Pride's Prejudice (29 page)

Officer
MacAfee pushed a button and spoke to someone in a different part of the jail,
asking for the prisoners to be brought in.  A moment later, a group of
twenty-ish men walked in, each with a big white number around his neck. 
Beth scanned the line from left to right, gasping sharply when she saw who was
standing fourth in from the left, tousled hair and hands in his pockets. 
His plaid button-up shirt was ripped and stained with dirt and blood, and he
glared at the ceiling as if impatient at being subjected to such a
scandal.  Beth's mouth fell open, and her heart beat so rapidly she
thought it might fly out of her mouth.

"Number
four," she managed, "what's he doing in there?"

"We
arrested him at the bar with the others," the officer explained. 
"He admitted to instigating the fight, but denied any involvement with
last night's incident.  Said he was just evening some score.  And his
breathalyzer came back clean, which was odd."

Beth
snapped her mouth shut, thinking quickly.  The truth coalesced in front of
her eyes as she considered William's timely
business trip
.  He must
have caught the next flight out.  So, he hadn't lied at all. 
Something
had
just come up, and it was something he needed to take care
of.

Her
eyes filled with tears as she took in William's face.  He had a deep cut
above his right eye, and a large, fist-shaped bruise was taking up residence
around it.  His lower lip sported an impressive gash as well, and a
trickle of dried blood stained his chin.

"Do
you know him, miss?" Officer MacAfee pressed as Beth stared at William
with bleary eyes.

"Yes,
I know him.  He was telling the truth.  About a year ago, Jaxon did
the same thing to his little sister."  Beth swallowed. 
"Except Jaxon succeeded with her."

"Was
there a report filed?  Did they press charges?"

"He
went to the police, but they never found him, from what I've been told."

"Number
four - can you identify him for me?  Do you know where he was at the time
of the incident?"

"His
name is William Darcy.  He was with me last night, at a wedding in New
York."

"Hm. 
That's what he said.  Okay - I'll take care of that, then.  What
about this Jaxon?  Is he in there?"

Beth
tore her eyes away from William to scan the line again.  Jaxon stood about
ten people down from him.  Beth noted with pleasure that his face looked
far more gruesome than William's.  Notwithstanding, he had a smug look on
his face, and Beth glared through the privacy window, wishing it would vanish
so she could claw his eyes out.

"Fourteen,"
Beth said with conviction.

Officer
MacAfee smiled wryly at Beth.  "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss
Pride.  If you have time, I'd like to get a sworn statement from you about
the other incident."

Beth
looked back at William, who was glowering in Jaxon's general direction. 
Jaxon noticed his scrutiny, and Beth could have sworn that his Adam's apple
bobbed up and down.  "It would be better coming from William - he
knows the specifics."

The
officer nodded.  "I'll talk to him after he makes bail."

"Bail? 
But, he's innocent!"

"He's
still been arrested on charges of assault, and that's a misdemeanor, Miss
Pride.  We can't allow him to just walk out of here."

"Will
he have to stay the night?" Beth asked.

"Not
if he can post bail.  Will that be a problem?"

"No,"
Beth sighed.

Officer
MacAfee stepped closer, softening his voice.  "Look.  As a
citizen, I'm not saying he wasn't provoked, or that his actions weren't
justified.  But as law enforcement, a price has to be paid.  You
understand?"

Beth
nodded wearily.

"Would
you like to speak to him while I start the paperwork?"

Beth
felt the mashed pieces of her heart begin to regenerate and mesh, and she could
only nod.

~:~

William
paced in his cell, unwilling to sit on the filthy mattress that was pressed
into the corner of the room.  The guards had separated him from the others
after he had attacked Jaxon for the second time in the communal cell. 
Savagely, he hoped that the damage inflicted on Jaxon's facial structure would
be permanent.

The
door creaked open and the same officer who made the arrest stood before
him.  "Off-i-cer ….you're back!  Can I get you anything? 
Here, pull up a urinal.  Or there's always the urine-soaked cot if you'd
rather.  I hear the porridge in this place blows.  You should stick
around."  William had nothing to lose at this point, and mouthing off
gave him a malevolent rush.

Officer
MacAfee eyed him severely.  "Bail has been set at five hundred
dollars, and as soon as it's posted you're free to go."

"
Free
to go?
"  William's voice was callous and cynical, his smile
gone.  Was the cop egging him on?

"Someone
has identified the perpetrator, and verified your alibi."  He paused,
something like a reluctant smile stealing across his face.  "She's
waiting in the visitor's area for you."

William
felt disoriented for a moment, then cast his eyes down.  He shook his
head, smiling to himself and wincing as the cut on his lip cracked.

The
officer broke into his thoughts.  "Once you've posted bail, I'll need
to get a statement from you about a prior incident involving a family member of
yours?"

William
nodded as he clenched his teeth, not trusting himself to speak.  He'd been
given the feral bliss of beating Jaxon half to death,
and
would see the
law claim its debt as well.

Running
a hand over his stubbly chin William said, "Sorry about the
urinal/porridge thing."

"It
wouldn't be the first time, and it won't be the last," he answered with a
grin.  "Just do one thing for me?"  He eyed William
sternly.  "Give that girl out there a hug.  I think she was
probably already in shock - and then she saw you."

William
nodded, then made his way to the visitor's room.

Beth
waited with her arms folded across her chest and a frenzied look on her beautiful
face.  She looked tired and keyed up at the same time, her eyes bright and
sparkling with moisture.  As soon as she saw him, she broke.

"Why
didn't you tell me you were planning this?" she accused, catching her
bottom lip in her teeth to keep it from trembling.  "I thought…..I
didn't think you -"

"You
thought I didn't love you?" William finished for her, and the look in her
eyes was confirmation enough.  He supposed he'd been a little distant
after the phone call from Beth's parents.  At first, it was because he was
so horrified that his failure to deal with Jaxon had indirectly hurt
Beth.  He hadn't been able to think of one thing to say to her by way of
apology or even consolation.  Then, as she'd fallen asleep in his arms,
he'd decided that words probably weren't the fix he was looking for, and his
plan had taken shape.  At the airport, he'd been mentally ironing out the
kinks when Beth's row was called to board.  He figured the sooner she got
on the plane, the sooner he could deal with Jaxon.  The sooner he dealt
with Jaxon, the sooner he would deserve her.

Sighing
heavily, he pulled her into his arms.  "I couldn't tell you. 
You would've tried to stop me - and this was something I had to take care of
personally."

She
burned him with accusing eyes, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a
finger.  "This is how you take care of it?  By getting thrown in
jail?" she shrieked, displaying the blood on her finger to emphasize her
point.

He
grinned down at her.  "Well, getting beat up myself actually
wasn't
part of the plan, but you can't have everything.  Besides, you saved the
day."  He brushed her hair away from her face and locked eyes with
her.  "I love you, Beth.  That's not going to change. 
Ever."

Trapping
his face in her hands, she pulled his lips down to hers and kissed him
hard.  Shards of pain pierced his already tender mouth, and he flinched
involuntarily.  "Ouch!" he hissed, grinning as he wiped the
trickle of blood off his chin.  Beth tried to give him a stern look, but couldn't
quite hold onto it.

"You
told them about Gianna," he said, circling his arms around her.

Beth
shrugged.  "Maybe it'll get him a few more years."

William
laughed quietly, then touched his forehead to Beth's.  "Thank
you."

She
kissed him softly on the good side of his mouth.  "It's nice to be
the hero for once."

He
smiled wryly.  "Vigilante looks good on you.  It's kind
of……sexy."

Beth
beamed, then laid her cheek against his chest.  She sighed pleasantly as
William swayed, rocking her like a baby.

A
moment later, she looked up at him.  "Can we go now?  I think I
prefer the hospital to this place."

"As
soon as I bail myself out," William answered.

"Do
I need to call Gianna and get your bank account number, or something?"
Beth asked.

"Nope. 
I hit an ATM on the way to the bar.  We're all good."

Beth
was indignant.  "You withdrew cash for bail
before
you
assaulted him?"

William
shrugged.  "Made things a whole lot simpler, don't you think?"

Beth
rolled her eyes.  "You're a naughty monkey, and I'm never letting you
out of my sight again."

"I
like the sound of that," William answered.

AT
LONG LAST

"Let
other pens dwell on guilt and misery."

~Jane
Austen, Mansfield Park

Beth
followed her father through the front door, towing William behind her and
grinning at his overkill respectful tone.  "You're sure it's no
trouble, sir?"

"Don't
call me sir, it makes me feel old," her father answered.  "And
no, it's no trouble at all, young man.  You are welcome here any
time."

"Thank
you, s-uh…..thanks."

"Beth,
you can fix him up in Lindy's room."  He raised his voice for
William's benefit.  "That's the one right across the hall from
ours."

"Do
you mind if I shower first?  I'm kind of a mess."

"It's
across from your room," Beth answered.  "Come back here after
you're done so I can take care of your face.  And give me your shirt -
we're not even going to bother washing that thing."

"Yes,
ma'am," William intoned as he obediently unbuttoned and shed his ruined
shirt.  He had several small bruises on his chest and arms, and a few
cuts.  Beth sighed and shook her head as William grinned like a little boy
caught fighting at school.

After
William veered toward the bathroom, Beth took in her father's suspicious
look.  "What is it, dad?"

He
said nothing for a moment, then approached Beth carefully.  "You know
I trust you, Beth.  You've never given me a reason to do otherwise. 
But considering recent events, perhaps I should stay here tonight instead of
returning to the hospital."

"I
didn't know you were going back," Beth answered, surprised. 
"Whatever you're more comfortable with, Dad."  She almost
reminded him that she'd been staying with William in New York for the past few
days, and had managed to return untarnished.  Not that she'd exactly
publicized the fact that she'd stayed with William.

He
eyed her for a moment, then nodded in resignation.  "Your mother
really shouldn't be alone.  You know how she gets."  He paused,
not sure what to do with himself.  "And your William seems like a
decent fellow."

Your
William. 
If Beth could smile about anything today, it
was that.  "He is."

Sounding
his age, he said, "Call if you need anything."

"Okay,
dad," Beth agreed, kissing her father on the cheek.  After he left,
she went to her room and changed into a t-shirt and pajama pants.  She ran
her fingers through the tangle that was her hair, pulling it back into a stubby
pony tail off her neck.  In the laundry room cupboards she rummaged for
cotton, hydrogen peroxide, triple antibiotic ointment, and bandages, then made
her way back to the kitchen.

William
shuffled in a few minutes later, bare-chested with a t-shirt in his hands,
plaid pajama pants hanging low on his hips.  Beth turned, lest he catch
her ogling, and filled a glass with water.  She pushed it into his hand
with a "here, drink" and two Tylenol PM.  He complied in
silence, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Okay,
here's the stuff," Beth said, indicating the spread of medical supplies on
the counter.  "I'm going to start with your forehead - can you
scrunch down a little?"

William
gave her a scathing look before clamping his hands around her waist and lifting
her onto the kitchen counter in front of him.  "There.  No
scrunching
."

Heat
spread over her face as she tried to keep her eyes on her work and off his
physique.  She worked quickly, dabbing his cuts with the peroxide,
smudging ointment on them, and bandaging only the cut over his brow with gauze
and medical tape.

"You
look tired," he commented after a moment.

Beth
shrugged, dabbing at his shoulder now.  "I haven't really slept since
I got here - except a couple hours next to Lindy."

"How
is she?"

"I
can't even describe…..how
awful
she looks….."  Beth bit down
on her bottom lip and swallowed.  Absently, she shook her head as the
image of Lindy's battered face swam before her.  Blinking, she tried to
throw off the gravity as she capped the ointment and put away the gauze. 
"She'll probably be in the hospital for at least a week - they said she
lost a lot of blood."

William
took a controlled breath, gripping the counter on either side of Beth and
looking down as a dark cloud passed over his face.  Beth gripped his chin
and forced him to meet her eyes.

"This. 
Is.  Not.  Your.  Fault!  If anyone in this house is to be
blamed, it's not you."  She paused for efficacy.  "You know
the force that is Lindy, William.  You've seen it first-hand."

"It
doesn't change the fact that I should have snapped his neck at the Malt
Shop."

Beth
smiled, trying to lighten his mood.  "I don't think I could've gotten
you out of that one so easily."

He
sighed in resignation, hopefully too tired for the self-loathing to consume him
again.

When
Beth held his shirt up, he grimaced.  "You might need to help
me."

Spreading
the neck of his shirt, she gingerly guided it over his head and helped him
thread his arms through.  He winced in pain as she pulled the fabric over
his damaged chest, then let his head fall onto her shoulder.

"Ow,"
he moaned.

"What
hurts?" she asked softly, running her fingers through his hair.

"Everything."

"I
could kiss it better?"

William
looked up, a wry smile playing across his bruised lips.  "We've
already established that kissing makes my owies worse."

Beth
settled her arms carefully on his shoulders, clasping them behind his
neck.  "I'll just have to avoid your owies," she whispered, then
pressed her lips carefully to the small patches of unmarred skin on his
face.  William's breathing deepened, and he relocated his hands from the
counter to the small of her back.  When her lips brushed his earlobe, he
pulled her against him, planting his mouth on hers.  She could taste the
tender flesh of his lips, feel his warm breath mingling with her own and
filling her body with liquid fire.  Just when she thought he would stiffen
and pull away, he swept her legs out from under her, pulling her into his arms
and carrying her down the hall.

"Which
room's yours?" he asked in a broken whisper between kisses.

Hope
and dread contended within Beth.  The last thing she wanted was to be
parted from William, but sleeping with him in her own room seemed a poor way to
repay her father's confidence in them both.

"I
think I'll handle the tucking in tonight," she told him lightly. 
When he set her on her feet a moment later, she was simultaneously disappointed
and relieved.  "Let's get you settled," she said, pulling him
into Lindy's room by the hand and throwing back the covers.  When she
straightened and looked back, William was grinning.

"What?"

"I
thought I was going to have to beat you off with a stick, then use it to bolt
the door," he said.

Beth
looked down.  "My dad's staying at the hospital tonight.  He was
a little concerned about us being here alone."

"As
any good father would be," William said.  "And I'm glad to see
you have a little regard for your own virtue."  He smiled
tiredly.  "I don't know if I could've held you off in my condition."

"Don't
tempt me," Beth warned darkly, taking him by the hand and leading him to
Lindy's twin bed.  She met with no arguments when she pushed him onto the
bed and pulled the covers up over him.  Pressing a chaste kiss on the good
side of his mouth, she stood and headed for the door.  She paused in the
doorway to look back at him, to see his beautiful dark eyes one last
time.  But his eyes were already closed, his chest moving up and down with
swelling breaths.  After watching him for a moment more, Beth quietly
closed the door and put herself to bed across the hall.