Elizabeth of East Hampton (For the Love of Austen #2)

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

It was a truth universally acknowledged that Donato Lodge was awful. But that was part of the appeal. From the lingering smell of room temperature beer to the stained burgundy carpet only partially hidden by the dim overhead lights, it was the unassuming second home for much of East Hampton.

The Bennet sisters arrived through the narrow front hallway just before nine. Framed photos of all the up-and-coming bands that the bar’s owner, Hank Donato, was sure would make it one day lined the walls. Alongside them were posters advertising Hank’s magnum opus, HamptonFest: a three-day-long festival that would surely transform East Hampton into a musical mecca. Unfortunately, after years of promises, the town was still waiting for the event to actually happen.

Lydia entered the bar first, her chin high as if she were holding court. Her dark hair was wavy and wild at her shoulders, and her tanned skin was covered with a gold shimmer powder that made her hazel eyes sparkle. Despite their mother’s demands, she wasn’t wearing a pair of Lux Leggings. Neither was Kitty, who had only added a navy sweater tied around her shoulders, while Mary was still wearing her T-shirt and jeans, although now she donned an Our Planet, Our Rules button and a huge pile of Save Gretna Island! pamphlets under her arm. Lizzy had only swapped out her overalls for a pair of jeans.

Jane wasn’t so lucky. While the rest of the sisters were only too happy to ignore their mother’s pleas for self-promotion, Jane could never bring herself to do it, so she entered the bar wearing a pair of yellow-and-pink leopard-print leggings with gemstones embroidered on the seams.

As soon as they walked in, Mary disappeared into the crowd to hand out her pamphlets, while Lydia and Kitty headed straight to the end of the long bar near the front entrance to see everyone who came or left that evening. Jane and Lizzy followed them, but only because there were a few empty stools nearby and Hank’s daughter and bartender, Piper, was already there pouring them drinks.

“What’d we miss?” Lizzy asked as she landed on one of the stools. Jane sat down beside her.

“Nothing so far,” Piper replied, sliding a beer in front of Lizzy and a glass of white wine in front of Jane. Piper’s curly chestnut hair was in a loose bun, and she donned the same dimpled smile she’d had since middle school. And while Lizzy knew her friend was happy to see them, she was also aware that Piper’s current grin probably had more to do with the fact that she had just returned from visiting her girlfriend in Boston than the bar’s clientele. “Here Comes the Sandman just finished their soundcheck.”

“Here Comes the Sandman?” Jane asked, looking almost concerned.

“They’re a Beatles/Metallica cover band.” Piper nodded to the nearby stage. “My dad’s expecting it to get crowded tonight, so he wants them to start soon.”

“The cidiots are coming,” Lizzy whispered solemnly as she took a sip of her beer.

Piper laughed, as much at the sentiment as at the old nickname for the “city idiots” from New York who invaded their town every summer. It looked like Jane wanted to laugh as well, but she was fighting it as she shook her head.

“Those cidiots keep the lights on, you know,” Jane said.

“Which also happens to be the reason I can’t stay late tonight,” Lizzy replied. “I have to be at the bakery extra early tomorrow.”

Piper threw her friend a skeptical look. She was all too familiar with Lizzy’s work schedule, mostly because it meant that their time off was always diametrically opposed. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. And don’t try to butter me up with free food, either.”

“Too late.” Piper grabbed a basket of freshly fried Tater Tots from the kitchen window behind her and placed it in between Lizzy and Jane. While the Lodge was objectively awful, their culinary skills with a deep fryer were anything but.

“Well, it won’t work. I’ve got to be up by five to prep for the farmers market and I need my beauty sleep,” Lizzy replied, pretending to fix the mess of hair still piled on top of her head. “Obviously.”

“Boo,” Piper deadpanned, pushing the basket of Tater Tots toward Jane. Lizzy reached over and pulled it back again.

“Why don’t I do it?” Jane offered. “I was already going to meet you there later, so I could get up early and deal with all the prep.”

“Nope,” Lizzy retorted. “You’re not technically on the schedule until school’s out.”

“But you always—”

Lizzy interrupted her with a sigh. “I’m sorry, Jane, but Bennet Bakery has a very strict HR policy.”

Jane shook her head even as she smiled at Piper. “Please talk some sense into her.”

“Oh, I learned that was a losing battle in second grade,” Piper replied. Then she turned back to Lizzy. “Seriously, though, if you want to stick around, I’m sure your dad can handle it. He’s pretty much recovered at this point, right?”

It was a question that had been nagging Lizzy for a while. Only a couple of weeks ago, she had been so confident in her father’s recovery that she had drafted an email to Columbia, promising that she would honor her deferment and enroll in January, if they had space available. But the next day, he woke up lethargic and spent the rest of the day at the hospital. Every step forward felt precarious, leaving everything else in limbo, including her email.

Lizzy didn’t know how to quantify that for Piper, though, especially since Columbia was still a secret—even from her oldest friend. So instead, she tossed another Tater Tot in her mouth and shrugged.

Piper frowned but before she could press Lizzy further, something on the other side of the room caught her eye.

“Oh Lord,” Piper groaned. “Is Mary handing out pamphlets protesting HamptonFest again?”

Lizzy and Jane followed their friend’s gaze to Mary’s spiky blue hair in the far corner. She was gesticulating wildly to a group of people waiting in line for the bathroom.

“Maybe she just really has to pee?” Jane volunteered.

Piper shook her head. “She better hope my dad doesn’t see her. He has a potential partner from the city coming in this weekend, and if Mary makes a scene, he’ll ban her from the bar again.”

Lizzy hid her smile behind another sip of her beer. For the past few years, the Lodge had hosted a steady stream of potential partners coming by to talk with Hank about HamptonFest. And ever since he announced plans to hold the prospective festival on Gretna Island, a small island off the North Shore that also happened to be the home of the endangered forester field slug, Mary had been trying to thwart him. It was why she had been banned from the Lodge the past two summers and, like clockwork, this year looked like it would be no exception.

“Someone has to think of the slugs, Piper,” Lizzy said gravely.

Piper just rolled her eyes.

As the band entered the stage and began playing the opening chords of what sounded like a heavy metal version of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” Lydia did a turn around the room with Kitty in tow, and then, with fresh looks of disappointment on their faces, they made their way over to Jane and Lizzy at the bar.

“I can’t believe I wore my new Prada top and there aren’t even any hot guys here,” Lydia huffed, landing on the stool beside Lizzy.

“What are men to beer and Tater Tots?” Lizzy said wistfully, raising her pint glass as if it were a liquid oblation.

Jane laughed.

Kitty looked up from her phone to eye Lydia’s shirt. “How did you even afford that?”

Lydia smiled smugly. “Remember Danny?”

“No.”

“Yes you do. That insurance guy with the Bentley from that white party?”

“Oh, right.” Kitty nodded. “So?”

Lydia waggled her eyebrows.

Kitty didn’t look impressed. “Are you serious?”

“He knows I’m an influencer who’s trying to build my impressions on TikTok and said he’d write it off as a business expense.”

“I thought you said he worked in insurance,” Jane said, her brow furrowed.

Lydia shrugged one shoulder. “He does. He’s like an adjuster or investigator or something.”

“With an unlimited credit line, apparently,” Kitty murmured, looking back down at her glowing screen.

Lydia ignored her, taking a careful sip of her drink through a small pink straw, keeping her red lipstick intact. “It’s all about building my brand. And if my brand position is luxury, I need content that speaks to my target audience. Not fried food and guys I’ve known since kindergarten.”

“So… no to the Tater Tots, then,” Piper said.

Lydia threw her a glare, then popped one from the basket into her mouth.

Lizzy smiled as she turned to do her own audit of the room. She would never admit it, but she understood Lydia’s frustration. Lizzy recognized almost everyone there. The bar was full of regulars, the same familiar faces who had populated their social circle since birth.

But just as soon as the thought entered her head, Lydia’s unmistakable squeal cut through the air.

“Oh my God, they’re here ,” she whispered, though the volume was anything but low.

Lizzy followed her sister’s gaze to the door, where four people now stood, surveying the room.

She knew those cidiots. Well, the men at least. She immediately recognized Charlie Pierce with his mess of brown curls and wide smile. And next to him was the palm tree hater. He stood a bit taller than Charlie, with thick blond hair and a white shirt unbuttoned just enough to give the impression that he was relaxed. His posture told a different story, though. His broad shoulders were tense and his back was straight, while his blue eyes scanned the bar with a distinct look of disapproval.

The two women at their sides had to be sisters—they looked almost identical with their glossy brown hair falling at their shoulders, and coordinating linen dresses, long and perfectly pressed. The only difference was that the slightly shorter woman was wearing sunglasses and looked absolutely miserable.

“That’s her!” Kitty gasped, barely managing to keep her voice at a whisper.

Jane’s eyebrows were knit together as she craned to look. “Who’s her?”

“Annabelle Pierce! Remember, Mom was talking about her? She took over her mom’s boutique in Denver five years ago and grew it to over two hundred international locations. She’s incredible,” Kitty said, narrowing her eyes on the group. “That must be her sister in the sunglasses. And her brother there with the curly dark hair.”

“Okay, but who’s the blond guy?” Lydia murmured, nodding to the palm tree hater, who was still giving the room a contemptuous look. His veneer wasn’t as polished as the others’, but it somehow signaled even more refinement, if that were possible. The sharp line of his jaw was camouflaged by stubble, and his hair was long, as if he’d missed his last five or six haircuts. Lizzy couldn’t help but notice that it was also that distinct shade of blond that would probably lighten after just a few days in the sun, the way it probably had every summer since he was young. She could almost imagine it, with his skin bronzed just enough to make those blue eyes glow—

She stopped herself, turning back to her beer and taking a deep sip. She had never allowed herself to become collateral damage in some wealthy tourist’s pursuit of summer distraction, and she wasn’t about to start with someone like that.

“Who is he?” Kitty asked no one in particular as she watched the foursome approach the other end of the bar.

“The ‘not-boyfriend’ friend,” Lizzy replied, popping another Tater Tot in her mouth.

Jane laughed softly, while Piper went over to take their order.

“Well, we’re obviously going to fall in love and run away together, so I should probably introduce myself,” Lydia said, readjusting her crop top. “How do I look?”

Lizzy cocked her head to the side. “Like an influencer with at least… two dozen followers.”

Lydia stuck her tongue out at her, then flipped her long hair over her shoulder and started toward the group.

Even before Lydia reached them, Lizzy could see that both men had captured the attention of everyone within a twenty-foot radius. And while the two Pierce sisters surveyed the room with bored expressions, Charlie Pierce leaned against the bar, smiling brightly as he chatted with Piper, completely oblivious to the attention from the room. The other man, however, seemed desperate to escape it—an underwear model pissed off to be stuck in a J.Crew catalog. Either that, or he was silently plotting murder.

The bar was too loud to hear the conversation when Lydia finally reached them, but Lizzy still watched like it was a pantomime: how her sister tossed her hair from one shoulder to another as she started talking to the tall blond, how he glanced down blankly when she touched his arm and appeared to say something that she found amusing, because she closed her eyes and laughed. Then how her coy expression turned to a sneer when she opened her eyes again and found he had turned away from her completely. Lizzy bit back her smile. If Lydia had been in love with the palm tree hater for the past five minutes, it only took her another five minutes to fall decidedly out.

“What a prick,” Lydia hissed as she returned and collapsed on the stool next to Lizzy.

Jane looked toward the other end of the bar again. “The one talking to Piper seems nice.”

“Oh, Charlie?” Lydia replied like they were already friends. “He’s fine. I’m talking about the tall, hot one. Like, he sent back his beer . Who does that?”

“A man who doesn’t appreciate warm beer,” Lizzy said, taking another sip of her own.

“Whatever,” her sister huffed. “Blond guys aren’t my type anyway.”

“What about Chris Hemsworth?” Kitty asked.

Lydia waved her off.

“And Austin Butler?”

She rolled her eyes.

“And Charlie Hunnam? And—”

“We’re going to dance,” Lydia said, grabbing Kitty’s hand and leading her closer to the stage.

Despite the band’s disjointed mash-up of “Master of Puppets” and “Strawberry Fields,” the dance floor was packed. It was almost enough to forget about the newcomers altogether… until Lizzy turned to order more Tater Tots and noticed one of the men’s attention focused squarely on the sister beside her.

“Um, Jane?” Lizzy said, turning around slowly so as not to be conspicuous.

Jane glanced over at her. “Hm?”

“That Charlie guy is staring at you.”

Her sister’s eyes grew wide. “What?”

“Don’t look—”

But it was too late. Jane had already straightened her back, straining above the heads around them to see. As soon as she did, she sank back down, cheeks aflame. “Ohmygod.”

Lizzy laughed. “I told you not to look.”

Jane brought her hands up to cover her face as if it would hide her. “He saw me!”

“Of course he did. He’s staring.”

“But why is he staring?”

Lizzy pushed her half-empty pint glass out of the way and rested her elbow on the bar. “Sorry to break it to you, Jane, but you’re gorgeous.”

Jane’s hands fell back to her lap as she shot her sister a doubtful look. “I haven’t washed my hair in three days and I’m wearing Mom’s leggings and my TARDIS earrings.”

“Maybe he loves Doctor Who accessories.”

“Or maybe he just feels sorry for—”

“Hello,” a deep, jovial voice cut her off.

Lizzy and Jane turned at the same time to see Charlie Pierce standing before them, a wide smile on his full lips, and his eyes fixed solely on Jane. His curly brown hair was mussed, but in the adorable way that implied he had been running his hand through it all day. His clothes were casual, too, though his linen shirt and khakis were as perfectly pressed as his sisters’ outfits. The palm tree hater loomed beside him.

“Hi,” Jane said, matching his smile.

“Sorry, I hope you don’t mind me—”

“Not at all, I—”

“It’s just that I saw you—”

“Me, too.”

Then they both laughed.

Lizzy watched in awe. It was like having a front seat to a real-life rom-com. Meanwhile, the blond man at Charlie’s side looked on with a confused frown, as if the two of them had suddenly started speaking in tongues.

Charlie was oblivious, though, holding out his hand to Jane. “I’m Charlie Pierce. And this is my friend Will Darcy.”

Jane took Charlie’s hand and shook it gently. “I’m Jane. This is my sister Elizabeth.”

Lizzy waved her off. “It’s just Lizzy.”

Charlie didn’t even look at her, his eyes were still locked with Jane’s. “It’s a pleasure.”

At that moment, Lizzy half expected the band to break into a moving pop-rock ballad and the entire scene to go into slow motion. As if the stars had aligned and everything that had ever happened had led Jane and Charlie to this moment.

Then his friend cut in.

“You work at the bakery.”

His deep voice was startling, and Lizzy looked over to find him—Will, was it?—now glaring at her. His blue eyes were intense as he studied her with what looked like concern. Or was it annoyance? She couldn’t tell.

In any case, she forced a smile. “I’m surprised you remember.”

His harsh gaze moved to the bun on top of her head. “You were covered in flour.”

Lizzy tilted her head for a moment, considering him, then almost laughed. Was he serious?

“It was powdered sugar, actually,” she replied, throwing a Tater Tot in her mouth.

He stared back.

“Oh my gosh!” Charlie turned, eyes wide like he had only just noticed her. “That’s right! Bennet Bakery! You recommended this place!”

“I did,” Lizzy said proudly.

“Well, it’s perfect. Thank you. And who would have thought I’d see a fellow Doctor Who fan out in the wild, too,” Charlie said, then made a slight motion as if he was about to reach for the TARDIS dangling from Jane’s left ear, but stopped himself. Then he cleared his throat and nodded to Jane’s bedazzled legs. “And those pants! They’re very… shiny.”

“Oh. Thanks,” Jane said, looking down as if she had only just remembered she was wearing them. “My mom forces all of us to wear them at some point.”

A touch of confusion entered Charlie’s expression. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s just… my mom designs them. And then she makes me and Lizzy and our other sisters wear them to spread the word, so…”

Jane’s voice trailed off, but Charlie didn’t seem to mind. “It’s a good idea. You look stunning.”

Jane let out a soft laugh, and Lizzy’s heart swelled.

“How many sisters do you have?” he continued.

“There’s five of us.”

“Wow.” Charlie’s eyes widened. “How do you keep track?”

Jane laughed again, but it faded quickly as her gaze went to her lap. The introverted side of her was beginning to take hold, but Lizzy refused to let it ruin the moment.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Lizzy said, pointing down the bar at her two sisters in the middle of the dance floor. “Lydia and Kitty are identical twins, but you can tell them apart because Lydia usually has her phone out recording herself, while Kitty looks like she’s preparing a run for Congress. And that short blue pixie cut over there is Mary.” She pointed to Mary’s head bobbing through the crowd by the door. “She’s saving the world and has the literature to prove it. Then there’s Jane. She’s easy to remember because she’s the most beautiful, and also the nicest.”

Jane rolled her eyes as her cheeks flushed.

“What about you?” Will’s voice cut through the moment.

Lizzy blinked, turning to him again. His voice was rough, with an unhewn edge that felt coarse in her ear. Maybe that’s why it sent an odd shiver down her spine.

“I guess I’m just the redhead,” she answered with a shrug. She tried to add levity to her voice, to make the statement sound less pathetic than it really was. But while Charlie chuckled, his friend just maintained her gaze, as if he saw right through her.

Whatever . She brought her attention back to the rest of the group. “What are you doing in East Hampton, Charlie?”

“My sisters and I rented a house for the summer. We wanted to get away from the city to relax and spend some time together.” It was an excuse Lizzy had heard a hundred times before, but the way Charlie said it—equal parts sincere and self-deprecating—made her realize it was the first time she had ever believed it. “Will’s just coming out on the weekends to make sure we actually do some work while I’m here.”

Lizzy smiled. “And what do you do for work?”

“We run a mergers and acquisitions firm in the city. I mean, we run it together. Mainly deal with finding emerging sustainable technologies and pair them up with larger firms. To be honest, it’s just an excuse for me to spend all my time researching green tech. I know that sounds boring but—”

“Not at all!” Jane said, perking up. “I just mean, it’s not boring. Science, that is.”

Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Are you a scientist?”

“No, I teach first grade at East Hampton Elementary. I love it, but it’s nothing like saving the world or—”

“She’s amazing,” Lizzy interrupted before her sister could say anything else self-deprecating. “You’ve never heard so many six-year-olds bring up mitochondria in casual conversation.”

Charlie laughed. Will’s expression remained flat.

Lizzy continued, “She’s also the one that keeps our mom and the rest of us from burning our house down on a daily basis.”

“You still live at home?” Will asked. It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

Lizzy bristled, but worked to maintain her smile as she replied, “Yup. We would move out, but all these Manhattanites keep summering out here and jacking up the real estate prices.”

She said it jokingly, though there was a bite under her words. She hid it well, though, enough that Jane smiled and Charlie laughed again. But Will’s expression remained unchanged, like he knew it wasn’t the full truth.

And he would be right. Sure, rentals were expensive, but between her and Jane, they could likely afford something nearby, maybe up in Sag Harbor or Springs. God knows they had talked about it enough. With Kitty and Lydia still living at home while they attended community college, and Mary moving down to the basement after she graduated last year, the house had never felt more claustrophobic. But moving out only to stay nearby would mean settling, admitting to herself that her delay in starting grad school was more permanent. That those dreams of getting out into the world were only ever going to be that. Dreams that would slowly fade with every flick of the light switch on the bakery’s Open sign.

Will didn’t deserve to know that much about her, though. He hadn’t earned it. So Lizzy just stared right back at him and took a long sip of her drink.

After a moment, he finally turned away. She did the same.

The band kicked off with a song they called “Fade to Blackbird,” and Lizzy cheered and clapped as the guitar licks alternated between ear-splitting and trippy. When she turned back around a few minutes later to get Jane’s opinion, she found her still in close conversation with Charlie.

Will, on the other hand, had disappeared.

Thank God , Lizzy thought, taking another swig of her beer.

One song led into another, and she soon forgot about Will Darcy. She laughed and cheered and even managed to drag Mary into the center of the room to dance to a mash-up of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Seek and Destroy.” But when she finally found herself back at the bar, sweaty and tired and demanding ice water from Piper, she saw Charlie’s phone light up with a text from where he had placed it on the polished wood.

WILL

She doesn’t need my pity.

Lizzy stared down at the words. It could have been about anyone, she knew that. Still, she couldn’t help but recall how Will had looked at her and Jane earlier, as if he were cataloging every mannerism, every flaw. What if he was referring to Jane here, trying to somehow convince his friend that she wasn’t good enough, or—

Jane’s laugh interrupted her thought. “You’re right. It’s like I tell my students: always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.”

“?‘Twice Upon a Time’!” Charlie replied, lighting up, “Peter Capaldi!”

She nodded. “It’s one of my favorite Doctor Who quotes.”

“It’s the best!”

The knot in Lizzy’s chest dissolved. Regardless of Will’s text, she had nothing to worry about.

“Hey,” Piper’s voice broke through the noise. She was placing a glass of ice water in front of Lizzy even as she said, “I thought you had to get your beauty sleep.”

Lizzy grabbed the glass as she rolled her eyes. “I’m going.”

As she took a deep sip, Charlie’s phone buzzed again. He reached over and read the incoming text, then quickly typed out a response before abandoning the phone on the bar to turn back to Jane. Her legs were crossed, and she was absentmindedly playing with the ends of her long dark hair. Charlie watched, entranced.

Yeah, he was a goner. But then, by the look on Jane’s face, she was, too.

Lizzy set her glass down next to Charlie’s phone, which was still lit up. When Lizzy stole a glance, his entire text conversation took up the screen.

CHARLIE

Where are you? Jane’s sister is still at the bar and not talking to anyone…

WILL

She doesn’t need my pity.

CHARLIE

Oh, come on.

She’s gorgeous.

WILL

She’s a mess.

Lizzy stared at the words until the phone went black again. Well, at least the message wasn’t about her sister. Still, the revelation left a sting of embarrassment in her chest. It dissolved quickly, though, and all she could do was laugh to herself. The night had left no doubt that Will Darcy was an asshole. But he was right about one thing: she didn’t need his pity.

Lizzy dug in her pocket and pulled out her car keys, then gave them to Piper. “Give these to Jane when she comes up for air, okay?”

“How are you getting home?”

Lizzy shrugged. “I’ll walk.”

Piper shook her head, like she should have known.

Lizzy slid off her stool and weaved through the crowd toward the back exit, or—as it was affectionately called by regulars—the Irish Goodbye Door. It opened out onto a small porch that no one ever used, with stairs that led down to the gravel parking lot, making it the perfect means of escape for those looking to avoid notice.

Sure enough, the porch was empty as she walked out. The door shut behind her, muffling the music inside, so she stopped to close her eyes and enjoy the sudden stillness. The walk back to her house wasn’t too long, and she congratulated herself for being the only Bennet sensible enough to wear sneakers tonight. Another Saturday night on the books.

Then she opened her eyes and noticed someone standing in the shadows just a few feet away.

Will Darcy.

“Crap,” she whispered under breath. It was dark, so his harsh features were lost in the shadows, but his phone was in his hand and the screen was illuminated as if he had just been typing another text message. But now his attention was on Lizzy.

She didn’t blink. In fact, she refused to look away at all.

“Leaving?” he finally asked.

“Yup,” she said, adding a slight edge to the word. “Hiding?”

“No.” Then a frustrated sigh, as if he had been caught out. “Is it always so chaotic in there?”

“You said you wanted authentic,” she replied. “The chaos is part of its charm.”

He threw her a sardonic glare. “Charm?”

“Yeah.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I guess some people don’t mind a mess.”

Lizzy didn’t wait for him to reply, just gave him a sharp smile before turning on her heel and starting down the wooden steps to the parking lot.

The same bright stars shined down from the night sky as she walked home, passing the same storefronts, the same line of luxury cars parked along the street. It was true, nothing really changed in East Hampton. But at least Lizzy could take comfort in the fact that she would never have to see that asshole again.