A/N I knew when I started this that it wouldn't be for everyone, and I have to admit that's what I like about it. (To be honest, I'm actually really surprised and pleased that there's been as much interest in it as there has been.)

I *love* classic literature, and I've really enjoyed reading the reviews from all of you who share that love- and more specifically, who share my love of Jane Austen. To borrow a phrase from Anne Shirley, I feel like we're all kindred spirits. Writing this, and reading your wonderful critiques, is bringing me right back to Lit class in college. It's pretty freaking awesome.

So I want to say thanks to those of you who are giving this a chance. :)

Chapter 3

Lianne had sobered up, slightly, by the time they arrived home from the ball. She was no longer slurring, anyway. But she was still speaking at a much higher volume than necessary. Despite every effort to drown her out, Veronica had developed a massive headache during the ride home. She got out of the limo with a sigh of relief, walking quickly to the house while her sisters trailed behind her. She was looking very much forward to going up to her room immediately, changing into her pajamas, and heading across the hall to Meg's room for their customary post-party chat.

But when she walked inside, she found her dad poking around the kitchen, looking for something edible. Knowing her mother was useless in the kitchen, Veronica took pity on him and made him a quick sandwich. She sat down with him at the kitchen island for a moment while he ate.

"Well?" he asked. "Did Duncan Kane drop down on his knee and propose to Meg the moment he saw her?"

Veronica smiled. "No."

"Then the new dress was a failure, and a complete waste of money," he said with a grin.

"I'm not so sure about that," Veronica admitted. "Meg definitely caught Duncan's eye. They danced most of the night."

Keith groaned. "Oh no. This will just encourage her."

She laughed. "I suspect Meg will have a whole new wardrobe by the time school starts up again next week."

Her father laughed with her, although he looked decidedly nervous about the prospect of Lianne spending so much money. He took another bite of his sandwich and chewed it slowly, studying his daughter. "And how about you, kiddo? Did you break all the young men's hearts, as usual?"

For some reason, an image of Logan Echolls leaning against the bar flashed in her head. Her smile faded. Veronica had laughed heartily about him with her friends and sisters just a couple of hours ago, quick to make what he'd said about her into a joke. But now, under the careful scrutiny of her father, she couldn't seem to drum up the same indifference. Veronica had never been slighted like that by anyone before; she had to admit, she wasn't terribly fond of the feeling. But before she'd had time to reply to her father, her mother came into the kitchen and sat down on the stool beside her.

Lianne wasted no time describing the ball in detail, from who had attended to what the band had played. Keith listened patiently, until his wife began to talk about the dress her friend Barb had worn. "…really inappropriate to wear something so tight, I mean the woman has three children and she's older than I am. And her shoes-"

"Please," Keith pleaded, holding up his hands. "No shoes."

His wife sighed but didn't press the subject. Instead she turned to Veronica, whose headache was quickly returning. "Mandy told me what that Echolls boy said about you. Who the hell does he think he is, anyway, that my daughter isn't good enough to dance with?"

Veronica shrugged. "Oh, he's nobody important. Just your average billionaire." She glanced at her dad with a grin, but he was frowning.

"Someone didn't want to dance with you, sweetheart?" he asked her, brows raised in surprise. As far as Keith was concerned, his daughter was perfect. And anyone who can't see that is a complete fool. "I don't believe it."

"Believe it," his wife said sourly. "You should hear what he said about her. That he'd catch fleas if danced with her, that he'd rather swallow broken glass."

"He didn't say-" Veronica began.

"I mean can you believe how rude? He refused to talk to anyone, just drank like a fish at the bar all night- even though he's only seventeen years old, mind you- looking around him like he was in some third world country instead of an exclusive yacht club. Wouldn't dance with anyone, not even Meg-"

"I'm confused," Keith finally interrupted her. "What was he even doing there?"

"He came with Duncan," Veronica replied. "Apparently they're very good friends."

Keith smiled and glanced at his wife. "Well I'm not sure what that says about Duncan, if he has friends like that."

Lianne shook her head gravely. "On the contrary, he was a complete gentleman. Even better than I'd hoped. Charming, polite, so handsome." She leaned in closer to her husband. "Did Veronica tell you? He danced with Meg all night."

Veronica, who'd heard enough of this particular subject on the ride home, stood up. "I'm pretty beat, I'm going to bed." She walked over to her dad and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, honey." He looked at her carefully. "I hope this boy didn't hurt your feelings. Billionaire or not, he obviously has no taste."

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, Dad. I wouldn't have danced with him, even if he had asked me."

Veronica said good night to her mother and headed upstairs. Face washed, teeth brushed and pajamas on, she headed to Meg's room. She found her sister sitting up in bed, staring into space. She leaned against the open door frame and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" she teased.

Meg smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I was thinking about Duncan. Happy?"

Veronica walked into the room and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Very, if you are."

"I am," Meg confessed. "I know it's crazy. I've only known him for a few hours, but… I've never met anyone like him before."

"Well, think about the guys we know," Veronica laughed. "Most of them are idiots. No wonder you're in shock." She looked at her sister for a moment. "But… I think he might just be one of the good ones."

"I think so too," Meg agreed quietly. "He's so educated, and polite, and sweet…"

"Don't forget handsome," Veronica added with a grin. "That doesn't hurt either."

"No," Meg admitted. "It doesn't. He has the most gorgeous eyes…" She trailed off for a moment, smiling to herself. She thought about how intently he'd looked at her while they'd danced. His eyes had never strayed to another woman, and he hadn't asked anyone else to dance; Duncan had been entirely focused on her.

When she came back to the present and found her sister staring at her with a knowing smile, she blushed and continued. "I've… never felt this way about a guy before. I just- I can't stop thinking about him."

"Well," Veronica said, "for what it's worth, you have my nod of approval. You've definitely crushed on far less worthy boys, through the years."

Meg laughed and swung her pillow at her sister. "You should talk. Weevil?"

"For like a second," Veronica replied. "Cut me some slack, I was fourteen and I thought his tattoos were cool."

"And his motorcycle," Meg teased.

Veronica rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it. "It was years ago, and nothing ever came of it. He's like my big brother now, it's too weird even talking about it."

"And Casey?" Meg asked, eyebrow raised. "I saw you dancing with him tonight."

Veronica sighed. "The less said about that, the better." She cleared her throat. "So did you talk to Duncan's sisters at all?"

"A little. They were really nice."

"You think?" Veronica asked doubtfully. "They didn't seem very friendly, to me."

"Oh, no, they're just a little reserved. I mean, try and put yourself in their shoes; they didn't know anyone there. Once Duncan introduced us, they turned out to be sweethearts."

Veronica bit her lip. "And… Logan? Did you speak with him at all?"

"Just for a minute." Meg looked at her sister. "I can't believe what he said about you."

"Which version did you hear?" Veronica joked. "Mom may have embellished a bit, just so you know."

"Gia told me. And it was very rude of him. But... Well, maybe you just caught him on a bad day. Maybe he'll grow on you?"

"Maybe," Veronica agreed dryly. "Like a tumor, or a fungus, or a wart."

"Oh c'mon, he can't be that bad. Duncan and his sisters had nothing but nice things to say about him."

Veronica was silent for a moment. She knew her sister rarely found fault in anyone, but she was far more skeptical. She'd seen nothing from Logan but conceit and disdain. But all she said was, "Well, if he has the Kane stamp of approval, I'm sure he can't be all bad."

"I'm glad you think so," Meg said slowly. "Because, um, I think he's going to be at Uncle Sammy's party tomorrow."

"Ugh, really?" Veronica groaned. She'd been looking forward to the party all week. Her aunt and uncle's house was right on the beach, and it was the perfect party house. It had an enormous deck outside- complete with pool, hot tub, built in barbeque and fire pit. She'd spent many fun nights there with her sisters and cousins, over the years. "Why would he be there?"

"Sammy invited Duncan, and told him to bring his friends. I think he was hoping to talk shop with Logan. He's a producer too."

Veronica looked at her incredulously. "But he's just a teenager. Sammy can't possibly be taking him seriously."

Meg shrugged. "According to Duncan, Logan's been doing this for a few years. Apparently he's pretty well respected."

Veronica was still a bit surprised, but she shook it off. "Well, I'm sure it won't be too hard for me to ignore him, with everyone there." She smiled at her sister. "And at least you'll get to see Duncan again."

"I know. I can't wait," Meg admitted. "Just- please don't tell Mom he's going to be there. I don't think I can take another four hour shopping spree."

Veronica laughed and stood up. "Not a word, I promise." She gave her sister a quick hug and walked to the door. "I'd say sweet dreams, but I know I don't need to."

Meg smiled, not denying it, and Veronica shut the light off and closed her door.

xxXxx

The following afternoon, Duncan and Logan sat across from each other at a small metal table at Fresco Café. They'd opted to sit in the outside patio area, as the day was warm and breezy. Logan was absorbed in an article in Variety about an upcoming Ridley Scott project. When he finished reading it, he closed the magazine and looked over at Duncan.

Although Duncan had announced his intention to go through his emails, his laptop still lay closed in front of him. Instead, he'd spent his time staring at the reflection of the clouds in the Koi pond next to him. Logan watched in amusement as his friend absently spooned sugar into his coffee. After the fifth spoonful, Logan finally spoke up.

"I see you like your sugar with coffee and cream. Mike D would be so proud."

"Huh?"

"Maybe it's because you're too sweet to be sour. Too nice to be mean."

Duncan stared at him blankly.

Logan rolled his eyes and took a sip of his own coffee. "You need to broaden your musical horizons, dude. Seriously." He glanced around him, sighing impatiently. "Where the hell are the girls? I'm starving."

"I don't know," Duncan said vaguely. "Maybe there was a long line at the store."

"Long line my ass," Logan replied, setting his coffee mug down with a thud. "They're just determined to spend every single cent your dad gave them before we go back to New York."

When Duncan didn't respond, Logan crossed his arms and stared at his friend. After a few minutes of silence, Duncan finally became aware of his surroundings again and looked back at Logan. "Huh?" he repeated.

Logan gave him a strange look. But before he could respond, Duncan cleared his throat and started to speak. "So I know it's always for a good cause, but those charity events are usually pretty stuffy and dull. Last night was so casual. It was a nice change of pace. Sort of refreshing."

"Yeah, well, you've always been more comfortable with the rabble than I have."

Duncan ignored him. "The girls there were really nice. So…relaxed, so easy to talk to." He stirred his coffee and took a sip, coughing at the sweetness.

Logan raised an eyebrow and gave Duncan a pointed look. "You're thinking about that girl, aren't you?"

Duncan smiled. "Maybe."

Logan sighed. But before he could say anything, Trina and Madison came hurrying over and sat down.

"Sorry, sorry," Madison apologized, placing several white shopping bags at her feet. "This town has a surprisingly good selection of bikinis." She gave Logan a coy smile. "I needed something new for our trip, and I just couldn't decide which one to get. So I got all of them. I hope you guys didn't wait for us."

"Of course we did," Logan replied, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "You told us you were only going to be five minutes." He handed them each a menu. "Hurry up and decide what you want, so we can order."

The girls spent several minutes deciding what to get. While Logan tapped his fingers on the table impatiently, Duncan watched a red and white Koi nibbling on some algae. "I wonder if Meg ever comes here," he said, barely realizing that he was speaking his thoughts aloud.

Trina glanced from Madison to her brother. "It's funny you should bring her up. We met someone at the store who had a lot of very interesting things to say about the Mars family."

Duncan looked up, suddenly fully attentive. "Really? Who?"

"This girl Carrie who worked at the surf shop." She leaned forward, her eyes lighting up with the thrill of relaying gossip; it was one of her very favorite activities. "Apparently, the mother- Lianne, I think- came from the wealthiest family in Neptune. They used to own half the town, she said."

"Bull shit," Logan replied, recalling the loud, stumbling woman of the previous night. "There's no way that woman came from a good family."

"What happened to her family?" Duncan asked with concern.

Trina ignored them both, determined to tell the story at her own leisure. "Carrie told us that Lianne was really wild when she was younger-"

Madison laughed shortly. "Like that's a surprise."

"-and she got pregnant right out of high school," Trina continued. "Eighteen years old. And everyone knew the father couldn't have been her boyfriend, because he was in Europe at the time. Plus, half the town had seen her riding on the back of another guy's motorcycle all summer. Talk about a scandal."

Duncan laughed. "Who cares? This is the twenty-first century, Trina. People getting pregnant before they're married isn't exactly considered shocking, anymore."

"At eighteen?" Madison replied, making a face. "How would you feel if I came home pregnant in a couple of years?"

He shrugged, but didn't say anything.

"To make matters worse," Trina added, "she'd been dating the son of a senator, and he was about to propose to her. Total embarrassment for both families."

"So what happened next?" Logan asked, curious despite himself.

"There was only one thing they could do, to try and keep things respectable," Trina replied. "She had to marry the guy who knocked her up. Her parents threatened to cut her off, if she didn't. They bought the Sheriff election for him, so he'd have a decent job, and they've been married ever since." She shrugged. "I guess she wasn't too upset about it. I mean, they ended up having four more kids together."

"In four more years," Madison added, making a face.

"Must have been monsoon season," Logan said dryly. Madison giggled, but he continued to address Trina. "Well, what happened to all of the money?"

"Oh they still have some, apparently," Trina answered. "No one knows how much. When her parents passed away, they split the estate between Lianne and their other kids. I guess she thought it wouldn't ever run out. But she-" Trina paused abruptly and glanced over at Duncan. "But she was wrong."

Trina decided to leave it there. She could tell Duncan liked this girl, and it had been a long time since he'd been involved with anyone. If he wants to have a little fling with Meg, there's no harm in that. She seems like a nice enough girl, even if her family is a hot mess.

But Madison couldn't resist chiming in. She'd seen the way Logan had looked at Veronica Mars the previous night, and she hadn't been at all pleased about it. I want to make sure Logan knows just how trashy that family is, so he wants nothing to do with her. "You forgot the best part!" she added cheerfully. "That girl Carrie told us she drank half of her money away. Last night was business as usual, for Lianne Mars." Madison smirked. "It must be so embarrassing for her daughters."

Logan was silent for a moment, as he digested that information. He thought of his own mother, who'd seldom been without a martini glass in hand. No one calls it a problem when everyone is doing it. Or when you're surrounded by people who tell you that everything you do is fabulous, because they're paid to tell you that. But Logan remembered more than a few occasions when it had been his mother, stumbling around at a party. And then, of course, there was the night of the accident…

"What do you think, Logan?"

"What?" he asked, snapping out of his thoughts. Madison was looking at him expectantly.

"I was just asking what you thought about the Mars' sisters? The way everyone was gushing about them last night, well… Trina and I thought they left a lot to be desired." Madison glanced at Duncan. "Except, of course, for Meg." When Logan didn't respond she continued, watching him very carefully. "Veronica, in particular, is spoken of very highly. Rumor has it that she's turned down some of the wealthiest men in town. I can't imagine what the attraction is."

An image of the blonde in the white dress came to his mind, as it had every few minutes since he'd woken up that morning. He'd watched her for over an hour last night, laughing, flirting, moving around the room. Since she'd left her bar stool, she'd been in constant motion- she seemed to know everyone there, and they'd all wanted to talk to her, or dance with her. He'd particularly enjoyed watching her dance, her movements light and graceful.

She'd had several different partners, and seemed equally happy with all of them. There was that one guy, though, who she danced with three times. He was tall, with dark brown hair and an Armani tux, and he'd never been farther than ten feet away from Veronica. Logan had watched him watch her, and it was obvious there was more going on there. Was he one of the men she turned down? Who are the others?

Logan became aware of a silence, and noticed that Madison was still looking at him expectantly. He had no intention of sharing his thoughts with anyone, least of all her. He took a sip of his coffee, then looked up at her. "The daughter of the town drunk," he remarked dryly. "What a prize."

Madison and Trina laughed, but Duncan shot him a slightly disgusted look. "Why do you always insist on being so damn negative?"

"Why do you insist on being so fucking happy all of the time?" Logan returned calmly. He and Duncan stared at each other. It was an argument that they'd had many times, over the years. Logan thought that Duncan was far too trusting, while Duncan considered his friend much too jaded.

"Meg is a sweetie though, isn't she?" Trina spoke up, trying to break up the tension.

"Super sweet," Madison simpered. "We should totally ask her to come shopping with us next week. At least one of those sisters's has class."

Logan said nothing, looking down at his coffee. He was trying to get the image of Veronica laughing at him out of his mind. He stood up abruptly. "I'm going to find a waiter. This is getting ridiculous."

It felt good for him to move, to have a distraction. He walked inside the café and up to the front, stopping at the front desk as the only waiter in sight finished up taking another table's orders. Movement outside the glass front of the restaurant caught Logan's eye, and he looked up as several girls walked past. One of them stopped walking and bent down quickly, adjusting the strap on her sandal. She looked to the side suddenly, catching him in his stare. It was Veronica.

She returned his gaze coldly, not looking away as she stood up slowly. Lilly, noticing her absence from their group, turned around and jogged back over to her. When she reached her sister, Lilly grabbed her arm. Veronica jumped slightly; she hadn't heard her coming.

"What are you doing, silly?" Lilly asked. "Hurry, we're gonna miss the movie!" She took Veronica's hand and pulled her forward. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss a second of Clive Owen."

Veronica laughed and allowed her sister to lead her away. She didn't look back.

Logan stood staring out the window for a few seconds, although there was nothing there. In the haze of his foul mood and intoxicated state of the night before, he hadn't truly appreciated how good looking she really was- especially up close. He was struck with a strong urge to follow her, to see where she was going… But why the hell would I do that?

"Can I help you with something, sir?"

He stared down at a short, young black man, who was looking up at him with a friendly smile. "Uh, yeah," he replied vaguely. "We've been waiting at a table outside for a really long time."

"I'm so sorry about that. I'm the only one here today, and it's been pretty crazy. I'll come back with you right now to take your order."

Logan followed him, glancing behind him once before he walked outside. The young man introduced himself as Wallace and apologized again for the delay. They all put in their orders and he hurried away. Madison and Trina got up to use the ladies room, leaving the two friends alone again.

Duncan turned to Logan. "Did you happen to meet Sam Mackenzie last night?"

"Who?" Logan asked distractedly. He couldn't stop thinking of the way Veronica's smile had faded when she'd looked at him.

"Sam Mackenzie," Duncan repeated. "He's a producer too. I thought you might know him?"

"Mackenzie? Oh, yeah. He's been around for years. He used to do a lot of big budget stuff, Spielberg and Cameron. But I haven't heard his name in awhile." Logan shrugged. "I think he might be doing indie films, these days."

Duncan nodded. "Well he was telling me last night, he's producing a movie that's going to be shot on location here in Neptune. Some kind of teen surf thing. I don't know, it sounds pretty cool. You may want to look into it. It might be something worth investing in."

"Doubtful."

"Why don't you keep an open mind?" Duncan suggested.

Logan smiled, despite himself. "Fine," he agreed. "Get me his number and I'll give him a call."

"I could do that… Or you could just talk to him about it tonight, in person." Duncan grinned at him.

"Huh?" Logan asked suspiciously.

"He's throwing a party at his place later," Duncan replied. "And I told him we'd be there."

Logan sighed. "You're killing me, man."

"Hey, we're on vacation. What's better than a party on the beach?"

"With a bunch of people who I don't know and don't give a shit about? Pretty much anything," Logan returned.

"Sam is Meg's uncle," Duncan added offhandedly. "I think she's maybe going to be there, too."

Logan smirked at him. "It all suddenly makes sense now."

"I really want to see her again," Duncan admitted.

Logan took a sip of his coffee, taking a moment to study his friend before he replied. Duncan's eyes were lit up, and he was smiling slightly. I didn't realize he liked her this much. His friend had notoriously bad taste in women; they tended to attach themselves to him like leeches, while he happily let them help themselves. Logan had had to step in on more than one occasion, although Duncan didn't know that.

He thought about the stories Trina had told them about the Mars family earlier. Regardless of their former status, it seemed clear they'd fallen pretty far in the past twenty years. And the last thing Duncan needs is to be tied to a family with that kind of reputation. The tabloids would have a field day, and she'd milk him for every penny. "Just be careful, dude," was all he said. "You don't know anything about this girl."

Duncan laughed. He knew Logan was overly-cautious, and he appreciated that he always had his back. He may have been right in the past. But he's wrong about Meg. "I know that I like her," he replied simply. "And I know that I want to get to know her better. We're going to that party."

Logan didn't bother arguing. When Duncan had his mind set on something, he could be incredibly stubborn. So now I'm stuck wasting another night of my Spring Break surrounded by a bunch of strangers. Fantastic. But before long, his thoughts strayed back to Veronica. If Sam is Meg's uncle, that means he's her uncle too. I wonder if she'll be there tonight…

A/N I was really hoping to get to the "Lucas Lodge" party this chapter, but there was more groundwork to lay than I realized. It's been a challenge to keep the plot within a specific framework. I tend to veer off in unexpected directions when left to my own devices, so in this story I'm constantly having to remind myself to keep things on track.

It's been a tough couple of weeks, so a kind review would really make my day :)