Chapter 4: The Fiddle
"God, I mean, what an absolute arsehole!" Lizzy exclaimed to Jane and Lydia the next day in their flat. "I mean, seriously, 'some weirdo family'? Sorry, not all of us can be latchkeyed rich boys! What a prick!"
"A good-looking one though." Lydia giggled.
"If you like that sort of thing I suppose." Lizzy muttered.
"Oh, come on Liz!" Lydia scoffed. "Everyone likes that sort of thing."
"I fucking don't."
"Whatever. What do you reckon Jane? Jane?….. JANE?"
Jane looked up, startled.
"What?" she asked, and Lydia and Lizzy burst out laughing.
It was the day after Bingley's party and they were lounging around in she and Jane's flat, not doing anything of consequence, just analysing last night. Somehow, Lydia had ended up crashing at their place and seemed to have no intention of leaving anytime soon. At least Kitty had gone out to work. They probably should too, but it was difficult to get the motivation, especially when Lizzy was still seething about Will Darcy. Jane, on the other hand, was in a daze and seemed to have a small smile permanently adorning her face. Wonder what that could be because of, Lizzy thought sarcastically.
"Why so distracted Janey?" Lydia mocked. "Could it be something to do with a certain fit bloke and his afro?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." Jane put her nose in the air.
"Sure, sure," Lydia smiled broadly. "What do you think about Will Darcy then?"
"I must admit, I expected something quite different." Jane said, diplomatically.
"Did you hear what he said about us, Jane!" Lizzy exploded. "He called us a bunch of weird, amateur thieves, who aren't good enough to even have a conversation with!"
"Yes, well, you have to admit, to an outsider our family situation can appear a little strange." Jane mused.
"Are you actually defending that bell end?"
"No, obviously what he said wasn't very nice, but still I can see why he may think it. Look at it from his point of view. Tommo is an old man adopting homeless girls into his family. That does set alarm bells ringing for some people."
"He should learn the facts before he opens his stupid mouth!"
"Yes, because he is the only one guilty of speaking before they think….." Lydia said slyly.
"What the hell are you still doing here Lydia?" Lizzy attacked, taking her comment to heart a bit.
"Alright, alright, I'm going," Lydia stood up to leave. "Some of us actually have to work for a living. Don't suppose you wanna work the Pigeon with me today Jane?"
"No, no," Jane tailed off distractedly.
"Suit yourself," Lydia smirked. "I'll go catch up with Kitty and Denny then. See you later bitches!"
Lydia crashed out the door, laughing away as always, leaving Lizzy and Jane alone in their flat. It was a nice place, they'd done it up well. But now she had Jane alone, Lizzy was more interested in her sister's opinions on a certain Charles Bingley than admiring the décor.
"So, spill." Lizzy commanded, sitting down next to Jane on the sofa.
"Spill what?"
"Oh come on Jane! You and Charles Bingley were staring at each other for the entire night! It was a little bit nauseating to be honest."
"God, was it that obvious?" Jane's eyes widened in alarm.
"Um, kinda yeah," Lizzy admitted, causing Jane to put her head in her hands. "But it wasn't too bad." she added quickly.
"You're saying that to make me feel better aren't you?"
"Well, yes. But he was looking at you more than you were looking at him if that helps."
"Really?" Jane questioned in a small voice, her eyes peaking out at Lizzy through the gaps in her fingers.
"Really." Lizzy said, before she couldn't hold it in and began to laugh hard, rolling onto her side on the sofa.
"Why are you laughing, stop laughing!" Jane went to hit her.
"Sorry, sorry, it's just I've never seen you like this before!" Lizzy choked. "All lovesick and girly!"
"I am not lovesick," Jane shouted at her. "I only talked to the bloke for about ten minutes for fuck sake!"
"Awwww, our Janey's in love!" Lizzy teased some more, eliciting a more violent reaction.
"No I'm not! Fine, I'll admit, I am a bit interested alright? Will that shut you up?"
"Yes, certainly. So, interested huh?" Lizzy probed, more seriously now.
"Yes. Interested. He seems like a decent bloke. Fit as well."
"Oh, no doubt," Lizzy faux sighed dreamily. "He's just so handsome!"
"God you're being a dick today," Jane stormed into the kitchen, Lizzy following, laughing all the way. "Look, can we not talk about this? It isn't what we do, we're better than this. Talking about blokes like fucking Lydia? It's pathetic. So yes, I may have met someone. End of."
"Alright, fine," Lizzy grumbled, picking up an envelope from the counter absentmindedly, before double-taking at the notice on it. Final Warning. She opened it with trepidation.
"Oh, for fuck sake!" she exclaimed out loud as she read it.
"What?"
"We forgot to pay the fucking leccy bill!"
"How much?" Jane asked snatching the letter from her. "Oh dear."
"Well Janey, looks like we'll have to get to work," Lizzy sighed. "What do you wanna do, fleece the city boys or the tourists today?"
They decided to try their luck in the city first, but they found the going slow. The city boys, once so brash and arrogant in the days before everybody hated them, were more cautious with their cash these days. They were still wankers with too much money to spend, but they wouldn't hand over any of it without a fight. Even Jane's charms were failing. They got a phone call from Lydia around lunchtime saying that she and Kitty had already made a couple of thousand today in the Leicester Square area with the help of Denny and a couple of others Lizzy hadn't heard of. They decided to go and see their 'sisters' seeing as they weren't getting anywhere, and reached the busiest part of London at 2 o'clock, still a few hours to go but they needed to start making some money soon. It was too dangerous for them to work after dark in the city. They found Lydia and her friends lounging by the fountain, having an extremely boisterous lunch.
"Well, look who decided to come out and play today!" Lydia exclaimed as they approached. "All dressed up as well. What's with the business suits girls? You going straight?"
"Tried our luck in the city this morning." Jane replied, sitting down next to Kitty on a bench, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Waste of time these days," a good-looking man who neither of them recognized spoke up. "Ever since the crash they've stopped putting their hands in their pockets."
"Tell me about it." Lizzy sighed, eyeing up the newcomer.
He was good-looking, there was no doubt about it. A little on the short side, but with well-defined muscles and a dazzling smile that was currently directed towards her. She felt a little spark, nothing that moved the earth, but still a certain warmth. She immediately realised she'd have to be careful with this one. She prided herself on her ability to read people, and her intuition was telling her that this bloke was a charmer. Whether it was real or not, she couldn't tell. It was the problem with the game they were in, rarely was someone what they seemed.
"George," he held out his hand. "George Wickham."
"Lizzy Bennet," she greeted back, taking the offered hand. "Don't think we've met before. How do you know our Lyds then?"
She glanced around quickly and realised that she had been left alone in the conversation. Jane and Kitty were sharing a joke and a sandwich on the bench, Lydia was flirting shamelessly with Denny, and the others she vaguely recognised as some of the sister's friends were doing their own thing.
"I don't really, truth be told," he smiled at her, running a hand through his long, dark hair. "To be honest I'm a little old for this scene really."
"Really?" Lizzy said, surprised. She'd put him at about her age. "How old are you then?"
George laughed.
"Where are your manners Lizzy Bennet? he flirted. "Never, ever, ask a gentleman his age."
"Oh, is there a gentleman around?" she played along, looking around them.
"Ok, you got me!" he smiled. "I'm actually 28."
"No way!" Lizzy exclaimed, shocked.
"I know, I know," George grinned. "Nearing that big 30."
"So what's an old man like yourself doing hanging around Leicester Square with a bunch of kids?" she asked, slightly suspiciously, something George picked up on immediately.
"Some pathetic mid-life crisis thing," he joked. "Trying to make myself feel young again. No, truth be told, I'm a friend of young Denny's brother. He's out of town for a while and asked me to keep an eye on his little brother. He's a good kid, a little green, prone to a few mistakes, so I check up on him now and again."
"That's good of you." Lizzy praised, relieved that he wasn't some creep hiding behind his charm.
"Yes it is isn't it?" he replied, in a mock superior tone, making Lizzy laugh. She liked a man who didn't take himself too seriously. They were both distracted by a shriek and watched as Denny chased Lydia around the fountain in the middle of the square.
"Ah, to be young!" George exclaimed, before lowering his voice intimately. "I must admit to feeling quite out of place. I fear that I can no longer keep up with the youngsters."
"Trust me, not many people can keep up with Lydia." she frowned, watching her friend laughing and shrieking away, drawing attention to herself as always.
"Yes, I got that impression. Seems like a nice enough kid."
"Nice?" Lizzy laughed. "Most people wouldn't describe Lydia as nice."
"Well, I'm not most people." he grinned cockily.
"No, you're not." Lizzy flirted. She was enjoying their banter, it wasn't often she got much male attention. Most blokes went straight for Jane for her beauty, or Lydia, who looked older than she was and was much more willing to embrace their advances. Lizzy normally stayed in the background, offering sarcastic comments and put-downs, not an attractive quality for most men apparently. They didn't like a woman who spoke her mind. Pigs.
"So, you're grifters?" George asked her, making small talk.
"You a cop?" she joked.
"Do I look like a cop?"
"The good ones never do." she smiled.
"You're right of course. But no, I am not a copper, perhaps I should have been. No, I'm nothing but a humble grifter making my way through life. God, I never thought I'd be 28 and still be in the game."
"Yes, it shows a remarkable lack of progress," Lizzy teased. "Shouldn't you have moved up in the world by now?"
For the first time, George's front slipped a little, and she saw some real pain behind the mask before it was quickly replaced by his normal charming smile.
"Alas, the cards I have been dealt in life have not always been favourable," he smiled, although Lizzy could see something else behind it in his eyes. "But, that is a story for another day. What brings you down this way then?"
"As we said, the city was not playing ball today. Lydia said they were cleaning up down here so we thought we would give it a shot."
"I think you may have been deceived on that one!" George laughed. "I've been here two hours and I haven't seen any money being made."
"Typical Lydia," Lizzy spat, looking over at her younger sister who was still flirting with Denny. "Probably just wanted us to come down here for her own entertainment, not that it looks like she need us."
"I'll keep an eye on them if you're concerned," George offered. "I know what it's like to have a younger sister."
"You have a younger sister?" Lizzy asked, touched by his offer. He seemed like a decent bloke.
"Well, not exactly, but pretty much, maybe a bit like your situation. In my opinion, blood doesn't matter. If you're close enough to someone, then they're family."
"Absolutely." Lizzy smiled at him. He understood.
"Anyway, Denny won't do anything inappropriate when I'm around. He knows better."
They just smiled at each other for a moment before they were interrupted by a shout and Jane came towards them.
"Lizzy! Kitty says they haven't made anything down here today. This is a waste of time!"
"Yes, I've heard," Lizzy sighed. "Jane, this is George Wickham, he's a friend of Denny's brother."
The two shook hands, and Lizzy was fully expecting what normally happened to happen. He'd see Jane and drop her like a hot potato. She was surprised to feel a twinge of annoyance. Normally she didn't mind it really, but she liked George and was thoroughly enjoying their flirtation. She was pleasantly surprised then when he shook Jane's hand briefly and turned back to her with that smile, continuing their conversation.
The three of them spoke for a little while longer, George only going up in her estimations with his easygoing manner and charm. They lapsed into brief silence after a while and a self-important-looking man paused near them and they could hear him talking on his phone.
"The bloody cheek of them I'm telling you!" he was exclaiming. "I'm trying to run a restaurant here. And the little shits want a pay rise! I told them, they should be happy for the work! If they can show me a visa then I'll happily pay the minimum wage, but these illegals ought to accept £3 pound an hour and be bloody grateful! But no, I take on these fuckers and they just complain! I've got to go and work my own bar now! Pouring drinks for the plebs, all because some chinaman won't get off his arse!"
Lizzy frowned at the man and watched as he entered a swanky-looking bar across the square.
"What an absolute twat." George commented.
"Isn't he," Jane said thoughtfully, her eyes lighting up with the promise of the game. "How about it Lizzy? Think we may have found ourselves a mark?"
"Absolutely." Lizzy smirked, grinning at Jane, the excitement beginning, the stomach tingling, the perfect high of the grift.
"So what do you reckon?" Jane eyed up the bar.
"Change raise?"
"Nah, come on, let's go bigger on this one," Jane encouraged. "One swoop and pay off the bill. One con."
"Art Student?" Lizzy upped the stakes.
"Good, but too much prep."
"Gold Brick?"
"Maybe…." Jane pondered, unsure.
"Wait a second…." Lizzy had a light bulb moment. "I got it. The Fiddle."
"The Fiddle?" George scoffed at her. "No way does that still work. Hundred quid you can't pull it off."
"I'll tell you what," Lizzy smirked at him. "Make it a monkey and we'll do it with an actual violin."
George laughed loudly.
"If you can pull that off then I'll bow down to you. That's got to be the cheekiest thing I've ever heard! Alright, a monkey says you can't do it."
"You're so on." Lizzy grinned at him confidently, shaking the outstretched hand. He smiled warmly and then walked away back towards Lydia and Denny, who were shamelessly flirting as always. She liked him. He was a bit cocky sure, a bit too sure of himself, but then again, what short con player wasn't? She knew that description could apply to her also. He was funny, clearly intelligent and quick-witted. But she was looking forward to taking his money.
"Just one thing Lizzy," Jane said. "Where the hell are we gonna get a fucking violin from?"
They sent Lydia and Kitty out to get one in the end while Jane changed into some shabbier clothes and they ran over the plan. The Fiddle was one of the oldest tricks in the book, a short con that had been played for decades by grifters. It was a simple one, but tricky to execute and would take a lot of skill.
"So, Jane, you ready?"
"Yep, yep," Jane replied with nervous excitement. "So, I go in, buy a couple of drinks, make sure the manager is the one to serve me. I get him talking, say I've got an important meeting at the bank, going to get a loan, spin him a sob story, the rich girl falling on hard times. Hopefully, he'll fall for it…"
"Course he will," Lizzy scoffed. It's why they'd chosen Jane ahead of her for the first part. Because she was so good-looking, men were putty in her hands. The fucker wouldn't know what had hit him. "Remember, you're a musician who's too proud to get bailed out by mummy and daddy, taken to playing in the streets, on the tube, that sort of thing. Play it desperate, sweet and subordinate."
"Ok. Once I've spun him the tale, go to pay and then say I've forgotten my purse. Act a little ditzy, then offer to leave my violin as collateral, say it's all I have left in the world. Say I'll come back after my meeting at the bank is over and I've got my loan. Say I'll pay him then."
"Good, good," Lizzy praised.
Lydia came waltzing back to them, violin in hand.
"Where did you get that so fast?" Lizzy asked, impressed.
"You know Gypsy Mary?" Lydia laughed. "Well, you owe her a score if this plays well."
"Fine, fine." Jane replied, taking the violin. "Ok, all set. Wish me luck!"
She took a deep breath and walked across the square to the bar.
Lizzy waited in anticipation. She was nervous. This was certainly audacious. To try 'The Fiddle' was enough, to do it with an actual violin was borderline suicide. She was having doubts as she waited. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. The whole time just waiting for the sirens. God this was a stupid idea, she thought. She'd gotten carried away again, this was what Tommo had been warning her about. She got caught up in Wickham's smiles and flirting, had been pushed to impress him. That wasn't her, trying to impress some bloke. But her fears turned out to be unfounded as she saw Jane walk out of the bar, sending a subtle thumbs up in her direction before disappearing into the crowd. They'd meet up in Covent Garden later. It was Lizzy's turn. She waited ten minutes before steeling herself.
"Here we go." she muttered.
"Good luck, Lizzy Bennet," George grinned. "And remember, you never met me ok?"
"What do you mean?"
"For when you get arrested!" he laughed.
Lizzy gave him the finger, took a deep breath and made her way towards the bar. Her heart was beating fast, but she had to calm herself. She could do this, this was an easy score. She focused on the mark's horrible words earlier. He deserved to get taken.
She entered the building and took a seat at the bar. It was a nice place, swanky enough to be almost upper-class. No surprise considering the rents in this part of London. She put on an air of superiority and sat down carefully at the bar.
"Vodka, on the rocks." she commanded the bartender, the man from earlier, who frowned at her before beginning to pour. She looked around, made it look as if she was judging the place.
"There you go, settle up when you're done." the manager said.
"Ah, a proper bar that knows how to treat it's customers," Lizzy put on her best upper class accent. "It's a rare thing these days."
"Well, I pride myself in being the best." he bragged arrogantly. He had a small, pinched face, darting eyes and an odious manner about him. Time to go.
"What's that there?" Lizzy exclaimed, putting the right amount of excitement in her voice.
"Just a violin, a customer left it in here earlier, and is coming back for it later. I personally just think it was an excuse to come and see me again." he smirked and Lizzy held back her disdain.
"Can I see it for a moment?" she asked.
"Don't see why not," he replied." Just be careful with it ok?"
"Trust me," she said, carefully handling the violin. "This is an instrument that is worth taking care with!"
She put on an expression of wonderment as she examined the violin, carefully running her hands over it, muttering exclamations under her breath for the mans benefit. She flicked her eyes briefly up and knew the man was hooked.
"Just a dusty old piece of rubbish isn't it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Oh no, oh no no no!" Lizzy said distractedly. "Why, this is marvellous, incredible. I haven't seen one of these in all my lifetime!"
"What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes.
"This, barman, is one of the finest instruments I have ever seen. You see the markings here and here? Oh lord, this is just incredible! You say a customer left it here?"
"Yes," he confirmed, but Lizzy could tell his mind was whirring with exactly what she wanted. "It's a rare piece then? Worth some money I'd imagine …."
"Oh, god yes," she breathed. "I'm an antique dealer see. Instruments are not normally my speciality, but I know enough to know that this is a rare piece, as you said. You have a good intuition, sir."
"Well, I'm not just a pretty face," he leered. "So how much are we talking?"
"A piece like this? I'd be surprised if it went for anything less than ten thousand."
"Ten thousand?" the manager's eyes boggled before narrowing seconds later. "No, I know your game. Trying to make a tidy profit, aren't we? I'd wager it's worth double that."
"If you know where to sell it, maybe. Anyway, as it is not yours to sell, this conversation is pointless is it not?" Lizzy smirked.
"I guess …."
"I'll tell you what," she said, finishing her drink and placing a ten-pound note on the bar in front of her. "I'll give you my card and you can give it to the owner of this violin whenever they come back in. Tell them to call me and I will be willing to pay twelve thousand for it. Cash."
She slid over a card that said Rachel Sterling, London's premier antiques firm. It was one of numerous cards that she had, all with different names and different occupations. Antiques was a common money maker, so she always had it on her just in case. It had certainly come in handy today.
"I'll do that." the manager said, distractedly, examining the card.
"You do that, whoever sells this stands to make quite the sum. I'd imagine twelve thousand could do a lot for a lot of people, especially in this city. So many people down on their luck these days. Oh, well, it's all good for business!" she said, evilly. She enjoyed getting into these roles, enjoyed the rush and the pretence.
"Ok then. Keep the change now. Tara!" she gave him a wave and walked out of the restaurant, doing a little dance on the inside. It had gone swimmingly, all Jane had to do now was close the deal.
"How did it go?" Lizzy asked as Jane came breathlessly towards her an hour later in a corner of Covent Garden. Lydia and George had tagged along with her. They were on tenterhooks.
"Well, I went back in, told him the bank had not approved my loan, but I had managed to beg a tenner to pay for my drinks if I could have my violin back …."
"And?" Lizzy said in anticipation.
"He was sympathetic, leering at me the whole time, and then the conversation turned to my violin. He said it was a shame to see someone as pretty as me down on their luck and that he would like to help me out…"
"Oh, God, he didn't try to sleep with you did he?" Lizzy questioned, worriedly.
"No, no, although he did ask for my number," Jane laughed. "I gave him a fake. Anyway, he said he was interested in the violin, said it would be a nice thing to have in his bar."
"Twelve thousand pounds ringing in his ear no doubt." Lizzy smirked.
"So he offered me a grand."
"A grand?" Lizzy deflated disappointedly.
"That was his first offer. But when I explained it was my livelihood, he went up a little …."
"How much is a little?"
Jane paused for dramatic effect.
"Oh, you know," she said after a while, a broad grin breaking out. "Four grand."
"Yes!" Lizzy squealed, punching the air. "Four fucking thousand! God, you're a genius!"
"Hey it was your plan!" Jane gave her the credit.
They were interrupted from their celebrations by a clapping George Wickham.
"I must admit, I'm impressed!" he laughed. "Can't believe it worked. There is more to you than meets the eye, Lizzy Bennet."
"That there is." Lizzy said in a slightly suggestive tone, not missed by Jane who raised her eyebrows at her.
"Looks like I'm five hundred down then," George sighed before grinning again. "Oh well, it was worth it for the lesson. You two really are the real deal! Give me five minutes, and I'll nip to the cash point and get your money."
He walked away laughing and shaking his head saying "The Fiddle, four thousand, fucking hell."
Lizzy grinned at his retreating form before Jane coughed lightly. She turned to face her to see an evil grin on hers and Lydia's faces.
"After all the shit you gave me this morning." Jane shook her head.
"What?" Lizzy replied still grinning.
"Oh, there's so much more to me than meets the eye!" Lydia mocked, playing with her hair and fluttering her eyelashes. "Why don't you come back to my place, Georgie? We can like, Netflix and … chill."
Lizzy laughed at her sisters.
"Oh piss off you two. We should celebrate! That's more than enough to pay the bills! What say we head up to Brick Lane? I could murder a Madras right now…"
"Shall we invite lover boy?" Jane asked.
"Well, it would only be polite …" Lizzy trailed off.
"Sounds good to me!" Lydia exclaimed, never one to turn down a freebie. "I'll just call Kitty and ….. Hold on, is that Charlie Bingley?"
Indeed it was. Charles Bingley himself was walking towards them, a broad grin on his face. He appeared to be alone and it didn't go unnoticed that he was smiling at Jane the whole time as he walked towards them. Lizzy held back a laugh as she saw Jane self-consciously checking her immaculate hair, obviously forgetting that she had dressed a bit like a tramp for the con earlier. It wasn't her best look, but Bingley didn't seem to care.
"The Bennets!" he exclaimed jovially as he approached, his eyes not leaving Jane. "I was told I might find you down here!"
"You've been looking for us Charlie?" Lizzy questioned in a teasing manner that went unnoticed by the man.
"Yes, yes. I greatly enjoyed meeting you all last night, and seeing as I am new to the city and lacking in company other than my sister and Darcy, I thought I'd pop down and see what you were up to!"
"Looking to make new um friends?" Lydia held back a laugh.
"Absolutely," he replied, seeming to miss Lizzy and Lydia's gentle ribbing. "So, what do you think, how about I treat you all to dinner?"
"We were just on our way to Brick Lane actually," Jane said shyly. Lizzy hadn't really seen her like this before, it was most amusing. "How about you come with?"
"Sounds grand!" he smiled.
Their staring match was interrupted by George Wickham jogging back to them.
"Here you go Lizzy, a bloody monkey. Five hundred gone just like that…" he sighed before noticing the newcomer.
Both the men went tense as they looked at each other, there was unpleasant recognition, Lizzy could see that. It seemed that neither were particularly happy to see each other. George had gone white, and Charlie's usual open face had hardened noticeably. However, it was he who recovered first.
"George, long time no see." he said cautiously, extending his hand.
"Charlie," George nodded, taking the offered hand. "It's been too long."
"It has, old chap," Charlie half smiled. "Last time I saw you was in Paris …"
"Takes me back. Five years ago now …" he trailed off.
"That long eh?"
"Yes. Um, listen Charlie," George began nervously, running a hand through his hair. "I never got to apologise for it all. You know I had my reasons but I should have dealt with it all a bit better."
"You should," Charlie nodded seriously, before smiling a forced smile at the man. "Oh well, we were all young men back then. I could only have been what, twenty, twenty-one? We all make mistakes and I am not one to live in the past."
"I'm glad to hear you say that."
"So how do you know the lovely Bennet's then?" Charlie asked, attempting normal conversation. Lizzy could tell it was an effort.
"Ah, I've just been well and truly schooled, Charlie!" Wickham exaggerated, turning on the charm again. "I've just seen Lizzy and Jane here pull of the perfect Fiddle! And with an actual violin! Can you believe the balls of that!"
"The Fiddle," Charlie laughed. "God, that takes me back. Do you remember that time in Manchester with the duck and ….."
"There you are Charlie, you left me with Caroline in the Disney shop you swine ….." Will Darcy appeared interrupting, before stopping dead in his tracks when he saw George. How were all these people just appearing without notice in an open space Lizzy wondered.
However, she was wondering more at the current silent conversation that appeared to be going on between Darcy and George. George had gone even paler and Darcy had fury etched on his face. But Lizzy also saw something else behind his eyes. It was pain, she deduced. Sorrow. George seemed to gather himself and forced himself to maintain eye contact with Darcy.
"Will." he greeted quietly, Lizzy noticed the use of the first name.
"George." Darcy almost spat out through his gritted teeth.
"I didn't know you were in London." George attempted.
"Well, here I am. Come on Charlie, let's go."
"I'm going to head up to Brick Lane with the Bennets here," Charlie said cautiously. "Why don't you join us, Darcy?"
"I think not." Darcy said rudely, before turning on his heel and storming off.
There was an awkward pause.
"I'm sorry Charlie," George apologised to the man in front of him, eyeing up Darcy's retreating form. "Some people aren't quite as forgiving as yourself."
"Not to worry, not to worry." Charlie said, doing his best to stay cheerful, although Lizzy could see the doubt in his eyes.
"We're all going up Brick Lane if you want to join us, George?" Lizzy asked hopefully, both intrigued and curious by what had just transpired.
"No, no, I've got to get on," George put his front back up. "It was great to meet you all though!"
Lizzy smiled at him despite the disappointment she felt, and the group said their goodbyes to him, moving off towards the tube, Charlie offering his arm to Jane.
"Lizzy, hey Lizzy!" George called out to her, running to catch up. The others moved on and she was left alone with him.
"Sorry about all that," he apologised. "Me, Charlie and Darcy …. Well let's just say we have a complicated history."
"Oh?" Lizzy encouraged.
"Yes, we've all done things we're not proud of and a lot of my mistakes lie with those two. Not just mine, however, Darcy is equally to blame, if not more so ….. Anyway, I'm keeping you, don't mean to bore you with my boring shit! I'll tell you what, I'm going to work on the Southbank on Saturday, fleece those tourists! How about you come down at lunchtime and we can get a drink? I think I'd really like that."
Lizzy felt a small flutter again, and she couldn't deny her curiosity had been piqued. She agreed in a heartbeat.
"Excellent, I'll see you then. Meet me outside the Southbank Centre at 1? I know a place."
"Ok," Lizzy smiled. "See you then."
As she turned and ran off to catch up with the others, she had a smile on her face the whole way.
But despite the pleasure at a sort of date with George, there was only one thing running through her mind. And if she was honest with herself, it had been there all day.
Just who the hell was Will Darcy?