Beginning, Previous Section, Section III, Next Section
Darcy had officially been working at Planet Earth Pizza for thirty minutes, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet. While there hadn't been a great rush of customers, there'd been a steady enough trickle that the dining room was half full. He'd been following Charlie around part of the time, then Erin. At the moment, both women had enough time to stand at the front counter, talking about their other jobs.
The phone rang, but before Charlie could pick it up, Darcy heard Chazz's voice coming from the delivery area.
"Planet Earth Pizza, this is Charles Eugene Bingley speaking, how may I direct your call?" Chazz apparently gave Charlie some sort of look, because Charlie stuck her tongue out at him.
"Chazz, if Sean hears you say that, he's writing you up," Charlie added before returning to her conversation with Erin.
Jack was at the cut table, where he cut a pizza with swift accuracy before sliding it back into the pan. "Do I have a place for this on the buffet?" he asked Erin and Charlie.
"I think so," Erin replied.
"There's always room for more pizza on the buffet," Charlie said.
Elisabeth was not in his sight, being on the other side of the wall that divided the make table from the wait station, working on a ten large-pizza order that had come not five minutes earlier for delivery at twelve-fifteen. Every so often, Charlie could be heard asking her if she were still okay, to which Elisabeth would mutter, "Leave me alone, Charlotte, before I rearrange a few of your teeth."
"I'd say she's back to normal," Charlie told Erin.
Darcy was beginning to feel very much like an outsider. Chazz had done his best to make him feel welcome, but Darcy was unused to such unguarded enthusiasm and hadn't said much other than to protest Chazz's opinion about Elisabeth Bennet.
That young woman still had him upset. She was not the sort of woman he would ever have any sort of interest in. For one thing, she smoked and he despised smokers. In his opinion, it showed a lack of willpower and a disinterest in the state of one's health. For another, she was too sharp-tongued and short-tempered. She wore too many earrings and he had heard her talking with Jack about the possibility of getting another tattoo-meaning she already had one. A tattoo, for God's sake! No, there was nothing about her that he liked.
Although now that Darcy thought about it, she did have rather interesting green eyes. Not a speck of hazel or gold in them, just a clear, dark green. They were very expressive eyes, too.
"Are you ready to take your first table?" Charlie asked him, taking his mind off the disturbing thought that there was something about Elisabeth Bennet he actually liked and placing him firmly back into the present.
"Uh..."
"I'll be with you in case you forget something. Besides, at lunch, all you're really going to be doing is taking orders for the buffet. You can't screw that up." Charlie smiled.
"Okay, I might as well. It's my job."
Charlie hesitated. "You might want to smile. If the customers see you with that look on your face, they're going to run out the door screaming."
"Since I can't see myself, what do I look like?"
"Like you just stepped in something rank. Working here isn't that bad, is it?"
Darcy sighed. "No, I suppose it could be worse."
"Then smile-because someone just walked in."
Darcy managed to muster something that resembled a smile as he came around the counter-seeing anyone from behind it was impossible because of the stupid hanging plants-to greet his first table, a trio of young women in their early twenties.
"Hi," he said, his smile turning genuine. One of the girls reminded him of Ginger. "How many?"
"Three," a tall, lanky redhead said. "Nonsmoking, please-hi, Charlie."
"Hi, Amanda," Charlie replied.
Darcy's heart accelerated suddenly-which side was nonsmoking again? He desperately tried to think of which side he'd sat at with Elisabeth yesterday, but nothing came to him.
Behind him, Charlie cleared her throat and pressed three neatly-rolled sets of silverware into his hand. "On your right," she hissed.
Of course, on his right. If he'd bothered to look to his left instead of panicking, he'd have seen people smoking cigarettes. "This way, please," he said, his voice betraying none of his nervousness. With Charlie just a few steps behind the group, he led them to the second window table. Once the girls were seated, he thought about what Charlie did when she seated people. "Are you ladies going to have the buffet today?" he asked.
"I am," the redhead said. Her other two companions quickly agreed and ordered Dr. Peppers to go with their meal. Darcy nodded, then stepped aside to let them help themselves.
"Okay, you managed to get through the first one," Charlie said once they'd reached the beverage bar. "Amanda's pretty easy to wait on, though."
"You know all the customers by name?" he asked, surprised.
"Not hardly. I've waited on too many to recognize anyone but the regulars. Amanda's my former roommate." Charlie looked down at the floor, frowning. Someone had placed a square pan under the part of the beverage bar that was leaking but hadn't bothered to check to see if it was full, which it was. "God, I hate this thing." With great care, she picked up the pan, slopping a little dirty water over the sides, and dumped it into the drain of the soda machine.
"What's wrong with it?" Darcy asked.
"It's a hunk of junk. Everything Planet Earth Pizza owns is, from the machine to the computers to the ovens. And sometimes even some of the employees."
"Have you worked here long?"
"Nine years." Charlie set the now-empty pan back under the beverage bar.
Darcy gaped at her. "Nine years?" he repeated.
"Uh-huh. I was here before we had those stupid computers and this horrible machine. Life was a lot simpler then." She looked at her hands with a grimace. "You'll need to get those drinks for table 52. I'm going to wash my hands thoroughly before I do anything else." Charlie walked back behind the counter, heading for the sinks.
Darcy had to think for a brief moment before remembering that the three at his table had ordered Dr. Pepper. He grabbed the glasses, filled their drinks, and carried them over to the table, setting them down just as the tall redhead set a plate full of pasta down.
"Um...is there anything else I can get for you?" he asked hesitantly.
"Straws. We need straws," she said.
Of course they needed straws-why hadn't he remembered them? He walked back over to the beverage bar, looking for the straws. They were nestled on the other side of the coffee maker, neatly stacked in a cup next to the lids for to-go cups. He took three, walked back to the table and laid a straw beside each glass.
"If there's anything else I can get you, let me know," Darcy said.
"Thanks."
Darcy looked up at Charlie, who had returned from the back, her hands still damp. She smiled at him, and he knew he'd done it correctly.
Elisabeth grimaced as she squirted soap onto her hands for the fourth time. Whoever came up with the idea of putting anchovies on pizza should be shot, she thought crabbily as she rubbed her soapy hands together vigorously. She knew it was a futile effort-her hands would stink of anchovies for the rest of the day unless she stuck them in straight bleach. Come to think of it, that might not be a bad idea, except that the way her body was going lately, the smell of bleach would probably put her in the hospital.
Finally deciding to give up, she grabbed a few paper towels and wiped off her hands. She tossed the used towels into the garbage can and walked back to the make table. There weren't any orders on the printer, so she decided to check on things.
Business was still just a trickle. She checked the clock above the make table-nearly noon. Elisabeth frowned and tried not to think of last year's numbers. If things kept on at this rate, she wasn't going to come close.
She looked over at the trio of wait staff she had present. She should get rid of Darcy, since he was the trainee and he was just standing around doing absolutely nothing. Elisabeth was tempted to keep him around, though, in case it did get busy. She again entertained her favorite picture of him, exhausted, gum stuck in his hair from some little kid hurling it at him, smelling of anchovies...
But she wasn't about to risk losing business if people walked out because he didn't know anything. So she'd let him go and keep Erin and Charlie.
"Darcy, you can go," Elisabeth called to him.
Darcy looked over at her with a start. "Go where?" he asked.
"Home. You can go home. We're not busy enough to keep you here without running labor too high."
"Oh, of course." Darcy looked hesitantly over at a window table in nonsmoking. "Would it be all right for me to stay until my table is gone? I wouldn't want to leave without finishing my job."
Elisabeth sneered and thought, More like he's afraid Erin or Charlie's gonna steal his tip. But he was right about needing to stay until the table had left, so she said, "That's fine. While you're waiting, check the salad bar."
"Uh...okay."
Jack had walked out to the buffet to get rid of a pizza that had been sitting out long enough. He walked to the back and dumped the uneaten pizza into the trash. Elisabeth followed him.
"Doesn't look like we're gonna do much today," Jack said.
"Nope." Elisabeth sighed.
"After the exciting start this day got off to, I was hoping we would be."
"Why? You aren't a tipped employee, so being busy does nothing to increase your wages."
"It still gives me something to do besides stand around trying to look busy." Jack took a pair of pliers and picked up one of the pizzas coming from the oven for the buffet.
"Good point."
"What's the deal with you and this new guy?" Jack took the pizza out of the pan.
"There is no deal."
"Then why'd you get freaked out about him unbuttoning your clothes so you would cool down?"
"Why did he have to do it? Charlie could've done it."
"Charlie was getting you the ice pack and debating whether or not to call an ambulance."
"Then Erin, or even you or Chazz."
"You would've kicked our butts and Chazz and I both knew it. As for Erin, she was outside telling the people who'd shown up at the door that we were going to be opening a few minutes late due to an emergency. Who did that leave? Darcy, who not only knew what was wrong, but knew what to do."
"I told you, I did not have heat exhaustion. I started feeling dizzy when I smoked a cigarette earlier. That's what it was, just a reaction to that."
"Whatever you want to call it, El, the fact remains that you passed out on a ninety-degree day next to an oven running four hundred and fifty degrees. Darcy was only doing what he thought was best for you, and you tore him up for it."
"Yeah, he looks real torn up." Elisabeth watched as Jack used the rocker knife to slice the thin cheese pizza.
"You don't feel the slightest bit guilty about this, do you?"
"What are you, the moral conscience of Effingham Planet Earth Pizza?" When Jack only stared at her, Elisabeth realized she was going to have to tell him what Darcy said. "Look, maybe I did was too hard on him after I woke up. I was still shaken, and the fact that a total stranger-and one I don't like all that much-had partially undressed me was a bit disturbing. I might've apologized for that, if he hadn't been talking to Chazz about the incident."
"You can't take Chazz seriously. He's a great guy and I love him, but he's a goofball," Jack said.
"It wasn't anything Chazz said. In fact, I was kinda flattered to hear him say he thought I was cute."
"Then what was it?"
"He said I was 'tolerable, and that's a stretch.' If a woman had said that about you, wouldn't you still be angry about it?"
Jack was thoughtful. "Actually, if a woman thought I was tolerable, I'd be pretty happy about that."
Elisabeth groaned. At thirty-two, Jack had a wholesome, angelic look about him-the look of a choir boy who had grown up. Last year he'd given up wearing his dark hair long in an effort to hide the fact that he was going bald. Elisabeth thought the close-cropped style looked better on him. His crooked smile always reached his light brown eyes and revealed the cutest set of dimples she'd ever seen. And yet he thought he didn't even look tolerable.
"You and Charlie must be soulmates, because you both seem to think you're ugly," she said. "Jack, you are a very cute man. When are you going to get the idea that you're a troll out of your head?"
"Cute." Jack smiled grimly. "I get that a lot. It's a four-letter word meaning 'nice guy, wouldn't dream of dating him.'"
Charlie had been walking back from the dining room in time to hear this and said, "Actually, 'cute' means 'attractive in a dainty way.' And it's about as bad as people telling me I have a pretty face, because the rest of the sentence is, 'If only you'd lose about thirty pounds.'"
"Do you have the entire dictionary memorized?" Jack asked her.
"Only my favorite parts of it."
"If it makes you feel better, Charlie, I think you look good."
"Thanks, Jack. I think you're better than tolerable."
Elisabeth bit back a chuckle. "You can understand why I'm upset and not about to apologize, though, right?"
"I guess, if I were a woman and I'd been told I was only tolerable, I might be angry."
"Thank you. Now, no more lectures-from either of you." She would rather die than admit that they were beginning to get to her, and she was afraid if they continued she'd cave in and apologize.
Darcy had the feeling he was being talked about again. His ears felt like they were burning, along with his cheeks, so he guessed that old adage was true. He thought he heard the word 'tolerable' being mentioned between Charlie, Jack and Elisabeth, but he couldn't be sure.
And surely Chazz wouldn't repeat it to Elisabeth...would he?
Darcy was walking toward the back to the walk-in when he saw Chazz next to the dishwasher stirring a bucket of sauce.
"Chazz?"
"What?"
"Did you happen to mention to Elisabeth what I said earlier?"
Chazz gave him a strange look. "No, but I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret."
"So you told someone else."
"No, I didn't." Chazz sighed. "But it wouldn't surprise me to find out that someone overheard us talking. Eavesdropping ranks second only to gossiping as a method of learning information around here."
"And here I thought that was a problem that only afflicted corporations because so much had to be kept secret."
Chazz laughed. "Not hardly. While we don't deal with the issues big corporations do, there's still plenty of gossip to be heard, usually about the employees themselves. Stick around long enough, you'll hear everything." He took the whisk out of the sauce and reached behind him for the lid to the bucket. He secured the lid and set the bucket aside.
"George Wickham told me a great deal about this place. I'm not certain I believe all of it."
"Really? What did he tell you about me?"
"That you were a...spaceball?"
Chazz rolled his eyes. "I'm not that weird."
Erin walked into the dish area with a stack of plates in her hand. She set them down with a thunk and said, "Yes, you are! Admit it."
"I'm not weird. I'm gifted."
"It's the gifts I wonder about." Chazz grabbed the sprayer and aimed it at Erin, who gave him a look. "I dare you," she said.
"I'm gonna do it. You're asking for it."
"Yeah, right. You know if you do I'll-"
"Careful how you finish that, Erin. Chazz might decide to spray you because he'd enjoy the punishment," Charlie said, having arrived with her hands full of glasses. Her arrival gave Erin the opportunity to escape back through the wait station toward the dining room.
"I don't know where I got this reputation for being into masochism," Chazz muttered as he put the sprayer back into place. He grabbed for a bucket underneath the dish table beside the washer, preparing to make another bucket of sauce.
"Probably from the same source who told everyone I was pregnant last fall," Charlie replied.
"What was the worst of it? It was my kid, wasn't it?" Chazz asked.
"No, the worst of it was that I didn't know who the father was. It was either yours or Jack's."
"Excuse me?" Darcy interrupted, thinking for a second on what Charlie had mentioned earlier that day in the car about having ample reason for being depressed.
Chazz and Charlie had obviously forgotten that someone was nearby, because they both looked startled to see him.
"Sorry," Chazz said. "We were just revisiting gossip past."
"Last year, Lucy Steele and her sister, Annette, who was also working here, noticed that I was feeling nauseous in the mornings and told everyone I was pregnant. Then the rumor mill-also known as their good friends Caroline and Louisa-started saying that Chazz was the father, then Jack was the father, and then it got really ugly."
"What was wrong with you?"
"I was taking a medication which can cause nausea if not taken with food. I forgot to eat after taking it a couple of days, and this is what came of it." Charlie's eyes darkened. "I've never even had sex, and there they are, painting me as the town tramp."
"How do you get along with people like that?" Darcy asked.
Chazz shrugged. "You just do, because it's your job."
"Yeah, and if you can't get along with someone, your hours get cut because the schedule has to be adjusted so you don't work with that person. So you learn to adjust." Charlie's mouth thinned. "But enough of that crap. Your table needs their check, and Amanda wanted me to tell you that she thought you were very good."
Darcy was surprised at the warm feeling that shot through him when Charlie said that. A compliment from a stranger shouldn't be that exciting, nor should it matter. It wasn't like he'd done anything special, as he had when he'd spent nearly one hundred hours a week for two months putting together a merger between De Bourgh Enterprises and the electronics firm in Japan whose name still escaped him.
He thought back to that merger from two years ago as he walked away from Chazz and went to give table 52 their bill. After doing all that work, his aunt had coolly informed him that he needed to correct several errors she had found in his work. She had never once said anything positive about what he'd done, or complimented him on how hard he'd worked.
And yet here was this girl who knew nothing about him, for whom he'd done very little, and she thought he was good enough to praise.
Imagine that.
Elisabeth frowned when she noticed Darcy sitting at one of the tables an hour later. He'd taken off his apron, and she still didn't have a Planet Earth Pizza shirt for him, but the fact remained that he was taking up one of her tables. Never mind that buffet was over and there wasn't a soul to be seen in the store...he was still there and it unnerved her.
"What is he still doing here?" she muttered to herself as she sat at the main computer in Sean's office, waiting to see what the final numbers for lunch were going to be.
"His car broke down, remember?"
Elisabeth flinched and turned around to see Charlie sitting in one corner, munching on a piece of pepperoni pizza.
"Don't let Sean know I let you eat in here," Elisabeth said. "And how did you know I was talking about Darcy?"
"Lucky guess." Charlie took a drink of her Mountain Dew. "He's waiting for me to get off work so I can take him back home."
"You would have to volunteer to do that."
"Well, he does live right over our heads."
"Do me a favor-stop reminding me of that fact." Long columns of numbers appeared on her screen. Elisabeth scrolled down to find the most important one...the net sales. After she'd looked, she wished she hadn't. "God, what a terrible lunch. Four hundred sixty-five dollars."
"What about the school order?"
"Doesn't count until we get the check."
"I thought that invoice the principal signed was the check."
Elisabeth snorted. "I wish, but no." She ran her fingers through her hair, remembering only afterward that they still probably smelled like anchovies. "I probably should go apologize to Darcy."
Charlie was about to take a bite of a breadstick when she stopped. "Thank God I hadn't put this in my mouth," she said.
"Har har. I do apologize when I make mistakes, you know."
"Of course I know. I just can't let the opportunity to tease you pass me by. It's one of the hidden benefits of being related to me."
From the front of the store, they heard Jack call, "Charlie! Door, please!"
As Charlie set her lunch aside to go wait on whoever was at the door, Elisabeth smiled, her first genuine smile in almost a week. The thought of that made her reflect sadly on the wreck her life had become of late.
She used to be the wild one, the daring girl who loved to have fun. The girl who used to be able to down ten beers and hardly have it faze her until the next morning when she was paying homage to the toilet. The girl who wouldn't let whatever new stories the Gossip Sisters were concocting bother her. The girl who rarely held a grudge because she didn't get mad at much. The girl who could laugh at just about anything, who loved life fiercely and was ready for whatever came her way.
What happened to that girl? she wondered. What happened to the girl who got a 'cute little dragon' tattoo, then dared her chicken-stuffing boyfriend to do the same?
With a reflective rub of that hip, Elisabeth thought with a chuckle about how cute the dragon was. Her boyfriend at the time had wanted her to get a nasty-looking thing, big and scaly and purple and ugly as hell. Elisabeth had chosen to get a droopy, sad, little green creature that she couldn't help adoring the moment the artist stepped away so she could look at it.
Elisabeth pushed a button on the screen and made the numbers go away. The answer to her question was simple, of course. She'd grown up, or at least, she was supposed to have grown up. She'd gotten hurt a few too many times by jerks she shouldn't have given the time of day to. She'd taken a job she hated at least forty percent of the time. She had responsibilities. The carefree girl who was voted "Most Likely to Do Anything" by her graduating class was no more.
Elisabeth stood up, stretched her arms over her head in an attempt to work out the kinks, and walked slowly toward the break room. Her pack of Marlboro Menthol Lights stared at her accusingly.
With a frown, she wondered just why she'd had a reaction like that. Maybe it had something to do with not having eaten breakfast before leaving home. Maybe if she had one now she'd be okay. She'd had a couple of breadsticks.
Hesitantly, she picked up the pack and shook one loose. She raised her lighter and lit it quickly, almost as if she were afraid something bad would happen if she didn't. Elisabeth took a very light puff, held the smoke in her lungs, and exhaled slowly.
No dizziness. No faint pang of nausea. Her headache was almost completely gone now. She thought that maybe Darcy had been right. Maybe she had experienced heat exhaustion.
Elisabeth took time to enjoy her cigarette, for Jack was making the order for Charlie's table. When she was finished, she got up from the table and was relieved when she felt steady on her feet.
She went to the front counter and looked over at Darcy. He was sitting at table 51, the front window table in nonsmoking. She noticed for the first time that he was reading a book, and she wondered where he'd gotten it.
Elisabeth grabbed a peppermint and popped it into her mouth, for although she cheerfully admitted to being addicted to nicotine, she hated having smoker's breath and was constantly chewing gum or eating breath mints at work. As she walked over to the table where Darcy sat, she quickly realized from the cover where he'd gotten the book.
Betrayal in Death by J.D. Robb, one of Charlie's favorite authors.
"Mind if I intrude on the world of futuristic police mystery?" Elisabeth asked.
Darcy looked up. Instead of the disdain she thought she'd see in his eyes, he looked cheerful. "Not at all," he replied. "Please, sit."
"Thanks." Elisabeth took a seat. She opened her mouth to speak but wasn't quite sure what to say. Sorry seemed too easy to say.
Darcy apparently thought she just wanted to sit, because he went back to the book.
"I take it you like the storyline," Elisabeth finally said, for lack of anything better to say.
Darcy glanced up. "It's not bad."
"She's got all the others at home if you want to read them...although I suppose I should let her make that offer. She might get mad at me if I do it. The last time she loaned someone here a book, he never returned it and never paid her back for it, either." Elisabeth realized she was babbling, but she still didn't quite know what to say. She cleared her throat and asked, "Did the table leave you a tip?"
Darcy set the book on the table. "Yes, they did. Three dollars."
"Wow, that's pretty good for a first table...at least, someone here would think so. It's probably a drop in the bucket to you."
Darcy's jaw tightened. "Right now, it seems a good amount to me, too."
"I didn't mean that in a negative way. I just wasn't sure what you'd made of it." Elisabeth sighed. "Look, I might as well get this out of the way. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier when you thought I had heat exhaustion. I wasn't sure what was going on and I reacted badly. I was sure it was a bad reaction to a cigarette because I got dizzy earlier that morning while I was smoking one."
"The cigarette probably had a lot to do with why you passed out."
"No, you were right. It was heat exhaustion, because I smoked one just a few minutes ago and I was fine. I'm fine now. Feeling good."
"Later on, you probably won't. In fact, I wouldn't be too surprised if you don't have more of these spells as you get older."
Elisabeth's jaw nearly dropped. She managed to control herself and say, "I come over here to apologize for what I said and maybe even thank you for it and you're giving me health tips?"
"I just don't see where any sensible person, knowing the risks smoking poses, could possibly take up the habit."
"I guess that makes me an insensible person, then." She paused for just a second. "As well as looking merely 'tolerable.'"
Darcy flushed. "I figured someone had told you. Chazz doesn't look like he could keep quiet to save his life."
"Actually, I heard it from the horse's mouth himself. If you want to keep your opinions a secret around here, don't voice them where I can hear you." Elisabeth exhaled sharply. "I can't believe this."
"I didn't say you were insensible. I don't know you well enough for that," Darcy said. "I didn't mean for you to take it that way."
Elisabeth feared she was in danger of making the same mistake twice in one day. If she flew off the handle again, with no real cause, she'd probably hear about it from Sean. She'd definitely hear about it from Charlie, who was getting refills for her table and was probably listening in on the conversation.
"You're right," she said. "We don't know each other very well. For instance, you might be a pretty nice guy and there's just something about me that causes you to make casual comments about my appearance."
"And I suppose that underneath all this hostility you have, you might be a nice girl and there's just something about me that causes you to become a complete-"
"I think you've been listening to George Wickham too much," Elisabeth said. "He's hardly the harbinger of truth and honesty, but you choose to believe him."
"Why shouldn't I? So far, he's been right on point. Jack is a 'pretty cool customer,' Charlie's pretty nice and a good worker, Chazz is weird or gifted or whatever it is he's calling himself today, and you..."
Elisabeth shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe that Darcy, a man who was supposed to be so smart, was being so stupid. And she really didn't like where he was heading with that last part. "Do you actually have opinions of your own or do you just cling to others' as God's gospel?"
Darcy's mouth thinned and he picked up the book. He opened it to a page and deliberately looked at it, though she doubted he was reading. Elisabeth stood up, wondering what it was about this man that made her see red. In a sarcastic, singsong voice, she said, "Thank you for helping me out earlier this morning. I might've died if you hadn't been so strong and brave and-"
"Elisabeth!"
Darcy looked up from his book, but Elisabeth couldn't move. She closed her eyes and swallowed the groan that rose in her throat. How many times has my mother told me, 'Ellie, you've got a big mouth?' She'd probably be crowing if she could see me now.
With that thought in mind, Elisabeth turned to face Sean Fitzwilliam, store manager of Effingham Planet Earth Pizza and her boss.
Darcy had only met Sean Fitzwilliam once, when they'd met in Newton to discuss the terms of his employment here, but even then the no-nonsense former Army sergeant had impressed him. Sean might only be about five-feet-ten, but from his dark, buzz cut hair to his heavy-duty work shoes, he made an imposing figure.
Despite the fact that her reprimand was about to come because of him, Darcy couldn't help but feel sorry for Elisabeth Bennet. All things considered, it probably hadn't been the greatest of days for her and it was about to get worse.
"Hello, Sean," Elisabeth said in an impressively calm voice. "The walk-in or outside?"
"The walk-in. Charlie, tell Jack not to come into the walk-in for a few minutes while I have a discussion with your cousin."
"Yes, Sean," Charlie said, giving Elisabeth a look that Darcy interpreted as 'I told you so.' As they disappeared, Charlie walked over to him. "How do you like the book so far?" she asked.
"Quite well, actually, thanks. Elisabeth said something about you owning the others in this collection?"
"Sure. I'll even let you borrow them, but you have to swear you'll return them to me or I'll hunt you down."
"That's fine."
Charlie glanced around the dining room before sitting down. "You know, you really didn't do what you agreed to do for me."
"Excuse me?"
"You remember what I asked you to do earlier this morning? About giving El a chance?"
"I know and I'm sorry, but I wasn't too pleased with her. You can tell me to try and understand where she's coming from, but this is a discussion I had with Chazz already."
"She panicked earlier, okay? She came to apologize and you basically shot her down."
"Were you listening in on everything we said?"
"Pretty close. If you want to have a private conversation-"
"I'm beginning to suspect that if I ever want to have a private conversation, I'm going to have to fly to Antarctica to have it," Darcy muttered.
"That might be a place to start." Charlie grinned. "Seriously, though, why did you have to make that crack about smoking?"
"Why am I being harangued about voicing my opinions? First Elisabeth takes me to task about telling Chazz what I think about her looks, now you're objecting to my opinion about people who smoke."
"Darcy, have you ever heard that saying about opinions being like-"
"Yes, I think I have. But I have the right to voice them. When you have an opinion, isn't it nice to voice it?"
"I suppose it is." Charlie's brow furrowed in thought. "Okay then, I'm sorry I came over here to harass you about your opinions."
"Apology accepted."
"But one last thing before I shut up about it-that was all you had to say to Elisabeth."
Darcy sighed. "I know. When she comes back, I'll-"
"God, no!" Charlie exclaimed, startling him. "You can't do that. She'll think you're trying to show her up to Sean. Just drop the whole thing. Later on, when you get to know her better, you can apologize to her then."
"I'm not sure getting to know your cousin better is something I want to do." He saw Charlie's eyes narrow and hastily added, "I don't mean to offend you or her, but for whatever reason, she doesn't like me too much."
"She thinks you're arrogant."
Darcy was taken aback. "Why does she think that?"
"Be honest, Darcy. When you walked in here the other day for your interview, what was your first thought?"
"About Elisabeth or about the store?"
"About everything in general."
Darcy wondered how offended she would be if he told her the truth. "I wasn't too impressed," he decided was the most diplomatic answer.
"That's what she picked up on. That's why she thinks you're arrogant."
"I see." Darcy frowned as he thought about his behavior. He hadn't thought it anything out of the ordinary for him, and he was having trouble seeing why someone else would think him wrong.
Charlie shook her head. "I don't think you see. You're probably thinking that compared to New York, this is a backward swamp with nothing to recommend it. Am I right?"
He didn't answer but a telltale flush crept into his cheeks.
"I thought so."
"I'm sorry," he said, but even as he spoke he knew it sounded lame. He wished it didn't, because he didn't like the fact that it made Charlie think badly of him.
"I don't mind that you think it. It's the fact that you act it that comes across as arrogant."
"But I don't realize-"
"I know you don't. That's one of the only things saving you from receiving a major butt kicking from me right now."
Darcy tried and failed to stop himself from smiling. "It is?"
Charlie nodded. "You bet."
"What are some of the other things?"
She smiled. "The fact that I agree with you. Hell, if I could, I'd be out of this town faster than a tornado."
"Then why don't you?"
"No money. I've...ah, accrued some debts within the past year." Charlie looked down at the table. "Anyway, since I agree with you, I can't very well be mad at you for thinking the way you do. But I can help you out."
"How?" Darcy frowned.
"I can give you tips on how to change the way you act around people. If you keep acting the way you do now, you're going to end up getting your butt kicked and it won't be me doing it, either."
Darcy leaned back in his chair, marveling at the audacity of the young woman sitting across from him. He was a member of the Darcy family, for God's sake! His family could trace its' roots to some of the early settlers here in America! He'd gone to Harvard and made a name for himself...
And then you were demoted all the way to this position because you helped your sister, a small voice inside his head whispered. The person who keeps telling you everything you are is your aunt. She's the one who influences the way you act.
She sent you here so you could learn that some people aren't worth helping. But what if one of the people who isn't worth helping is yourself? What if, for once in your life, you learn to be like everyone else-just the way you would be if your parents were alive? What if...
"I know you're probably thinking I can go to hell along with the rest of this town," Charlie said. "And I don't expect you to listen to me."
"No, no...I think you have a good point." Darcy knew he was completely insane. After all, he was used to the most beautiful women in the world. But this was a different place and right now, she was his only friend. Actually, he'd be lucky if she was even that. And unlike many of the women from the so-called best families in New York, including Anne Ripley, Charlie was nice. He took a deep breath and asked, "Would you like to go out with me?"
Charlie sat back in her chair, clearly startled. "You mean like on a date?"
"Yeah. Or just drinks or something...sometime." When she didn't answer, he knew he'd blown it. Darcy was about to tell her to forget the whole thing when she answered.
"Sure. That sounds like a good idea," she replied. "I could tell you what everyone's really like and-"
"No, I don't want you to go out with me so that we can talk about the store," he said quickly. "I meant an actual date. Where you talk about yourself and I talk about me and we get to know each other."
"Why?"
"I'm not sure I know what you mean."
"I'm a realist. I know that you've probably had the very good luck to date some very beautiful women in your life. I also know that if people were ranking the women who work here according to looks, I would finish pretty close to the bottom."
"I don't think that at all."
"You're being very sweet."
"I'm being honest. Of all the women I've met here, I'd like to get to know you better."
"That's because you've only met Elisabeth, who doesn't like you, and Erin. Wait until you meet the Gossip Sisters. Louisa's married but Caroline and Lucy are available."
"So you don't want to go out on a date with me?"
Charlie smiled slyly. "I didn't say that."
"So you will go out with me."
"Yeah."
"On a real date, where we don't talk about the store."
"Okay." They stared at each other for a minute before they both started chuckling.
"Charlie! Your order's been up for five minutes!" Jack yelled from the kitchen.
Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Duty calls."
"Do you work Friday?" he asked.
"Yeah, from four to eight, and I have to be in bed early because I go to work at Heartland at seven."
"What time do you get off there?"
"Eleven in the evening. I started working double shifts on Saturday and Sunday a few months ago to pick up extra money."
"Oh. Do you ever take a day off?"
"I have all day tomorrow off."
"Then how about if I pick you up at six?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Charlotte Emily Anne!"
Charlie closed her eyes and grimaced. "I knew the day would come when I regretted being conned into revealing my full name."
"Charlotte Emily Anne?" Darcy repeated.
"Do you know what a pain in the butt it is to have a mother who wanted a daughter with a boy's nickname who also happened to be an avid reader? She was afraid she would only have one girl and wanted to be sure she got all the Bronte sisters in there."
"What about your sisters?"
"Danielle Colette and Miranda Jane." Charlie was about to walk away when she stopped. "I just realized something."
"What?"
"I live downstairs from you. You won't have to pick me up. I'll already be there."
Darcy tried not to chuckle as Charlotte Emily Anne Lucas stalked to the back to hit the cook with something heavy and blunt.
"Are you okay?"
Elisabeth had been expecting to be reprimanded, so the question caught her off guard. "Huh?"
"I got a call from Jack saying that you'd passed out. Are you okay?"
"Oh. Yeah, I'm fine."
"Are you sure? I could work the rest of your shift if you needed to go home and rest."
Elisabeth gritted her teeth and hissed, "I'll be just fine. I'll be even better once everyone stops asking me that question."
Sean grinned for just a second before saying, "Okay, then. What's going on with Darcy?"
"Nothing."
"Right. That's why I came in here a few minutes ago to find you arguing with him."
"He was arguing with me, Sean. Not the other way around."
"Okay, then. Tell me exactly what happened."
Elisabeth explained everything that had happened before the store opened up until Sean had walked in.
"So you see, I was apologizing to him and he was insulting me."
"And we know how defensive you are about smoking."
"I know the risks. I don't care and I don't need the lecture. And after having to put up with crap like that, damned if I don't deserve one." Elisabeth exhaled sharply. "I admit that I was partially in the wrong, but he was, too."
"I know."
"Why did you hire him in the first place? What's he doing here?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Is he a spy from the Company? Is he getting hands-on training at the lowest level?"
Sean frowned. "I can't tell you what he's doing here, Elisabeth. If Darcy wants to tell you himself, that's fine, but it's his tale to tell, not mine."
"So you do know." Elisabeth knew exactly who she could go to in this case. If there was one thing Sean was sure to have done, it was...
"I do, and if I catch you going anywhere near Rachel I'm writing you up."
Damn! "Why can your wife, who doesn't even work here, know what the reason is when your assistant manager can't?"
"Because I'm the boss, that's why." Sean's voice left little room for continuing the discussion. "You're a good assistant manager, El, but if I tell you then you'll tell Charlie, who'll tell Jack, who'll tell Chazz. And once Chazz hears it, it's gonna be all over the store."
"Chazz is more trustworthy than that. He's not a Gossip Sister, for God's sake."
"He's close. Now that's the end of it."
Elisabeth nodded her head and said, "Yes, Sean." She paused for a moment. "Are you gonna write me up for arguing with an employee?"
"No, not this time. But you're going to have to learn to get along-"
"I've already had this lecture from Charlie. I thought it was helping until I had to deal with him again."
"Then you'll just have to try harder, because he's going to be working day shifts on weekends with you."
"Why? We already have Erin and Kit to work afternoons on weekends."
"I got through talking to Thomas Palmer today and he says if Kit's going to continue being unreliable, I'm gonna have to cut her hours."
"But that's not fair," Elisabeth said automatically. "Kit can't help being sick all the time. She's always had health problems due to her diabetes."
"But they're getting worse because she doesn't take care of herself. Every time I see her with a donut I want to slap it out of her hand. She knows what she can and can't have and she doesn't care."
Elisabeth knew this to be true but she liked Kit and didn't want to see her quit because her hours dropped to nothing.
"Kit doesn't work Sundays anyway and Erin said she's been thinking of going to work at Ichabod's."
"I thought she got fed up with that job after having to handle too many drunks."
"She got laid off at Nova."
Elisabeth's mouth gaped open. "Why?"
"Profits were down, so they laid everyone on the second shift off. She needs the money so she's already called her old boss to see what she can do about getting her job back. I wish I could give her more hours here, but since I had to-since I had hired Darcy there's no way I could."
"So I'm stuck with him on the weekends."
"Nice attitude."
"I'm just being honest. Do you want me to lie to you?"
Sean appeared to consider that. "I guess not." He sighed. "Okay, lecture over. How's business?"
"You mean you couldn't tell from the fact that Erin and Darcy are already gone and Charlie's got nothing much to do?"
"That bad, huh."
"You bet." Elisabeth shivered from the cold. "Can we get out of here, please?"
"Oh, right. Sorry." Sean opened the door for her and she walked out. "Listen, if you do start to feel bad again, don't hesitate to pick up the phone and call me in. I don't need you getting sick right as we're heading into the summer."
"I know, I know."
"You say you know, but are you going to call me?"
"Yes. Cross my heart and kiss my elbow."
Elisabeth walked back into the kitchen, grateful for the heat. Jack was holding a large thin pizza pan and frowning at a ticket.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"Half-and-half with no sauce on one side and no cheese on the other. Haven't these people ever heard of individual pizzas?"
"Apparently not. Where's Charlie?"
Jack motioned to the dining room. "She just took an order out. Probably getting refills and talking to Darcy."
This gave Elisabeth reason to pause. "Why would she be talking to Darcy?"
Jack shrugged and grabbed the sauce ladle. "Maybe she's trying to get him to apologize to you for whatever just happened."
"I have a feeling I'm going to get an apology from him around the same time Ed McMahon drops by with a ten-million-dollar check for me."
"Yeah, well, I didn't think he was so bad until I heard him blasting you for smoking. Jeez, who is he to be passing judgment on everyone?" Jack finished saucing the pizza and reached for the cheese cup.
"Haven't you heard? He's Darcy Williamson. And there's a story there."
"What sort of story?"
Elisabeth put a finger to her lips before tiptoeing to the back to see what Sean was doing. Sean was checking the day's sales on the computer while talking on the phone to Thomas Palmer. She quickly stepped back into the kitchen.
"I think he's here to spy on us."
"Did Sean tell you that?"
"No, but from the way his whole appearance is being kept quiet, I think that's what it is. George Wickham was at his place yesterday and told him all about us. He's been hanging around Chazz. Now he's hanging around-"
With a sudden curse, Jack slammed the cheese cup down. "What's wrong?" Elisabeth asked.
Jack held up the pizza to show her. He'd put sauce and cheese on the whole thing.
"I despise fussy eaters," he muttered, heading into the walk-in for a new large thin. When he returned, he said, "Don't talk until I get this pizza done. I'm losing my concentration."
"Yes, sir." Elisabeth waited patiently until he was done, taking time to check on Sean again. He was now talking to someone about motorcycles.
"Now he's hanging around Charlie," Jack finished, motioning toward the dining room. Charlie was sitting across the table from Darcy. "I think Charlie likes him."
"She tries to get along with everyone. It's just her way."
"No, I mean, likes him. As in, finds him attractive."
Elisabeth swung around sharply to look at her cousin and Darcy. They seemed to be getting along fairly well. Charlie was laughing at something he said, in fact.
Why, she looks almost pretty.
Immediately, Elisabeth felt guilty for thinking that. Charlie wasn't ugly by anyone's standards, but Darcy had made that comment about Elisabeth being merely tolerable. She doubted Charlie was the sort he would take an interest in.
"I doubt Charlie's his type," she said. "And I know he's not Charlie's type."
"How do you know that? Charlie's never brought anyone around here for us to meet."
"Charlie and I have been best friends since forever. Smug, scrawny toads like him have never been Charlie's type. She got teased by too many of them in high school. She's always gone for the well-muscled type."
Jack eyed Darcy. "I don't think scrawny describes him. He's not built like Arnold Schwartzenegger, but he definitely works out a couple times a week."
"But if he's playing some kind of game with her..."
"Whoa, whoa." Jack stepped between her and the view of Charlie and Darcy. "I didn't say that to give you yet another reason to dislike him. I don't think he's messing with her. I was only making an observation."
"I was about to do the same thing."
"No, you were about to run over there and yell at him to leave your poor defenseless cousin alone."
"Charlie is hardly defenseless."
"Exactly." Jack turned his attention to the oven.
"I wasn't going to go over there. I just think it a little suspicious that we have an argument and then he's making nice with Charlie, who he knows is my cousin."
Elisabeth stopped talking as she saw Charlie stand up and walk back to the wait station. She walked over to her just as Sean walked to the front, spied Darcy, and went to have the talk with him.
"So, how did it go with Sean?" Charlie asked.
"Okay, I guess. I'm still alive, aren't I?"
"Yeah." Charlie grinned and picked up the sole ticket tray on the counter. "I'd better run this out there before they start snapping."
"What did Darcy want with you?"
Charlie paused. "Nothing but the pleasure of my company."
"Oh, I see."
"And we have a date tomorrow night."
Elisabeth's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"Yeah. Can you believe it? Tomorrow night at six. We're probably going to go to TGI Friday's. I get the feeling it'll be a first for him." Charlie walked back to her table in the dining room, leaving Elisabeth to stare at her in disbelief.
Elisabeth was still standing at the front counter with the shocked look on her face when the door opened. The pitter-patter of small feet was the first sound to announce the new arrivals, quickly followed by a loud cackle of laughter. A little girl of about four ran into the store and made a beeline for the video games, soon followed by two young women, both in their early twenties with medium brown hair, hazel eyes, and slightly pointed noses. Both were slender to the point of being skinny and had a wholesome prettiness to them--nothing that might make them stand out in crowds, but the sort of prettiness one got used to over time. The family resemblance between the two women and the child was easy to see.
Elisabeth blinked several times before turning away from the counter. "Gossip Sister Alert," she muttered to Jack.
Jack looked up at the clock. "They're early," he said before making his escape into the walk-in.
"Hi, Elisabeth!" Caroline Benson called.
"Drop dead," Elisabeth hissed under her breath. It constantly amazed her that Caroline thought things were perfectly normal between them even though they both knew what Caroline said the minute Elisabeth's back was turned.
Business as usual, Elisabeth supposed.
"Hi, Caro," she replied.
"Valerie!" Louisa Hurst barked at the tiny mass of mayhem that was banging on one of the video games with her small fists.
Valerie Hurst might look angelic with her blonde ringlets and big hazel eyes, but anyone who had been around her for five minutes could say without reservation that Valerie was the spawn of the devil.
"Mama, I wanna play! I wanna pla-aa-ay!" Valerie yelled.
Elisabeth glanced to where Sean had been talking with Darcy. Sean was frowning at Louisa and Valerie.
"Keep it down, Valerie, or you're going home," Louisa told her daughter. "Caro, do you have a quarter? All I got's a twenty."
Caroline rooted through her bag until she found the required coin. "One game only, Val."
Elisabeth snorted. She doubted the kid would be satisfied with one game. She never had been before.
While Louisa helped her daughter play the game, Caroline walked over to the beverage bar and returned a minute later with drinks. She set them on the smoking table nearest the Simpsons' bowling game, which is where the three of them would sit until it was time for Caroline and Louisa to go to work.
Caroline took a swig of her drink and sauntered over to Elisabeth. "So, who's the guy talking with Sean? The new guy?"
"Yes," Elisabeth replied.
"He's hot."
Elisabeth was about to open her mouth and say he was already taken when Charlie reappeared, shaking her head.
Charlie, you gotta be kidding! This is your moment of glory, even if it is Darcy Williamson! Throw it in her face!
"If you like that type, I guess he is."
"I definitely like." Caroline smiled. "Any sign of a wedding ring?"
"No," Charlie replied. "But he and Sean are having a private discussion about an incident that happened earlier today so I wouldn't bother them right now."
"Why? What happened today?" Caroline asked eagerly.
Now it was Elisabeth's turn to silently plead with her cousin to keep quiet.
"Difference of opinion," Charlie said enigmatically, causing Caroline's expression to dim visibly.
"ANOTHER GAME! MAMA! ANOTHER GAME!" Valerie screamed.
"No, Mama doesn't have enough money for another game. Look what Aunt Caro brought you-a nice glass of Mountain Dew."
"Nooooo! I wanna play another game!" Valerie promptly burst into tears.
Louisa grasped her daughter's arm and herded her off to the bathroom as Sean got to his feet and headed across the dining room.
"She hasn't had her nap today," Caroline explained with a "what can you do?" smile.
"I don't care. If you two can't control her, I don't want her in here. You got it?"
"Yes, Sean."
"Make sure you repeat that to Louisa."
"I will." Caroline smiled charmingly. "Are you done talking to the new guy?"
"Pretty much so. I'm gonna take off, El. I want to see my wife before I have to come in here and do inventory."
"See you later," Elisabeth said as Sean waved goodbye to Charlie and left.
"I guess it's my turn to welcome him to the store." Caroline went from the wholesome girl next door to femme fatale in mere seconds, a definite swing in her hips as she made her way over to Darcy's table.
Elisabeth watched Charlie as Charlie watched Caroline. Charlie didn't seem extremely upset, but there was wariness in her eyes as Caroline stopped in front of Darcy and said hello.
And with that, she realized that this was Darcy Williamson's true test. All the rest of it meant nothing, even though it did give her a good idea of what he was like. But if Darcy Williamson hurt Charlie in any way, he was dead in her book.
Darcy had noticed the young woman when she'd walked in, of course, but not in the way she was thinking. He'd noticed the little girl first, then the two women with her. When the girl had started acting up, he'd thought much less of both mother and aunt.
It's appalling the way people let their children get away with murder.
Darcy hadn't had time to continue dwelling on these thoughts, because Sean had been wrapping up the little talk they'd been having about getting along with co-workers. Sean had managed to do what neither Elisabeth nor Charlie had done, which was to make him feel a little guilty about what he'd said when Elisabeth came to apologize. The talk was cut short when the little girl had started screaming at the top of her lungs. Sean went over to talk to the aunt, who had looked his way and then started walking over.
"Hi," she said.
"Hello," he replied politely.
"Caroline Benson, but you can call me Caro."
"Uh...Darcy Williamson."
Caroline's eyebrows rose. "Darcy?"
"It was my mother's maiden name." Darcy felt the pang of a long-ago feeling, the frustration he had every time he had to explain his name to someone. Especially when the asking was accompanied by that look.
It hadn't bothered him nearly as much when Charlie had asked, because unlike this woman, she'd been curious without being insulting. And she hadn't batted an eyelash when he'd told her.
"Oh, I see. I bet it was a real pain in the butt for you, huh? Got you beat up at school and all that?"
Darcy shrugged.
"I understand how you feel. I was named after my grandmother-can you believe that crap? We were heading for the end of the twentieth century, all sorts of cool names were being used like Jordan and Tiffany and Stephanie, and what do my parents have to name me? Caroline. That's why I go with Caro. It's a little cooler, don't you think?"
"I guess so."
"So, do you live around here?"
"I just moved into an apartment on Jaycee Avenue."
"Really? That apartment complex where Charlie and Elisabeth live?"
"Yes."
"And where were you from before that?"
"Uh-New York."
There went those eyebrows again. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Then what the hell are you doing here?"
Darcy almost groaned. Maybe he was too used to New York, where not only did you mind your own business but you went out of your way to avoid finding out anything about the people around you. This habit that Midwesterners had about finding out everything about a person within five minutes of meeting him was starting to drive him batty.
And in the back of his mind, he thought about the nickname George Wickham said Elisabeth Bennet had for Caroline Benson. Gossip Sister.
"Long story," he said shortly.
"Don't like talking about it? That's okay. I understand. We just met and you're probably thinking I'm a complete lunatic, so why the hell would you tell me anything? When we get to know each other better, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk. Are you doing anything tonight?"
Darcy's head was starting to spin at how fast this girl was talking.
"I'm busy tonight," he said, not wanting to be coerced into doing something he would likely regret.
"Oh. Tomorrow night?"
"Busy again." Darcy gave her a wintry smile.
"Girlfriend?"
Darcy hesitated over answering that question. He'd known Charlie almost exactly twenty-four hours. He'd only just asked her out. She hardly qualified as a girlfriend. He would be lucky if she would call herself his friend, although she did agree to go out with him.
"There is someone I'm going out with," he finally decided to say.
The light that shone in Caroline's eyes was almost unholy, and Darcy cringed inwardly. Wrong thing to say.
"Oh, really? Someone back in New York?"
Darcy's eyes darted around the restaurant until they fell on Charlie. She was talking to her customers at the front counter as they paid the bill. He wondered how true the nickname Elisabeth had given Caroline was.
Oh, for God's sake. It's only a date with Charlie Lucas. It's not like you're telling her a deep dark secret.
"No, actually, someone here."
Caroline's eyes narrowed and she frowned. "Elisabeth?"
Darcy shook his head. Obviously, no one had mentioned Elisabeth's dislike of him to Caroline. Just as well. "Not her. Charlotte."
Caroline looked confused for a few moments, as though she knew half a dozen Charlottes. Or, more than likely, because the only Charlotte she knew was rarely called by her full name.
But Darcy could see the second she realized who he was talking about. Her eyes got very wide as she gasped, "Charlotte Lucas?"
"Yes."
Caroline turned around in her chair to look at Charlie, who was sorting out her tips on the front counter. "That Charlotte Lucas?" She pointed to her.
"Yes."
"Oh." Caroline stood up and walked back to the smoking table she'd left her drink at. Her sister reappeared then, the little girl teary but slightly subdued.
Darcy couldn't help smiling to himself. He'd known a lot of women like Caroline back in New York, mostly introduced to him by his aunt. It was nice to be able to disappoint one for a change.
Elisabeth decided not to watch Caroline make her initial play for Darcy, opting instead to type invoices into the computer. She was finishing up an invoice from Pepsi-which she was sorely tempted to lose if only because they kept screwing with the soda machine-when Jack peeked around the corner.
"I can't believe it!" he crowed. "He actually did it!"
"Who did what?" Elisabeth asked absently, plunking the keyboard.
"Darcy turned Caro down flat."
Elisabeth looked up to see if this was one of Jack's practical jokes, but apparently it wasn't. "Seriously?"
"Uh-huh. In favor of Charlie, no less, which shows the man has excellent taste."
"I thought you heard Charlie mention that Darcy had asked her out."
"I think I was still struggling with that terrible half-and-half at the time. But Caro and Darcy talk for a few minutes, then she gets up, gives Charlie a look that would've killed her if she'd been paying attention, and stomps over to Louisa. Darcy's sitting at the table with a smile on his face that you could tell meant he'd gotten the best of the conversation. I asked Charlie what that was all about and she said he'd probably told her about their date."
"That's funny," Elisabeth said, turning her attention back to the invoice. "Charlie didn't want me to tell Caro just a few minutes ago."
"Probably because Caroline would've laughed her head off if you had. She wouldn't have believed it until she heard it from Darcy himself."
"Hmm." Now that Elisabeth thought about it, she realized Jack was right. Caroline would've thought Charlie was making the whole thing up if she'd told her. "Well, I can't say I blame Darcy for choosing Charlie over Caroline. I mean, who'd want to put up with her way of talking about herself at the speed of light? She's like a soprano."
"Like a singing soprano or a Tony Soprano?" Jack asked.
Elisabeth chuckled. "I was thinking opera, with her constant 'me me me' chorus, but the other one's a pretty good description, too."
Jack disappeared in the direction of the kitchen and Elisabeth set the invoice down with a smile.
He was an opinionated, arrogant jerk, but anyone who turned down Caroline Benson-and she knew without a doubt that Caro had made him an offer-for Charlie had to have something going for him.