Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam ~ Section XXII

    By Judy-Lynne

    Beginning, Previous Section, Section XXII, Next Section

    Caroline perched awkwardly on a little bench and sipped her coffee. She hated attending the tenants' meetings in her apartment building; the older, more established tenants invariably met in secret prior to the public meeting and fairly dictated whatever policy was to be "discussed." Caroline would rather avoid the pretense and just be sent a memo explaining the decision. She sighed and squirmed in her seat. The meeting was already fifteen minutes behind schedule. Not that she had any plans of her own, but she resented the tenant board taking up her time needlessly. She heard her name called and looked up to see Lily Church approaching.

    "Good evening, Lily," Caroline said neutrally. She'd been uncomfortable in Lily's presence ever since Christmas when she'd unwisely chosen to lie about her reason for leaving Connecticut "early."

    "Have I missed anything?" Lily asked cheerfully. Caroline snorted.

    "You could skip five meetings and not miss anything," she sneered in a low voice. Lily smiled.

    "Speaking of missing things..." Caroline waited for her to continue, but the meeting began. Twenty minutes later, when it had ended exactly as Caroline predicted it would, Lily invited Caroline to come to her apartment for a chat. Having no ready excuse not to, Caroline complied.

    "I am simply dying to tell someone what happened today. It's too delicious!" Lily began.

    "What?" Caroline asked, completely bewildered.

    "I spoke with William Darcy today and he all but confessed his relationship with Olivia!"

    "What?" Caroline squealed. She felt her knees go weak and sat down abruptly.

    "Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but...maybe I should start from the beginning. Something happened today. No one seems to know what, but my sources tell me that Richard Fitzwilliam and Olivia Crenshaw had a huge fight in her office, and all of a sudden, William cancels an interview that he himself had sought to introduce Olivia to some of the trade journals. I spoke with him, but he wouldn't give a reason. He was very defensive and got angry when I asked for a reason for the cancellation."

    "That could hardly be called an admission. What does it mean?" Caroline asked weakly.

    "I don't know, but there's more. I marched right down to Olivia Crenshaw's office and asked--." Caroline blanched.

    "Asked what?" she practically shouted. Lily looked at her neighbor in surprise.

    "Keep your shirt on and I'll tell you," she laughed. "I marched right in and asked if she had a statement she wished to make to the media. She was tighter than a clam. She wouldn't utter a word without William's prior approval. Her whole attitude reeked of cover up. And that, my dear, spells an admission!" Caroline was stunned. What would William and Olivia have to cover up if the whole story was a falsehood? But she couldn't focus on that at the moment. She was overwhelmed by how quickly her little lie had escalated into a full-blown scandal. Lily continued to chatter on about how Olivia Crenshaw wasn't going to be at DARCO much longer. Caroline didn't hear much for the pounding in her own ears. She made her excuses at the earliest opportunity and retreated to her apartment, where she poured herself a stiff drink and thought about the fiasco she had begun. The lie she had concocted to preserve her own ego has spun out of control and one thing was certain; when it got back to her she was going to pay dearly for it.

    By the time William reached Brooklyn, after stopping at home to change and to select a bottle of wine from his cellar, the smell of braised veal shanks permeated the Bennet apartment. He greeted Lizzy at the door and complimented her on what promised to be an excellent meal.

    "I wish I could claim the credit, but Livy decided to cook after all. Come on into the kitchen where she's plying her magic," Lizzy smiled. William allowed himself to be led into the kitchen where Olivia was stirring a pumpkin risotto and keeping a wary eye on the spinach steaming in a nearby pan. She smiled a greeting to William, who was secretly relieved to see her looking so well.

    "I brought some wine," he said, holding up a pair of bottles. I hope at least one of them is appropriate." Olivia spared a minute to read the labels and smiled her approval.

    "Excellent choices, William. Either will go very nicely with dinner. Why don't you open one and let it breathe?" William deftly opened the bottle of wine and took it into the dining room where Lizzy was setting the table.

    "She looks okay, but how is she really?" William asked as he wrapped his arms around Lizzy to steal a kiss.

    "Other than her unfinished business with Richard, she's fine, but then Olivia has always been fairly resilient. I just wish..." William silenced her with a kiss.

    "We're staying out of this," he declared. Lizzy nodded and William reached into his jacket pocket and produced a package.

    "What's this?" Lizzy asked.

    "Open it," William said as he settled in one of the chairs. Lizzy unwrapped the package to reveal a pocket-sized personal computer.

    "Oh, I've been wanting to get one of these," she said as she sat on his lap to examine her prize." William took it from her and showed her that it was already preprogrammed.

    "I've taken the liberty of loading my schedule for the next three months," he said as Lizzy looked on. "You'll also notice that there are some times blocked out for the two of us--pending your approval, of course."

    "Vermont! And...oh! I like this!" Lizzy smiled, as she saw what William had in mind for the couple over the next several weeks.

    "Charles was so kind as to confirm your availability for the Vermont trip as well as the trip to Japan next month, if you want to go, that is."

    "If?" Lizzy laughed. Her next words were aborted by Olivia's call from the kitchen.

    "I could use a hand out here!" Lizzy and William quickly joined Olivia in the kitchen and in minutes the three had dinner on the table and were enjoying their meal. Over a dessert of pears poached in wine with mascarpone cheese, William offered a formal apology for Olivia's situation.

    "There's no need, William. There was no way you could have foreseen or prevented something like this from happening," Olivia replied with a blush.

    "I'm afraid I'm not totally innocent," William admitted. "You see, I did bring you to DARCO under--let's say less than completely honest pretenses." Lizzy and Olivia shared a glance. "That's why Richard has been so upset with me these past few days. He just found out about it himself."

    "Found out about what?" Lizzy and Olivia asked in unison. William put down his glass and wiped his mouth with his napkin as he organized his thoughts.

    "When I met you back in Pennsylvania I was very impressed with you. I was impressed by your intelligence, I was impressed by your background, but mostly," William smiled, "I was impressed with your cookies. I guess the businessman in me kicked in. All the way back to New York I thought about ways they could be marketed. By the time we set down in the city, I had decided that with your background as a web designer, you ought to market your cookies on the Internet." Olivia was amused but still confused as to William's point, as was Lizzy, who expressed her confusion aloud.

    "Well, once I began to think about marketing food products over the Internet, I began to see the potential for a Companion dedicated to the needs of food vendors and purveyors, restaurateurs, and even amateur foodies. I thought that there was a real market there, and that it could be expanded as well to include event planners, caterers, and the like. I began discussing the idea with a few well-placed people who were all enthusiastic about the idea, but I thought I needed the vision of someone in the food industry to pull it off. It took me a while to realize that the answer to my riddle lay at my starting point. You had both the food background and the technical knowledge to realize my objective.'

    "You told me all this when we met in Philadelphia, William," Olivia said. "I still don't see why you are apologizing." William shifted in his seat.

    "Well, I have two things to apologize for. I have to admit that a large part of my motivation was Richard's apparent interest in you. I thought that if you spent at least part of your time in New York that it might facilitate your relationship."

    "You hypocrite! You kept telling me to butt out and all the time you were plotting to bring the two of them together!" Lizzy exclaimed. William shook his head.

    "I was plotting to get Olivia to New York. I left getting them together up to Richard."

    "A fine distinction!" Lizzy scoffed.

    "Go on, William," Olivia said. She was more interested in hearing what else William was guilty of.

    "I delayed the launch of the basic Companion to have time to get you on board and working on the Cook's Companion. I thought that if we were to launch three versions at once--the basic, the Traveler's Companion, and the Cook's Companion--that the Cook's Companion might do better. That was important to me because the site that's being developed will be your baby, and I wanted to make sure it's a success."

    "What do you mean, 'my baby'?" Olivia asked warily.

    "We designed it to be a free-standing business. Christopher, Danielle and I did the business plan. You remember Danielle, don't you? She's the CFO at F/F." William said as he went to the tote bag he had brought with him and retrieved a portfolio. "Here's the business plan." Olivia skimmed through the plan and looked up in amazement.

    "You're setting me up in my own business? Why?"

    "It's what venture capitalists do," William smiled. "Admittedly, I didn't do this through the regular channels. The Darcy Group has been helping start-up companies for about ten years now. Richard is a prominent investor and member of the board, and this was done without his knowledge."

    "...To get me to stay in New York..." Olivia suggested. William nodded.

    "I do realize that you could run a web-based business from anywhere, but I was hoping that you'd be persuaded to settle here. For one thing, you'd have the resources of DARCO, the Darcy Group and the Darcy Corporation behind you."

    "...Not to mention the pretty hunk at Bloomingdale's," Lizzy quipped. She had to explain the joke as the three cleared the table. When they had everything stored and the dishes in the dishwasher, Olivia retired to her room to read over the business plan. Lizzy entertained William a while longer downstairs.

    Olivia was in something of a shock; it had never occurred to her to start her own business beyond her freelancing work. To think that someone would drop an opportunity like this in her lap was too amazing to grasp fully. If she could get a decent client base to subscribe and convince enough purveyors to sell their wares through her site the potential earnings figures boggled her mind. She would have to sleep on it. She was too tired to take it all in. Olivia pulled off her clothes and shrugged into a flannel nightgown. She crawled under the covers and lay back among the pillows. She stared at the ceiling for several minutes before she sat up and reached for her cell phone.

    Richard had not actually gone shopping. He had an early dinner out and spent the evening watching a bowl game on television. He had just decided to turn in and was about to turn off the lights in his living room when his cell phone rang. He smiled, knowing that the call could only have come from the one person who had his new number.

    "Hello, Angel."

    "Hello, Silly Man."

    "How was dinner?" Richard asked as he went into his room and threw himself on his bed.

    "Wonderful. You missed a fine meal if I may say so myself."

    "Maybe you'll make it for me sometime," Richard said tentatively.

    "Maybe." The silence that ensued on the line allowed Richard to hear how loudly his heart was thumping. "So are you free tomorrow night?" Olivia asked finally.

    "Yes," Richard said without hesitation. "I don't seem to have much of a life without you lately."

    "Well, maybe we could do a little shopping after work and then make dinner together," Olivia suggested. She spoke softly and Richard felt as though she was whispering in his ear.

    "Hey! You didn't make William make his own dinner, did you?"

    "Domesticating William is not my responsibility," Olivia retorted.

    "Oh. Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?"

    "I don't know if we should, what with...oh, forget it! Yes, we can do lunch tomorrow," Olivia decided, throwing caution aside. She was not going to let rumors or anything else keep her apart from Richard.

    "I'll see you tomorrow then, at noon, in the lobby."

    "Meet me in my office or I won't go," Olivia stated evenly.

    "Olivia," Richard began.

    "Look, I don't want to get into this right now, but yes, I mean it. I'm not going to pretend that the rumors don't matter to me, but I'm not going to let them dictate my life."

    "Or me," Richard added guiltily.

    "Or you," Olivia acknowledged. "But we can discuss that tomorrow."

    "Sleep well, Angel."

    "You too, Silly Man," Olivia smiled.

    "Livy," Richard groaned.

    "I can think of a few other things I'd like to call you..."

    "Good night, Livy," Richard laughed as he hung up. He pulled off his jeans and crawled under the covers to sleep far better than he ever expected to that night.

    The next two days went fairly smoothly, save for the fact that an emergency at the offices of a good friend of Hugh Fitzwilliam lead to Richard being called away to install a new state of the art security system. The computer system of a major New England real estate brokerage house had succumbed to a virus and Hugh was only too happy to call on his son as a favor to his old friend. The fact that this friend was Caitlin's godfather and that the new client was a major coup for Fitzwilliam/Fitzwilliam persuaded Richard to spend several days in Boston overseeing things personally. Thus his dinner with Olivia had to be postponed.

    William wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was personally relieved Richard would be away for a few days. He took advantage of the opportunity to call in the other members of the Darcy Group to pitch his concept for Olivia's business. William and Christopher were quite willing to take on the project alone, but they felt that they had an obligation to bring the proposal before their venture capital group--which was less than wildly enthusiastic about the prospect of promoting a web-based business, given the recent Wall Street shakeout. But William could be extremely persuasive, especially when he had Christopher on his side, and since there were no immediate plans to trade the business publicly, and William was able to produce letters of commitment for dozens of vendors with sizeable client bases and dozens of restaurateurs and caterers in the tri-state area, the group signed on to bankroll Olivia's business proposal.

    Olivia herself was somewhat ambivalent about the prospect. On the one hand she was very taken with the whole notion of developing the site and a flourishing business related to her passion for good food. It was the realization of a fantasy, and she was extremely grateful to William for the opportunity presented to her. On the other hand, she was not so naïve as to believe that William's main impetus for supporting her was his love for her oatmeal cookies. It had far more to do with his love for his cousin. It therefore rankled her that William had deliberately called the meeting behind Richard's back. Olivia felt somewhat ill used, even though William's actions would ultimately benefit both Richard and herself.

    Olivia had not had an opportunity to discuss the business plan to Richard. They had only had a brief telephone conversation the night the whole scandal was revealed and lunch the next day was given over to staring into each other's eyes wistfully and reestablishing good relations. Nothing more serious was discussed than whether or not Richard could taste the marjoram in his chicken entrée. Olivia now wished that she had told him about it. She had planned to show him the business plan that evening at dinner, but he had been called away later that afternoon and there had been no chance to bring up the topic. The next morning, William had called her into two meetings, the first to discuss the business plan and the second to introduce the plan to the members of the Darcy Group. Olivia left the second meeting in something of a daze. Christopher followed her out into the hall a bit concerned.

    "Olivia, have you any plans for lunch?" he asked casually. Olivia turned and smiled.

    "No... unless that's an invitation," she smiled. Christopher nodded, and he accompanied her back to her office to get her coat. On the way to the elevator, Olivia observed Matt chatting with Alicia at the receptionist's desk. She glared at Matt, who smiled at her innocently. Christopher nodded at him surreptitiously and escorted Olivia away.

    "You know," Olivia said cheekily minutes later as she slid into her seat at one of the city's most exclusive restaurants, "Being seen with you can't be good for salvaging my reputation." Christopher smiled over his menu.

    "I was under the impression that you had chosen to forget about the scandal."

    "I had, but being seen going to lunch with you is likely to start a new one. People will think that I've moved on to my next conquest." Christopher frowned thoughtfully.

    "Are you interested in moving on?" Olivia shook her head emphatically.

    "I am quite besotted with my current conquest, thank you." Christopher sighed.

    "Pity...my reputation could probably use the boost that consorting with a scandalous woman is likely to inspire." Olivia blushed as Christopher returned his attention to his menu. "How are you doing, really?" he asked after the waiter had taken their orders and left them in privacy.

    "I'm fine," Olivia sighed. "I can say without fear of contradiction that this has been a most trying week.'

    "Undoubtedly," Christopher replied. "Have you settled things with Richard?" he asked after a momentary pause.

    "Yes. Of course, I've barely seen him since Tuesday."

    "When is Richard due back?"

    "Friday night," Olivia said hopefully. "He promised he'd come home for the weekend even if he wasn't done up in Boston. We had hoped to spend sometime together before I went home."

    "Are you going back to Pennsylvania?" Christopher asked out of curiosity.

    "Well, I have to go home some time. I haven't been there in three weeks now," Olivia admitted with a frown of concern.

    "Surely there is someone who can look after things in your absence."

    "Yes, I have a neighbor...but I wouldn't want to impose on him for too much longer."

    "Have you given any thought to settling in New York?" Christopher asked as he lifted his water goblet to his lips.

    "Well," Olivia hedged. "We haven't really...I mean, I haven't made any decisions yet."

    "...About moving in with Richard?" Christopher filled in the missing words. Olivia hesitated. Her relationship with Richard was still new enough to make her shy about talking about it.

    "Yes, well, that might be one option. I also have an open invitation to stay with Jane and Lizzy whenever I come north." Olivia paused as a salad was placed before her. "As I said, nothing has been decided yet."

    "I suppose you could always get a place of your own," Christopher suggested. Olivia laughed.

    "I don't think I can quite afford to buy a suite at the Waldorf, Christopher," she said, referring to her companion's accommodation. Christopher smiled sheepishly.

    "You could find a flat, certainly. That is, if you wished it..." He cut himself off by putting a forkful of salad in his mouth. As he chewed, he observed Olivia thoughtfully.

    "I know!" Alicia cried. "I told Lydia that she shouldn't spread those rumors around because Mr. Darcy wouldn't like it. But do you think she listened? Did she keep her big mouth shut?" Matt gritted his teeth. In light of what he knew about Alicia's own inability to keep her mouth shut, he was less than amused at the prospect of spending the remainder of his lunch hour in her company. He still had indigestion from the greasy burger he had consumed the previous day at lunch with Lydia. Now he was forced to sit through a meal with someone he was inclined to think even less of; Alicia had been the one whose indiscrete chatter in the ladies' room had caused all of Olivia's distress. At least Alicia had better taste in restaurants...expensive tastes, to boot. Matt swallowed his righteous anger and tried to smile.

    "What I don't understand is why Lydia would make up all that stuff in the first place." Alicia's eyes widened.

    "Is it all lies?"

    "Of course, it's all lies!" Matt nearly shouted. "Olivia was hired strictly on the basis of her abilities, and she didn't know Will--Mr. Darcy--until after he had... Suffice to say, it's all lies." Alicia pouted.

    "Oh, Matt, you can tell me!" Matt sighed. "I may even be of help to you in getting the truth out to everyone!" Alicia suggested helpfully.

    "Quite frankly, Ms. Morlatt, it's none of your business." She looked at him in disbelief, and then pouted once more. "The less you or anyone else knows about their private affairs...uh, their private lives, the better. Suffice to say, the rumors that are currently going around are completely unfounded." Matt eyed Alicia and tried to steer her thoughts back to his agenda. "So the lies that Lydia made up are completely false."

    "Oh, she didn't make up any of them, though I'm sure she embellishes everything she's heard," Alicia replied knowingly. She put a hand on Matt's forearm in an intimate gesture that made Matt even angrier. But he tolerated the invasion of his personal space as he awaited further illumination. "She heard it from upstairs. That's where most of the gossip around here comes from," Alicia said as she withdrew her hand to daintily cut her salad.

    "The gossip came from the top floor?" Matt asked incredulously. The 40th floor, long regarded by Matt as William's personal think tank, was populated with the Darcy Corporation's best and brightest key officials. It seemed a most unlikely source of gossip, and especially rumors calculated to hurt William's image, if not his bottom line.

    "No, silly!" Alicia cooed, and with a flick of her wrist she sent a tiny bit of lettuce on a collision course with Matt's pale silk tie. He grimaced as Alicia giggled at her mishap. "Oops! Sorry. That's probably ruined. You can never get oil stains out of silk, but I daresay you could afford to buy a new one," she said with a meaningful glance that was nothing short of predatory.

    "This tie was a gift from my late grandmother," Matt deadpanned. It was a blatant lie; the tie had been a birthday gift from his brother's girlfriend, Tineke, but Alicia didn't have to know that, and Matt derived a great deal of satisfaction from Alicia's pale expression. He looked down at the stain and sighed dramatically. He did regret the ruination of his tie; it was a favorite. He waved off Alicia's attempt to clean it.

    "You're right; I can afford to buy another tie," he said sadly. "Anyway," he changed the subject, "When Mr. Darcy finds out exactly who was responsible for those rumors he plans on making a very public example of firing the guilty party." Alicia nearly choked on her soda and Matt instinctively covered his tie to fend off further damage. Splattered cola was not something that could be concealed behind a well-placed tie tack.

    "Well, I want to be there when he gets it. I'd like to see the look on his smarmy little face when the you-know-what hits the fan. Jason Keller will never know what hit him," she smiled in satisfaction.

    "Who's Jason Keller?"

    "He's Lily Church's assistant, and he's the biggest gossip on the eastern seaboard," Alicia replied offhandedly as she carefully stabbed another forkful of salad. She had coerced Matt into taking her to a pricey restaurant, but all she ordered was a Greek salad and a Coke, which she might have had at a local diner for half the price.

    "Why should this Jason want to see Olivia Crenshaw's reputation screwed?" Matt demanded. Alicia shrugged.

    "But there isn't a rumor in this building that he doesn't know about," she answered confidently.

    "But he doesn't know Olivia. How could he?" Matt persisted. Alicia shrugged.

    "Of course he knows her, at least on paper. He does work for the Darcy Corporation's publicity office, after all. He probably has more dirt on anyone--." Matt's reaction to Alicia's revelation was immediate and palpable. She didn't finish her sentence as Matt leapt to his feet.

    "Excuse me!" he cried as he hastily concocted an excuse. "My silent beeper just went off. That means the boss wants me, and when he says 'jump,' I jump." Matt hurriedly paid the check and raced back to the office. He said goodbye to Alicia in the elevator and headed up to the 40th floor. He didn't know how his abrupt departure sat with Alicia and frankly he didn't care. She had served her purpose, and most admirably. Now he had to think. He had gained important information, something that might allow him to close in on his prey, but he had to think before he took any further action. He paced William's outer office deep in thought, much to Jo's annoyance. She was about to say something to Matt when William opened his door. He took in the scene with a questioning glance to Jo, who shrugged to indicate her ignorance. Oblivious to the fact that he was being observed, Matt continued to process all the information he had gleaned through various conversations over the past several days. A hand on his back made him start.

    "Looking for me?" Matt spun around to find himself face to face with William.

    "No, actually," Matt replied.

    "Well, I want to see you," William countered tersely and led Matt into his office. William took his seat and looked up at Matt. "I thought we'd made a deal. You were supposed to report back on all your findings. But you've been dodging Christopher and me these last three days. If you've been using this time to wine and dine Lydia Henson at my expense--."

    "Believe me, wining and dining Lydia Henson is the furthest thing from my mind. I did take to lunch, her and one other person, but until now, I really had nothing to report," Matt said defensively. "If I had come to you earlier, all I would have gotten was a big fat 'I told you so.' So I kept on digging, and now I think I have something fairly solid." William eyed Matt appraisingly, regretting his earlier brusqueness.

    "Let's hear what you've got."

    The waiter placed a huge slab of strawberry-topped cheesecake and two forks on the table and refilled the coffee cups. Charles pushed away the legal pad he and Lizzy had been using to map out a production schedule and reached for a fork.

    "Aren't you allergic to strawberries?" Lizzy teased as she obstructed Charles's path and reached for a large chunk of fruit.

    "Don't even try it!" Charles retorted as he managed to elude Lizzy's feint and snatch the coveted strawberry.

    "So have you heard from Caroline since you got home?" Lizzy asked when the cheesecake was nearly gone. She was just making conversation, but she was curious as to how Charles's sister had reacted to the unexpected repayment of her loan. Charles's handsome face fell slightly. His sister was still a sore point with him.

    "I got a message on my answering machine a few days ago, presumably when Caroline received the check, but I haven't called her back." Lizzy looked up and stared at Charles for a moment. "What?"

    "Nothing," Lizzy replied, coming out of her brief reverie. "So she hasn't followed through with any of her threats, then?"

    "No," Charles shrugged. "Maybe I overestimated her attention span. Caroline can be very vindictive at times, and I really did expect her to launch some mad scheme as soon as we got back to the office, but I haven't heard from her." Lizzy barely heard him. She was deep in thought as Charles continued, so she only caught the last part of his speech. "...All things considered, I would not be averse to a fifty-fifty partnership with you. I just don't like being forced to make decisions of this nature because she suddenly decides to cop an attitude."

    "Uh...yeah, I know what you mean," Lizzy murmured, but her mind was engaged elsewhere as she realized for the first time that it had been Caroline who had left two messages on her machine earlier in the week. Why hadn't she recognized her voice earlier? And why had Caroline called her? Perhaps she had meant to call Charles and got the wrong number. But would someone accidentally dial the wrong number twice, especially if she was calling her own brother?

    Lizzy thought about the two phone messages as she and Charles left the diner and headed back to Cherry Blossom. Charles chattered on about his plans for surprising Jane with a honeymoon trip to Tuscany. Lizzy listened distractedly. When she reached her office she sat and stared at the phone for a moment and wondered what she should do. She had deleted the messages. Should she find Caroline's number and call her back, or should she assume that the messages had been meant for Charles? Lizzy turned to her computer and almost unthinkingly logged onto the Karoline's Korner website as the very real possibility that Caroline had seen the site loomed large in her thoughts. She swallowed hard as she stared at the screen.

    "Oh, Lizzy! I forgot to give you these," Charles said cheerfully as he popped his head in. He had torn a few pages off the legal pad and he now offered them to Lizzy, who had started at the sound of his voice and spun around in her chair. "Hey, no more cheesecake for you! You look positively ill!" Charles said half-teasing. "Really, Liz, you're very pale. Do you feel all right?"

    "I...I, uh...yes. I think I just moved too fast; all the blood drained out of my head," she managed. Her explanation sounded ridiculous even to her own ears. "I'll be okay in a minute. Thanks," she added as she reached for the sheaf of papers. Charles accepted her excuse and, with a caution to take it easy for a while, he left her office. Lizzy exhaled a sigh of relief. Her fear of discovery had unwittingly saved her. Charles had been so surprised by her pallor that he had not noticed his own sister's face on Lizzy's large monitor. She spun her chair back around and closed her browser. She ran her hand through her hair and considered what she could do to get herself out of the mess she had found herself in. After a few minutes, an idea came to her. She reached for her phone and dialed Richard's number.

    "Did you know anyone at the Darcy Corporation--or anyone in the Darcy Building, for that matter--before you came to work for DARCO?" Christopher asked Olivia as she sipped her coffee.

    "Aside from William and Richard, no. Well, I had met Matt as well, but I assume you're talking about outside the family...no. Why?" Christopher sipped from his own cup thoughtfully before he answered.

    "Just wondering. Tell me," he asked, putting the cup aside. "How do you think your arrival has been received at DARCO? It's an unfair question, I know, but try and bear with me for a moment."

    "What are you trying to get at?" Olivia countered.

    "Just a sense of who would want to see your tenure at DARCO be an unsuccessful one."

    "Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I was universally loved and admired upon my arrival," Olivia laughed. "Can't you tell?" Christopher smiled back at her, admiring the way her smile lit up her features, but saw that her expression abruptly changed. "You know, there is one person who'd probably love it if I were drop-kicked back to Pennsylvania..." Christopher leaned forward expectantly. "I haven't exactly endeared myself to Lily Church."

    "Who is Lily Church?"

    "She's the director of public relations, or something like that, at the Darcy Corporation. She and I butted heads at our first meeting, and when she came into my office on Tuesday we went at it again," Olivia revealed.

    "Tuesday? Why did she come to see you?" Christopher found Olivia's revelation intriguing. He vaguely remembered William's annoyance that afternoon after talking to the publicity office about canceling an interview to introduce Olivia to the press.

    "Well, I was supposed to do an interview on Tuesday afternoon, but after...well, let's just say I was in no condition to face anyone that afternoon, and William thought it best to cancel the meeting. In fact, he canceled it even before I had a chance to ask him to do so. A short time after I spoke to William's secretary about the cancellation, Lily Church came into my office to get some...statements, she called them. I thought it kind of odd that she should come looking for statements when William had just decided against my speaking to the press. I'm afraid I wasn't very tactful in dealing with her," Olivia confessed.

    "You were rather upset."

    "Indeed. She had undoubtedly heard the rumors. I could tell by the way she was looking at me, as though she was enjoying my pain--which I'm certain was as plain as the nose on my face."

    "There is nothing plain about your nose, Ms. Crenshaw," Christopher said gallantly as he signed the guest check and rose to his feet. Olivia smiled as they walked toward the door where the maitre d' helped her into her coat. Neither she nor Christopher noticed Jade sitting alone at a nearby table as they passed.

    "Thank you for lunch, Christopher. This was a pleasant diversion," Olivia said as they headed for the limousine parked out front. Christopher held the door for her as she got in.

    "And I didn't even get to ask you what I brought you here to discuss," Christopher said as he slid into the seat beside her.

    "Which is..."

    "Why are you angry with William?"

    Lizzy tried to concentrate on her work, but she felt a growing knot in the pit of her stomach, and while she hoped that it was attributable to the cheesecake, she had an unnerving suspicion that Caroline had called her office intentionally. Lizzy was growing more and more tense by the moment and she finally left her desk to get a cup of mint tea to calm her nerves. When she returned minutes later, her phone was ringing. Lizzy swallowed hard before she picked up the receiver.

    "You rang, Bright Eyes?"

    "Richard!" Lizzy was never so happy to hear his voice as she was at that moment. If she was lucky, Richard was the key to her salvation.

    "Hello?" Richard was discomfited by Lizzy's silence. "What's wrong, Lizzy? I know you're there, I can hear you breathing...or is that the point of this call?"

    "I'm sorry, Richard," Lizzy laughed. "I...I just had something on my mind."

    "...Which is why you really called, I hope. Spill."

    "When will you be back in New York?"

    "Well, since your favorite business tycoon has been so kind as to have me ferried back to the city by helicopter, I'd say about twenty minutes."

    "You're in a helicopter?"

    "Yes. But it's on the ground in Greenwich. I had to stop by the old homestead and have a word with the parental units. But I'm about to leave. By the way, have you any idea what William is feeling guilty about? I always have to wonder when he goes out of his way to be this nice to me."

    "Maybe he's just trying to be helpful," Lizzy suggested.

    "He doesn't send out his helicopter to be helpful. His idea of helpful is to have Bates waiting for me at the heliport after I arrange my own transport. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

    "I was thinking that it's about time for us to have lunch..." Lizzy said, trying to sound calm.

    "What's wrong, Lizzy?" Richard asked patiently.

    "I can't go into it now. It's kind of complicated. But I would like to talk to you." Richard looked at his watch.

    "I'll be in town within the hour. I'll stop by your office."

    "Oh, that isn't necessary. I--." Lizzy's next words were drowned out as the helicopter's huge rotors whirred to life.

    "I guess I'm on my way!" Richard shouted over the din. Lizzy sighed as she hung up the phone.

    Christopher strode into William's office and took a seat in his customary place on the large leather couch. William picked up his mug and joined him.

    "I've heard a bit of information from Matt that sounds promising," he opened.

    "So our mole has surfaced," Christopher deadpanned. William smiled.

    "Actually, I think we underestimated the lad. He has spoken to quite a few people in the building and has managed to triangulate the responses."

    "Really? What has he found?"

    "Well, in speaking to the people in the Darcy subsidiaries, the rumor didn't seem to carry much weight. It basically passed through and was forgotten. But on the top three floors--Darcy Corporation headquarters and DARCO--the rumor was not only given serious credence, but has gone through several upgrades, as though someone was deliberately releasing information periodically," William explained.

    "Like press releases?" Christopher replied with a Cheshire cat smile. William's mouth fell open.

    "How did you know?"

    "Know what?" Christopher smiled with an impish twinkle in his eyes.

    "That Matt has concluded that the source of the rumor is the public relations department!" Christopher shrugged. Never one to reveal his hand before he was sure of his facts, he hedged.

    "My research has led me in that direction as well."

    "Did your research come up with the name 'Jason Keller'?" Christopher shook his head.

    "Nothing definitive..."

    "Oh, come on, Christopher!" William cried in frustration. "I can hear the wheels turning in your head. What do you know?"

    "I don't know anything yet. But as soon as I do, you'll be the first to know." Christopher looked down at his tie as he changed the subject. Christopher rose to his feet. "I think I'll take a stroll on the 39th floor," he smiled. William let him go. He knew Christopher too well to try to pry any more information out of him. William remained on the couch to think over Christopher's words as he enjoyed his coffee. The phone rang and he reluctantly rose and returned to his desk.

    Matt poked his head into Olivia's office. He smiled when she looked up, but the look on her face made his frown.

    "What's wrong?" he asked as he closed the door and approached her desk.

    "What's wrong?" Olivia repeated as she laid down her pen and removed her glasses. "Please explain to me why I saw you chatting up that woman this afternoon. Tell me that I jumped to the wrong conclusion and that you were not making a date with her?" Olivia demanded. Matt sat down.

    "I'm afraid that I was making a date with her, but you did jump to the wrong conclusion," Matt replied, immediately raising a hand to prevent the outburst that sprang to Olivia's lips. "William has authorized me to find the party or parties responsible for promulgating those rumors. My investigation entailed speaking to several people and--." Olivia rolled her eyes and turned away from him.

    "Oh, brother! That is the lamest excuse..."

    "And it's the truth. I think I have narrowed the search down to someone in the public relations office." Olivia spun back around.

    "What?"

    "Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of Jason Keller?" Olivia shook her head.

    "Who is he?"

    "He's the assistant to the director of public relations, and apparently a gossip monger of legendary skill."

    "He works for Lily Church?" Matt nodded.

    "Then I can imagine that he wouldn't like me any more than she does," Olivia smirked.

    "Lily Church doesn't like you? Why not?" Matt asked. This was interesting news.

    "I don't know...love at first sight it wasn't. I didn't like her, she didn't like me. Why do you ask?"

    "Just curious."

    "You aren't the only one," Olivia revealed. "Christopher was asking about my relationship with Lily Church today as well."

    "Really?" Matt smiled. He was sure he was onto something now.

    "Hey, you two aren't thinking...no way!"

    "Why not? Gossip is traditionally a woman's weapon of choice."

    "And what would be her motive?" Olivia challenged.

    "Let's see: you're young, beautiful, talented, intelligent, have just been handed a dream job...did I mention that you were beautiful?" Matt's eyes twinkled with mischief, reminding Olivia of his cousin.

    "Down boy," she smiled. Matt rose to his feet.

    "Well, anyway, I think I can safely say that neither Lydia nor Alicia is going to be spreading any loose talk in the foreseeable future," Matt assured Olivia.

    "No, I'll just have to endure all the keening and wailing of countless despondent women when you leave next week," Olivia quipped. Matt leaned over the desk and flashed his smile squarely at Olivia.

    "If I thought that you'd be among them, I might actually miss this place." He didn't press his luck; he raised himself to his full height and headed for the door. With a last wink, he disappeared.

    Part 20

    Lizzy was finishing up a proposal and checking the specs when there was a knock on her door. She looked up and saw Richard, beaming at her.

    "Hi, gorgeous," he said as he entered the office. Lizzy rose to her feet and greeted him with a hug.

    "You didn't have to come here today, you know. I imagine you'd rather be hugging someone else in another office about now," Lizzy said as she resumed her seat and Richard pulled off his coat and sat down.

    "Where else would I be if you needed me?" Richard argued reasonably. "However, if you wouldn't mind..." he gestured toward the phone and Lizzy offered to get him some coffee while he made his call.

    "Olivia Crenshaw."

    "Hello, Angel."

    "You again! We've already spoken twice today!" she teased.

    "You're bored," Richard pouted.

    "No, but every time I hear your voice I miss you even more," Olivia sighed.

    "Then I think I have some very good news," Richard replied.

    "I'm all ears," Olivia smiled.

    "I hope not!" Richard exclaimed with a laugh. "I was hoping to come home to more interesting parts of you." Richard listened delightedly to the sound of Olivia's laughter. Lizzy returned with Richard's coffee and placed a mug in front of him before she discretely left the room once more.

    "Did I hear Richard's voice just now?" Charles asked when he met her in the hall.

    "Yes, he's in my office on the phone," Lizzy replied as she grabbed his cuff to prevent him from heading toward her office. "He needs a couple of minutes."

    "Oh. What's he doing here?" Charles asked benignly.

    "He...uh, he came into town by helicopter and decided to stop in on his way uptown."

    "But I thought that the heliport was--."

    "It is, but he wanted to see me. Something about a surprise he's cooking up for Livy," Lizzy dissembled. Charles nodded in understanding.

    "Well, have him stop in and see me when he's done, will you?" Lizzy agreed and headed back to the conference room where Charlotte was looking over a layout on the large table.

    "I thought you were just in here," Charlotte said when she glanced up.

    "I was. I took Richard his coffee, but he's still on the phone."

    "With Olivia?"

    "I guess so," Lizzy said.

    "Tell me, do you really think things are serious between them? I mean the man comes into the city after a three-day trip and he's here with you. What's wrong with this picture?"

    "He just stopped by to see me...and Charles...for a moment. He's on his way to see Olivia as soon as he's done here." Charlotte shook her head.

    "If you ask me--."

    "No one asked you, Char," Lizzy a bit more abruptly than she meant to.

    "Someone sounds a bit defensive," Charlotte said teasingly. Lizzy rolled her eyes and walked out of the conference room.

    "I'm in New York," Richard continued.

    "When did you get in? Where are you? I thought--."

    "So you do think it's good news, then," Richard teased.

    "The best!" Olivia squealed.

    "And you have no plans for tonight..."

    "Well, I did have several offers from the guy who packs my groceries at the supermarket...and I saw a whole group of firefighters from the company up the block do a double take when I passed the firehouse this morning..."

    "Was Lizzy with you?"

    "Thank you very much, Mr. Fitzwilliam!" Olivia cried in mock anger.

    "It was a reasonable question. She does have a penchant for sticking out her tongue at strangers."

    "I know. We both do. But I was alone this morning. And my mouth was closed."

    "I see. So did you make any firm plans with any of them?" Richard asked, playing along with the joke.

    "Only three, I think," Olivia laughed.

    "Well, could I ask a favor of you?"

    "Name it."

    "Cancel your...uh, dates for tonight and spend the evening with me."

    "I can't cancel; I didn't get their phone numbers," Olivia replied without hesitation.

    "Well, come over to my place, anyway. We can send smoke signals; firefighters ought to be able to read that." Lizzy peeked into her office and Richard waved her in. "So, I'll come by the office and pick you up. We'll stop by Fairway, do a little shopping and then head across town, okay?" Richard whispered something that Lizzy pretended not to hear and he hung up the phone.

    "Charles wants to see you before you go."

    "I wouldn't dream of leaving without dropping by his office. But first I'd like to hear what's on your mind. My 'spidey senses' were tingling all the way down from Greenwich." Lizzy rose and went to close the door. She caught a glimpse of Charlotte as she did so and sighed. At the moment she couldn't be bothered with what Charlotte might think. Lizzy went to her computer and clicked on a bookmark to bring up the Karoline's Korner page.

    "I want to speak to you about this," she said. Richard looked at the screen and then leaned forward to look at the images before him more closely.

    "Is that who I think it is?" Richard rose to his feet and walked around Lizzy's desk to peer at the screen more closely. "Oh, my...it is Caroline!" Richard laughed aloud as Lizzy looked at him uncomfortably. "May I?" Lizzy sighed and relinquished her seat so that Richard could take her place at the keyboard. He spent the next several minutes exploring every inch of the site as Lizzy stood by impatiently.

    "I wanted to talk to you about this..."

    "This is fabulous! Where on earth did it come from? How did you find it?"

    "I made it." Lizzy murmured, her voice all but drowned out by the sound of Richard's laughter.

    "I should have had this when I was recovering from my head injury," Richard laughed. "I could have exacted my revenge on Caroline and felt a whole lot better." Lizzy rolled her eyes as Richard began to pummel Caroline with ears of corn.

    "Richard...Richard..." Lizzy called. "Richard!"

    "Wait a minute, I want to see my score...Whoo hoo!" Lizzy shook her head and collapsed into a chair. A second later she jumped to her feet when Charles knocked and poked his head into her office.

    "What's going on in here? Fitz, I could hear your laughter from all the way down the--."

    "Bings, you have got to see this! Come here!" Richard cried as Lizzy gasped. But before she could open her mouth to form words, Charles was at Richard's side. Lizzy held her breath in anticipation of an outburst of righteous anger. But what she heard was laughter. Charles was laughing right along with Richard. Lizzy found the courage to look up at the two friends. Richard was wiping tears from his eyes. Charles all but pushed him out of the chair to take his turn at attacking his sister with vegetables.

    "This is marvelous!" Charles laughed. "Where did you get this?"

    "Lizzy made it," Richard said proudly. Lizzy cringed as Charles turned his attention to his business associate.

    "Lizzy! I had no idea that you could do this quality of animation. Why didn't you tell me? I just had to turn down a potential client because I didn't think that animation was our forte and Olivia isn't available right now." Lizzy stared back at Charles open-mouthed. He turned back to the screen. "What are you using for this, Ray Dream Studio?"

    "No," Lizzy replied sullenly. "It's LightWave. I got a beta copy of it from an old college buddy."

    "Ah, I was just reading about that in PC Magazine," Richard said and looked at the screen with renewed interest. He leaned over the desk and began a critical assessment of the animation quality.

    "Yeah, I read it, too," Charles said. "I think it's true what they said about the color quality. Was it easy to work with, Liz?"

    "Piece of cake," Lizzy answered dejectedly. Richard looked up at Lizzy and came around to her side of the desk.

    "I'm sorry, Bright Eyes," he said softly. "You wanted to discuss something with me and I'm sitting here playing games. What did you want to talk about?"

    "That!" Lizzy said, pointing at her computer screen. "I wanted you to help me get rid of it."

    "Why?" Charles asked. Richard was equally surprised by her request.

    "Yes, why?" Richard asked. "It's an incredible piece of work. It'll probably win any number of web awards."

    "No!" Lizzy cried, leaping to her feet. "I want it down. Now!"

    "But why?" Charles repeated plaintively.

    "Charles! That's your sister's face in there! Doesn't that bother you in the least?" Charles looked at the screen for a moment.

    "No," he said simply.

    "Well, how do you think she'd feel about that if she saw it?" Lizzy cried. Richard and Charles looked at each other.

    "I don't know about you, Charles, but I couldn't care less," Richard announced. Charles nodded in affirmation. Lizzy grabbed handfuls of her hair and felt like screaming.

    Matt dashed back up to the 40th floor looking for Christopher. The object of his search, however, was at that moment, on the 39th floor. He walked into the Personnel Department, where he had already established a working relationship with the director. He asked her a few questions about both Jason Keller and Lily Chin.

    "You know Mr. Brandon, you still haven't told me why you've been asking all these questions," Marina Sanchez-Pena smiled. "What are you and William up to?" Christopher thought for a moment, and realized that the woman who had--with William's explicit blessing--given him unprecedented access to the personnel records was trustworthy.

    "I am investigating the rumors that have been circulating around the building," he revealed.

    "And you suspect--? Well," Marina sighed, "I can't say I'm surprised at your results. She's done it to me before." Christopher furrowed his brows. "Lily...we got into something at a staff meeting once over resource allocation. I won, and in retaliation she badmouthed me for a week," Marina said bitterly. "We've since made peace, but I learned early on that she was not a woman you want to cross. And I'm not the only person around here who learned that the hard way."

    "Really?" Christopher mused. "And what about Jason?"

    "Her minister of propaganda? What about him?" Christopher had all the information he needed. He smiled and thanked Marina for her cooperation and headed toward the elevator where he very nearly collided with Matt.

    "Christopher! I was just looking for you! I've just been speaking with O--." Christopher took firm hold of Matt's lapel and dragged him back into the elevator.

    "Let's have this discussion elsewhere, shall we?"

    "What?" Richard laughed at Lizzy's expression.

    "Can't you blockheads see? If Caroline sees this she'll kill me, or sue me, or at the very least throw a candlestick at me!" Richard frowned at Lizzy.

    "Come on, Bright Eyes, be serious."

    "I am! Look, I just made this for myself a few years ago when I was...well, let's just say I wasn't thinking well of Caroline at the time." Both Charles and Richard snorted. "I refined it over time...used to it to practice my animation skills..." Charles nodded appreciatively.

    "So, someone stole your CD and--."

    "It wasn't on a CD. It was on the hard drive that you removed when you first came here last summer," Lizzy began.

    "If you're accusing one of my people of hijacking your program--."

    "No, Richard. I also had a copy of it on a zip disk, too."

    "So your disk was stolen..." Richard concluded.

    "No! Will you listen? It wasn't stolen," Lizzy practically screamed exasperatedly. Richard and Charles exchanged a confused look.

    "Well, you're certainly making it sound that way, Liz," Charles piped in.

    "Well...look. Here's what happened. After Caroline had her run-in with Olivia, I brought the disk up to Connecticut to show her. I've always used this site to...you know...vent. It's become my stress reliever. That's why I wanted a zip drive to work on when we were up at William's."

    "Go on," Richard prodded as Lizzy paused to gather her thoughts.

    "Well, I was showing it to Livy when the evil...oh, now you have me calling them that! Your sisters walked in, saw the site, and I explained to them what the site was and why I made it." Lizzy continued in a lower voice. "I also told them why I thought Livy might like the game." Richard nodded, but Charles was mystified.

    "You're the one who told them about Caroline putting me into the hospital, aren't you? I wondered how they found out." Lizzy acknowledged responsibility, although it had actually been Olivia who'd revealed the truth about Richard's "accident.".

    "They were furious about what she had done to you. And they were rather insistent that we put the site up and I went along with it at the time, but now...well, I've been having second thoughts."

    "And you called me in to take it down," Richard suggested.

    "Why don't you just take it down yourself?" Charles asked.

    "Because knowing the evil twins, they used some arcane, unwieldy network of doppelgangers and red herrings to mask the point of origin," Richard said knowingly. "They called in a few favors from their hacker friends." Lizzy nodded. Richard rolled his eyes and sighed.

    "If that's the case, the chances of Caroline linking the site to you are probably slim and none," Charles pointed out.

    "Except for one thing," Lizzy replied. "She's seen it before."

    "What are we doing in here?" Matt asked when Christopher had closed the conference room door. "Why aren't we downstairs nailing that sucker to the wall?" Christopher pulled out a chair and sat down with such deliberate calm that Matt wanted to drag him to his feet and shake him. For a moment, the pair just glared at one another.

    "Whom should we be nailing to the wall, exactly?" Christopher asked finally.

    "Jason Keller! Who else is there?" Matt cried.

    "Why Keller? Why not Lily Church?" Christopher crossed his legs and peered up at the younger man.

    "What's she got to do with this?"

    "What's your evidence?"

    "Evidence?" Matt exclaimed.

    "What evidence tells you that Jason Keller is the person we're looking for?" Christopher asked slowly, and with that notoriously maddening composure.

    "He's the biggest gossip on the eastern seaboard, for crying out loud!"

    "And our marching orders from William were to find the person responsible for starting the rumors. What proof do you have that he started them?" Defeated, Matt threw himself into a chair. He threw up his hands in frustration.

    "Your turn," he conceded.

    "We're on the same side, Matt. And I have to say that your research gleaned far better results than I initially thought it would. But it lacks one thing: motive. Jason Keller never even heard of Olivia Crenshaw before she came to DARCO."

    "Neither did Lily Church," replied Matt, his ego somewhat restored. "So what makes you think she's the culprit?"

    "Two things, really: according to Marina, she has a history of bad-mouthing people she doesn't like, and more importantly, she doesn't like Olivia Crenshaw."

    "Why not?" Matt asked defensively. Christopher shrugged elegantly.

    "Olivia said that they didn't exactly endear themselves to one another at their first meeting."

    "I was at that meeting," Matt recalled. "Lily asked a snarky question or two, but it wasn't anything that would merit a character assassination."

    "Perhaps not," Christopher replied thoughtfully. "But the fact remains that it doesn't take much to set off Lily Church, from what I've heard. I'd sure like to know what it was that did."

    "Maybe she's not our girl?" Matt suggested. Christopher locked eyes with him.

    "Your research points in that direction and so does my mine. We both can't be that far off, if we're off at all. No," he said, rising to his feet. "I'm willing to wager that Lily Church is the source of the rumors, but I think we'll need further evidence to nail her."

    "Such as?"

    "The smoking gun, if I can find it," Christopher said as he headed for the door. He stopped just as his hand touched the knob. "Do you know Lily Church?" Matt nodded. "Good," Christopher smiled. "Then perhaps you'll be so good as to introduce me to her."

    "But I don't want it down!"

    "Charles!" Lizzy cried. Richard put his hand to his forehead and typed one-handed.

    "You know my sister, Lizzy! The only thing she knows about computers is that they make her a lot of money and people poorer than her have to work on them."

    "Suppose someone shows it to her, Charles?" Lizzy reasoned.

    "Oh, like she'd have a friend who works." Lizzy looked at him oddly for a moment.

    "Doesn't she?"

    "Not if she can help it. She fancies herself the society girl. Friends with careers had better be in fashion otherwise she keeps a safe distance." Behind Lizzy and Charles, Richard laughed.

    "You're exaggerating...aren't you?"

    "All right, I am exaggerating, but not by much. My sister is a selfish, spoiled, vapid creature--trust me, if she learns of this site, it'd be a miracle," Charles insisted. "Besides, you know that you're within your rights to use images if--."

    "Charles, that law applies to random shots, crowd shots...accidental shots of people. How the heck could I possibly explain using twenty or so 'random' shots of your sister and making a composite image of her--that still looks exactly like her, mind you--as accidental?"

    "Stop calling her my sister!" was Charles's only reply. Richard laughed again, and it was nearly a minute before he could speak. He rose from Lizzy's desk and walked over to her to deliver the results of his preliminary examination.

    "Look. If you really want this site taken down I'll have to get the boys and girls at Geek Central to try and crack this nut. A quick look at the site told me that it ain't gonna be easy," he told Lizzy.

    "Will it be very expensive?" Lizzy winced. Richard kissed her forehead.

    "For you? You're lucky the Range Rover doesn't need new tires." He smiled at Lizzy's shocked expression and embraced her in a warm hug. "Don't worry about it. I'll get it down, even if I have to fly to California to personally torture the evil twins. But right now," he said, releasing Lizzy and reaching for his coat, "I have to see a lady about dinner." He slapped palms with Charles, and after agreeing to meet Lizzy for lunch early next week, he disappeared.

    Christopher and Matt strolled into the Office of Public Relations, where they found Jason pulling things out of his desk drawer and sorting them. A few items were tossed into a nearly full trash receptacle; other things seemed destined for a place in the box that sat atop his desk. The two men exchanged a curious glance.

    "Going somewhere?" Matt asked conversationally. Jason nearly jumped out of his skin as he looked up. He stood up, one hand draped dramatically over his rapidly beating heart.

    "You nearly took a year off my life! May I help you?" he asked, looking from one man to the other.

    "If Ms. Church is in, I'd like to introduce her to our guest," Matt continued pleasantly. Jason raised one eyebrow.

    "Well, it's very late. She doesn't see people late in the day."

    "Ask her to make an exception, will you?" Christopher smiled.

    "I'm afraid you'll have to make an appointment, sir," Jason replied pointedly. Christopher and Matt exchanged a glance. Matt started to speak, but Christopher stayed him with a hand.

    "I'll just leave my card. Ask her to call me, please," Christopher said as he extended a card to Jason. He didn't wait for a reaction; he turned and exited the room, a confused Matt behind him.

    "What are you playing at? Why didn't you--?" Christopher raised a palm to silence him. He led Matt to the elevator and pushed the button. The door opened, but Christopher didn't get in. "Christopher, what the heck are we--?" His question was interrupted by the excited voice of Lily Church.

    "Mr. Brandon! Mr. Brandon!" Christopher winked at Matt, then turned to greet the lady.

    "Ms. Church, I presume?"

    "Yes," she panted. "Please, call me Lily. And please, come back to my office, won't you? I have no idea why Jason sent you away. He has a terrible attitude sometimes," she confided. "That's why he's leaving. Do come in," she said. Matt noticed that Lily was careful to make her remark about Jason before she was within range of his hearing. The party entered the office, where Jason glowered at Lily and didn't acknowledge her company. Lily showed her company into her office and shut the door.

    "Please sit down, won't you?" she said with a look that showed that she had no recognition of Matt. "May I offer you something?" Christopher declined any refreshment, but Lily poured herself and Matt glasses of mineral water.

    "I believe you've met Matt Fitzwilliam, William Darcy's young protégé, who's been kind enough to give me the nickel tour," Christopher said by way of introduction. Matt nodded, and Lily's expression changed perceptibly.

    "I had no idea that we had such a prestigious guest on the premises. You should have contacted me, Matt. After all, giving VIP tours is this department's responsibility," Lily said in a tone that had a decided edge. She was obviously displeased at being left out of the loop.

    "No time," Christopher said lightly. "I had lunch with a friend this afternoon who works here and when I brought her back I decided to drop in and see Will. We're old friends, you know." Lily turned an ingratiating smile on him.

    "So you have two friends in the building, then?"

    "Oh, several: William Darcy and Richard Fitzwilliam I've known for years. And Matt, of course," Christopher said with a calculated smile and a pat on Matt's shoulder.

    "But your lunch date was a lady," Lily smiled. Both Christopher and Matt noted her inquisitiveness.

    "Yes, she was. You may not know her. She's new here: Olivia Crenshaw." Lily's curiosity was piqued.

    "Oh, I know her, but I'm surprised that you do. I understand that she lived in Pennsylvania until she joined the staff," Lily replied. "Where did you meet?"

    "William introduced her to me," Christopher replied benignly. He imagined that Lily's curiosity was about fit to burst as he abruptly changed the subject.

    "I am in town to do a little head hunting," Christopher began, and Matt nearly choked on his water. Lily was distracted by his sputter but Christopher observed her unflinchingly. "I am planning to open offices here in the Darcy building."

    "I thought that Brandon Enterprises already had a New York office," Lily said.

    "There is an office, yes, but a rather small one. As more and more of our business is being conducted in the states, I feel that it's time to open a flagship office for our American operations."

    "Oh, and you're recruiting here at Darcy Corporation?" Lily asked with another ingratiating smile.

    "William would have my head if I were to attempt that! He rather prides himself on his ability to hand pick the finest people and he assures me that they are all extremely loyal to him." Lily smiled weakly, her hopes both lifted and dashed in seconds. "No, this is just a courtesy call. I'm here just to meet my new neighbors and look around at the set up. The offices I'm considering already have a layout similar to this floor so Will suggested that I take a look around."

    "Oh...oh," Lily said in some confusion.

    "I do realize that I appeared without warning, so I won't take up any more of your time," Christopher said, as he and Matt rose. Out in the hall, Matt grimaced at Christopher.

    "Well, that was a complete waste of time."

    "Hardly; you saw how she behaved toward Jason, even toward you until she realized who you were," Christopher remarked.

    "And who I was connected to?" Christopher nodded.

    "And she clearly reacted when I named Olivia as a friend."

    "What of it? Where's the smoking gun?"

    "Patience, my son," Christopher smiled. He patted Matt on the back as they headed for the elevator.

    The elevator that Christopher and Matt entered was the same one that Richard had stepped out of one floor below. He glanced at Lydia with a superficial smile and headed directly for Olivia's office. When he reached it, he observed Olivia through the open door. She was making a purchase on a website that was decidedly unrelated to food.

    "Ahem, that doesn't look like your web page," Richard said loudly as he closed the door behind him. Olivia started and spun around. She leapt out of her seat and rushed into Richard's arms. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around as he kissed her. After a moment, he set her down.

    "I've always wanted to do that...you know, like in the movies. Of course, now that I have, I'm dizzy and I think I've thrown out my back," Richard quipped.

    "Silly man," Olivia smiled, and kissed him again. "I missed you," she admitted unabashedly.

    "I hope that explains the purchase you just made," Richard said, peering over her shoulder.

    "Sorry to disappoint you," Olivia teased. "I was just picking up something for the bride to be."

    "Really?" His curiosity aroused, Richard went over to the computer and examined the item on the screen.

    "Won't Jane look lovely in that?" Olivia said in his ear, clinging to him as though he might disappear at any second.

    "Jane would have a hard time squeezing into that if you bought it for her in that size."

    "Oh, Jane's not so...hey! What are you driving at?" Olivia pouted. Richard kissed the pout away.

    "Why don't we get out of here and see if we can't fatten you up with a big dinner?" Olivia conceded and reached for her coat. When they got downstairs, they cajoled Bates into dropping them off before he picked up William. Minutes later the couple was cruising the aisles of Fairway market, a legendary food emporium on the west side.

    "You know, this just like shopping with the evil twins, except that there's no lingerie department to drag me into," Richard observed casually as Olivia read the label on a bottle of chili oil.

    "What's that supposed to mean?" Olivia frowned and turned to glare at him.

    "You know, I've actually never seen anyone look at every single label of every single item in every single aisle of a supermarket before," Richard said sarcastically.

    "Do you want to eat tonight, Silly Man?" Olivia asked as she tossed the bottle into the cart. Richard was quiet for the next three minutes. When he began to grow impatient again, Olivia glared at him once more and he volunteered to go get things for making a salad. He returned shortly with mesclun, mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers, and carrots.

    "I would have brought back salad dressing," Richard confessed as he placed the items in the cart, "But somehow I thought that if I brought back something in a bottle, you'd disown me." Olivia laughingly assured him that she had no intention of doing anything so ridiculous.

    Christopher's driver dropped Matt off at his parents' apartment and he drove on to a little restaurant on the Upper East Side for an early dinner. It was a place that he'd heard a friend speak of, and he thought he'd just have a quiet dinner before he returned to his suite at the Waldorf. He had made a reservation, and was graciously welcomed by the restaurant owner. Christopher ordered a half-bottle of wine and pulled out a leather-bound book, much like William's, in which he began to make an entry. A shadow fell over his page and he looked up to see Caroline standing before him.

    "Caroline!" he said without thinking. He was surprised to see her, although he couldn't say exactly why.

    "Hello, Christopher," Caroline said. "This is a pleasant surprise. Are you on a date?" Christopher looked at her quizzically.

    "No, Caroline," he answered carefully.

    "I was just wondering...I mean I don't want to intrude, but..."

    "Why don't you join me, Caroline?" Caroline smiled stiffly and sat down.

    "Thank you. I don't mean to intrude on your plans, but I--."

    "I don't have any plans." Caroline smiled again, this time less awkwardly.

    "Well, I was just wondering if I could speak with your for a moment." Christopher closed the notebook and set it aside.

    "What can I do for you?" Caroline looked at her hands in front of her. They were clasped together tightly and her discomfort was apparent.

    "I need to speak with someone. Something very bad has happened and it's all my fault. And now it's gotten completely out of control and I'm not sure how to undo the mess I've made." Caroline had Christopher's full attention now. "I saw Lily Church this morning." Christopher's brow went up like a danger signal. "You may never have heard of her, but she's a neighbor of mine and an employee at the Darcy Corporation."

    "It just so happens that I met the very lady today." Christopher said. He fixed his eyes on Caroline's and urged her to continue.

    "I know she's been spreading awful rumors at the Darcy Corporation and at DARCO, or whatever it's called," Caroline said haltingly. She took a deep breath. "I'm responsible for them." And as simply as that, Christopher had his smoking gun.

    "So this is where you live," Olivia said more to herself than to Richard as she walked around the stylishly appointed apartment. "Nice!" she called out toward the kitchen as she peeked into the master bedroom. She wandered back out to the living room where she was mesmerized by the view of the East River.

    "You can't possibly intend to use all of this tonight!" Richard called from the kitchen. "I was only kidding about fattening you up, you know. And even if I weren't we'd still have enough here for three or four dinners." Olivia entered the kitchen.

    "Small," she concluded.

    "It's New York. Nobody actually expects anyone to really use the kitchen in a New York City apartment," Richard explained. "So what are we eating?"

    "Are you going to help?" Richard nodded. "Good! Let's do something interesting, then." She washed her hands while Richard went to change out of his suit. By the time he had put on some music and returned to the kitchen, Olivia had put the potatoes on to boil, and peeled and cored two apples. Richard became her sous chef and, under Olivia's guidance, he combined flour, butter, and a bit of ice water into pastry dough. Olivia stuffed the core of each apple with brown sugar and cinnamon, encased each one in dough, and decorated it with leaves before she placed the dumplings on a tray and put them into the oven to bake.

    She next turned her attention to neatly trimming a rib-eye steak and putting on the broccoli, while Richard washed, cut up and tossed the salad. When the potatoes were done, Olivia used an obscene amount of butter and cream to mash them. Olivia made Richard sear the steak and cook it to the perfect point of doneness while she looked for the right wine to accompany dinner from the ample supply of bottles on the wine rack in the dining room. The couple finally sat down to a very romantic dinner for two, which they ate on the living room coffee table in front of a roaring fire.

    "Why are you telling me this, Caroline?"

    "I have been trying to gather up my courage to go to William with the truth, but I'm not even sure that he'd agree to see me. My brother doesn't appear to be speaking to me, and my attorney has advised me to avoid Richard to the extent possible, for the next several months. Not that I'd dare face him after what I--." Caroline spontaneously picked up Christopher's water glass and drained it. Christopher apologized for his rudeness and signaled for the waiter to bring a glass for Caroline. He poured out some wine, which she accepted gratefully. "No judge in New York would convict him if he went after me this time. Perhaps you'll be equally angry with me when I've explained all."

    "You told Lily Church something about Olivia Crenshaw." Caroline nodded. She didn't question Christopher's knowledge of the rumors, but dove into the story without sparing one painful revelation.

    "I've always had a thing for William. I guess you can call it an obsession. I was besotted with the poor man." Caroline looked up and a wry smile turned up her lips for an instant. "I'm sure you were aware of that. I had a thing for Richard too, once. I met him when he and Charles were freshmen at Cal Tech. He was so handsome, so All-American, so rich..." Caroline blushed. "Neither man was interested in anything more than friendship, though. William was always involved with business and Richard seemed to be dating someone new every time I saw him. But I hung around them hoping someday that one of them would finally take the hint." Christopher waved away the waiter who approached to take their dinner orders and pressed Caroline to continue. "I eventually married and lost my husband, but other than that tiny blip on the radar screen, just about all I've ever done in my adult life is covet one of those men."

    "What does this have to do with the rumors?" Christopher asked gently, afraid that Caroline was about to become consumed by self-pity.

    "Well, when that whole thing happened with Lizzy-I mean, I'd been trying to catch one of those Fitzes for years and she appears out of the blue and manages to snare both of them effortlessly in one go! It seemed so unfair...it sent me over the edge, and one drunken night, I lost my temper and put Richard into the hospital. I'm sure you heard about it." Christopher nodded. "Well, I suddenly became an outcast. No one wanted anything to do with me, not even Charles. They all made plans to go off to spend the holidays together and I was to be excluded," Caroline pouted, and looking into her eyes Christopher could see that Caroline was an intensely isolated and lonely person.

    "So you crashed William's party and invited yourself to spend Christmas in Connecticut with the rest of us." It was a statement of fact rather than an accusation, but Caroline winced at the implications of his words.

    "Yes, I was rather pathetic, wasn't I? I mustered every ounce of chutzpah I could dredge up and strolled into William's house like I owned the place," she laughed. "It was ridiculous, I know, but--. I couldn't just sit all alone at home, you know?" she said as her eyes began to mist over. "I thought that Charles would throw me out on my ear, but Richard--of all people, Richard was the one to welcome me! He should have thrown me out. But even as I applauded myself for my courage in showing up, I knew that I should have walked away with my pride intact. But I went in, and perversely I stayed on, realizing all the while that my company was not wanted." Caroline paused and looked up at Christopher and saw no sign of censure. She took courage from that and continued. "Of course, my leave-taking was ugly. I got into that stupid argument with Olivia...I just wanted someone on my side. I wanted for someone to care about me. Olivia argued for Jane, then she argued for Richard, and then Charles took up her side. He defended her. No one was sympathetic to me. I was feeling very hurt and very angry when I got home, especially after Charles abandoned me to go back to Connecticut. That's when I ran into Lily Church."

    "She lives in your building?" Christopher asked.

    "Yes, she's been an upstairs neighbor for years. When she saw that I had come home early, she invited me to have Christmas dinner with her and her husband. I had lied to her, you see. The night of William's party, I saw Lily and she asked about my plans for the holidays. I didn't want to tell her that I had no plans other than to sit and hope that my brother would remember to come home to spend a day or two with me. So I lied; I told her that I had been invited to spend the holidays in Connecticut. I was actually planning to go to a motel, but that seemed so..." Caroline covered her mouth for a moment. "I decided to go to William's house if I was going to leave home at all. I wasn't going to spend Christmas weekend in some cheap motel all alone." She sniffed and Christopher produced a handkerchief, which she declined in favor of a tissue she pulled from her purse.

    "Well, after I was seen being deposited on the doorstep like some orphan and Lily invited me up to her house I...I--."

    "You felt that you had to have some plausible explanation for leaving William's house on Christmas day," Christopher suggested helpfully. Caroline nodded.

    "That's where the lie came in. I never in my wildest imagination expected her to repeat it, not at the Darcy Corporation anyway. I had no idea that Olivia Crenshaw worked there. Charles told me she was a freelance web designer. I told Lily that Olivia was the reason I'd left William's house early. I," she bowed her head shamefully. "I painted a rather unflattering portrait of Olivia as a woman who'd been passed from one cousin to the other, and said that she'd insulted me. A short time after dinner, Lily told me that she'd met Olivia and showed me her portfolio. I realized then that I'd made a mistake in lying about her, but I never thought that Lily would discuss it beyond the two of us."

    "Surely, you knew she was a gossip," Christopher chided for the first time. Caroline nodded.

    "I've heard her say a thing or two about our neighbors, but who doesn't?" Caroline reasoned. "I saw her the other day and learned the full extent of what's been going on at Darcy Corporation; I was horrified. Lily not only embellished my story, but she's convinced herself that William is planning to crash a whole new product division to get rid of her and bury the scandal. Christopher, I swear to you, I had nothing to do with that."

    Matt paced impatiently as he waited for someone to pick up the phone. As he counted the number of rings, he chewed on a nail and reconsidered his decision to call at all.

    "Pick that up, will you?" Richard called from the kitchen. Olivia reached for the wireless phone on the living room end table and said hello.

    "Who's this?" a surprised Matt responded.

    "Matt? Is that you? It's Olivia."

    "Oh," Matt replied, more than a bit embarrassed.

    "I take it you're looking for your cousin. Here," Olivia said amiably as Richard entered the living room carrying dessert.

    "Matt, what's up?" Richard answered amiably.

    "I...uh...heard you were back in town. I didn't realize that you'd be busy."

    "Well, maybe you'd spend your first night back in town catching a Rangers game, but I had better ideas."

    "Can't say I blame you. Listen, this can wait. I won't keep you from your company. I'll drop by your office tomorrow," Matt said. He hung up the phone after saying goodbye and sat on his bed. Perhaps it was a good thing that Olivia's presence prevented him from speaking with Richard. Matt was having second thoughts about his impulse to call his cousin and tell him all that he and Christopher had found out about the rumors. Matt had nagging doubts about Christopher's ability to ferret out enough evidence on Lily Church to take to William. But if she managed to elude justice in one arena Matt would make certain that she would not elude it in another. Matt decided that he would give himself and Christopher twenty-four hours more. After that, all bets would be off and Richard would be told everything.

    Do you realize how much trouble your little lie has caused?" Christopher asked. Caroline nodded.

    "When I spoke with Lily the other night, I realized how far things had gone... Look, I have no love for Olivia Crenshaw, but this thing has gone far beyond my futile attempt to protect my self-esteem. I want it stopped."

    "And how do you propose to stop it?"

    "I was hoping that you could advise, me. I have no idea what to do," Caroline admitted. Christopher leaned back and ran his hands through his hair.

    "Would you be willing to repeat what you've just told me to William?"

    "Every word," Caroline nodded.

    "Let's play hooky tomorrow," Richard suggested as he spooned the last bit of ice cream into his mouth.

    "Hey! That was mine!" Richard smiled crookedly.

    "I was only kidding about wanting to fatten you up, you know."

    "But I wanted that!" Olivia pouted. Richard kissed her pout away and rose to go the kitchen. He returned moments later, ice cream container in hand.

    "Let's play hooky tomorrow," he began anew as he spooned ice cream into Olivia's mouth.

    "I--." Richard inserted the spoon into her mouth once more.

    "This isn't negotiable, young lady. I have just put in about forty hours of work over the last three days just so I could get back here to spend some time with you before you go home. I know you're the new girl on the block..."

    "Richard, I--." Richard refilled the gaping orifice before Olivia could say another word.

    "...And I know that you want to refute the rumors and show yourself to be a team player and all that good stuff..." Olivia grabbed Richard's hand as he aimed another spoonful of ice cream at her mouth.

    "If you attack me with that thing one more time..."

    "You said you wanted more ice cream. It is a well-known fact that I am something of an ice cream fiend. So if you want any of this you'd better eat it now, before I start," Richard explained as Olivia smirked at him doubtfully.

    "I'll take my chances," Olivia replied, as she aimed the spoon at Richard's mouth. He ate the ice cream and Olivia brought the hand bearing the spoon to her face and licked a drop of melted ice cream off Richard's knuckles. "Now, speaking of my going home..."

    Christopher suggested that he and Caroline order dinner, but she declined at first.

    "I really don't have much of an appetite and, anyway, I've already taken up enough of your time."

    "I insist," Christopher said, pushing the menu toward her. "If you want this problem solved, we'll have to think of a strategy, and I've never been able to strategize well on an empty stomach." Caroline smiled weakly, and ordered a salad. Christopher rolled his eyes and ordered full meals for both himself and Caroline. Christopher purposely turned the conversation away from the issue that had brought Caroline to his table and made small talk about nothing of particular importance while they waited for dinner. By the time the remains of their entrées were cleared, Caroline had relaxed considerably. Christopher felt somewhat sorry for her. Under other circumstances, he might even have been attracted to her. In fact, he could not deny that he found her attractive even now, although her recent history rendered any ideas he might have otherwise had about her unthinkable. He turned his attention back to the problem at hand.

    "Now, I believe I know how to resolve the problem at DARCO," Christopher said. "The real question is: what do we do about you?"

    "I have decided to go home tomorrow. In fact, if we play hooky-and I haven't agreed to, yet--my vote would be to use that time to leave New York as early as possible." Richard stared at Olivia as though she'd just punched him in the stomach. "You'll come with me, of course?" she smiled. Richard's grimace faded and was replaced by an endearing smile.

    "For the weekend?"

    "Unless you have offices in Elverson..."

    "I didn't mean me. I meant you," Richard said with bated breath.

    "Yes, for the weekend." Olivia quickly placed a finger over Richard's lips. "Over the next two weeks...don't get too excited, Silly Man."

    "It's a start. The more time you spend here, the better." Richard put aside the container and wrapped his arms around Olivia.

    "We'll have to see about that," Olivia said cautiously.

    "I'll make a deal with you," Richard suggested. "When you want to be in Pennsylvania, I'll try and spend as much time with you as I can there, all right? And I'll try not to nag you anymore about your spending time up north."

    "You didn't nag," Olivia said as she nuzzled his neck and inhaled his scent. "You whined."

    Continued In Next Section

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