One Word From You: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation (25 page)

“
Don’t go out through the lobby,” I warned them, “They’ll be expecting that. We’re going to have to stagger it so we don’t draw attention to ourselves. There should be an exit through the kitchen,” I said, using the hotel map stuck to the back of the door for my reference, “And another through the car park. Don’t go through fire exits, because that’ll set off alarms. Any questions?”

“
What do we do if we find her?” Georgia asked.

“
If she’s alone, convince her to come back to the hotel. If she won’t, then delay her from leaving you, and call me or Jenny. If she’s with Gideon then don’t approach them. Just keep them in your sights, and text back a location. We’ll let her parents know, and they can intervene. Agreed?”

They nodded, and gradually began to leave the room. Dad wouldn’t be concerned about the other girls heading out. It was the rest of us he’d be looking out for. That was why it was important for us to go last. Then, if we were prevented from joining the search, we’d already have teams out on the ground doing the work for us.

I should have been a military leader, because my talents were completely wasted at school.

“
Jen’,” I said when the room was empty of all but us, “Go with Charlie, Chrissy, and Meg.”

“
What about you?”

“
I’ll go with Will and Amanda, and Chantelle if she’s up for helping us.”

“
No,” she said, “I’m staying here.”

“
Big surprise,” I muttered.

She bristled at that, “Because if our parents knock, one of us should be here to cover for everyone else.”

“
That’s actually a good idea,” I said, making no effort to hide my surprise, “Okay, you stay.”

I didn't like betraying my Dad's trust. We'd only had each other for a really long time, and had built up a relationship built on mutual trust and respect. Throwing it all back in his face was harsh, but I couldn't do anything else in such a situation. The longer we took to talk and plan, the less likely it became that we'd get Lisa back.

Charlie left first, taking Jenny and the others with him. No one would figure them as the rebellious kind. I was the bad influence among my friends. Or that was what I had come to think. I was the one who'd transferred in, the poor girl, the one who'd gone to a normal school and learnt how the world worked outside of the bubble created by our boarding school.

Maybe that was why I was so quick to resort to breaking the rules.

“
Ready?” Will asked when we were the last ones left.

“
I am,” Amanda confirmed, “Beth?”

“
Always.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Such an evil.

Some of the larger groups had gone further afield, while we explored the piazzas which were popular with tourists. They were glamourous, popular, and everyone wanted to be seen there. I had an inkling that Lisa would, too. She was a socialite, always wanting to be the centre of attention. We weren't going to find her hiding around in alleys, or lurking in dark bars.

Gideon was another matter, of course.

At the
Trevi Fountain,
I had to stop Will and Amanda. They weren't going to like what I had to say, but that wasn't about to stop me. I told them, “I want to look by myself.”

“
What?” Amanda asked, “No way! You don't know your way around, and it's dark!”

“
She's right, it's too dangerous,” Will agreed, “I'm not letting you.”

“
I'm not asking for permission,” I retorted, “I only didn't say this in the hotel because I didn't want Jenny to lecture me. Besides, this way we'll cover more ground.”

“
We can cover that same ground together,” Will said.

“
Every hour, we'll meet back at the fountain, okay?”

“
No, that's not – Beth!”

I knew they weren't going to agree, so I ran. Obviously they were making total sense. Going off on my own was a huge risk, but I made a habit of taking those. Most of the time, I was alone anyway. I had my friends, and I had my Dad, and I was starting to think I had Will. But if I'd learnt anything from my mother, it was that the people you really counted on always ended up leaving you. That was why I only honestly relied on myself. Not out of a desire to be left alone, but because that was easier.

Even though it was late, there were still enough people around that I could hide in a crowd. I soon found myself in a wide alley way. Either side of me were enormous buildings, each with several open doors, with signs above them indicating whether they were stores or restaurants. I didn't know much Italian at all, and had to rely on a quick peek inside to discover what they might be selling.

I wasn't sure what I'd find first.

Gideon, Lisa, or an untimely end.

I forced my hands deep into my pockets, and kept a sharp eye while I walked. Although I'd said I would go back to the fountain every hour to meet with the others, it had been a big, fat lie. I wasn't even sure where I was, so finding the piazza again was almost totally out of the question. No, I intended to pace the streets of Rome until I happened across my quarry. And I had no intention of giving up until I got word that Lisa was safe, and back at the hotel.

After a few hours, during which time I had walked so far from my starting point that I was sure I was half way to Pompeii, I was back on a familiar street. Well, they were all looking the same in the dark, but I was sure I'd been there before. It had been quite close to the fountain, and that meant I was in danger of bumping into a very angry Will. While that thought wasn't exactly pleasant, it would do me good to get my bearings. I could set off in another direction once I had a better sense of direction.

A man staggered into me from one of the dingy little bars, and in an English accent said, “
Mi dispiace.
”

He might have been anyone. Just another tourist out for a fun evening while he was on holiday. But I knew the roll of Gideon's tongue, even if he was using it to spout crude Italian. I grabbed his wrist, and looked up into his eyes. Recognition flashed in them, and he tore himself out of my grip. He cast a furtive glance around, and soon understood that I was the only one there. The panic on his face subsided, and a lazy smirk crept over his face.

“
Il mio amore, chi è questo?
” the woman on his arm asked.

A woman who was
not
Lisa.

“
Va via. Io non sono interessato a te ora,
” he said to her with a smile.

Whatever that meant, she wasn't happy about it. Not only did she slap Gideon, but she saw fit to hit me, too. I couldn't shout an insult after her for it, because I didn't think she'd understand it. I just glared until she'd moved on.

“
Did you come all the way to Italy to get me back?” Gideon asked. His breath was positively putrid. I didn't know how many hours he'd spent drinking, but it could have peeled paint. When he leaned in, I thought I was going to choke on it. His hot breath beat against my face. In a sultry voice, he continued, “Did it eat you up with jealousy when you heard I was playing with your friend?”

“
Where's Lisa?” I demanded in a snarl, “What have you done with her?”

He stood up straight, and shrugged in an offhanded way. If he'd ditched her somewhere in the city, we might never find her. She was too damn proud to just walk back to the hotel and admit she'd been dumped.

“
Tell me!” I shouted.

“
I like when you're demanding,” he purred, “Do it again.”

“
I swear to God, Gideon -”

“
Try swearing to me,” he said, “Better yet, why don't you beg?”

“
If you've done
anything
to her, I'll -”

I squeaked in shock. Gideon grasped my jacket collar, and thrust me up against the wall. Italians were passionate, and they probably thought we were just having some kind of lover's tiff. My head collided painfully with the brickwork, and that wasn't even the worst of it. Gideon forced his knee against my thigh, effectively trapping me between the building and his body.

“
Step away, or I'll knee you so hard that you'll need retrieval surgery,” I warned.

“
Lisa's pretty fun, and easy, but you know that already. I had my eye on you as soon as I got into the school. I've seen your type before. You're so desperate to prove you can take care of yourself, and girls like you are so fun to break. You're a challenge.”

“
The only thing that's going to get broken here, is your nose.”

“
You see?” he asked, “That's what I'm talking about! All that tough talk, and all your sarcasm. I see through it, Beth. I know that you're desperate to be noticed, and to have someone approve of you. Someone like me. Do yourself a favour, and just enjoy it.”

The hell I would.

I raised my hand quickly, intending to break Gideon's nose with the heel of my hand. He wasn't in the mood to entertain my attempts. Swiftly, he slammed my hand into the wall, and gripped it so tight in his fingers I felt my skin begin to bruise.

“
You're not the only one who can play rough, Beth,” he whispered, “Did you really think you could hurt me?”

“
Maybe not. But
he
can,” I said.

“
Who can?”

“
Me,” Will said. He grabbed the back of Gideon's coat, and dragged him away from me. In his inebriated state, it didn't take much to make him stagger. With a little encouragement from Will's fist, Gideon fell rather dramatically over a table, and into the lap of another drunkard.

I was just a little bit impressed.

“
Are you okay?” he asked me desperately, “Did he hurt you?”

“
I'm fine,” I said, “But Lisa's not here.”

“
Yeah, she is,” he said, and pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

While I'd been wandering aimlessly, he'd had much better luck. Lisa totally blanked me at first, and stormed straight to Gideon. He was trying to work out which way was up when she kicked him in the back. He tumbled forwards again, and found himself on the dirty ground. Which was exactly where he belonged, in my opinion.

“
You son of a bitch!” she shrieked at him, “I hate you! I can't believe you'd – I just – I
hate
you!”

“
Please,” he said, sitting in the filth and smirking up at her, “You loved every second of being with me.”

There were no words to express her fury. Lisa shouted and cried, and beat Gideon with her handbag. As entertaining as that was, it wasn't going to help. I walked to her without Will's help, and gently encouraged her away. She wrapped her arms around me, and sobbed her apologies against my shoulder.

“
I know,” I said, and rubbed her back. I wasn't about to tell her that she was crushing my bruises. That would just earn Gideon another beating from either Lisa, or Will. The latter advanced on him, and I held out an arm to stop him. I shook my head, “It's not worth it. We've got Lisa, so let's go back.”

“
What about him?” Will asked, “You can't let him get away with it.”

“
I won't. I think it's time you reported him for what he did at your old school. A nice long stint behind bars should sort him out, don't you agree?”

“
Sounds good to me,” Will said, and turned his back on the disgraced teacher.

I trusted him to lead the way back to the fountain. Amanda was pacing back and forth in front of the impressive tourist attraction when we arrived. She looked both relieved and furious at the sight of us. I kept my arm around Lisa. Not just because she needed comfort, but also so I could use her as a shield. I didn't want Amanda to shout at me for leaving her side. Anyway, even though what I'd done was stupid, it had paid off in the end. Gideon had been publicly put down, and Lisa was back with us.

I let her sit on the edge of the fountain, and knelt in front of her. She was still crying, and I didn't have a tissue or anything to offer her. Her shoulders shook with each wave of sorrow. All I could do, was hold her hands, and tell her over and over that it was going to be okay.

I didn't actually believe that.

She was going to be grounded until she got married.

But that was for her parents to decide. I didn't have any power over what happened next. I just knew that all actions had consequences. Sometimes it took a little while for them to come about, such as in Gideon's case, but karma always struck in the end.

“
You know you could have been kidnapped,” Amanda said to me, “Or worse. What were you thinking?”

“
I was thinking about saving time. And Lisa.”

“
You were?” Lisa asked.

“
Duh. Why else would I fly all the way out here?”

“
I – I don't know,” she rubbed her hand clumsily over her eyes, and smudged all of her mascara in the process. Lisa wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging herself tightly when she reminded me, “I was mean to you before the trip. I said you were poor, and we argued. I thought -”

“
Sisters argue. It doesn't mean they don't love each other.”

“
You love me?”

“
I'm not saying it again,” I joked, “That's not cool.”

Lisa all but threw herself onto me. I fell onto my backside, and was grateful I was wearing a thick pair of jeans. She didn't have any issue with clinging to me like a child. While she was a little shorter than me, and a few months younger, we were pretty much the same age. And that meant she wasn't very light. I didn't complain about it. Not when she was so upset. Besides, it was rare that Lisa displayed so much affection for anyone who wasn't Chrissy. I usually just got a hug when she was overly excited.

I sat up as best I could, and squeezed back just as tightly. As I was stroking her hair, I asked Will, “Can you contact Charlie? Let him know where we are, and that we've got her. We'll have to spread the word that everyone needs to go back to the hotel.”