Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star (65 page)

***

It was after six in the morning when the soft rumble of the elevator motor drew Darcy out of his thoughts. As he walked toward it, Richard and Charlotte, Jane and Charles, and Caroline and Faust exited from their rooms.

“Hey, Darcy, I’ve got some bad news,” Rebecca announced as the elevator doors opened and she walked out with an armful of newspapers.

“Rebecca?” Darcy said in a puzzled voice. “What are you talking about?”

“This,” she sighed, holding up the
New York Post
. On the front page of the tabloid was Elizabeth’s mug shot with the headline:
Slurry’s Bad Girl
.

“Fuck,” Darcy swore and his band mates echoed him.

“The media knows you and Lizzy are an item, too,” Rebecca continued. She walked into the loft and deposited the pile of newspapers on the bar.

Darcy picked up one and was grieved to read about
Fitzwilliam Darcy and Black Lizzy: A Match Made in Hell!
Pictures of Darcy and Elizabeth were everywhere. He was not surprised to see one from the night Jane was injured, with Darcy tenderly kissing Elizabeth’s head in the elevator. He went through them all, reading the tacky headlines. (
Do Jailbirds Sing?
) When he finished, he looked up to see the others watching him and waiting for instructions.

Darcy might have been feeling released from his obligations to his parents, but he gladly took responsibility for Elizabeth. “Where’s Tommy?” he asked, his voice soft yet commanding.

“In the lobby,” Rebecca answered quickly. “I felt it would be a good idea for the doorman to have some back up.”

“Good. Here’s what we are going to do. Our first priority is to get Elizabeth back. Rebecca, get some extra people ready. I want you to pick her up when Linda calls. Rachel?”

“Yes, Will?”

“I want you managing the phone. We are not giving out interviews or making comments.” He turned to the others. “What about tonight?”

Caroline looked around. “If we are going to cancel, we better do it soon.”

“Will,” Charles said, “this affects you the most. You have to make the call for Slurry.” Charles’s hands rested protectively on Jane’s arms.

Darcy took a deep breath and thought. “At this point, I say we go, but I won’t confirm anything until Lizzy’s free.” He looked at Jane and Charlotte sympathetically. “What do you want to do?”

Jane looked miserably at Charlotte. “I don’t know,” she whispered, clearly hurt by what she had read. “I can’t believe they said this about Lizzy. None of it is true.”

“We know, angel, we know,” Charles comforted her.

“Jane, why don’t we plan on LBS not performing tonight?” Darcy said. “We don’t know how tired Lizzy is going to be and we can always change our minds if things go better than expected.”

Jane nodded from Charles’s embrace. Darcy looked to Charlotte, who was glaring at the newspapers and smoking with trembling hands. “Char?”

Charlotte nodded and turned away, pressing her forehead against Richard’s chest.

“Okay, let’s do it then.” The group moved into action, Caroline, Rebecca, and Rachel handling the phones, Faust moving the offensive newspapers away while Charles and Richard comforted their lovers and Darcy made coffee and tea for everyone.

***

It was almost 8:00 a.m. when Linda returned to Elizabeth. She entered the tiny room grinning and carrying a Starbucks bag. “How is the hero today?”

Elizabeth did not share Linda’s cheerfulness. She simply wanted to be out of there. “Badly in need of a shower, thanks.”

“Here, coffee will make a new woman out of you.” Elizabeth gladly accepted the cup. “I had some interesting phone calls,” Linda continued.

“From whom?”

“Deputy DA Rodgers and I had a nice little chat.”

“Oh?” The coffee was helping and Elizabeth looked at her with new alertness.

“Yes, he’s not a happy camper to let you go. He thought he had a nice, high-profile drug bust all nailed up tight.”

Elizabeth shrugged. “So sorry to disappoint him.”

“He’ll get over it.” She paused a moment. Her voice had lost all its light tone when she spoke again. “Lizzy, you need to know; this has become very high profile. It’s a slow news day, so you and Will are on the front page.”

Elizabeth received this news without visible reaction. “Have you spoken to Will?” Her voice was soft, yet firm.

“Oh yeah.” She laughed. “I asked him what we were going to do once you were released and he said, quote: ‘This is her home. My limo and my security will pick her up and bring her here,’ unquote.”

Elizabeth smiled brightly, covering her face with one hand, and then a second, as she fought to keep control over her emotions. She was exhausted and overwrought and just needed to hold it together a little while longer.

Linda pretended not to notice. When Elizabeth dropped her hands and surreptitiously wiped her eyes with a napkin, she asked, “I take it you have heard that before?”

“Oh yeah,” she smiled and nodded, remembering. “So, what is the plan for this morning? Do I have to go to the courthouse?”

“Yep. We get to drive over, lots of flashing lights and whatnot, and then you get to leave, no doubt in a big media blitz.”

“I wish I could call Will and get his advice on how to handle this. He’s much better at playing the bad boy than I am.”

“Well, what did he tell you before?”

“He said to hang tough.”

“Then do it. You have been falsely accused. Let it show.”

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. “Yep, I guess I better get used to this. It’s not like we’ll ever have a life without the media.”

“Ah, the price of fame,” Linda sighed.

Elizabeth smiled. “When will I know that they have Wickham?”

“Paul is going to call me and I’ll call you.”

“Paul?”

Linda giggled. “Agent Holmes.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. She was grateful for the chance to think about something other than what she would tell Darcy and how he would take it.

***

In the end, it was easier than Elizabeth ever expected. Transported to the courthouse in a police car, she was spared a media gauntlet by entering the courthouse through an underground garage. Linda was waiting when she arrived. They were escorted into a small room and waited there for twenty minutes before being informed that they could leave. The Feds wanted a certain amount of media attention, so they asked Elizabeth to go out through the front when she left.

There was a knock on the door and Rebecca entered. Elizabeth was flooded with relief at the sight of her face. “Oh my God. It’s so good to see you.”

Rebecca dropped her professional scowl for a moment and smiled. “Are you ready to go?” she asked warmly.

“Oh yeah. More than ready.”

“Good. There is a gang of photographers out there, so I’ve got two of my people to help with security. Linda, you’ll walk with us to the limo, right?”

Linda nodded.

“I don’t know why they wouldn’t let us use the underground lot. It would be so much easier,” Rebecca complained.

Elizabeth feigned ignorance, and the three women exited the room. Waiting outside were two large burly-looking men, reeking of bodyguard. Rebecca took point and whipped out her cell. “Tommy, we’re coming out.”

Elizabeth walked with Linda, a bodyguard on either side. She felt like she was playacting. Surely there had to be a mistake. Famous people got this kind of treatment, not her. She was just… somebody?

Rebecca parted the crowd like Moses at the Red Sea. Elizabeth wore the dark sunglasses Linda gave her and tried to keep her expression calm. She focused on simply walking, knowing the last thing she wanted to do was trip and fall on the courthouse steps.

On the street, the long black limousine was waiting. Tommy opened the door and Elizabeth slid in, followed by Rebecca and one of the bodyguards.

Elizabeth was surprised to find the limo wasn’t empty. Sitting silently in the far corner, dressed in dark clothing, was the tall figure of a man. “
Will!
” she cried.

As soon as the door was shut, there was a quick rearranging of seats and Elizabeth found herself ensconced in his arms. “Will? Will?” she repeated, touching him to be certain he was real.

Darcy’s face held an expression of heartfelt relief as he held her close. “It’s okay, it’s all right,” he murmured softly to her. “How are you?” he asked as the car moved forward, his eyes carefully examining her.

Elizabeth felt all her hard-won control dissolve, and tears slipped from her eyes. “I’m okay,” she choked out before her face bunched up and she began sobbing in his arms.

Darcy held her tight, stroking her hair and back and hating himself. Every tear, sob, and gasp was his fault. Elizabeth’s sobs subsided by the time they reached Manhattan, and she sat in a daze for the rest of the ride to the Village, her head pillowed by his chest, his heartbeat reassuring in her ear.

The limo drove past the reporters and straight into the garage. Rebecca and the bodyguards exited first and then gave the signal for Darcy and Elizabeth to exit. They walked smartly as a group to the elevator and when the door shut, Elizabeth felt as if she was going to drop to the floor. Darcy squeezed her hand tightly, his eyes never leaving hers, giving her his strength.

They entered the loft to find everyone waiting for them. Jane quickly snatched Elizabeth up into a hug, and she was passed like a hot potato to everyone there, receiving hugs and words of encouragement.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, smiling through teary eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just really tired.” A soft murmur of understanding passed through the group.

“Elizabeth needs to rest,” Darcy announced. “I think it would be best if everyone went home now, and we’ll meet later. Caro, when do we need to be at the Garden?”

“Well, we,” she indicated Faust and herself, “have to be there around noon, but you artists,” she smiled at the word, “can lounge about until four or five.”

Darcy nodded. “Rebecca, help everyone get out. Rachel, I’d like you to stick around in case I need you.”

With that, everyone began to depart, each giving Elizabeth at least one more hug. Elizabeth fled as quickly as she could to Darcy’s bedroom, and she wasn’t surprised to see him enter a minute later.

“I thought you would be in the shower already,” he said lightly.

Elizabeth smiled weakly and then her expression drooped. “Will, I have to tell you something.”

Darcy felt himself go numb. He was certain that this was it. The experience had been too much and Elizabeth was going to break up with him now. He sat carefully on the bed, close, but not touching her. “What?”

Elizabeth sighed. “The charges against me have been dropped.”

Darcy eyes widened. “Already? Lizzy, that’s great news!”

Elizabeth held up her hand. “Wait, there’s more.” Slowly she told him the whole story, her hands moving restlessly in her lap the whole time.

Darcy listened without interrupting until she was finished. “You were never in jail?” he asked weakly, trying to understand.

“No,” Elizabeth shook her head and smiled sadly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, Will. I wanted to. I wanted to so badly.” She drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them, resting her head there.

Darcy struggled to understand what had happened. He laced his fingers together and touched his index fingers to his lips. “I didn’t sleep at all last night, I was so worried about you.”

“That makes two of us,” Elizabeth replied gently. “I know you blame yourself for what has happened, but I need you to know that I don’t. Wickham’s actions are his own, and I don’t feel anything but love for you. I’m sorry you were so scared last night, and believe me, if there had been another way, I would have taken it, but I had to do it. I love you too much to not do everything I can to get that bastard out of your life.”

Darcy roughly pulled her to him and held her as tightly as he could. “Elizabeth, you’re so brave. I can’t believe you did that for me,” he whispered.

“Well, I did it for me too,” she added. “I can’t believe he tried to frame me like that.”

They rocked together, comforting and soothing each other, until Darcy pulled back and gently cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her lips with soft, loving kisses. “Are you ready to get cleaned up?”

Elizabeth nodded tiredly and let him help her off the bed and lead her to the bathroom.

There he gently undressed her, then himself, and turned on the shower. Elizabeth stood numbly still, letting him care for her.

“Will,” she whispered when he brought her under the hot water.

“Shhh, it’s all over now, Elizabeth,” he told her firmly as he gently began washing her body. “Just try to forget about it for now.”

Elizabeth let him wash her all over. By the time he was finished, she was trembling. He drew her close and let her weep, giving her the primal comfort of skin against skin. Finally she lifted her drained eyes to him.