse him of being short-tempered. You were present the last time he overreacted," Olivia reminded him.

    Richard looked at his watch and began to worry. If Olivia had gone to the restroom, she'd been gone an awful long time... He rose and went out to the receptionist's desk, where Lydia pouted at him.

    "Have you seen Ms. Crenshaw?" he asked without preamble. Lydia's mouth turned up at the edges.

    "Wouldn't you like to know?" she smiled smugly. Richard was in no mood for her teasing. He shot her a look of pure contempt and strode away. Lydia frowned.

    "What's eating him?" she asked herself.

    Richard strode purposefully toward the ladies room. If Lydia was going to be uncooperative he'd have to find some other way to find out if Olivia was in there.

    "After Mrs. Reynolds's excellent breakfast, I'm afraid I don't really have much of an appetite. I probably should skip lunch entirely."

    "Have something light, Christopher. They do wonderful soups here," William suggested as a waiter approached. Christopher allowed William to suggest a soup, and William ordered lunch for all three of the diners.

    "Where is our third, by the way?" William opened his mouth to reply and caught a glimpse of Danielle making her way across the restaurant. He rose to greet her, as did Christopher.

    "Sorry I'm late, but I was in a meeting with Richard and it went on far longer than--." Danielle paused abruptly as she recognized Christopher from the numerous photographs she had seen in magazines. William had promised her a meeting, but when he left a message inviting her to lunch, she never dreamed that it would be with one of the world's wealthiest men. Not so soon, anyway.

    "Danielle Lewis, may I present Christopher Brandon? Christopher, this is Danielle Lewis, Chief Financial Officer of Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam."

    "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Danielle," Christopher smiled and offered his hand. Danielle managed a reply she would not be able to remember later and sat down between the two men.

    "Dani, I've taken the liberty of ordering your usual."

    "Thanks, Boss Man." Christopher raised an amused brow.

    "If you don't mind, I'd like for us to get right down to business." Danielle nearly choked on her water.

    "I thought you always said that good food and business should never be mixed!"

    "That was before this happened. Christopher has agreed to lend a hand in getting to the bottom of this mess we've found ourselves in, so I think that you and I should backtrack and think through our steps. Christopher believes that since you and I were the only people who knew that Olivia was being brought into DARCO and did all the preliminary work on the business plan, we might be instrumental in identifying the person or persons responsible for this mess we've gotten her into," William said grimly.

    "But we didn't use her name when we made any of those inquiries."

    "Are you certain of that?" Christopher asked. Danielle was certain.

    "Besides, William, it's just a rumor! How can you expect to ever put your finger on a single source?"

    "If I may, Danielle, I believe that although what you are suggesting may be true under normal circumstances, this is no ordinary rumor," Christopher said calmly.

    "How so?" Danielle replied.

    "It's not idle speculation or hearsay; it's a rather deliberate attempt to cast doubt upon a character of someone before she even set foot in the Darcy Building. Olivia Crenshaw has an enemy, whether she knows it or not," William said as he tore a roll to bits. "But for the life of me I just cannot figure out who it is or why he's trying to destroy her career before it even starts?"

    "Well, if we start at the point where her name was mentioned by us, right before she came on board...that would be a pretty short list, wouldn't it, Boss Man?" Danielle pulled a pen and paper out of her purse as Christopher and William started on their squash soup. A minute later, she pushed the pad across the table to William, who pulled out the pen Lizzy had given him for Christmas and added a name to the list.

    "I spoke to her just about two weeks before Olivia arrived at DARCO," he explained. Danielle nodded and William handed the list to Christopher.

    Matt and Olivia sat awhile longer until Olivia had composed herself. As they waited, Matt called the office upstairs and Jo gave him the name and number of the restaurant where William had gone to lunch. When Olivia felt well enough to move, Matt escorted her to the ladies room on the 39th floor. Olivia was relieved to find it empty. She washed her face and met him outside, where Matt told Olivia what to do next. As they walked to the elevator, Olivia apologized for hitting him and thanked him for coming to her aid. Matt eschewed the praise.

    "What are cousins for?" he said sheepishly. Olivia looked at him archly. "I know; it's hard to think of you as a cousin, but I'm trying to get used to the idea." Olivia smiled as the elevator door opened. They rode down to the 38th floor and stepped off together. Matt put on his most ingratiating smile and aimed it like a weapon at Lydia. The ploy worked. She never even saw Olivia slip past her.

    "Hello there. Lydia, isn't it?" Lydia smiled back at him. Any Fitzwilliam would do, after all, and if Richard Fitzwilliam was in a surly mood, his cousin certainly wasn't. "I was just wondering...have you had lunch yet?"

    "Yes, but I'm free for dinner," Lydia purred suggestively. Matt feigned great disappointment.

    "Alas," he sighed, "I already have dinner plans. Another time, perhaps?" He backed away and jumped into an elevator as it opened. As soon as he made his escape, he dialed William's cell phone number. William, Christopher, and Danielle had set aside their discussion about the scandal and were enjoying their meal when William's cell phone rang. He looked at his companions apologetically. He pulled out the phone and, seeing it was from Matt, he answered it. The call was brief. William said hello, and then listened for a minute.

    "We'll be right there." He snapped his phone shut and called for the check. "Lunch is over. All hell's broken loose at DARCO."

    Richard stood outside of the ladies room door, unsure of how to proceed. The last thing he wanted to do was to make a scene. In retrospect, he realized that he probably shouldn't have come up to the 38th floor at all, but Richard couldn't worry about that now. Olivia was upset and she needed him, whether or not she was willing to admit it. He tentatively reached out and touched the door. No, it wouldn't do to go barging into the ladies room. He withdrew his hand and tried to listen for signs that she was inside. He heard only silence, which, rather than reassuring him, caused him to panic. Richard raised his hand to knock on the door when a familiar silhouette flickered in his peripheral vision. He turned his head in time to see Olivia's foot cross the threshold of her office. Richard quickly closed the distance and reached for the door. He didn't bother to knock, but gingerly turned the knob and let himself in. Olivia was standing at the window. Her arms were wrapped around her lean frame and without even seeing her face, Richard could tell that she was upset. She turned toward him and swallowed hard. Richard went to her and held her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tightly.

    "I knew I shouldn't have let you come to work," Richard murmured. Olivia pulled away and looked up at him.

    "What's that supposed to mean?" She had reacted to the comment on the most basic of principles, but the moment she looked into his eyes she knew exactly what he meant. It suddenly was apparent to her why Richard came back from the office on Thursday in a sullen mood, and why he had been doing a slow burn all weekend. "You already knew about it, didn't you?" There was no point in denying the accusation, Richard knew, but he could see in her eyes that she was about to misconstrue his motives. He averted his gaze momentarily, but that only seemed to fuel the anger that was building in Olivia's breast. "You knew! And you didn't tell me! You let me walk in here this morning as if there was nothing wrong. You let me walk into this...this..." Olivia ran a hand through her hair as she fished for the right words.

    "Livy..." Richard reached out to Olivia, but she pulled away.

    "How could you? Have you any idea how mortified I was to hear a complete stranger discussing me in the restroom? Do you know what it is like to walk into a conference room and have half a dozen people stare at you because they think--?" She covered her mouth as the tears began to flow. She dodged Richard, knowing that he was about to reach for her again. She sat down in her chair and tried to regulate her breathing. Richard watched somewhat helplessly. He ran his heads through his hair and grabbed an armchair and brought around to Olivia's side of the desk.

    "Look, love. I was hoping to spare you all of this..." She looked up at him. "We thought...that is, Fitz and I--."

    "He knows, too? Who else knows? How far has this thing spread? Was I the only person in the Darcy Building who didn't know that I was fodder for gossip? I won't even begin to think about what's being said about me in the men's room!" she spat angrily. "How dare you! What right do you have to 'protect' me from something I had every right to know about! I have been working on those notes for today's meeting since Friday, and do you think anyone in that meeting cared? All they were probably thinking is that William must have hired me a real web designer to do the actual work and feed me my lines. My credibility as a professional is ruined before I have even had a chance to do anything!" Richard tentatively reached out a hand, but pulled it back when Olivia glared at it.

    "I'm sorry, Angel. I truly am. This is the last thing I wanted to have happen. I guess I was hoping that the whole thing would blow over, especially once everyone met you and saw that you weren't like that..."

    "Like what, the 'tall, emaciated model type, with an attitude'? Do you expect them to look at me and automatically conclude that, 'Nah, she couldn't be the tossed over plaything who's leeching a small fortune out of William Darcy! She doesn't look the type! The real Olivia Crenshaw is obviously too wholesome and honest!' Maybe you can believe that, Richard, but I'm not so gullible."

    William strode into his office suite with Christopher in tow.

    "I want Matt in here immediately," he barked as he passed Jo. She was about to tell him that Matt was already waiting for him, but William saw Matt standing at the window and slammed the door shut behind Christopher. Matt started and turned at the sound.

    "Tell me exactly what happened," William commanded. Matt looked at Christopher and then at William. "You can speak freely in front of him."

    "You already know about this, don't you?" Matt accused William much as Olivia had accused his cousin. Righteous anger flared in his eyes.

    "Yes, I'd already heard about the scandal, but right now I'm more concerned about Olivia. What happened?" Matt took a deep breath. Christopher stood quietly by, arms folded, listening intently.

    "I just spent the last twenty minutes watching her cry her eyes out. She had gone into the ladies room to do her face or something when she heard these women talking about her. They were saying all sorts of crazy things, like she was your former lover and--." William silenced him with an impatient wave of his hand.

    "How's Olivia taking it?"

    "She's in bad shape. How'd you expect her to react? She feels as though the whole world is caving in on her. She feels as though her career here is already ruined, that her credibility is shot, and she's scared how Richard will react when he finds out."

    "He already knows," Christopher volunteered. Matt's anger flared anew. He charged at William in a rage.

    "You mean to tell me that the three of you knew about this and haven't done anything about it? That poor girl is down there crying her heart out and you didn't do anything to prevent it?" William's eyes flashed dangerously; the accusation hit a little too close to home. He had never been one to sit on the sidelines and watch while there was something to be done, but he had spent the last five days thinking rather than doing. His hesitation had now cost Olivia her peace of mind. William's frustration got the better of him and he shoved Matt in the chest. The stunned man fell back into a chair. Christopher immediately interceded, drawing up his own chair and sitting across from Matt.

    "We have just been trying to figure out a way to prevent things from going as far as they did, but apparently we are too late. All we can do now is find the guilty party or parties and deal with them." Matt looked at Christopher incredulously.

    "What, after the fact? What good is that going to do? Olivia's reputation is already shot!"

    "Her reputation is not irredeemable," Christopher continued. "The scandal will disappear with time once people get to know the truth about Olivia and she begins to prove herself at DARCO. But the first thing we have to do is find the person who's spreading the rumors. That's what I am here for."

    "You?" Matt snorted. "What are you going to do?" William, who had continued to glower at his younger cousin, spoke.

    "He intends to get to the bottom of this. He'll do a little snooping around while he's here."

    "With all due respect, cuz, do you really think that an outsider is going to get anywhere with this investigation? I can get farther in two hours schmoozing with the right people than this guy can," Matt said.

    "So that's what you've been doing here these last two months," William deadpanned. "But maybe you have a point..."

    "You bet I have a point! Let me do the legwork. Limey over here can do the smart work if he wants to, but I can get you answers, I know it!" Matt cried. William folded his arms and looked at him suspiciously. He glanced at Christopher, who shrugged.

    "It can't hurt, William. Matt does have a point. If he knows a lot of people; he may get farther a whole lot faster than I can in some circles. I'm content to do the 'smart work.' In fact, I can start with Danielle's list and run a few background checks." William bit his lip. He still had doubts about involving Matt.

    "You'll forgive me if I ask about your motives," William said as he sat on the edge of the desk closest to his cousin. Matt didn't hesitate. He rose to meet William eye to eye.

    "You didn't see what it did to her, Will. No one should be reduced to feeling like that. She didn't do anything to deserve it." William didn't flinch. He continued to stare down his cousin. "Aw, come on, Will! She's family! Or she's going to be, anyway, and so are you! No one treats my kin like dirt and gets away with it!" If William had a reaction to Matt's statement about Olivia becoming one of the family he didn't let on. He flicked a glance at Christopher, who nodded his assent, then looked back at Matt. "Look, I have two more weeks here. Let me do this. And it's not what you're thinking. She's Richard's; I've already given them my concession speech." At that, William's lip curled and he clapped a hand to Matt's shoulder.

    "All right, do it. But I want you to keep me and Christopher informed of everything you learn, no matter how insignificant it may seem, and most importantly, I want you to stay out of Richard's way." Matt frowned at his last words, but he agreed to abide by William's edict. He left William's office with a fairly good idea as to where to start his investigation.

    "Maybe you should go home to Pennsylvania until this blows over," Richard suggested. Olivia's eyes went wide and Richard knew immediately that he'd said the wrong thing.

    "Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Richard! I should just disappear entirely. That would solve all my problems, wouldn't it?" Olivia rose to pace around the office. "Not that it makes any difference whether I stay or go, does it? Either way, I'm...oh, God, I have to call William! I have to cancel that meeting!" Upstairs, William had already had Jo call Lily Church's office to cancel. Lily was very annoyed and insisted on speaking with William himself.

    "You can't do this, William. Not without a good reason. It's unprofessional and the reporters are just going to think that you have something to hide."

    "I have a good reason, Lily. And quite frankly I couldn't care any less about what anyone else thinks. The meeting is off."

    "Till when? I can't string these people along, William. They're reporters. They want facts. What should I tell them? I have to give them some sort of explanation for canceling at the last minute." William was seething. He was in absolutely no mood to have his orders challenged.

    "You can tell them exactly what I told you, Lily: I am canceling this meeting until further notice." William's voice was low and menacing. Lily knew that she had hit a nerve somewhere, and knew that revelations of his past affair with Olivia Crenshaw had surfaced on the 40th floor. If only she could get his reaction to them. She desperately wanted to know what he was thinking.

    "All right," she said airily. "I'll try. But if they refuse to come back when your little protégé is feeling up to facing the press, don't say I didn't warn you!"

    "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" William spat. Lily ignored her veiled reference to Olivia and responded to the more obvious question.

    "These journalists doesn't like to have their chain jerked, William. If you can't deliver the goods, they'll go elsewhere," Lily smiled smugly.

    "Let them!" William very nearly shouted. "There are more media outlets to be exploited than I can possibly accommodate, anyway. If they are unwilling to reschedule, then let them walk!" Lily was almost chortling with glee. William's discomfort spoke volumes as far as she was concerned. She might have exaggerated the story a bit, but there was no denying it, William was on the defensive. She couldn't wait to see how Olivia would stand up under her scrutiny.

    Olivia put down the receiver and rose to her feet. Jo's message about the meeting cancellation afforded her some comfort, but not much. She folded her arms and began to pace the small office, impeded by Richard's presence. She didn't want him there but he seemed loath to leave her. She stepped around him and continued toward the door. When she reached it she turned back and looked at him. He rose and went to her, but she squirmed out of his attempted embrace.

    "Look, why don't you go home?" Olivia opened her mouth and Richard quickly put a finger to her lips. "Not to Pennsylvania. You're right about that. Leaving now is probably the worse thing you can do. But why not take the rest of the day off? You're really upset--."

    "Why don't you stop telling me what to do?" Olivia hissed as she bore down on him, backing him toward the desk. "All you have done since you came in here was tell me what I should do and all you have done since you came in here is say the wrong thing! I don't need to be babied, Richard, I am a grown woman. Why is it that you seem to forget that whenever I get the slightest bit upset?"

    "I'm just trying to help," Richard replied defensively.

    "We've had this conversation before, Richard. When I want your help I'll ask for it! I can't have you up here fighting my battles for me, especially now! What'll people think? And I wouldn't want you to anyway. I can take care of myself, Richard!"

    "Lower your voice, will you?" he whispered. "The last thing you need is for people to hear us having an argument in here." Olivia wanted to hit him. She lifted her fists and forced herself to put them down again.

    "Get out," she whispered back. Richard's face registered surprise. "Get out!' she hissed more loudly. "That way, no one would be able to accuse me of arguing with anyone!" she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Richard slid around her and walked to the door. He didn't want to leave but he didn't want things to escalate any further. He looked at her with a pained expression, then he reluctantly slipped out of the office. .

    Lizzy dialed Olivia's office number and awaited the sound of her voice. When the voicemail came on, instead of leaving a message she opted to transfer her call up to William's office. William and Christopher were deep in conversation when William picked up the phone.

    "I can't really talk right now, Lizzy," William said, "Although it's good to hear the sound of your voice." He sat back in his chair to indulge himself in a tiny respite from the stresses of the day.

    "Well, I won't stay on if I'm keeping you from something important," Lizzy said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. Christopher made a gesture at William, and he asked Lizzy to hold on for a moment.

    "You may as well tell her what's happened. Olivia is going to need her support. And now that I think of it, Lizzy might be of use in laying the rumor to rest." William immediately took the hint and nodded. Christopher rose and went to sit on a couch at the far side of the office while William told Lizzy all that he knew.

    "That's why Richard has been so quiet all weekend. I'm sure that his worst fears have come to fruition," William concluded.

    "Well, it's his own fault if they have!" Lizzy exclaimed. Something in her tone made William uncomfortable and he squirmed as he asked her for an explanation. "Don't you think Olivia would have been better off knowing about it before she walked in there? Or that if she knew about it she could have made a choice about whether or not to go in? Geez, Will! He practically set her up for that! How can you feel sorry for him? And if he didn't want to tell her, you or Christopher should have!" William was a bit taken aback by her statement, but he couldn't argue with it. "Look," Lizzy continued with a sigh, "Right now, my main concern is Livy. Where is she? I called her office but I only got her voicemail."

    "Have you tried her cell?" William didn't like what he was hearing and considered sending Christopher down to check on Olivia. But he had a better idea.

    "Look, I have to go, darling. I'll call you back in a while."

    "Okay. If you want me to come up there, let me know."

    "All right. I love you."

    "I love you," Lizzy answered, before she turned her attention to dialing Olivia's cell phone number. William, meanwhile, dialed a number down at DARCO.

    Olivia spent several minutes composing herself and, ignoring the pangs of hunger in her abdomen, she focused her thoughts and returned to her work. She had wasted an hour and she was determined not to give anyone any more reasons to question her competency to do her job. She turned to her computer and gasped at the face she saw reflected on the screen. She pulled out her purse and quickly made a few repairs, then she set about working on the specs for the Cook's Companion home page. She started when her cell phone rang. She picked it up and saw that the call was from Lizzy, but she didn't feel like speaking with anyone. She made a mental note to call Lizzy later and returned her attention to her work. She took a deep breath. You can do this, Olivia Crenshaw. Don't let those @#$%^ get the better of you! She took a few more calming breaths and began to type. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. Olivia steeled herself before she invited her visitor in.

    "May I come in for a minute?" Olivia was surprised to see Lily Church at her door. She had no idea what Lily could possibly want but she invited her in. "As you know, William canceled this afternoon's interviews with those two journalists," Lily began, and a fairly transparent wave of relief washed over Olivia once more. "As you can imagine," Lily continued sweetly," They're very disappointed. I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a few comments I can pass on so that they can at least begin to put together a preliminary profile on you?" Olivia gazed at Lily and wondered what she was about. If William canceled the meeting, why would he expect her to issue statements?

    "I'd have to clear it with William, first," Olivia said, stalling for time. She didn't feel equal to answering any questions just then and she expected that William would back her up on it.

    "Oh, there's no need to bother him," Lily assured her. "It's just routine. You know, where were you born, what did you study in college...that sort of thing."

    "Well all that is in my portfolio, the one William distributed the day I was introduced to the staff," Olivia argued reasonably. Lily was momentarily flustered. Olivia's composure annoyed her. Could the rumor not have reached her? Had William found some way to shield her? Lily wouldn't put it past William to do so.

    "Oh, of course, but there are some things beyond your basic background that the press will want to know about."

    "Well, I'll be happy to answer those questions when the interview is rescheduled," Olivia replied.

    "What do I tell them now, then?" Lily said with a thin smile. "They're very curious about you, you know. After all, you seem to have appeared out of the blue..." Olivia felt her anger rising. The last time these two women faced each other Lily made a similar comment about her. But the last thing she wanted to do was upset herself again. Above all else she had to remain calm and rational.

    "Tell them to speak with Gerald Miller at Pratt University's computer department. He was my advisor and he knows my capabilities as well as anyone."

    "But that's hardly sufficient," Lily said teasingly. "The press will want to know the real you."

    "The real me is nobody's business but my own. Now if you'll excuse me I have work to do. If you want me to issue any statements you'll have to clear it with William first. Other than that, I have nothing to say," Olivia said with as steady a voice as she could manage. The knuckles of the hand that gripped her desk were nearly white. Lily rose to her feet, once more taken aback by Olivia's directness.

    "Good day, Ms. Crenshaw."

    "Ms. Church." Lily turned and walked out of the office. Olivia turned back to her computer, but she spent the next several minutes trying to calm herself. There was another knock on the door and Olivia almost didn't answer it. But the door opened and Ed Ferrars popped his head in.

    "Have you got a minute?" he asked gently. Olivia nodded and he sat down in the chair Richard had abandoned.

    "William asked me to stop by. He told me what happened today and he's pretty worried about you. I admit, after I heard the rumors I was a little worried, too. Look, Olivia, for what it's worth, none of the design team believes the rumors and even if they were true, it wouldn't make a bit of difference to us. We have faith in your talents and we're all looking forward to working with you." Olivia averted her eyes.

    "I appreciate that, Ed. I just wish," she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm afraid that a lot of people are going to believe that it's all true, including some of the team. I saw how they looked at me today. It's so unfair! And they aren't just slandering me--they're hurting my friends as well! None of us has done anything to deserve this."

    "I know you haven't. But just as things like this have a way of happening, they have a way of disappearing," Ed said reassuringly. Olivia managed a smile.

    "What, does William keep a magician on staff?"

    William wasn't above resorting to magic. He felt a little better knowing that Ed was willing to watch over Olivia, but he was ready to sell his soul to get his hands on the person or persons who had launched the scandal. Jo came into his office and handed him a list of messages. William paid it no heed, however. He stood and went to stare out the window. He wanted blood and he wanted it immediately. He would not be patient with a long hunt; Matt and Christopher had better get him results quickly. William turned when he heard a voice outside his door. It flew open, and Richard strode in.

    "I hope you're satisfied, Fitz," he declared.

    William tried to gauge Richard's mindset as he entered the room. He didn't look as angry as he had the previous week when he'd come back to Connecticut bearing news of the scandal. He appeared...William couldn't exactly say. Richard threw off the black leather greatcoat he'd been wearing since he'd gone down to the lobby to meet Olivia for lunch some time earlier. He had taken a walk after he left Olivia's office. He'd needed to put a little time and distance between the confrontational scene he'd just left and the one yet to come. William stood behind his massive desk, arms folded, waiting for the inevitable outburst. But Richard sat down wearily and stretched his long legs out before him and toyed with the scarf Olivia had made him that was still wrapped around his neck.

    "If there is such a thing as reincarnation, and we come back as cousins--I, for one am convinced that we are meant to plague each other's existence for all time so we must be cousins, or brothers, or something--we'll probably be cousin rattlesnakes or cousin toads. Anyway, if we do come back and you get the sense that I'm having trouble hooking up with the right girl snake or girl toad, do me a favor and stay out of it, okay? Let me find my own partner to share my acre of swamp with, no matter how tempted you are to intervene." William chuckled and slid into his seat. But he knew better than to let down his guard.

    "I suppose you know what happened this morning..." William said tentatively. Richard glanced up.

    "I haven't heard any of the details. Suppose you tell me," Richard replied with an edge of sarcasm in his voice.

    "From what Matt tells me--."

    "Matt?" Richard interjected.

    "Yes, Matt," William replied calmly. "He was headed down the stairs to deliver some papers I wanted distributed and he encountered Olivia in the stairwell, very upset." Richard winced, and William pressed on. "She told him that she had gone into the ladies room and overheard some women gossiping about her there. As you can imagine, she was devastated."

    "I know. She called me."

    "So you've spoken with her; how is she?" Richard shrugged and rose to his feet. He shoved his hands into his pockets and strode over to William's bar and poured himself a cup of coffee.

    "At the moment, she's angry, mostly at me, I think," he said finally. "I can't say I blame her. I've botched this whole thing. I guess I should have let you handle it your way. I just thought...I wanted to avoid this. I guess I was naïve to think that people wouldn't--." Richard swore under his breath and returned to his seat. William felt his frustration and once more blamed himself for not acting sooner.

    "I've asked Ed to keep an eye on her. The team is behind Olivia and I think that if she can get through these next few days, things will be all right." Richard promptly exploded.

    "All right! You didn't see her Fitz! She gets anxiety attacks when she's very upset. You remember how it was with Corrine last year after her break up with what's-his-face! She was forced to resort to medication to control the attacks, and then she started to hit the bottle every now and then to calm her nerves. It took her months to get out of that cycle! I don't want anything like that happening with Livy!"

    "Yes, I remember that, Fitz. But Corrine found Evan and Olivia has you," William said calmly. He observed Richard's expression and added, "Look, even if she's angry at the moment, Olivia does love you. You can't be in any doubt of that! And you love her. People who love each other don't give up on everything just because of one mistake."

    "Two."

    "Huh?" Richard shook his head.

    "Twice now, I've overstepped my bounds. I keep trying to protect her and she keeps chewing my head off for it." William smiled at the notion of Olivia giving Richard a dressing down. Richard eyed him warily and William smile widened.

    "I have to say that I like Olivia a great deal! It's about time you got involved with a woman who could stand up to you!" Richard snorted derisively. "She's going to make a decent man out of you yet!" William chuckled.

    "That's if she speaks with me after today," Richard grumbled.

    "Oh, she'll speak with you. But we'll worry about that later. Right now, you and I have a meeting to attend. Then I'll fill you in on what Christopher and I have come up with." Richard looked at his watch and realized that he was late for his own meeting downstairs. He shrugged at William sheepishly and the two of them made their way down to his office.

    Olivia's desk phone rang and she stared at it a moment before she picked up the receiver. She said her name and heard a "click" at the other end. She hung up the phone and imagined that it had been a wrong number. At Lydia's desk, however, Alicia smiled.

    "She's still in there," she said as she put down the receiver. "So go on; what happened after Mr. Fitzwilliam yelled at you?"

    "Well," Lydia replied, relishing being the center of attention. "She goes back into the office and shuts the door and they have this big fight. I had to cover the phones so I couldn't leave the desk, but you could hear their voices from here. Then he comes storming out!"

    "What do you think they were arguing about?" Alicia asked eagerly.

    "I have no idea! But he sure looked mad. If she doesn't watch out," Lydia sneered with a nod of her head toward Olivia's office, "She could end up on the outside looking in. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and she'd be a fool to let two get away."

    William returned to his office later that afternoon and dialed Lizzy's number. She picked up the phone and the sound of his voice made her smile.

    "Hey gorgeous, how are things up there? Do you want me to come uptown?"

    "No," William replied. "For the time being, I think you should stay out of sight. If you were to show up today it would look completely staged. But I do have a favor to ask of you."

    "Name it," Lizzy said. She cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder and continued to type as she listened.

    "Do you think you can leave the office a bit early today? I want to send Olivia home in the limo and I think it'd be nice if there were someone there to greet her." Lizzy looked at her watch.

    "I'm working on a deadline now...but, you know what? If I take a cab when I'm done I should be able to beat the limo to Brooklyn."

    "You're a treasure. Thanks," William purred.

    "And you're a good friend. Or are you just doing this for Livy because you're feeling guilty?" Lizzy teased. William sighed.

    "I admit it; what you said earlier is true. She would have been a lot better off if one of us had told her. She would at least have had time to prepare for it. When she found out that Richard kept it from her she let him have it between the eyes. The poor guy has been lumbering around all afternoon kind of shell-shocked."

    "Well, it serves him right. Not that I want to see him suffer, or have them at loose ends...what is it with men always assuming that they know what's best?" William laughed, albeit uncomfortably.

    "This man knows better than to try and answer that question. I'll let you get back to your deadline. I'll come over tonight, though I assume that the dinner will be off. Do you want me to bring anything?"

    "No, I'll cook. You just bring your gorgeous self. And bring the lumbering, shell-shocked guy, too. Maybe we can get two of them to do a little fence mending." William smiled to himself as he hung up the phone. He went out to Jo's desk and asked if she'd call Bates and arrange for him to pick up Olivia. Then he returned to his desk and called Ed Ferrars once more.

    Matt brought a stack of papers to the reception desk and, flipping on the Fitzwilliam charm, smiled at Lydia. She smiled back, hoping he'd changed his mind about his evening plans. But Matt was there on business, even if the nature of his business was not apparent to Lydia.

    "Is the boss in, beautiful? Mr. Darcy wants these distributed to all the project teams right away." Lydia didn't take her eyes off him as she buzzed Ed office.

    "There's someone here to see you," she said absently.

    "I'm on the phone at the moment, Lydia. Can you ask him to wait?" Ed replied.

    "Sure thing, Mr. Ferrars." She smiled up at Matt. "He's on the phone but he'd like you to wait for him." Matt's smile broadened. He could make good use of the opportunity while Ed finished his phone call.

    "She's surprisingly okay. I don't know whether it's a façade or what, but for the time being at least, she seems to be coping well enough. She just poked her head in a while ago to check on a few of the specs."

    "I'm relieved to hear it, Ed. Just continue to keep an eye on her until this thing blows over, okay?" William asked.

    "Will do. And I'll have her at Eighth Avenue and 53rd in...twenty minutes." He hung up the phone and walked out to the reception desk where Matt was having a pleasant conversation with Lydia.

    "I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Ed said with an apologetic smile. Matt quickly explained that William had asked him to deliver the material to him. Ed thanked him and returned to his office. As soon as the door was closed, Ed threw the papers into the wastebasket.

    Matt, meanwhile, returned to William's office with a smug smile on his face. William looked up as he entered the room.

    "Are you going to tell me what you found out or would you like me to slap that idiotic smile off your face?" William said darkly. Matt slid into his seat and pulled a tape recorder from his jacket pocket. He rewound the tape and sat it on the desk set to play:

    "At least you're in a good mood. Your cousin was up here earlier looking like he was going to breathe fire at any moment," Lydia's voice said.

    "Really? I wonder why?" William smirked at Matt's ingenuous tone.

    "Well, I don't know, really. But I suppose it has something to do with those rumors that have been going around about his girlfriend."

    "Rumors? What rumors?" A muted noise is heard in the background. Matt chuckled to himself, remembering the startled look in Lydia's eyes when she realized her mistake. William eyed Matt curiously as he strained to hear.

    "Well, some people are saying that Olivia Crenshaw is Mr. Darcy's ex, and that he gave her a job at DARCO as a payoff so she wouldn't take him to court with a palimony suit. Supposedly, he gave her a penthouse apartment and a huge allowance and it's all coming out of the DARCO payroll. They even say that Mr. Darcy postponed the launch of the Companion because he was having money problems. I think...I mean, based on what they're saying, I think that as soon as she's been paid off, Mr. Darcy plans to scrap the entire Companion project. It'll never go to market." William shut off the recorder.

    "Who is that?"

    "That, cousin, is Ms. Lydia Hudson or Henry--whatever. She's the receptionist at DARCO and a prime suspect," Matt revealed smugly.

    "What possible motive can she have for promulgating such an outlandish piece of fiction?"

    "Lydia Henson was a finalist for a position with the Investor's Companion team before the project was abandoned in favor of the Cook's Companion," Christopher revealed before Matt could speak. He'd entered quietly with the results of his preliminary investigations as the tape was playing and was standing behind Matt, who started when he spoke.

    "Yeah," Matt said with a look back at Christopher. "There's more on the tape, though." Christopher sat down and William hit the "play" button.

    "Where did you ever hear all that?" they heard Matt ask.

    "I cannot reveal my sources." Matt made a face at the recorder.

    "Not even to me?" his voice said beseechingly.

    "Especially not to you. You'd probably get me into trouble!" Matt mumbled something under his breath about Lydia loving the idea of his getting her into trouble. William silenced him with a glare.

    "Well, to tell the truth, I'll let you in on a little secret," Matt's recorded voice continued. "Mr. Darcy is aware of the rumors and he's out for blood." William flicked a look of annoyance at Matt. "If he even suspects that you started the rumor he'll throw you out of here on your ear," Matt whispered conspiratorially.

    "Me! I...I didn't start any rumors, honest! I'm just repeating what I've heard," Lydia sputtered.

    "From whom?" Matt persisted.

    "From...people. I couldn't tell you here." Matt rolled his eyes, distracting William, who glared at him again. The tape went silent and then Ed Ferrars' voice was heard speaking with Matt briefly.

    "So, where can you tell me?" Matt continued.

    "How about over dinner tonight?" Lydia cooed. Matt rolled his eyes in disgust once more and mumbled, "As if!"

    "No can do. I have a family function to attend. You wouldn't want to see me taken out of my dad's will, would you?" William and Christopher exchanged a glance. They could practically hear Lydia size up Matt's financial potential. "How about lunch tomorrow? I'll take you somewhere quiet and you can give me the names."

    "Well..." Lydia hedged. Matt smiled as his recorded persona delivered the coup de grace.

    "If you are seen to help unmask the parties responsible for the scandal, Mr. Darcy may be persuaded to reward you," Matt informed her.

    "With what?" Matt looked at William and shrugged, which is precisely what he had done before Lydia.

    "Well, okay. Lunch tomorrow." Matt stopped the recorder.

    "Nice work," William said to Matt.

    "It's a beginning," Christopher added, earning a frown from Matt. "Look. She'll go to lunch with you tomorrow and allow you to wine her and dine her and she'll say whatever you want her to. There's no guarantee that she'll say anything of use. Either she's the culprit and she'll cast blame on someone else or she's not and can name a dozen people who will all lead nowhere."

    "What's your point?" Matt said bitterly.

    "My point, young man," Christopher said, rising to pace the floor, "Is this: unless she says something that can be corroborated with facts, whatever she says will be useless."

    "That is a good point, Matt. It sounds like this Lydia has her own motives for wanting to 'come clean'," William warned.

    "Don't worry; I won't let my guard down. She's cute, but she's not about to turn my head. Why she couldn't begin to come close to--. Trust me," Matt said, and picking up the recorder, he left the office.

    At precisely 5:00, Ed knocked on Olivia's door and told her it was time to go home.

    "Oh!" Olivia looked up from her work surprised. "I'm still only--." Ed smiled as he reached across her desk and hit the save command on her screen.

    "If you're trying to impress your bosses, don't bother. This one is leaving as well, and the other one wants you to leave. Now!" Ed emphasized as he fetched her coat from behind the door. Olivia still sat looking surprised.

    "But I'm not ready to leave yet! I was planning to work on this a while longer and I wanted to make a phone call..." Ed shook her coat as if he were bating a bull.

    "You can work on that tomorrow and you can make your calls from the car," he said, gesturing with the coat once more. Olivia reluctantly rose and obeyed the silent summons.

    "I didn't drive," she argued weakly, as she retrieved her bag and scooped up a bunch of papers. Ed gave her a stern glance and she dropped the papers to the desk and headed for the door.

    "I'll walk you out," Ed smiled.

    "What did you mean 'the other' boss wanted me to leave?" Olivia asked as they waited for the elevator. The doors opened and the pair stepped into a crowded elevator, where Olivia immediately lowered her head and blushed. Ed felt for her, although the ride was brief and no one seemed to recognize her. When they reached the lobby, Ed took hold of her arm and headed toward the exit. Outside, he steered Olivia around the corner and headed for Eighth Avenue.

    "Where are you taking me? The train's that way!" she exclaimed, pointing south.

    "You asked what I meant earlier about your other boss wanting you to go home," Ed explained, not releasing his grip. "Well, I'm just following Mr. Darcy's orders and he thought that you didn't need the added stress of the New York City subway just now." As Ed spoke Olivia looked up and saw a limousine waiting, the door open and Bates smilingly waiting for her to close the distance between them. Olivia sighed and shook her head as Bates took her bag and helped her into the car after she said goodbye to Ed. In the hushed, luxurious confines of the huge Mercedes, Olivia closed her eyes and tried to erase the day from her memory as Bates navigated rush hour traffic.

    William strode into Richard's office where he found his cousin buried in a stack of papers. William sat down, crossed his legs, and waited for Richard to acknowledge him. Richard glanced up briefly and returned his attention to his work, but that provided a sufficient opening for William.

    "How much longer are you planning on staying today?" he began.

    "I don't know. Why?"

    "We have dinner plans." Richard looked up and sighed wearily.

    "Do we? And when did we make these plans?"

    "This afternoon," William replied easily as he flicked a speck of imperceptible lint from his sleeve. "We'll leave as soon as Bates gets back. I've sent him on an errand." Richard put down his pen and eyed his cousin suspiciously.

    "Fitz, are you going to tell me what this is about or are you planning some sort of nasty surprise?"

    "Lizzy's invited us over." Richard rolled his eyes.

    "Does she have any idea what happened today?"

    "She knows exactly what happened today. I don't keep secrets from her," William replied in a manner that made Richard want to wipe the smile from his cousin's face.

    "I won't condescend to call you the liar that you plainly are, but this is a bad idea, Fitz. I pass."

    "But--." Richard cut William off before he could form a sentence.

    "Look, Olivia has had a tough day. She needs time and a little space. Besides, I'm probably the last person she wants to see right now," Richard said uncomfortably.

    "How do you know that?"

    "I don't suppose you are familiar with the three strikes rule? Well, I'm in no mood to push my luck just now," Richard said with an air of finality that told William that it would be useless to argue.

    "Well, then," William countered as he reached for the phone and handed the receiver to Richard as he dialed, "You'll have to make your apologies to Lizzy." Richard sighed and accepted the challenge. Lizzy had just entered the house when her cell phone rang. She dropped her bag on the nearest chair and dug out the phone.

    "Hello?"

    "Hello, Bright Eyes," Richard said grumpily. "I just called to tell you the same thing I just told my nattily attired friend here: stay out of my swamp?"

    "Huh? Richard, what are you talking about?" Richard sighed and continued in a decidedly lighter tone.

    "I understand that I have been invited to dinner. Sorry, precious, but I'll have to decline."

    "Why?" Lizzy pouted. Richard glanced at William.

    "Winter sales have begun at Bloomingdale's. Baby needs new shoes."

    "Oh, come on, Richard; you'll have to do better than that!"

    "You know what happened today?"

    "Yes, and I know that Livy needs you," Lizzy countered bluntly.

    "If that's the case I'll be there for her in a heartbeat. But unless I hear that from her own lovely lips, my credit card and I will be spending quality time in Bloomingdale's tonight. William shook his head disparagingly, earning a glare from Richard.

    "You can't be serious about going shopping!" Lizzy exclaimed.

    "Why not, you sexist pig?" Richard taunted.

    "Richard, please..." Lizzy persisted.

    "You know my terms, Bright Eyes. Now, would you like to speak to Fitz, or should we just say goodbye?"

    "I'd like to speak with William, please," Lizzy said disappointedly. William took the proffered phone from Richard. "Will, you have to change his mind!" she insisted.

    "Actually, Liz, I think I have to back Richard on this one. Maybe it would be best if we let Olivia call the shots." Richard raised a brow as he heard William's declaration.

    "Okay," Lizzy pouted. "I'll speak to Livy as soon as she comes in." William hung up the phone and shrugged his shoulders.

    "That was awfully decent of you. Am I free to go about my business?" William nodded and rose to his feet. Richard returned his attention to his reading, and tried as hard as possible not to think about Olivia.

    Olivia slid out of the limousine and thanked Bates for the ride. She pulled out her keys and entered the house and was surprised to hear signs of life. Jane would be at the store for another hour at least and Lizzy usually never left the office before six. She followed her ears to the kitchen, where Lizzy was singing to herself as she put on a pot of water for tea.

    "What are you doing home so early?" Olivia asked as she pulled off her outer garments.

    "William called and told me what happened. He thought someone should be here when you got home." Olivia threw her things down on a chair with a smirk on her lips.

    "Those two really do like arranging things, don't they?" Lizzy picked up the discarded coat and scarf and took them to the hall closet.

    "They mean well, and this time I think Will was right. When I heard what happened I wanted to be here for you." Lizzy returned to the kitchen and hugged Olivia. "Are you all right?" Olivia nodded as Lizzy released her. The pair sat down at the table.

    "Yes, I am now. But those first few moments...when I heard your name mentioned, I--."

    "My name?" Lizzy interrupted in surprise.

    "Yes. You're the new girlfriend that William is supposed to be hiding his past from. But when I found out that I was the dark secret he was supposedly hiding, I completely lost it."

    "Oh, Livy!" Lizzy sighed. She rose to make the tea and then rejoined Olivia at the table.

    "Oh, I'm all right. Fortunately, Matt was there to help me through the worst anxiety attack I've had since my breakup with Stephen. And after I had a good cry--."

    "Matt? What's he doing at DARCO?"

    "He's not at DARCO; he's still got a week or so left in his internship in William's office before he returns to Wharton." Lizzy grew pensive for a moment.

    "Livy, you don't think..." Olivia looked at Lizzy questioningly. "There isn't any chance that Matt started these rumors, is there?"

    "No way! For all that he's interested in me he'd never stoop to something so low, or something that would hurt his own family, especially after he found out--. Well, suffice to say, he was as angry about the whole thing as I was and he was very kind to me today," Olivia insisted.

    "Well, if you're sure. I'd hate to see any more trouble--."

    "Matt's not the guilty party. In fact, I'd hate to see the guilty party if Matt were to get a hold of him. Anyway, it's over. I had a good cry about it, put it behind me, and got back to work."

    "I don't know how you can be so calm about all this!" Lizzy said in awe. Olivia shrugged.

    "I just put things into proper perspective. I really have no control over what others may think of me, regardless of what I do, so there's no sense wasting my energy or tears over it," she said stoically. The two were quiet for a moment as each sipped her tea. Lizzy broke the silence with the question that had been on her mind since Olivia got home.

    "What about Richard?" Olivia's eyes immediately began to mist over, and Lizzy regretted her blunder.

    "Lizzy! I just promised myself I was not going to cry again!" Lizzy squeezed Olivia's hand, but sensing that it would be better to deal with the topic than avoid it, she went on.

    "You argued..." Olivia nodded tearfully. Lizzy went to the drawer and secured a napkin for her.

    "Why do men always think they have to run things?"

    "Livy, Richard was wrong, but he was just trying to protect you."

    "Protect me?" Olivia ejaculated. "With protection like that I don't need enemies! I walked right into a minefield today, thanks to him," Olivia spat bitterly. "He seems to think he knows what's best for me, as though I don't have any brains of my own!"

    "I'm sure that isn't the case, Livy. He's just...well, he thought he was doing the right thing," Lizzy concluded weakly, being unable to justify Richard's behavior.

    "The right thing would have been to talk to me about it. He's known about this for days, Lizzy--since Thursday!"

    "Not that it will make you feel better, but they all knew...William and Christopher, as well as Richard. Apparently they were trying to concoct some scheme to catch the guilty party," Lizzy shrugged.

    "What for? Even if they catch him or her, no one can undo the damage that has already been done!" Olivia replied.

    "They seem to think differently, and I have to say I think they're right. I just don't know how they're going to catch the culprit," Lizzy admitted. Olivia just shook her head and stared into her tea. "Maybe you two should talk..." Lizzy suggested gently. Olivia shook her head again.

    "No. Not now, anyway. I just want to go upstairs, take a long hot bath, and then I'll come down and start dinner," she said rising to her feet.

    "I'll cook, Livy. Under the circumstances--."

    "Under the circumstances, the kitchen is the best place for me to be," Olivia finished the sentence for her, smiling for the first time since she entered the house. Olivia headed for the stairs, dragging her bag behind her.

    "Livy, I had invited William over..." Olivia froze at the first step.

    "And Richard, too?"

    "Yes, but he declined. He thought that you'd want a little space." Olivia continued up the steps.

    "He was right," she said as she disappeared from sight.

    Continued In Next Section

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