believe he had just said that. With an ice-cold “good night” she moved off to her suite, rigid with anger.
When she got through the door, she found Jane sitting alone on the couch, staring at nothing and smiling to herself. Elizabeth stood stock-still, clenching her fists, and counted to ten.
“What did he do this time?” Jane asked easily.
Elizabeth took a deep breath and released it noisily. Then she looked at her sister. “How did you know?”
“Charles told me,” she answered with a smile. “He said that Darcy has the hotel open the pool for him after concerts. That’s how he knew it would be open when you went downstairs.” She grinned. “So, what did he say this time?”
“Oh, forget about that, Jane,” she said with an aggravated snort. She sat down on the couch beside Jane. “Tell me about Charles.”
Jane glowed with a smile that lit up the room, “He was wonderful. We sat and talked and laughed. He’s very smart. Did you know that?” Elizabeth grinned and shook her head. “And he is so nice. He is the nicest person I’ve ever met.” Jane sighed and leaned back against the couch. “Did you see how he came to me, Lizzy?” Her voice was soft with a happy disbelief.
“I saw,” Elizabeth assured her, “and I have to say, I was impressed.”
“And he never tried to kiss me, not even once.”
Elizabeth frowned, “Jane? Are you sure he’s not gay?”
Jane shook her head with a wicked grin. “ I kissed him good night, and yes, I am quite sure he is not gay.”
The sisters laughed together, then Jane took Elizabeth’s hand and insisted that she tell her what had happened with Darcy. Elizabeth related the whole story, including his remark in the elevator.
“Maybe he was trying to compliment you, Lizzy. Maybe he is just awkward with words.”
“Or maybe he was threatening me and letting me know if we don’t play up to snuff, we will be out on our asses!” Elizabeth snapped. She stopped and sighed. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you. It’s just that man!” she hissed. Elizabeth got up and paced the room angrily. “First he was staring at me at the pool.”
“Oh, and I’m sure you didn’t look at him,” Jane challenged her gently.
“Yes, but—” She stopped and frowned thoughtfully. “It’s different when he looks at me. I always feel like I’m not good enough or something.” She remembered she was angry and resumed her pacing. “And then he has to go and be so insulting like that in the elevator. Ohhhhhhhh , he makes me insane!”
“Do you think you might be overreacting, Lizzy?” Jane frowned. It was unlike her sister to get this upset over anything.
“Oh, if you could have heard him, Jane, you would know I’m not. He was so snide about it, so superior.” She kicked a sofa pillow. “Arrogant prick!”
Jane smiled kindly. “Come on, Lizzy, we need to go to bed.” She rose and gestured for Elizabeth to follow her.
Elizabeth agreed. She was tired and her body was aching. She took a hot shower, letting the water carry away the rage and the chlorine from her body, and tucked herself into the strange hotel bed. Within minutes, the arrogant Fitzwilliam Darcy was forgotten, and she was asleep.
Chapter 5
Lizzy!” Elizabeth Bennet felt herself being shaken. “Lizzy, wake up!”
Elizabeth opened one eye to see Alex sitting on her bed, smiling at her. “Go away,” she grumbled and attempted to roll over.
“Oh no, Lizzy. You gotta get up. You have breakfast in a half hour. Now up!” He pulled the blankets off her with a flourish.
“Fuck!” she swore. “Jesus, Alex, can’t a girl have some privacy?”
“Oh, like it’s anything I haven’t seen before?” he questioned her mockingly. “I’m serious, Lizzy, you need to get up now.”
Elizabeth sat up, rubbing her face, and gingerly opened both eyes. She was cold now, wearing only a T-shirt and boxers. “I hate you,” she growled.
“Then it’s probably a good thing we broke up.
When she got through the door, she found Jane sitting alone on the couch, staring at nothing and smiling to herself. Elizabeth stood stock-still, clenching her fists, and counted to ten.
“What did he do this time?” Jane asked easily.
Elizabeth took a deep breath and released it noisily. Then she looked at her sister. “How did you know?”
“Charles told me,” she answered with a smile. “He said that Darcy has the hotel open the pool for him after concerts. That’s how he knew it would be open when you went downstairs.” She grinned. “So, what did he say this time?”
“Oh, forget about that, Jane,” she said with an aggravated snort. She sat down on the couch beside Jane. “Tell me about Charles.”
Jane glowed with a smile that lit up the room, “He was wonderful. We sat and talked and laughed. He’s very smart. Did you know that?” Elizabeth grinned and shook her head. “And he is so nice. He is the nicest person I’ve ever met.” Jane sighed and leaned back against the couch. “Did you see how he came to me, Lizzy?” Her voice was soft with a happy disbelief.
“I saw,” Elizabeth assured her, “and I have to say, I was impressed.”
“And he never tried to kiss me, not even once.”
Elizabeth frowned, “Jane? Are you sure he’s not gay?”
Jane shook her head with a wicked grin. “ I kissed him good night, and yes, I am quite sure he is not gay.”
The sisters laughed together, then Jane took Elizabeth’s hand and insisted that she tell her what had happened with Darcy. Elizabeth related the whole story, including his remark in the elevator.
“Maybe he was trying to compliment you, Lizzy. Maybe he is just awkward with words.”
“Or maybe he was threatening me and letting me know if we don’t play up to snuff, we will be out on our asses!” Elizabeth snapped. She stopped and sighed. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you. It’s just that man!” she hissed. Elizabeth got up and paced the room angrily. “First he was staring at me at the pool.”
“Oh, and I’m sure you didn’t look at him,” Jane challenged her gently.
“Yes, but—” She stopped and frowned thoughtfully. “It’s different when he looks at me. I always feel like I’m not good enough or something.” She remembered she was angry and resumed her pacing. “And then he has to go and be so insulting like that in the elevator. Ohhhhhhhh , he makes me insane!”
“Do you think you might be overreacting, Lizzy?” Jane frowned. It was unlike her sister to get this upset over anything.
“Oh, if you could have heard him, Jane, you would know I’m not. He was so snide about it, so superior.” She kicked a sofa pillow. “Arrogant prick!”
Jane smiled kindly. “Come on, Lizzy, we need to go to bed.” She rose and gestured for Elizabeth to follow her.
Elizabeth agreed. She was tired and her body was aching. She took a hot shower, letting the water carry away the rage and the chlorine from her body, and tucked herself into the strange hotel bed. Within minutes, the arrogant Fitzwilliam Darcy was forgotten, and she was asleep.
Chapter 5
Lizzy!” Elizabeth Bennet felt herself being shaken. “Lizzy, wake up!”
Elizabeth opened one eye to see Alex sitting on her bed, smiling at her. “Go away,” she grumbled and attempted to roll over.
“Oh no, Lizzy. You gotta get up. You have breakfast in a half hour. Now up!” He pulled the blankets off her with a flourish.
“Fuck!” she swore. “Jesus, Alex, can’t a girl have some privacy?”
“Oh, like it’s anything I haven’t seen before?” he questioned her mockingly. “I’m serious, Lizzy, you need to get up now.”
Elizabeth sat up, rubbing her face, and gingerly opened both eyes. She was cold now, wearing only a T-shirt and boxers. “I hate you,” she growled.
“Then it’s probably a good thing we broke up.
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