My Pride, His Prejudice (7 page)

“If you’re lucky.”
Stop. Being angry right now wouldn’t solve anything
. “Yeah, this evening is fine. Maybe around seven.”

“Are—are you all right?”

“Yep.” Just dandy.

“Er, well, I really owe you one. So sorry to throw this on you at the last minute. After we hang up, I’ll give Charles a call so he knows to take over.  I’ll make sure you’ve got a room out here—and you’re welcome to bring someone along, if you’d like. That way, you’re not feeling like this is all about work, or whatever. Maybe get a free vacation out of it.”

Why did he have to bring up Charles?  He had no idea how lame he sounded. But she also knew her mom would
never
forgive her if she found out she’d gone to Vegas anyway. “Actually, I was planning on coming down with someone this weekend. Would it be okay to bring them a bit early?”

“Wow.” He attempted a nervous chuckle. “So, that explains why you told me no. You’ve already got plans to elope.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes I do.”

CHAPTER TWELVE:

Will started to cough. Hard. Good. Maybe he’d choke to death.

“You okay?” Eliza grinned as she switched the cell to her other ear.

“Yeah.” He hacked a bit more. “Sorry. Just surprised, I guess.”

“Serves you right.”

“So, uh, what’s his name?” His voice sounded a bit more gravelly.

Why is he such a dork?
“There is no guy, Will. I was being sarcastic.”

“Oh.” He paused a second. “But you
are
bringing someone with you?”

“Yes.”

“Someone you’ve planned on traveling to Las Vegas with for a while now?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, okay. So, it’s a friend or something?”

She laughed. “You’re as bad as my mother.”

She could almost imagine his answering grin. “Sorry. Just curious, I guess.”

“Hmm… I know that feeling well. Especially over an email I can’t read.”

He sounded worried. “Did you read it?”

“No. I told you I wouldn’t, so I haven’t.” Good grief.

“Oh, I wondered if that’s why you’re mad at me.”

Oh, no—it was way worse than any letter. “Even when I try to hide it, it still shows, huh?”

“Eliza, I’ve known you long enough to guess if you’re ticked off at me again or not. I mean, how much of our partnership has been upsetting to you?”

Was she always angry? She was, wasn’t she? She couldn’t wait to find fault with him. “Well, when you put it that way . . .”

“So, to answer your question, yes, it shows. I guess I just know you too well.” He hesitated and then asked, “Would you like to talk about it?”

“Now? Oh, heck, no. Your sister is first. And then we’ll discuss my issues.”

“Do you want to know one of my pet peeves?”

The kettle whistled. “Sure,” she said as she poured hot water into the mug.

“It drives me nuts to have unresolved issues.”

“Oh, I know that.” She put the kettle back on the stove and turned off the burner. “I’m the exact same way. You have no idea how badly I’d like to discuss this with you.”

“In other words, you mean, tell me off?” His voice began to sound tired and groggy again.

She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “Yep. And it’s a doozey.”

“Nice.” He sighed. “Is there any way I can apologize for it now, tell you I’m an idiot, and we chalk it up to growth and change and…?”

Her heart softened, just slightly. “Don’t.” She took a deep breath. “Look, here’s the thing. I promise to be calm and as rational as possible when we can talk about this face-to-face.”

“Thank you.” He groaned, and then his voice changed. “Oh, Eliza, I’m just screwing everything up, aren’t I? I feel like I’ve messed up so much that I’m finally face-to-face with karma.”

“Hey,” she said. “It’s okay. We’re all stupid—we all do dumb things. It’s how we handle them afterward that matters.”

“I don’t know. I see my little sister asleep in the other room, knowing Joe has literally devastated her. I can’t . . . I can’t even function when I think of how much I’d like to repay him for his actions to her, right now. I have no words for the amount of fury…”

“Okay, Will. It’s okay. I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Maybe I can swap some of these appointments to next week.”

His voice cracked. “Why? Why would you be so willing to help me?”

“I don’t know—I just know I feel this pull to be there right now.” She looked blindly toward the sink, not willing to address the emotions swirling through her. “I’m so sorry to cause more drama this morning. I . . . seriously, my stuff can wait. Don’t think about it. It’s just a misunderstanding anyway, I’m sure. Right now, let’s help get some of this weight off your shoulders. It’s too much for anyone to bear alone.”

He inhaled a ragged breath.

“Can you talk about what Georgia went through at all?” She bit her lip, not knowing how to ask what she’d like to know without overstepping boundaries.

“Oh, it was bad, Eliza, it was so, so bad. And she’s only shared a portion of it. This is going to be a long healing process for her. She was in love with him. She thought they’d live happily ever after…” Will grumbled a few words and then whispered tersely, “And what she got was beaten, sexually assaulted, and left with nothing except the reality that this world was too cruel—too real—too painful to live in.”

Eliza gasped. The horror of his words chilled her instantly. The poor, poor girl. “Send the plane at one. I’ll be there. And email me your address and the list as soon as possible. I’m sorry, Will—I’m so sorry.” She couldn’t even begin to imagine what she’d do if such a thing had happened to her sister. She closed her eyes. It was better to remain calm and not hit something. “We’ll figure this out. We’re going to make this better for her. I promise.”

“I’m so lost, I’ll take any help I can get. Thank you.”

As soon as Eliza hung up with Will, she called her mother. It would seem that seven a.m. was early for her too. “Elizabeth?”

“Mom, how soon can you be ready to head to Vegas?”

“What? Are you kidding?” She could hear her mom rustling around with the covers of her bed.

“Yes. I know, sorry. Change of plans.”

“Eliza, I swear you’ll be the death of me. How soon are you planning on leaving? You don’t mean today, do you?”

“Yes, today. This afternoon.”

“Ack! I can’t go this afternoon. I have a lot of stuff to do before we leave!”

“Will Darcy’s private jet will be here at one to pick us up.”

Her mother gasped. “Well, why didn’t you say so? I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

After a frantic morning of phone calls and moving meetings and dealing with worried team leaders, Eliza was finally able to calm down enough to breathe. She didn’t even go into the office that morning and chose to relay all information from home. While on the phone, she’d been packing, and in between calls, she was making to-do lists to guarantee she wouldn’t forget anything. Then, of course, once that was all done came the tidying up and making sure the house didn’t have smelly trash left in it the whole weekend.

About three hours later, she was finally opening up the email about Georgia’s things. She printed off the list and directions to Will’s house. Eliza was surprised to find out that he lived right there in Bountiful, not too far from her. How was it that she’d never actually seen his house before? There had been plenty of invitations, all mostly business parties and the like, but it’d seem she’d managed to shy away from every single one.

She typed the address to the home on Hidden Ridge Circle into her phone and tucked Georgia’s list into her purse. Then she followed the directions from the email to the bank on Main Street. After speaking with the teller—who Will called earlier—and showing her I.D., she was given a small manila envelope that contained his extra keys.

It took a bit longer than she thought it would to drive up the mountain to his house. Finally, she punched in the key code at the gate and went up the circular driveway, and then slammed on her brakes. Not that she was traveling fast, but—

There honestly were no words for the gorgeous building before her. None. It was the most stunning revival of a Georgian mansion she’d ever seen. In fact, with the color of the brick, multiple stories, and sprawling wings, it felt as though she had traveled to England.

Her heart caught in her throat, and her hands begin to shake. All at once, she felt incredibly overwhelmed and confused—almost as if this was some practical joke and everyone was in on it but her.

As soon as her fingers stopped shaking enough to dial, she called Will.

“Hello?”

She burst out, “What is this? Where am I?”

He seemed concerned. “What’s going on? Are you okay? Are you lost?”

She clutched the keys and slowly got out of her car. “I—I don’t know. I think so. I hope so. I swear, if this is some sort of joke, it’s not funny, Will.”

“Where are you?”

Turning around, she gasped when she saw the amazing views of the city nestled in the valley below her, and the shimmering lake beyond them.  It was one of the most breathtaking sights she’d ever seen. “I don’t know. I followed the address you gave me, and now I’m at the top of a mountain at this seriously massive mansion, and I…”

He chuckled. “Yeah, it’s probably a bit much, isn’t it?”

“Shut it. This is yours? Like, really
yours
?”

“I wanted something that would last forever. I studied designs for two years and finally decided on that one. With the help of an incredible architect, we created this crazy big dream home.”

“Will?”

“Yeah?”

“I just . . . I don’t know—it’s . . .”

“You hate it, don’t you?”

“What? No! Definitely not. It’s overwhelming, but so, so beautiful. I would’ve never taken you for the Georgian architecture type. The brick, the grand entrance columns, the sculptured window casings—it’s like a home straight from when I visited Britain.”

“Well, that’s what I was going for. Something old worldly that I could transport here.”

She shook her head as her eyes roved over the incredible details all around her. “It’s like something from a fairy tale.”

“Go look inside. You haven’t seen anything yet. And tell me what you think of the kitchen. I know you and your kitchens.”

Her heart skipped a beat. She knew he didn’t mean to make it sound like he wanted her approval of
his
kitchen, but it certainly came off that way. And not that he’d ever need it. It wasn’t like she’d ever be living here.

As she walked up to the main doors, Will chatted on about the construction and brick and energy-efficient design—all the technical stuff that went into making the house. She let him talk. Her mind was racing so much over the complexity of such a place that she was only half paying attention anyway. The lock clicked open, and she pushed the French door in.

Stepping into the mansion was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. A gorgeous sweeping staircase beckoned her onto the gleaming light-colored marble floor. His taste was exquisite, like something you’d see in a magazine or TV show, not in real life. “Oh, wow!” she whispered as she closed the door and walked across the entryway.

“Did you make it in?”

“Just now. It’s so pretty, Will. Honestly, amazing.”

He seemed excited. “Okay, head to your right. Through the archway, you’ll see a hall. Do you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Follow it until it ends.”

She did, but not before marveling at the artwork, furniture, and tapestries in the rooms she passed by. One looked like a music room, another an elaborate office, and another an ornate dining room, with a long table that could seat at least twenty people. As she got to the end of the hall, she walked through the only archway there—on her left—and then nearly dropped the phone.

It was by far the most stunning gourmet kitchen she’d ever seen. “Look at that stove!” she cried as she practically flew to the large eight-burner glory, her hand gripping the phone. “I would kill to have this stove!”

“Perfect for entertaining, isn’t it?” he asked.

“I think if I had something this fun, I’d never make it in to work.”

He laughed. “Yeah, it can be hard sometimes.”

Everything was spotless. The marble countertops, the shining floors, the sinks—everything. “I’m impressed with how clean the place is. Looks like you’ve never used it.”

“Oh, I use it all right. I just have a maid who comes in and helps a few times a week.”

Of course he did. Eliza continued to snoop and pry into as many rooms as she could while Will took her on a sort of virtual phone tour. By the time she’d made it to Georgia’s room, she was almost running late. She still had to pick up her mom and then head over to the airport. 

With his help, she was able to collect the things on the list, which included an old iPhone, iPod, some clothes she’d left behind. Then Eliza added some toiletries, cosmetics, and a curling iron, from the vanity in the large ensuite bathroom. She found her robe, blanket, and then about five pairs of shoes. It wasn’t on the list, but when Eliza stumbled upon a stash of European chocolates in a nightstand while searching for the old phone, she also grabbed a few of them. She then put everything in a couple of large designer beach bags she’d found in one of the closets, as well as a swimsuit she’d found near the bags.

“There. I think that’s everything.”

“Actually, could you grab one thing for me?” Will asked.

“Sure. What do you need?”

“My Kindle. I forgot it.”

She chuckled. “I should make you read the books on mine—then you’ll know what true torture is.”

“I take it you’re not into mysteries?”

“Nope. Lots of self-help and romance.”

He groaned. “You’re right. It would be torture.”

“So, where to?” She was standing in the middle of the hall with shut doors all around her.