Chapter 12
Dinner was amazing, and I had to admit that Liz’s cake was the best dessert of the bunch—I may have also had small bits of everything to check the veracity of that statement—but Liz was not faring as well as her cake. How much wine had she had so far? She’d had a glass in her hand when I arrived, and I didn’t know how long she’d been here before that.
When I’d entered the kitchen, she’d looked amazing in her snug jeans and baggy grey sweater. I’d have never considered tucking in a jumper, but she’d only pushed a small piece into her belted waistband and it accentuated her trim waist without looking odd. Those heeled boots were also a distraction! I could easily envision them digging into my backside while I—No! I wasn’t going to think about that. I needed to stop obsessing over Elizabeth Bennet. We were too different, and with the history of me wanting to acquire Novel Books for Pemberley Books, we’d never work out. Our kiss was proof positive that we weren’t meant to be.
As much as I kept repeating that to myself, a part of me refused to listen, and I was still as infatuated now as I was that night at the gala—worse, actually.
Liz sat across from me holding a freshly filled glass. For what it was worth, Annie had refilled it a few times over the course of the afternoon. Between that and the wine with dinner and the glass of Moscato Annie had poured to go with the dessert, Liz had gone very quiet, and I hadn’t missed the weave she’d made between the dining room and the living room. I’d been to the back of the group, and she’d walked in front of me—not the worst place for me to be, of course, but that one foot sliding in front of the other wasn’t missed. I’d had an arm poised to help if she teetered too far off course.
She placed her glass on the end table with both hands. If no one else had any idea she was sloshed, I’d be willing to bet she knew and any others would question it after that move.
“I’ll be right back,” she said to Char.
She stood and made her way around the couch but hit her hip on the sofa table. The glass baubles and candles clattered, and she froze. Once nothing had fallen, she gave a snort and covered her nose. “Sorry,” she said softly to Annie.
My gaze met Char’s. She didn’t appear as amused as her partner, who giggled. Instead, Lizzy’s friend rose and followed her from the room, and after about ten minutes of foot tapping, I excused myself. When I rounded the corner, their low voices were easily discernable.
“Maybe you should lie down,” whispered Char. “I’ll get you a large glass of water, and once you’re a bit more sober, you can always come back out.”
“No, I’ll just go home.” Liz’s words were slurred—extremely slurred. “I don’t want to fall asleep and leave Atticus alone all night.”
“Mrs. Hill can take care of him. You know that.”
“Char, I’d prefer to be at home.”
“I can take her home.”
“You would?” Liz sagged against the wall.
Char turned a look on me that, without words, threatened death and dismemberment if I disobeyed. “She needs someone to watch over her. If Mrs. Hill can’t manage—”
I lifted a hand as though swearing. “I’ve got it. I promise that I’ll make sure she gets water and goes to bed. Someone will keep an eye on her after, even if I’m up all night.”
Her friend watched me for a moment before nodding. “I’ll grab her coat.”
“Char—” Liz’s head rolled along the wall until she could look me in the eye. “You better not try any fun. . .fun. . .funny bidness.”
I drew a little closer to her. “I’d never take advantage of you. I prefer anyone I’m intimate with to be able to consent. You’re too far gone for that.”
“How much did she drink?” I asked as Char returned.
“She had about two and a half glasses before she left the kitchen. Part of that’s my fault. I interrogated her about something that upset her.”
“No, Char. I love you.” Liz draped herself over her best friend’s shoulders.
Char chuckled and hugged her back before pushing her back to the wall. “I think if you consider the drinks with the meal, she’s hitting eight or nine glasses. Even though most of it was spread out some, it’s a lot. She’s usually a one glass drinker.”
“She hasn’t had any water either. She didn’t touch the glass that was on the table.”
“Hey! I’m right here!” Liz waved her hand between us. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not.”
“I’m sorry,” said Char.
“You’re pretty good at faking mostly sober. If I hadn’t known how much you’d drank, I wouldn’t have realized.”
Those large brown eyes captured mine. “You say the sweetest things.”
This time it was Char who snorted. “Okay, you’re done. Let’s get you into this coat. William will take you home, and I don’t doubt Mrs. Hill will make you drink a gallon of water before you fall asleep.”
“I love her too,” said Liz.
I texted Jared, my driver. “Then let’s go see her. You can tell her yourself.”
Liz shoved herself from the wall, teetering precariously on her own feet. “Okay.” She nodded, then grabbed her head by the temples. “The room is spinning.”
Char shoved the coat into my hands. “I’m going to grab you a bucket. Just in case.”
I got Liz’s coat on her and helped her to the door where Char met us with a black mop bucket. “Let Richard know what’s going on. I’ll send the car back for them.”
After Char agreed, I led Liz into the hallway, but before we could go further, she whirled back and hugged her friend. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be upset with you earlier, and I’m sorry I got pissed.”
“Pissed?”
Char rubbed Liz’s back. “By the time we finished our certificates, she was using a lot of English slang and vocabulary. She said it was easier while she lived in London. When she gets drunk, she uses it more. I’m not sure why.”
Liz pulled herself away. “Where’s the lift?” She shoved her hair back from her face. “Oh! There it is!”
“Please take care of her,” said Char. “I’d take her myself if it wasn’t Annie’s—”
“I’ll text Annie when I get her home. I promise Liz will be fine.”
Char pointed with a snicker. “You better catch up then.”
When I looked, Liz was walking down the hallway while sliding against the wall with her shoulder. When she reached the elevator, she lunged across, planted her hand above the panel, and pressed the button repeatedly.
“Crap!” I ran down and pulled her to stand straight, keeping her steady with an arm around her back.
Thankfully, she hadn’t managed to push the button, so I hit the arrow down. We only waited a minute or so when the doors opened. I helped her onto the elevator, and since she could lean against the wall, the ride down was easier than getting her there. As soon as we were outside, Jared had pulled the car to the curb and opened the door so I could get her into the backseat.
“Liz, what’s the address for the side street?”
“Huh?” Her eyes fluttered, and she pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead.
“Liz, don’t fall asleep yet. I need the address where the elevator entrance is to your apartment.”
“Oh.” She mumbled the number and street. Thank God we’d been able to understand what she’d said.
“I’ll plug it into the GPS,” said Jared.
Liz let her head fall back on the seat with a groan. “I know better than to drink this much.”
“Everyone’s done it at one time or another. Don’t beat yourself up.” Goodness knows I’d been in a similar state more than once.
“Stop being so nice to me. You’re normally a tosser. Don’t ruin your rep.”
I laughed. “Don’t ruin my rep? Are you an 80’s rapper?” I was a tosser? Yes, once I realized who she was, I was an ass at the gala, but I’d redeemed myself, hadn’t I?
She elbowed me hard in the ribs. “Shut up.” Liz covered her eyes with her hand. “Tomorrow morning’s going to suck balls.”
“You have to work the day after Thanksgiving?” Didn’t she get any kind of a day off? The café and Novel Books did well enough that she didn’t have to work at all if she didn’t want to.
Her head lifted with an incredulous expression on her face. “Duh! It’s the busiest shopping day of the year. You, of all people, should know that.”
“I do.” She ran a bakery and café. Wasn’t that different?
She huffed. “For one thing, Novel Books will be packed with people Christmas shopping which will bring people into the bakery. We also mix up batches of ready-made pie crusts for pot pies. You’d be amazed how many people don’t want to make their own crusts. Over the past few years, word’s gotten out that they’re better than the usual store-bought ones, so our crusts sell like crazy. Not to mention those who come in for coffee or lunch during a break from hitting the sales. We also sell a lot of doughnuts and pastries for those not wanting to cook breakfast over the next few days.”
“I had no idea.”
She huffed and dropped her hands that had been moving wildly while she spoke. “Don’t you have coffee shops in any of your stores? You don’t pay attention to their earnings?”
“We have contracts with coffee chains for those. They pay us rent for the space in the store, though they do provide promotional materials to our marketing team to include with our advertising. Nothing we have rivals Buttercream Beanery, though.”
Liz was quiet, which made me peer over. Her eyes were closed, and she began sliding away from me, so I wrapped an arm around her and drew her to rest her cheek on my shoulder. She sighed and nuzzled closer.
When the car came to a stop fifteen minutes later, my driver made his way around and opened the door. “Sir, we’re here.”
“Liz, we need to get you upstairs.”
She opened her eyes and groaned. “Can’t I just stay here? It’s warm and comfy.” She snuggled closer. Jared chuckled but turned and faced away when I tried to glare at him.
I managed to scoot her to the edge of the seat and, by looping her arm over my shoulder, I lifted her to her feet. She teetered and dropped back against the side of the car, so I hauled her over my shoulder and carried her to the entrance. Jared opened the outer door and followed us in. I nodded toward the intercom panel on the wall, so he pushed the button.
“Can I help you?” An older woman’s voice came after a moment or two.
“Yes, I’m William Darcy. I have Elizabeth Bennet with me. She drank too much and needs to be put to bed.” It was as delicate as I could put it. What was I supposed to say?
“Oh, my. Yes, please bring her up.”
“That was surprisingly easy.”
Jared pointed to a camera in one corner of the ceiling. “She had all the proof she needed.”
“Why don’t you go home? I’ll grab an Uber or a cab. It’s late.”
My driver perked up. “You’re sure?”
The ding behind me indicated the elevator had arrived. “Positive.”
Liz didn’t stir as we rode the elevator up, and when we stepped off, Mrs. Hill waited in the foyer. When she hurried over, she brushed the hair out of Liz’s face and shook her head while tutting.
“I can’t ever remember her getting this drunk. What on earth happened?”
“I’m not sure. Char thinks she upset her around the time I arrived. I do know Liz was drinking wine pretty heavily the entire time we were there. If you’ll let me know where her room is, I’ll take her up for you. I’m sure you don’t want her on my shoulder for the entire night.” I also didn’t want to take a chance she’d puke down my back.
“Forgive me,” said Mrs. Hill as she bustled towards the stairs lining the wall. “This way.” She led me up then down a hall before entering a room and stepping aside.
The same black and white tuxedo cat from a week ago snoozed on the comforter. At the disruption, he lifted his head and blinked.
I lowered Liz to a sitting position on the bed. “Do you have a bucket or a rubbish bin in case she gets sick?” With the effort of getting Liz into the building, I’d forgotten Char’s in the car.
“I’ll be back.” Mrs. Hill hurried out.
Just to see if Liz would stay seated, I removed my hands from her shoulders but kept them poised if she began to lurch in any direction. Somehow, she swayed but didn’t fall, so I unzipped Liz’s boots and pulled them off. After I set them neatly on the floor, I supported her while I laid her down.
Her sweater had ridden up some, revealing a tank top underneath. She’d be more comfortable without the thick sweater while she slept, so I removed the heavy top. I wouldn’t have done so if she’d not had on the tank, but I hated being hot while I slept.
She stirred a little and looked down. “These jeans need to come off,” she said in a mumble. “Won’t. . .be able to sleep. . .”
Her fingers fumbled with the button, and she let her hands drop to the bed. “Help me.”
My entire body was stiff as a rail while I unbuttoned the waist and released the zipper. “There, now you do the rest while I turn around.”
“Of all the times to be a gentleman,” she said a little stronger this time. The rustling of sheets filled the room, and I stood stock-still waiting. My foot tapped while I trained my eyes on the doorway. Liz was taking off her jeans behind me. She’d be in a tank top and panties. My hands clenched into fists.
When everything went quiet, my foot came to a quick halt. “Liz?”
Nothing.
Was I supposed to look? Should I wait for Mrs. Hill? Why couldn’t Liz have remained conscious for one more minute? I threw up my hands and let them fall. Screw it!
I peered over my shoulder, prepared to whip my head back if needed. Liz was curled into a ball on her side and had pulled the sheet over her. I exhaled heavily. Thank God! Once I covered her with the quilt, her cat came over and sniffed her face then curled up in the curve of her arm, his head resting on her wrist.
“I have the bucket.” Mrs. Hill came to an abrupt stop beside me. “You took her clothes off?”
“She was wearing the tank top under her sweater. After I removed it, she woke up long enough to remove her jeans. I swear I turned my back and didn’t look. She’d pulled the sheet over herself before I turned around.”
“Oh,” said Mrs. Hill.
“Anyway, I promised Char that I’d not leave Liz alone in case she got sick during the night. As long as you don’t mind, I’ll spend the night in that chair.”
She patted me on the arm. “You’re such a considerate young man, and I’m afraid I’m useless after eleven-thirty these days. I’d fall asleep far too quickly for that job. Why don’t I bring you a cup of tea or coffee to help keep you awake?”
“Tea would be nice, thank you. We’ll also need some water. Liz will need to drink if she wakes during the night.”
“Yes, I’ll bring that too.”
I stepped after her. “Do you need any help?” It seemed like a lot to trudge up the stairs.
She paused at the door. “Don’t worry about me. Mr. Philips had an elevator installed when he began having difficulty with the stairs. I don’t use it often, but it’ll be a great help tonight.”
As soon as Mrs. Hill hurried out for a second time, I settled into the chair near the windows and pulled out my phone. I’d need a charger at some point, but I could worry about it later. It was going to be a long night!