Chapter 10

Walking home in the rain, it seemed, had done nothing but cause Susanna to come down with an incredibly miserable cold. She lay in bed, being able to do nothing but blow her nose, cough, and laugh at daytime soap operas. She had dragged herself to the doctor, and had had to tell Vivian to call her every day to remind her take her medicine.

Keith had had to leave for Los Angeles to get the rest of his things, since he had just found an apartment and was set to move in a week. Darcy had called with what seemed like thousands of messages, but Susanna barely heard them through the barricade of phlegm in her ear.

It was her third day of misery, but the hazy fog over her mind was thinning quite dramatically. The phone rang, and grumbling, she fumbled to pick it up.

"Hello?" she croaked, her voice raspy and hoarse.

"Susanna, how are you?"

Susanna bolted upright, causing the pain in her head to surge into throbbing.

"Your majesty?" she said, trying to subtly clear her throat.

"Nonsense, Susanna, call me Lorraine," the queen said, speaking calmly. Susanna, on the other hand, was reeling.

"I say, are you alright, Susanna? You sound ill," the queen asked.

"Well, actually, I am rather sick with a cold," Susanna explained.

"Oh, that is such a shame. I'm in town and wanted to have lunch, but you had better stay in bed."

"Why are you in New York?" Susanna asked carefully.

There was a pause. "I wanted to visit my son, make sure he is doing well," she answered, her voice equally careful.

Susanna, however sick she was, was still not foolish enough to believe that. The queen was here to reprimand Ryan for going out with Darcy, Susanna was sure of it. She hoped that the queen didn't blame her; Susanna's mother might have a heart attack.

"He seems to be doing fine," Susanna said, deliberately avoiding the Darcy subject.

"Yes."

"How long will you be in town?"

"Just until tomorrow. I am very sorry I will not be able to see you."

"Yes, I am, too," Susanna said, biting her lip.

"Perhaps I will see you in Telera soon?" the queen asked.

"Yes, perhaps," Susanna lied expertly.

"Good to talk to you, Susanna. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Susanna hung up with a click and rested her head against the headboard. Ah, how good Telerans were at being in denial. Feeling a little better, and now thinking of Darcy, Susanna dialed the number for Darcy's desk.

The phone, however, rang and rang and yet no one picked up. Confused, she hung up and looked at the clock. 1:30 PM, it flashed. Darcy should still be at her desk; she never left until four.

Susanna called the number for Mr. Simmons' secretary, Tracy. She picked up right away.

"Hey, Tracy, it's Susanna."

"Susanna, baby, how you feelin' girl?" Tracy said in her warm voice.

"Better, actually. Listen, do you know where Darcy is? She's not at her desk."

"She left early this morning with some hunk," Tracy said.

Susanna's mouth fell open. "She left?" she repeated, astounded.

"Yeah," Tracy replied. "I thought you had that girl under control," she said, her voice half joking and half serious.

"I thought I did, too," Susanna said, a little angry. How dare Darcy just take off like that! Without even bothering to call and ask! Ryan… she thought.

"Mr. Simmons wants to talk to you. I'll put you through," Tracy said.

"Thanks," Susanna said, still dazed.

There were a few moments pause, and then Mr. Simmons' voice came through the receiver.

"Susanna, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," she said. "A lot better," she amended, thinking on it.

"Good. I'm glad you called, because I want you to go to London on Friday," he said. "New Armani show, I want you to be there."

Susanna sighed, but said, "Alright."

"Be back by Monday. And Susanna?"

"Yes, Mr. Simmons?"

"You may want to talk with your secretary."

Susanna growled. "I'll be in the office tomorrow."

"Great. See you tomorrow, then."

"Bye."

She hung up again and got out of bed. Her head had somehow magically cleared, maybe because of her fuming anger. She took off her clothes and got into the shower, where she stayed for a long time. Finally getting out, she pulled on some jeans and a turtleneck.

Her door rang, and she made her way down the steps slowly, still feeling a little weak. She opened the door to a smiling Vivian.

"Hey, you're up!" Vivian said, letting herself in. "How do you feel?"

"Better," Susanna said.

Vivian held up the paper bag she was holding. "Potato soup, your favorite," she said as she walked to the kitchen. This sparked Susanna's interest and she followed her friend.

"You know, Suzy, I've been thinking," Vivian began as she unloaded the bag. She was carefully avoiding Susanna's eyes. Susanna sunk onto a stool and waited for what was coming. "I know you may get mad, but this whole Ryan and Darcy thing… it makes sense," she said, as if she had rehearsed it. Susanna was suspicious that she had.

"What?" Susanna said, surprised.

"Think about it. It's perfect. A prince falling in love with an assistant. It's so romantic, don't you think?" Vivian said, putting the soup in front of Susanna.

Susanna just grunted in reply.

"I mean, even if he fell in love with… you, for example, it just wouldn't be that exciting, you know?" Vivian went on.

The words made sense, but Susanna was still too angry to properly digest them. All she said was, "Yes, but why my assistant?"

Vivian just smiled and sat down across from her. They ate in silence, the only sound coming from the city outside.

"I'm going to London on Friday," Susanna said finally.

"Oo!" Vivian squealed. "Where are you staying this time? That fabulous hotel that you were at last time?"

Susanna shrugged. "I may just stay at my cousin's place." Her cousin Adrienne, was about the same age as she and had lived in London for years.

"The one who lives by the palace?" Vivian nearly shrieked.

"Yeah. I'll call her later, she never really cares. Besides, she's hardly ever home." Adrienne was one of the few Teleran ambassadors, and usually was gone all day and night, for whatever reason. It would be a nice break to stay at her place instead of the fancy hotels Susanna was always staying at.

"Well, I've got to get going," Vivian said. "If I don't see before you leave, have fun in London and I'll see you when you get back," she said, standing up. Susanna followed her to the door.

"And Suzy?" Vivian said, pausing with the door open. "Think about what I said, alright?" she said, her freckled nose scrunching the way it did when she was serious.

Susanna sighed. "Yeah, alright."

Vivian gave a small smile, and then left.

Susanna spent the rest of the day cleaning her apartment, opening the windows to let in some fresh air and get the germy stuff out.

The next day she woke up early and got ready quickly. She got dressed in her nicest jeans, a white lacy top, her leather jacket and black stiletto heels. Her hair lay thick and wavy down past her shoulders, and she tried to absorb herself in putting on her makeup so she wouldn't think about what she should say to Darcy.

She left for the office at a quarter past seven, more than an hour earlier than usual. She took the subway and stopped for a quick bagel and coffee, carrying the latte into the building with her. It was so early that she had to use her employee card to get in the door, sliding it in the little machine. It took many tries because she was so unused to it, and people chuckled at her as she fumed at the machine.

Once inside, the store was dark and deathly quiet. She picked her way to the elevators, and went up to her floor.

She was amazed to find that she was the first person there. She flicked on the lights and went to her office, unnerved by the complete silence of the place. She left the door to her office open and turned on the light. Opening the curtains to her window, she sat down at her desk and felt a rare stream of nervousness come through her.

She had never had to really yell at anyone before. She didn't want Darcy to hate her, but she didn't want her to think that she could just get away with anything she wanted, either.

She really wanted to blame Ryan for this, but something told her that this must have been a decision that Darcy consciously made. She sighed and put her head down on the desk, reaching over to turn her computer on. Being sick hadn't delayed her deadline for an article she was writing for The New Yorker, so she managed to pull her head back up.

But she couldn't concentrate. Vivian's words kept flickering through her mind… even if he fell in love with… you, for example, it just wouldn't be that exciting. She leaned back in her chair, the morning sun warm on her face. Of course, she was probably right, but Susanna didn't want to admit it. She knew she probably was just being stubborn, but something inside her was kind of disappointed at being called unexciting.

She shook her head. "Snap out of it," she muttered to herself. Bringing herself back to the screen, she continued to type.

The morning went on as people trickled into the office. Everyone stopped to say good morning to Susanna, and ask her how she felt. She replied politely to everyone, but she knew what they were all thinking – Where the hell is your secretary?

Finally, at nine o'clock, Susanna picked up the phone and called Ryan.

"Hello?"

"Where's Darcy?" she asked, trying not to sound too harsh.

"Susanna?... I don't know I haven't talked to her. Why, isn't she at work?"

She sighed, but could tell he was telling the truth. "No, she's not. If you hear from her, will you call me please?"

"Of course."

She paused. "Your mother called me yesterday."

"Oh, God, she didn't," he moaned.

"Oh yes, she did. She said she was just in town to… what was it? Oh right, to 'visit my son and make sure he's doing well.'"

"Bullshit, she came to yell at me," he grumbled.

"Aw, what did ickle Ryan do wrong?" she said with a laugh.

"I think you know just as well as I do."

She sighed. "Yeah, I do."

"Speaking of which, I have to go say good riddance… I mean goodbye, to her. But I'll call you if I hear from Darcy."

"Thanks."

"Bye, Susanna."

"Bye." She hung up. Sending her article to The New Yorker, she got up and walked to Mr. Simmons' office.

"Morning, Tracy," she said, her voice dull.

Tracy smiled. She was a tall black woman, in her mid-30s, with the curliest hair and the biggest smile you'd ever seen. "Morning, Susanna."

"Is Mr. Simmons in?"

"Yeah, go right ahead."

"Thanks." Susanna knocked lightly before letting herself into his office. It was an enormous office with a huge open window that let in the sun. Her heels clacked against the hardwood floor as she walked to his vast mahogany desk. He smiled at her as she sat in one of the oversized leather chairs.

"Mr. Simmons, I have a problem," she began. No point in beating around the bush.

He nodded knowingly. "Tell me about it."

"Darcy suddenly seems to think that it's okay to not come to work, not call, not leave any notion as to where she is. Is there a thin line between being too firm and too friendly?" she asked.

He smiled. "Yes, a very thin line." He paused. "I know Darcy is seeing this… prince of yours, and I'm sensing that's the cause of your trouble, right?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But I really don't think it's his fault, at least not directly. I just don't know what to do. Do I yell at her? Do I let her get away with it?"

He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Neither. You sit her down, and you tell her exactly what you expect from her as an employee. And if she can't fulfill those expectations, you have to let her go."

Susanna sunk into the chair. He was right, that was exactly was she was going to have to do. She put a hand to her head.

"You're right. Thanks, Mr. Simmons," she said, giving him a grateful smile. He returned it as she stood to leave.

"I made you head of fashion for a reason, Susanna," he said. She nodded, and then left the office.

Walking back to her own office, she thought about what she should say to Darcy. What you expect from her as an employee…

She sat back down in her chair and instead of pondering her speech some more, she called her cousin. Not at all surprisingly, Adrienne wasn't home and Susanna left a message. She was sure it would be fine with her if Susanna stayed the weekend, so she didn't worry about it.

As she hung up, she looked up to see Darcy walking down the hall. Her hair, for the first time, was down and fell to her shoulders. She wore a rather fabulous getup of Gucci attire, complete with a white leather skirt and black pumps. She didn't even so much glance at Susanna as she sat down at her desk.

Locking her jaw, and her anger returning, Susanna called out, very clearly, "Darcy, come into my office."

Darcy left her desk and stood at the door, her expression one of defiance bordering on nervousness.

"Come in," Susanna said icily. Darcy began to walk in.

"Close the door," Susanna ordered.

Biting her lip, Darcy closed the door. She walked in and sat in a chair in front of Susanna's desk. Susanna walked around and sat on the edge of the desk.

"I think it's time we had a little talk, Darcy," Susanna began. Darcy just raised her eyebrows.

"I know that you are going out with Ryan, and I'm fine with that. But when you show up late for work, or do not show up at all, I'm going to have to stop being an acquaintance and start being your boss. You are my assistant, Darcy, my employee, and I expect you to be here on time, perform your duties, and leave when I allow it. If you cannot fulfill these requirements, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Do I make myself clear?" she said in her clearest, strongest voice.

Darcy lowered her eyes, and said, "Yes."

"Good. You may leave now."

Darcy stood and left the office. Susanna sighed, and after a moment went back to sit in her chair. Picking up the phone, she went to dial Vivian's number but stopped when she heard a voice already on the phone.

"Please, you can't call me here, I'm in enough trouble as it is," Darcy's shaking voice was saying.

"Good, you don't deserve to work there anyway," a frosty female voice said.

"Stepmother…"

"You will be here at exactly half past four. Briana and Iriana's dresses are not going alter themselves. And remember to get the dry cleaning. And once your done, clean the hallway floors," the unkind voice went on.

"Where are they going tonight?" Darcy asked, her voice nervous.

"A party for the prince of Telera. If you're lucky, one of them will strike his fancy. Then you could be a servant at the palace, as you are so worthless here."

"Yes, Stepmother."

"Half past four." Then there was a click, and Darcy hung up as well. Susanna hurriedly put the phone down, and as soon as she had done so, the door flew open.

"Miss Bennet, I want to apologize for everything. I've not been myself these past few days, but I really need your help," she gushed, tears in her eyes.

Susanna stood and gestured to the chairs. Darcy fell into one of them, beginning to cry. Susanna bit her lip; she was terrible with crying people.

"My stepsisters you met the other day? They're going to this dinner tonight at the Waldorf Astoria, and Ryan will be there and I'm supposed to go with him, but they don't know that we're going out because I never told them because they'd…well, they wouldn't understand and now my stepmother wants me to be home to fix their dresses but I'm supposed to be going to get my own dress and now I'll have to tell Ryan that I can't go and…" she finally just burst into tears and put her head in her hands.

Susanna thought quickly. "Well, has your stepfamily ever seen you in a fancy gown?"

Darcy looked up, not understanding. "No."

"Or with your hair done?"

"No."

"Or with makeup on?"

"No."

"So would they recognize you?"

Darcy thought about this. "I guess not."

"Then don't worry about it," Susanna said. "Ryan will understand, I'm sure," she said, not even quite believing herself. A little voice in her head told her that Darcy was pretty much screwed.

Darcy took a deep breath, her tears ceasing. "I guess I could do that. Thank you, Miss Bennet."

Susanna just nodded. Darcy stood and went back to her desk. Susanna sighed; she felt sorry for Darcy. It was quite a predicament. She had half a mind to call Ryan and tell him, but that would be intruding, she decided.

Susanna went home around three to pack for London. She reassured Darcy that everything would fine, but Darcy still didn't look like she believed her.

Once home, she dragged out her enormous luggage and began to throw things in. She wanted to call Vivian, but she knew it would be too distracting. She got out her well-used passport and put it with her wallet.

The phone rang around five. It was Adrienne, who called to say it was fine for Susanna to stay at her place, but that she probably wouldn't even be home. Susanna didn't mind; she hadn't really expected her busy cousin to stick around just because she was there.

At quarter after five, Susanna finally sat down, her suitcases filled. She thought of Darcy, and wondered what she had decided. The party probably didn't start until seven – Susanna was often invited to these affairs but threw the invitations out as soon as she received them. People often dressed in their finest, and Susanna wondered if Darcy would even be able to get a dress if she wanted to go.

At quarter to six, Susanna sat down to a healthy meal of Chinese takeout. She had barely touched her mooshu pork, however, when the phone rang again.

"Why isn't Darcy coming to the party?" It was Ryan, and he sounded very angry.

"She's not?" Susanna said, somewhat disappointed.

"No, she's not. Can you happen to tell my why, Miss Advice-For-Everyone?"

"Hey, I told her to go," Susanna protested.

"Then why isn't she?"

Susanna bit her lip. "I think she's the one to tell you that, not me."

"Susanna…"

"No, I'm not saying a word. I refuse to get involved with this," she said strongly.

She heard him sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just really want her to come."

A thought flickered into Susanna's mind. "Yeah, I understand," she said quickly. "I gotta run, talk to you later."

"Sus-" But she hung up. Abandoning her pork and rice, she hurried to her room and into her closet. In a corner were neatly hung a bevy of evening gowns. Without thinking, she swiftly picked a light blue one with a low back and intricate beading. Zipping it into a plastic cover, she grabbed a pair of shoes, took it in her arms and went out the door.

Her doorman called a taxi for her, and she carefully put the dress inside. She told the cabbie to go down a few blocks to Lexington – not far, but she didn't exactly want to walk with an evening gown and shoes over her shoulder.

She paid the cabbie a few bucks and got out. She walked to a blue awning that said Lexington Apartments. She vaguely remembered that this was where Darcy lived, only because she had had to drop her off once when she got sick at work. She was peering at the buttons for Darcy's apartment when the door opened and out came none other than Darcy's stepsisters. They were dressed in flamboyant, rather garish gowns in pink and green. Susanna nearly vomited at the sight. Behind them walked a tall, thin woman dressed in a sleek, but boring, black gown. Her black hair was streaked with gray, but Susanna found she couldn't stop staring at her large, crooked nose. It only served to amplify the look of disdain on the woman's face as she ordered her daughters into the limousine parked in the street. Susanna quickly grabbed the door before it shut, and hurried inside.

The opulent lobby was richly decorated with dark wood and golden furniture. Susanna's footsteps echoed on the marble floor as she made her way to the elevators.

A replicate of the buttons outside was next to the elevators, and Susanna ran her finger down the list. Vagarte/Clevell, Penthouse. Penthouse? Nice, Susanna thought. She got into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. It rose for what seemed like forever until it stopped and the doors opened into a lobby not unlike her own.

She knocked on the door, and for the first time, she thought about what she was doing. Why on Earth was she doing this? She felt bad for Darcy, sure, but that was no reason to go all fairy godmother. She chuckled ironically at her choice of shoes – stilettos with a clear cover, so that it looked like glass.

The door opened slowly as Darcy's head peered from the side. Susanna cocked her head so that Darcy could see her.

"Miss Bennet?" Darcy said, in shock. Her eyes were red and she quickly dried them. She wore a faded pair of jeans and an old shirt.

"Ryan said you weren't going to go," Susanna said.

Darcy's shoulders fell. "No, I'm not."

Susanna clicked her tongue reproachfully. "Well, they're gone, so let's get started," she said, coming in.

Darcy made some stunned noises, as if not sure what to say. Susanna was looking around the luridly decorated apartment, which somewhat resembled the gowns the girls had been wearing. Susanna walked up the stairs, beckoning for the dazed Darcy to follow.

Hunting around, Susanna found the master bedroom, which she could only assume was the stepmother's. She walked in and put the gown on the bed, but Darcy faltered by the door.

"What's wrong?" Susanna asked.

"I'm not supposed to come in here," Darcy said quietly, as if her stepmother would hear.

"Oh come on, she's long gone by now," Susanna said, pulling Darcy into the room. She took out the dress and laid it in Darcy's arms.

"Go put it on," she ordered, and Darcy, her mouth hanging open, nodded and went to the bathroom.

Susanna sat on the huge, gilded bed and waited for Darcy. The carpet was a pristine white, and an enormous bay window looked out to the busy street below. It smelled heavily of designer perfume, almost to the point of making Susanna nauseate.

Darcy came out of the bathroom, biting her lip. She looked lovely in the blue dress, but her face was shy and bashful.

"Perfect," Susanna said, standing. She walked over and joined her in the bathroom, searching for makeup.

"Sit," Susanna said, and Darcy sat down on a stool. Susanna looked her over, and then began to apply the makeup as fast as possible. She turned Darcy to the mirror and began to work on her hair. Although curly, Darcy's hair wasn't all that thick and was easily brushed and swept up into twist. Staring into the mirror, Darcy was nearly ogling herself.

"Come on, time to go," Susanna said, getting her to stand. She gave Darcy the shoes and they went downstairs.

"Trust me, you look like a completely different person," Susanna said, and meant it. Darcy looked totally different, and Susanna was rather proud of herself.

They left the apartment and went downstairs, where Susanna got a cab for Darcy.

"How will I ever thank you?" Darcy burbled.

Susanna smiled. "Don't. I would tell you to be home by midnight, but just be home before your stepfamily leaves, alright?"

Darcy smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Miss Bennet."

"I almost wish I was going," Susanna said.

Darcy laughed, and got into the cab. She waved to Susanna as the cab pulled away, and Susanna waved after her.

The sad part was, Susanna thought as she turned to go home, she did almost wish she was going.

Ryan paced the floor at the party, hating himself for being there. The crowded ballroom was packed with people who kept coming over to introduce themselves, or worse, their daughters. He didn't understand why Darcy refused to come, so why was he here himself?

Maybe she had begun to think that he was just using her. His heart fell a little, because he knew that it was partially true. He kept thinking of how great it would be if all these people here had gotten to see her with him. An assistant, with the prince. It would have been a perfect opportunity.

He thought of Susanna, and the other night. He had felt something that night, but he had spent these past few days convincing himself it was purely physical, and nothing more. Perhaps Darcy could provide him with something other than physical attraction; perhaps he really would fall in love with her.

The night had barely begun and he was sick of the party. He saw, with great displeasure, that a tall woman with a horribly crooked nose and what he assumed were her two daughters were making their way over to him. He sighed, but straightened up and smiled.

"Your highness, Jacqueline Vagarte," the woman said in a frosty, condescending voice. "My daughters, Briana and Iriana."

"A pleasure," Ryan said smoothly, and with great disgust, kissed the two girls' hands. They batted their unnaturally thick eyelashes and smiled. They wore quite hideous gowns of pink and green, with large bows on the back. One was tall and thin, and had the misfortune to inherit her mother's large nose; the other was short and rather rotund, and her squirrel-like cheeks were bright red with rouge.

"Will you excuse me?" he said, and turning his back on their disappointed faces, he walked away as fast as possible. He began to walk to the stairs, almost thinking of just leaving, when he stopped dead in the middle of the floor.

On top of the steps stood an almost ethereal Darcy, whose eyes were flying everywhere, her lips pursed nervously. He smiled and made his way to her, skipping up the steps two at a time.

"Darcy, you came!" he said happily when he reached the top. She smiled, but grabbed his hand.

"I really have to talk to you," she whispered.

"Now?" he said, resisting. "I want to show you off," he murmured, placing a kiss on her lips. She smiled, and seemed to relax.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked.

"Miss Bennet," she replied.

Ryan stopped short. Susanna? That was not the answer he was expecting.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. She came over and lent me a dress, and the shoes, Ryan, look at the shoes!" she said, lifting her skirt so that the clear glass-like shoes sparkled from underneath.

He managed a small smile, but somehow, his mood was ruined. Why did everything always come back to Susanna? Why must he always be reminded of her? Now he was just thinking of her, and how she would have looked in the amazing blue dress that Darcy wore. He sighed, but forced a smile.

"Come on, let's dance," he said.

She nodded, but went very slowly down the stairs, her eyes searching the crowd fervently. They made it down, and were enveloped in the thick of the crowd. They joined the many couples that were already dancing.

"Miss Bennet is leaving for London tomorrow," Darcy whispered in his ear. "Maybe I can get off."

"How long will she be gone?" Ryan asked. Without realizing it, he hoped it wouldn't be for long.

"Just until Monday."

He let out a sigh of relief, which Darcy didn't notice. He found himself picturing Susanna in London, looking beautiful in the London rain… Snap out of it! he scolded himself. You're here with Darcy, focus on Darcy…

Darcy's eyes were still hunting the crowd. Puzzled, he asked jokingly, "What? Are you expecting to see someone you know?"

Darcy gasped. "Did Susanna tell you?"

"Tell me what?" he asked, confused.

Darcy blushed and shook her head. "Nothing, never mind."

He nodded, but was still bewildered. They danced, ate, and then danced some more. He tried to introduce her to some fancy socialites, but whenever he went to say her name, she would blurt out "Carla" or "Lisa." When he raised a questioning eyebrow, she would just smile and say she was having fun. He shrugged and tried to believe her, even when, at random times, she would grab him and whirl him around to another spot on the floor.

Suddenly, in the middle of dance, Darcy's eyes got very wide and she said, "I have to go."

"Wait, why?" he asked, but she was already halfway to the door. He pushed his way through the crowd, trying to keep up with her. She ran up the stairs as fast she could, and was out the door like a flash. Completely and utterly baffled, he slowed to a halt halfway up the stairs, staring at the door. Something caught his eye and he glanced down. One of her shoes, sparkling in the chandelier's light, lay forgotten on the stair. He chuckled in bemusement and picked it up. He would just have to bring it back to Darcy… but just then another thought struck him.

It was Susanna's shoe.

As he stood, holding the shoe, his thoughts and feelings in disarray, the clock struck midnight.