A/N: edited 1/22/18 6:00 pm eastern standard time
"Can you believe that family?" Karo exclaimed as soon as they were gone. "I like Jane but I'm not sure hanging out with her is worth having them all barging in here."
"They were only concerned about her." Chad answered, "Jellyfish stings can be very dangerous."
"Jane already told Lizi she was fine; there was no reason for her to bike all the way here when it was supposed to storm. How would it help Jane if she got hurt herself?"
"People don't always think things through logically when they are worried. I think it's nice that she was so concerned. Jane and Lizi are really close."
"Lizi looked so wild when she arrived," said Lois, "I could hardly keep from laughing, her t-shirt, and her hair. Chad, even you must have noticed her hair."
"I honestly can't say that I did."
"You must have noticed it, Will," said Karo, "I don't think you would want your sister to do such a thing."
"Certainly not!" Lois' comment had brought the picture of Lizi's appearance last night vividly to Darcy's mind and to have it suddenly replaced with a similar image of Gigi was disconcerting, to say the least.
Karo gave him a slight smile, "and she's so reckless, but, maybe Lizi is improving on you, you did seem to admire her yoga."
"She is terrible at yoga. I'm surprised she let you talk her into it. There is something uninhibited about her that I find interesting." It was almost as if she didn't care what sort of impression she made on him.
Karo didn't look completely satisfied with this answer. After a brief silence, Lois said, "Jane said they live in Meryton, that's somewhere near Trenton isn't it?"
"You could just as easily say it's near Princeton," answered Chad, "It's between the two." Then noting his sisters' expressions, he added, "Well, they could live on Perry Street for all I care! Jane and Lizi are very nice, and I'm sure Mrs. Bennet meant well."
Darcy put his dishes in the dishwasher and checked the time. "I have to Skype in for a meeting soon." With that he went up to his room to dress and get ready for his meeting, leaving any more discussion of the Bennet's to the others.
.~.~.~.~.
After his meeting, Darcy did some other work. When he came back downstairs around noon, the house was quiet. They must all be at the beach, or Karo was lurking somewhere. He would like to tell Karo to stay in her own unit, but then he would have to explain it to Chad. For years they had treated it like one big house. He did a quick check and did not see her anywhere.
Darcy Bites was still on the coffee table where Lizi had left it. He had meant to tell her she could hang onto it. Darcy picked it up tempted to see what had made Lizi laugh. He tentatively opened the book to the first page, but his eyes quickly fell on the second paragraph, "It is a truth universally…" He shut the book. He always heard those words in his mother's voice. He walked over to the bookshelf and ran his fingers down the spine of Pride and Prejudice, his mother's favorite book, taking a look behind him to be sure he was alone he carefully pulled it down from the shelf. Gigi had read Pride and Prejudice several times but not the hardcover edition. This copy still had post-it notes where his mother had left them to mark passages she'd been discussing online. He closed his eyes and opened the book, breathing in. Did he imagine that after four years it still had the faint scent of her perfume? He swallowed hard, put the book back on the shelf, rubbed his eyes, and went upstairs to change. He would just have time for a swim before his next meeting.
.~.~.~.~.
A few days after the jellyfish incident Lizi was on the breakfast-lunch shift when Darcy came in alone and was seated in her section. When she approached him, he said, "Just coffee, for now, I'll let you know when I'm ready to order food."
She poured his coffee and was about to turn away when he pulled out a copy of Darcy Bites, "You can borrow this if you want to finish reading it."
"Thanks, that's…" uncharacteristically thoughtful, "nice of you, but I can get it with KU."
"As I recall you prefer paper books for the beach."
"That's true but, isn't it your sister's? I wouldn't want anything to happen to it."
Darcy raised an eyebrow looking at the book. The cover was curling up, the binding was broken, several pages had been folded at the corners to mark the spot, and it looked like coffee had been spilled on it."
Lizi laughed, "Well, yea, but its one thing for your sister to destroy her own book, she might feel differently about someone else doing it."
"I'm sure she won't mind, but if you wish I can ask her in my next letter."
What? Were letters their only form of communication? "Well… if you're sure."
"I am."
"Ok, thanks, I'll have it back to you in a few days."
"No hurry." He opened his laptop and got to work.
The next time Lizi passed he was talking on the phone. He frowned. "No, I'm not willing to do that."
He paused to listen then said, "How much do they need?"
After another pause, he spoke more sharply "Tell me how much."
"I'll make it happen."
He hung up without saying goodbye. "Lizi?"
Oh no! He probably thought she was ease dropping! "Yes?"
"I'm ready to order whenever you have a moment."
Oh, whew!
.~.~.~.~.
A few days later Lizi sat on the beach with Carla finishing Darcy Bites.
A shadow fell across her book.
"Lizi right?"
She looked up to see John Wicks standing over her and smiled in greeting, "Yes. Nice to see you, John." Wow, she'd forgotten how hot he was, she could see other girls on the beach casting envious looks in her direction.
"So this is where you've been hiding?"
"I haven't been hiding. I'm around."
"I haven't seen you at the boardwalk."
"I work a lot of nights and even when I'm off I don't always go to the boardwalk." Usually, Lizi only went to the boardwalk if Jane or Carla were also free. Now that Lydia was sixteen she and Kat were allowed to go to the boardwalk without their sisters. That had seemed like a reasonable rule when Lizi turned sixteen, but now she wasn't so sure. Even when Lizi and Carla and/or Jane walked to the boardwalk, it was often only to go as far as Kohr's for frozen custard and then walk back. They were all careful to save most of what they earned over the summer for school. When she was on her own, she was happy to sit on the screen porch reading with Mary or go to the 14th Street Dock. Sometimes Mary would join her in a walk to the dock since it wasn't far and didn't cut too much into her reading time, her mom even went sometimes when it was hot.
"That seems a little unfair after losing to you at skee-ball I ought to have the chance to reclaim my manhood at something else." His tone of voice and quick smile made it clear that he was speaking tongue-in-cheek about his "manhood" and did not expect to be taken seriously. Was this his way of asking her out?
"What did you have in mind?"
"Do you play mini-golf?"
"Sure."
"When's your next free night?"
"Monday."
"Cool, it's a date, I'll text you about the time."
"You don't have my phone number."
He winked, "I got it from your sister. I have to go back on duty, lives to protect and all that," he struck a mock-heroic pose and then grinned at her. "I'll see you Monday."
Lizi laughed, "See you then." It was nice to meet a guy that didn't take himself too seriously. She watched him walk away before noticing that Carla was frowning. "What?"
"Nothing, just, I've heard Will Darcy doesn't like him."
"So? Is Darcy supposed to approve who I spend my free-time with?"
"I just wonder if you should trust him."
"He's a nice guy. Besides, it's only miniature golf."
"And how do you know he's a nice guy? You only met him once."
"He made a good first impression." She picked up her book, "and before you say anything, in real life" (she shook the book at Carla for emphasis) "guys who seem nice are usually nice, and guys who seem like jerks usually stay jerks."
"Maybe, but Lucas trusts Darcy's judgment."
Well, Lucas was kind of a kiss-ass, but Lizi didn't want to say that so she kept quiet.
Carla spoke again, "You aren't still mad that he made you put your hair up are you?"
"For the last time, I wasn't mad about putting it up. It was the way he handled it, on top of everything else that night. Besides, he's done nothing since to change my opinion. You should hear the way he talks about women like we're all after his body and his money in that order."
"I can't imagine where a hot rich guy got the idea that women are interested in him."
"Don't promote a stereotype. You think he's hot and you know he's rich, but you wouldn't be interested in him just because of that!"
"I wouldn't throw myself at him, but I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers either."
"You didn't hear him Car. He makes it sound like women are hiding around every corner ready to jump him."
"Oh, come on, he didn't say that."
"Not in so many words and why are we talking about Darcy?"
"We were talking about John Wicks. If he wanted your number why didn't he just ask you for it instead of getting it from one of your sisters?"
"Maybe because he hasn't seen me? Lydia and Kat go to the boardwalk all the time."
"I still think it's weird, but I guess we should agree to disagree."
"You're just prejudiced because Darcy doesn't like him."
"I thought you didn't want to talk about Darcy."
"I don't."
"Fine, I'll let you get back to reading Darcy Bites."
Lizi narrowed her eyes. "I see what you did there but trust me. This Darcy is nothing like the one in this book!"
"He doesn't have fangs you mean?"
"He's nothing like the original either!"
.~.~.~.~.
Lizi met John for miniature golf as planned. The game gave them plenty of time for conversation. After some of the usual small talk he asked her where she worked and in response to her reply said, "And how do you like it? Darcy is in there often I take it."
"All the time," she rolled her eyes, "but other than that I enjoy it, and it pays better than most places."
"I was being groomed to be the manager there."
"You were? What happened?"
He hesitated, "Do you …get along well with Will Darcy?"
"Not really."
"Well, my mom worked for the Darcys as their Nanny. We are about the same age, and as toddlers, we use to play together, but then when we started school he started making friends at his fancy private school, and as we got older he didn't want anything to do with me. I don't know. His father took a liking to me, and maybe Darcy was jealous. Then when Gigi, Darcy's sister, started school my mom got a job at a daycare center, but Darcy's parents always kept in touch with her, and she would visit the children from time to time. When I turned, sixteen Darcy's father offered me a job, as a busboy at Fitzgigi's for the summer, and even offered to let me stay with them, which I did, that summer and the next two as well. I knew Darcy didn't like me being there, but I stayed out of his way as much as I could. It was hard being in the same house but I worked a lot, and I made my own group of friends. When I turned eighteen Mr. Darcy gave me a job as a waiter and offered to let me work at Fitzgigi's year round and stay in the house while I commuted to Ocean County College. He even helped me pay for school, and he had planned to make me manager of Fitzgigi's once I got my associates degree. Rey, the manager at the time, was getting near retirement age and he had agreed to mentor me. Mr. Darcy even hinted that if I wanted to go for a four-year degree we could work something out."
"He sounds very generous."
For a moment John looked too affected to talk, but then he continued, "He was generous, but he never made me feel like a charity case. He often said that Fitzgigi's was very dear to him, it was the first business his grandfather had started, and having me in charge gave him the comfort of having a family member in charge he trust..trusted…"
His voice broke up, and Lizi put her hand on his arm giving it a supportive squeeze. After a moment he recovered enough to continue, "Sorry, it's just that I feel like I let him down."
"How so?"
Mr. Darcy died suddenly. Darcy didn't promote me as his father had promised to do, but with his recent loss, I didn't like to bother him about it. I was devastated myself, so it wasn't the best time for me to take over as manager, but I believe I could have risen to the challenge for the sake of fulfilling Mr. Darcy's wishes and the extra money would have allowed me to help out my mom. I moved in with some friends at that point, so I had rent to pay. I knew I couldn't stay in Darcy's house with his father gone. Anyway, I kept working as a waiter but only part time like I had been when I was in school. After three or four weeks I decided to ask Reynold to speak to Darcy for me since his father had talked to Reynold about his plans. The next thing I knew I was fired without notice."
Lizi gasped. She had been about to putt and stopped and starred holding her putter in mid-air. She spoke softly, "How could he do that?" Then she remembered other people were behind them and finished playing the hole.
John did the same, and as they moved on to the next hole she said, "He didn't give you any reason for firing you?"
"None, he didn't even have the decency to do it himself. I could tell Reynold felt bad, but he didn't have a choice."
"But that's, that's so unfair, wasn't there anything you could do?"
"Not really it's not like I could afford a lawyer."
"Just when I was starting to think I was too hard on Darcy! He's like a thousand times worse than I thought! How horrible for you! But what have you done since then?"
"I got a job in the mail-room at a school, but in the summers they cut back on staff, so I come and work out here. Most of the other guys are in college, so that's hard but I have to do something in the summer and at least this way I get to work at the beach."
"You talk about it so calmly, but you must have been very angry at the time."
"I was, but you know what they say about holding on to anger, 'It's like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.'" He gave her a small smile, and Lizi thought how remarkable it was that he could accept his misfortunes with such equanimity.
Later as he walked her home along the boardwalk she said, "I have been thinking of you saying that you feel as if you let Mr. Darcy down. I don't see that there's anything you could have done differently."
"Maybe if I'd tried harder with Darcy…"
"If anything it's Darcy who let his father down by not honoring his wishes."
"He would have been very disappointed to see what his son has become. In a way, I'm almost glad, for his sake, he didn't live to see it."
"After what you've told me I think I'm lucky not to have been fired myself." She told him the story of her minor rebellion regarding her hair which he found amusing.
"I admire you for doing it." He said, "Most people are too in awe of Darcy to stand up to him even in a small way."
"Can you keep a secret?"
John pantomimed locking his lips and sticking the key down his pants. Under different circumstances, Lizi might have noted that was kind of a weird place to put an imaginary key, but she was too interested in their conversation to give it much thought and continued, "I was only so impertinent because I didn't want to let him intimidate me. I knew if I let him get to me I would soon grow afraid of him."
"Good for you! I'm not really surprised you weren't fired. You're a lot prettier than I am. But, you didn't try anything after he gave you the hair clip?"
"No, there was no way I could reasonably pretend to have misunderstood the directions. Oh, and he gave it to me in a gift bag! Who puts something in a gift back just to reprimand someone?"
"It's just the kind of thing I've come to expect from Darcy. He expected you to think you were getting a gift and that would make the sting of the reprimand that much more."
"Well, it didn't work; I knew he couldn't be giving me a gift."
"Don't be too sure he never will. You should be careful, your sister too."
"Oh, I doubt even Darcy could take such a dislike to Jane, but I'll be more careful to check myself, I don't want to lose the job."
"That's not what … never mind."
"No, what where you going to say?"
"Look I wouldn't say this, but I don't want to see you or your sister get hurt. It's just… from what I've heard, Darcy usually gets what he wants from women, and he isn't very nice to them afterward."
"I'm sure he doesn't want anything from me." Then realizing that could be misinterpreted she added, "And, even if he did he wouldn't get it."
"You say that now but he can be very persuasive, and he can make himself seem very agreeable when he wants something."
"Then he must not want anything at present because he…"
"What?"
"Nothing really, just, he lent me a book." And I'm pretty sure he tucked me in but he must have been half asleep when he did that.
"Hmmm…"
"What?"
"You're probably right that it's nothing…. only… sometimes he starts that way, with some small gesture, something to get a girl thinking maybe she was wrong about him, but no you must be right…it was only a book."
"It doesn't matter, I didn't like him before, and after hearing your story, I will be doubly on my guard. Nothing could make me change my mind about him."
"You are a rare woman Lizi Bennet to be so firm in your own mind."
She protested against his saying she was rare in this but she was pleased by the compliment none the less. After walking a little further together, she said, "I ought to warn the other waitresses about Darcy."
"Hmm."
"What?"
"I don't know if you need to. He doesn't usually dip his pen in the company ink if you know what I mean. Also, there are always those who try to get in good with him that might repeat what you said. I'd hate for you to get in trouble."
Lizi thought about this for a few minutes before answering. "Maybe you're right. I could just keep my eyes open and if anything seems suspicious I could say something to the girl in question at the time."
"You're a good person, but be careful. I have to admit he shows a woman a good time, fancy dinners, helicopter rides, shopping trips. So many of them think they are different, that they are the one woman to truly understand him and that they won't end up like all the others but they always do."
"That's so sad."
"It is."
"Speaking of his helicopter, did you know he lands it in Island Beach?"
John looked startled but only for a moment. "I'm not surprised. He hates sitting in traffic. What does he care about disturbing a few osprey or red foxes if he can avoid the bridge? And what's the worst that can happen? He has to pay a fine? That's nothing to him."
"You think he's doing it illegally?"
"I'm pretty sure you can't just land a private helicopter there."
Lizi had thought the same thing. The recreational area would be out, and most of the park was wildlife habitat with limited access. With all that open beach it was conceivable he was doing it without getting caught but, "I can see him not caring about the fine, but he seems pretty straight-laced about following the rules. I don't suppose he could have permission? Where did the state police land for the governor*?"
"Now that I think about it, Darcy is pretty palsy-walsy with the governor. You're right he probably is getting special privileges that ordinary mortals don't have."
"He's friends with the governor?"
"Friends," John said while making air quotes. "Darcy gave a lot of money to help with the recovery after Hurricane Sandy, a LOT of money. If you're the governor, you want to stay on the good side of a guy like that no matter which party you are."
"Remind me of this if I ever express an interest in running for public office."
They came to Lizi's street and turned off the boardwalk. "Thanks for walking me home. I feel bad you'll have to walk all the way back to The Heights alone."
"My pleasure. Sorry to dump all my problems on you like that, it just gets to me sometimes. I hope I didn't bore you to death."
"Not at all! I had fun, well I mean, there's nothing fun about how Darcy mistreated you but I had fun otherwise."
"Thanks for listening. You're a good listener."
"Anytime."
"Sorry I couldn't splurge and take you somewhere nice, but I'm glad you had fun."
"Don't be silly. I'd rather play mini-golf with you than have a fancy dinner with someone like Darcy any day!"
When they reached her house, John kissed her on the cheek and said good night, the perfect gentleman. She could hear him whistling a faint tune as he walked away.
*On Fourth of July weekend 2017 the NJ State parks were closed because the budget hadn't been passed. Even people who had small fishing shacks, that were grandfathered in from before it became a state park to be able to lease the land (and live off the grid bringing in their own water ect), were made to leave their houses. But the Governor and his family were still able to stay at the Governor's mansion which is in the park. Adding insult to injury the Governor used a state police helicopter to fly to a meeting in Trenton and then back to his family at the beach. When this caused bad feelings, he responded that the house comes with the job and something along the lines of "if you want to stay there run for Governor."
A/N: Sorry to those of you who were hoping for more hair shenanigans from Lizi. It just shows how they misunderstand each other.
Thanks for reading and thanks as always to those who reviewed. Up Next: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
