Chapter 3: Litotes the Great

Poor, unfortunate, William Darcy was not having the greatest week. And that, dear readers, was some great litotes action in that last sentence. William was having the worst week in history, so far. At least, that's how it felt to him. Firstly, he and his sister had an argument – well, more like a fight, then she ran away, hopped into a car, and now she was gone. Oh, Georgiana! She was his only immediate family left, and all signs of her had vanished. Even that car accident that involved a drunken George Wickham didn't mention her or any surviving minors. It was as if the world or some hidden power was deliberately withholding information about Georgiana from him!

William sat, stony-faced, looking out below on the bustling city street from his penthouse apartment. Without Georgiana occupying the space with him, it was just so… so big. Interminable space, if you will. It was almost as if there was an echo resounding in his living room.

William sighed over the paperwork his private investigator sent him. A copy of the police report from the collision that caused the death of Wickham and that unfortunate couple lay upon his desk. He swore that he saw Georgiana climb into a black Lexus! If only he had read that license plate when he watched her clamber into the car! He stared at the words on the photocopied paper. The word survivor became evident in front of his eyes, but it was false hope. The word was accompanied by the word no and it ended in an s. The report did not mention anyone other than the three that died in the crash. His investigator even got him the information from the hospitals of the area, but there was no success. He read the list of teens that were admitted, but nothing seemed familiar to him. He didn't see one single Darcy on the list, and there was nothing remotely similar to Georgiana. There were two Georges, but they were boys. And a Georgia, but she was seventeen. Georgiana was fourteen, and looked younger rather than older than her age. His eyes glistened with unshed tears. He desperately missed his sister. He was beginning to lose hope.

So that was the first part of his week that created the abyss of melancholy within him. The second traumatic incident in his week would happen tonight, Wednesday night. It was Caroline Bingley's birthday, and as he was her brother, Charles', best friend, it was his duty to go. In addition, as the CEO of DarcyMed, (his inherited company dedicated to medical technology and research), he needed to be present, as his presence in the public eye strangely helped his business with advertising. There were three things wrong with going to Caroline's party. First, he hated Caroline, because she was vain and superficial and obsessed with him to the point in which she flung herself at him most of the time. Second, he hated parties in general, because he was incredibly shy and uncomfortable in situations that did not involve business. And third, his sister was missing, so he would be miserable anyway, even if he were not at a party or if he were not with Caroline.

Moral of story, Darcy was doomed. He trudged to the bathroom (it wasn't really trudging because his posture was impeccable regardless of circumstances, but to him, he felt like he was dragging his body along the floor). He washed his face in the gilded sink in hopes of clearing up his now tear-stained complexion. He had unconsciously been crying, and he never cried. He groaned, and went to locate his black Armani suit and dark burgundy Ferragamo silk tie. He found a cream-colored Ralph Lauren custom-tailored button-down shirt, and black thin socks to go with his black Ferragamo leather shoes. He complemented his ensemble with onyx cufflinks – there. He was dressed for an almost-funeral, because that was what it would be like for him at the Black Widow's –sorry, Caroline's – birthday party. Oddly, he would probably look more like Caroline's personality than Caroline, for she would never be caught dead in black and red.

~*~*~*~

Lizzy was close to the exact opposite of Darcy's mood. She had brought the amnesiac, but darling, Ana to her apartment from the hospital, now that the doctor gave her the 'okay'. Daniel greeted them when they got to the door.

"Hey, Lizzy, you're finally back!"

"Daniel! Did you have fun at James'?" Lizzy squeezed him tightly in a hug.

"Yeah, but I missed you…"

"Aww, I missed you too, but unfortunately I'm going to have to go out tonight to do some publicity for The Era – Jane, Charlotte, and I are going to wear some of my designs to the party for Caroline Bingley."

"You mean the skinny red-head that looks like a walking orange and who is practically the New York version of Paris Hilton?"

"Ha ha, yes, that one. I'm surprised you know so much about her… should I be scared?"

"Nah, it's just that Lydia and her clones, sorry, friends are obsessed with her – I found out at Dad's Friday night when she was blabbing to them on her cell."

"Ahh, I see. Oh! Where did Ana go?"

"I'm…right…here!" Ana already had walked into the living 'room' and was reclining almost regally on the couch.

"Okay Danny-boy, this here is Ana, your new foster-sister until her real guardian is found." Lizzy, Daniel, and Ana were all sitting on the couch cozily. Daniel gave Ana a warm, sincere, smile not unlike his elder sister's. Ana tentatively smiled back, but it was no dimmer than his.

"Hi Ana, I'm Daniel, but, you probably already knew that."

"Hi Daniel, I'm…Ana, but I'm…sure you knew that too!" Ana mocked his playful tone, and then giggled at her sudden burst of what she considered impertinence, which sent Daniel into spontaneous hysterics, which in turn, sent Lizzy laughing.

Lizzy managed to squeak out, "This isn't even that funny!" which led to the three of them laughing even more maniacally on the floor. They were like so for a few minutes until the apartment door was unlocked and in floated Charlotte Lucas and Jane Smith, who were carrying several garment bags, both with bemused expressions upon their faces.

~*~*~*~

Now, Jane Smith's name was an extreme example of litotes. She was not in any way, shape or form as plain as her name labeled her to be. She was the face of The Era, and even though she was one of the older models, at 25, she didn't look it. She was a gentle soul, but had a backbone that only those who made her lose her temper saw. As an incredibly long-tempered woman, not many were unfortunate enough to witness her wrath.

The business woman behind The Era,Charlotte Lucas, age 28, was the closest representative of Jane's polar opposite. Though as tall as Jane, Charlotte was just as dark as Jane was fair. Jane had medium-length platinum blond waves; Charlotte had a raven-colored, straight-haired pixie-cut. Jane had pale cerulean eyes; Charlotte had deep chocolate orbs. Charlotte had café au lait skin; while Jane's was a faint gold. Charlotte was broad-boned, and Jane was willowy – though both were slim. The most notable difference between the two was their demeanor. Jane was a shy romantic; Charlotte a bold cynic. While Jane played the role of the good girl, Charlotte was the short-fused sinner. Lizzy loved them both equally and served as the happy medium in their relationship.

The formidable trio, with their down-to-earth attitude, successful trade, and their incredible beauty, were becoming very popular in the City. Because of it, they were invited to the birthday party of socialite and dot-com heiress, Caroline Bingley. Not that any of them had met Caroline, but, hey, it was good business.

Charlotte and Jane, after being introduced to Ana, gave Lizzy her garment bag, and the three proceeded to Lizzy's bedroom to dress for the soiree. It was going to be a wonderful night of eating, drinking, showing off Lizzy's latest, and of course, dancing.

Dressed and ready to go, the three gorgeous and dolled-up women set off in a sleek white limousine to the so-called party of the year.

~*~*~*~

Officer Bonnie Younge was proud of herself. She managed to, with her incredible ability to forge handwriting, eliminate all traces of Georgiana Darcy from the infamous police report. She got the media off her case by releasing the story to the press and giving them the photos of the scene that she specifically selected and shot. She managed to not only dispose of the incredibly annoying Officer Hutchinson, but also managed to make William Darcy's life a miserable wreck by separating him from his sister. It was his fault, after all, that her beloved George had a miserable life, and his fault that he died in the crash. She was now, at home, on this Wednesday night, taking a bubble bath and eating her favorite truffles. Hell, she deserved it after losing the one she loved the most to a black Lexus. She took a drag of her cigarette, smirked at its former means of eliminating a co-worker, and shrank down into the scented bubbles. She smiled, and shut her eyes to enjoy her nicotine and her self-created bliss. To Younge, this Wednesday night was litotes in its entirety – it was beyond bliss.

A/N: I hope you're still with me here! There was the Darcy bit, as promised, and we've met Charlotte and Jane… next chapter, Darcy and Lizzy will finally meet! Please continue to review! I really enjoy reading them!