Mad Love or Bad Blood? William Darcy Ex Spills All.
By the Numbers star William Darcy may be a charmer on screen, His off-screen personal life is just as exciting, as described by his college girlfriend Caroline Bingley.
"She's always been the one, even when we were dating," the reality star is quoted saying. "Maybe it's the Brit in him. He always knew he was going to settle down with Anne de Bough. In fact, there was never really any doubt about it. But that doesn't stop him from having the occasional fling."
After the explosive announcement by agent Charles Bingley three days ago about William Darcy's latest arm candy, things seem to have only gotten more and more serious. The half-English actor was seen leaving the de Bourgh residence early yesterday morning. Caroline Bingley attests to it.
"My brother is his best friend. We run in the same circles. He does what he has to do to make his leading ladies act the part, but it's really all just a show," the 27-year-old is quoted saying, "All the girls know he never really means it - the kisses and hugs and flirting and stuff. Anne's always been the one. That doesn't change."
Looks like New York's own Lizzie Bennet really is just a summer fling. But no one can deny that sizzling on-screen chemistry between the couples fans have affectionately nicknamed as Kaitlink, Felena, and Chadna.
William Darcy really is one heck of an actor who had us all fooled!
"What did you do!" Darcy growls into his phone, his other hand making rude, undefined, wild gestures as he paces in his Pemberley study. "Why did you make that announcement? What on earth was Caroline doing talking to the press?"
"Filming's done, right? I - I really thought it was what you wanted all along." Charles is stuttering. He sounds like he's nervously sweating.
It frankly serves him right.
"I never said to announce anything about a fake relationship. What purpose does it even serve?" Darcy frowns, huffing. From her perch by the door, Georgiana looks at him sympathetically. He acknowledges the look before planting his free hand on his hip. "Charles, this is ridiculous. And your sister - "
"I didn't know Caroline was going to do that!"
"You of all people know she will take advantage of any opportunity to be in the headlines again."
"It was supposed to be a one-time thing. I didn't know it would blow up the way it did."
"If it didn't blow up, then it wouldn't have gotten to the tabloids here."
"And everything would have been alright, right? Your agreement to the whole showmance only lasted until filming ended. I thought it would be a good time to start laying the fans of 'Dizzie' off of you. Anne felt like a safe choice."
"A safe choice for what?"
"For making people stop shipping you and Lizzie. The franchise is ending. The fanbase is secure. People don't need the showmance anymore."
"I - I never said - " Darcy sighs, his whole chest heaving, and drops on his office chair. Georgiana walks closer in support. "Charles, why didn't you ask me?"
"I honestly thought it's what you wanted."
Darcy closes his eyes, phone pressed against his cheek, before leaning back against the leather chair's flexible high back.
"Charles - "
"I'm sorry. And I definitely didn't expect Caroline to jump in about it."
"Anne is - " Darcy sighs. "Anne is dating someone else."
"I didn't know that."
"Yes, of course not." He lowers his head and props up his frowning forehead with his fingers as if he's massaging away a migraine. "You're lucky her boyfriend is too high brow for entertainment news."
"That's good, right?"
Darcy sighs again. He groans. "Yes - I suppose."
"And I already told Caroline to stop talking to the press - so the whole thing should blow over soon. They're announcing the Emmy noms next week. The media will find new stuff to talk about."
"That's - good."
"I'm sorry, Darce."
Darcy sighs again. He nods when Georgiana walks over to pat his shoulder.
"Alright, just - keep it from getting any bigger. I don't want to dissuade my godmother about me and Anne again anytime soon."
"Alright."
"Must be late for you now. Goodbye."
"Bye."
Darcy tosses his phone on his desk when the call disconnects - and curls up as if bracing for impact. He embraces acting because he likes it, because he's always felt drawn to the craftsmanship of it all.
But the media whirlwind and the fishbowl life are high prices to pay for a dream job.
"She hasn't replied?" Georgiana asks gently, a few seconds later.
Darcy looks up, shakes his head.
"No - none. She hasn't answered a single text or private message. I can't even get through to her voicemail when I call."
"Oh, Will."
"Yeah." He sighs. He eyes his phone. His mind is racing through the best and fastest way to fly to New York overnight.
Then the screen lights up with a text notification.
He picks it up.
This is a private phone. Only people personally connected to him can get through.
The text is from Jane Bennet, who now owns Charles's old number.
'Don't come. Lizzie needs space.'
Darcy has never believed and hated five little words more.
Kitty's face when she hangs up is all the answer Lizzie needs.
"I'm sorry." Her cousin grimaces. "They won't let you cancel."
Lizzie sighs before throwing her head back against the cushioned couch seat. The chances were slim to start with - but she couldn't help hoping that someone would have mercy and let her media duties slide.
"You're going with me, right?"
"Just this once. I don't do this for all my clients, you know." Kitty smiles. She sips the last few drops of her expensive coffee, the rim of her cup covering the edges of her hipster glasses. "San Diego is a long way from New York."
"I know," Lizzie admits. She plays with her own empty teacup. The cozy café is one of their favorite haunts thanks to the private layout and lush decor - but all of those come with a pretty ridiculous price tag. "Thanks. The flight will feel a lot less lengthy with you."
Kitty nods.
In the midst of heartbreak and unwelcome media attention, it's the simple things like family that keep you afloat.
"You'll have to sit with him, you know," Kitty says, when her drink is completely gone.
"Yeah, the curse of being a romantic lead." Lizzie sighs again. "Leave it to his horrific timing to make it inevitable that someone will definitely be asking about the showmance angle."
"At least you don't have to pretend you like him anymore."
"Hmph." Lizzie scoffs. Kitty's smirk is a knowing one. "Guess that leaves more energy for pretending that I don't."
Kitty's eyes take on a sympathetic glint. "Should I regret ever getting you the job in the first place?"
"Nah. It's all good." Lizzie smiles, for only the second time today. It's getting easier to smile these days, bit by bit. At least the media storm has died down a bit. "I got to go to England for free."
"And live in a veritable castle."
"With a fake handsome prince to boot."
"And steal kisses in the gardens."
"Kitty!"
"What?"
"Who told you - " Lizzie stops short at the way Kitty's eyebrows fly upwards.
"I knew it!" Her agent announces triumphantly.
"Kitty, no! No one knows. If the media knew - "
"Never cross me, Lizzie." Kitty smiles. "I have way too much stuff to blackmail you with."
Tomorrow is the day Lizzie will have to face a whole different storm, in front of hundreds of screaming fans. Tomorrow is the last panel - the last big event for the By the Numbers fandom. And it sucks that she'll have to do it all while seated next to her not-really-but-maybe-ex-boyfriend, pretending to be unaffected.
But, at least, for today, she gets to sip her tea and confide in her cousin.
Some things can only be dealt with one day at a time.
"Lizzie!" He chases after her with fast, long strides. "Lizzie, wait!"
She barges on, clearly determined, making a bee line for the back exit. On the other side of the screen, three hundred fans are still buzzing in excitement over the juicy interviews they've managed to wring out of the cast. Behind the screen, their dream lead heroine is running away from their lead hero as fast as she can.
"Lizzie, please!"
The entire panel today was pure torture. With question after question about Dina Ming and Chad Ferelli becoming veiled questions about Lizzie Bennet and William Darcy, he's dodged more bullets and given more vague answers than he's had to in his entire life.
Ed and Ms. Lucas added fuel to the fire with their constant encouragement of romance-related questions, and he's been forced to sit through an entire two hours of false grinning while tension practically radiated from Lizzie beside him.
"Lizzie!"
"Stop it!" She breaks right at the door and whirls around. Her eyes are fiery - angry, hurt, condemning. Her arms are crossed. "You have no right to demand my attention."
Darcy finds himself a little thankful that very few crew members are around - and that the ones who are close by are busy setting up for the next media event.
He stops three feet away from her, panting.
"Lizzie, let me explain."
"And do I have any reason to believe your explanations?"
"You - no," he admits. He looks down for a second or two before meeting her eyes again. "I never dated Anne - she's engaged to someone else."
"Mm hm." She's crossing her arms even more tightly. Her body language is practically screaming defensiveness.
"And I've never talked to Caroline - or told her to say all that stuff to the press. She's just making up stuff for the tabloids." He's pleading for her to believe him, pleading for her to just listen to him. The way she'd arrived at the last minute to the panel and fled the very second it ended didn't exactly lend themselves to conversation.
"If that's all true," she accuses, "then why all the 'no comment' when they asked about her?"
The way she spat the word 'they' implies a very complicated relationship with the fans right now.
Darcy gulps.
The panel really had been pure torture.
"I didn't want Charles to look bad," he answers. "He made the call - the very fictitious call - about Anne. If I contradict him publicly, he's going to lose credibility and possibly face career suicide."
"Charles - my future brother-in-law?" Lizzie raises a brow.
She's beautiful like this, and he curses himself for even thinking that.
Darcy sighs, burying his hands in his jean pockets. "Yes, your sister's fiancée. He thought he was helping, but he clearly was not."
Lizzie visibly sets her jaw.
She's listening, albeit angrily, but it's a good enough first step.
"I never broke any promises," says Darcy, because he's anxious for her to understand - anxious to have them get back to where they used to be.
But, all of a sudden, the fire in her eyes is replaced by a shadow.
She looks down, clearly unhappy. "Maybe that's the problem, isn't it?"
He frowns, "Lizzie, what do you me - "
"There you are!" A colorfully-dressed young lady spins into the hall and plants herself next to Lizzie. She looks familiar - glasses and all. "I've been looking all over for you, Lizzie. Remember that thing we had?"
Lizzie looks at her.
It takes a minute for Darcy to realize this is the fabled cousin and agent Kitty Brown.
"Ye - yes, we do," Lizzie mutters.
Darcy feels the hope dwindling away again.
Lizzie meets his eyes feebly.
"I'll see you around," she says.
"I'll - see you."
Then Kitty whisks her away.
A/N: Sometimes, the plans we have in place for getting ourselves out of situations can backfire!