Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
Battling jet lag from Paris, Darcy sat at his office desk poring through four dozen telephone message slips.
None were from Gleason; he was confident the man would remain silent, letting his assistant handle it, even if it meant a sizeable contractual loss.
Charlie was already on it, so it wouldn’t be as traumatic a financial hit as Lizzy expected.
It may work to her advantage. As for the gallery’s reputation, the fallout damage ended before it truly began, and Lizzy and Guy would recover from the emotional toll famously! He’d see to it.
Back in town for only seven hours, he had yet to speak to Caroline or confront the many situations at hand, and, as one would expect, he was in no mood for lame excuses regarding Wickham, Rick, or sex on the beach. She was due any moment.
“Mr. Darcy, your cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam is here to see you.”
He wasn’t expecting Rick’s presence at the meeting, but was thankful because his cousin wasn’t one to give excuses. The guy was always straightforward, even to the point of insensitivity. Perhaps Caroline was running late.
“Send him in and bring us both double espressos.”
“Hey!” Rick greeted. “Glad you’re back in one piece. The family missed you Saturday night.”
“I’m surprised to see you this early in the morning.”
“Old military habits die hard. I’ve already been to the gym.”
They both sat, assuming readable postures. He tented his index fingers, tips resting on his lips, and Rick sat forward, beefy hands clasped between his knees.
“Gigi mentioned that the birthday party was a success,” he said, attempting to be unreadable in tone, even if annoyed that he’d been made to look a cuck in front of his aunt and her posse.
“If you consider a success fireworks scaring the crap outta Aunt C’s toy poodle and my drunken father accidentally referring to his sister as an ‘opinionated, mean old wig-wearing bat dressed in a satanic black robe’ in his birthday roast, then it was smashing!”
Smiling, because who wouldn’t, given the veracity of the statement coupled with his abject hatred of the ball-snipping dog, he silently waited, adding to the growing tension.
“Right. I’m not one to beat around the bush, Darcy, so here it goes. I have feelings for Caroline.”
He didn’t expect that, just, “I screwed your fiancée” because, frankly, everyone other than him had.
Amanda came in bearing the two coffees, laid them on the table, and cautiously grimaced before backing out of the room. The tension was that thick.
“Wow. Feelings? That was fast. Did you sleep with her?” he point-blank asked.
“What? No!”
“That’s surprising, everyone else has.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Rick took a deep breath and continued. “Look, I may be many things, but an adulterous rake is not one of them. I’m hurt you would think so little of me.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think. I leave the city, and my fiancée spends a week being escorted around town and to family functions by my somewhat good-looking, single, straight, insanely wealthy cousin. It’s all a little sus, as Gigi would say.”
“Hey, you left her alone in New York so you could hook up with your hot ex-girlfriend in the city of love. I assume you slept with her, since you won’t sleep with your fiancée. Did I get that straight?”
“Touché. And the answer is yes, but I won’t kiss and tell to anyone other than my fiancée.”
“Do you even love Caroline?” Rick asked.
“Not romantically, but, as you know, we’ve been friends since we were kids. There’s a kind of love there. When you say feelings, is that what you feel? Romantic love?”
“Yes.”
“How does she feel about you?”
“Let’s ask her. She’s waiting outside your office.”
He didn’t expect them to come together to face him.
Man, he was off his game today, but what did he expect?
He’d just spent a week banishing Fitzwilliam Darcy in the arms of the most alluring woman in the world, the one who had cut his heart to shreds only to weld it back together with her infectious laugh and shapely legs wrapped around his waist. And damn, if he didn’t want to get back to her in his humble love shack apartment.
Breezing in without a care in the world, Caroline looked lovely wearing a pastel pink floral dress and a smile that touched her eyes. For the first time in a long while, she looked like fresh, summer femininity ripped from the pages of Town and Country.
He stood, walked around the desk, and then kissed her cheek. She kissed him back. “Welcome home, Darcy,” she said.
“Thank you. You look beautiful.”
“That’s very sweet of you.”
“By the way, your painting is in the vault,” he remarked, taking a seat behind his desk.
But she didn’t comment, just sat beside Rick, gaze meeting his nodding cousin offering her encouragement.
Caroline sighed, then forced a smile. “I bet you have a lot of questions.”
“A fair amount. Am I free to ask them?”
“Of course. I have no secrets from Rick.”
Cocking an eyebrow he said, “Oh, I see. Okay, then. My first question is ... to put it bluntly ... did you have sex with Wickham at your sister’s wedding?”
“Yes. Twice.”
“And, just for the record, do you remember the last thing I said about him?”
“I do, and I should have taken your caution more seriously. I regret it. There were plenty of others I could have pursued to restore my confidence after you made it clear—by omission—that you were still in love with Elizabeth.”
He’d facepalm if it wasn’t rude, but he continued listening to her, following a disappointed sigh.
“Did you sleep with my cousin to get back at me or to restore your wounded pride?”
“We never had sex. Not even once.”
“Interesting.”
“You’re telling me!” she said. “It wasn’t that we didn’t want to. We almost did ... three times, but ... didn’t.”
“Then why didn’t you? Usually, nothing stops your craving.”
“Darcy, we didn’t hook up because you’re my blood, and I respect you,” Rick said. “I’m not in the habit of shagging soon-to-be family, no matter how intoxicating she is. We deferred to the side of honor and integrity, wanting to speak with you first because we both love you.”
“I gotta say ... I’m shocked. Thank you for that.” He paused, gaze switching from one to the other on the opposite side of the desk, then furrowed his brow. “Beanz, I’m baffled as to why you lied about us having sex on the beach.”
“Because ...” she shrugged. “I thought if there was a doubt about my getting pregnant, you wouldn’t break it off—and I was also covering for being a jackass by having a quickie with Wickham after the reception.”
His gaze switched back to Rick.
“If you’re wondering,” Rick interrupted, taking Caroline’s hand in his.
“I am aware of Wickham, and others, and that the two of you have a marriage contract. Upon reviewing it, we both understand and accept that Caroline broke the agreement by sleeping with Wickham before you broke the pact in Paris with your ex-girlfriend, thereby rendering it null and void.”
“Actually ... no, Beanz didn’t break it first,” he graciously said, leaning forward, suddenly humored by the whole thing.
“What?” Caroline and Rick said at the same time, heads snapping to attention.
“What you don’t know, Beanz, is that before you arrived on the beach, Lizzy and I made love throughout the night until sunrise.
So allow me to take responsibility for breaking The Marriage Pact before you.
Further, I knew you were on birth control and responsible enough to have a backup as stated on page sixty-eight, subpart five point two.
Pregnancy wasn’t on the table. If anyone was going to get pr—um—um .
.. . Sorry, Beanz. I didn’t have any intention of things going sideways in our plans, and I know you counted on elevating your financial situation. ”
“You rat! You cheated!”
“I’m not entirely the rat. Wickham’s the true rat here, pursuing you when he knew we were engaged. I may have uncharacteristically broken a contract, but you sent me to Paris entirely aware of my vulnerability when around Lizzy. Why did you do that?”
“Because.”
“Because you wanted to be with Rick? Caroline, you should have mentioned your interest in my cousin before showing up at my aunt’s birthday party on his arm. People talk and form all sorts of ideas, you know. My aunt views life in black and white legalities. Betrayals are her abhorrence.”
“Rick had nothing to do with me sending you to Paris. Sorry, Rick, but ... we just happened on the day you left when we ran into each other outside Bergdorf’s.
He likes Thai food ... and has dimples and a motorcycle and isn’t afraid to let his hair down!
Look, the truth is, I wanted you to make up your mind—me or her.
And if I lost you, at least I’d have the painting as compensation. ”
“And someone to take my place.”
“No! You’re my bestie, Darcy! I wanted you to choose happiness, which I assume you did because, well, you look so .
.. like you finally got laid! I planned on the Seurat so I could eventually turn a tidy profit, not because I loved it.
Falling in love with Rick after only a few dates was a total mindscrew, and to be honest,” she looked at Rick and smiled, “he’s the one. ”
“I see,” he said, internally relieved and incredibly happy for her.
“Are you upset?”
“No, just surprised. Anyway, the painting is yours as stated in the codicil I had Charlie draft before I left.”
“But I don’t want that painting. I’m not sure I ever really did,” she said, then looked at Rick. “It’s not a Picasso, you know. Rick and I love Picasso.”
Confused, he furrowed his brow. “Now, you don’t want the painting even as an investment?”
“No. Everything has changed. I just want your blessing and to keep the wedding date and all the posh arrangements—paid for by you, of course—but with a change of groom.” She gave him a sincere smile.
“What?”
“I’ve asked Caroline to marry me,” Rick chimed in.
Throwing back his head, he laughed. “You’re serious?”
“He is. We’re crazy in love, and I don’t care if Rick doesn’t have money or a classic six on the Upper East Side or—”
“You didn’t tell her?” he asked his sheepishly grimacing cousin.
“Tell me what? Rick?” Caroline asked.
“Um ... I sort of ... wasn’t entirely honest.” Rick fidgeted, then took her hand in his. “I have some money,” he humbly said.
“What is some money?”
“Old money, I don’t know, like ... nine-figure trust fund money and ... um ... a few houses ... in Europe.”
Darcy laughed again at Caroline’s expression. His friend and his cousin, an avowed bachelor, were finally incandescently happy. He just hoped for his cousin’s sake that the sex was good and her heart stayed true. “I hate to break this up, but I have someplace to be,” he abruptly said.
“Where?” Beanz asked.
“Central Park. I love you both, and you have my blessing, but Rick, you can write me a check for the wedding expenses.” Glancing at his watch, he added, “Beanz, it’s been fun planning a future with you, but the Marriage Pact is officially null and void.
” He slung back his cold espresso. “Now, if you’ll both excuse me—I have another marriage pact to propose. ”
Caroline slid off the engagement ring. “Then, you’re going to need this. I’m sure she’ll be over the moon.”
“Keep it. Consider it a thank you for agreeing to spend a lifetime with me, then selflessly pushing me to go to Paris.” He sighed. “You and I wasted so much time getting to this moment to find our forever person.”
“Yeah, we did,” she replied, squeezing Rick’s hand.
He rose from his desk, shook his cousin’s hand, then kissed Caroline’s cheek. “I couldn’t think of anyone better than Rick for you,” then whispered into her ear. “You won’t regret staying true to him, Beanz. He’s a good man, so don’t fuck it up.”