What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? (38 page)

Daddy,

I know this will come as a shock to you, and I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me eventually.

Ciaran asked me to come with him when the filming wraps today, and I’ve said yes. We’re flying to Paris this afternoon. I want to see a bit of the world and this is my chance – perhaps my only chance – to do it.

I love you and Em and Lizzy heaps. I’m very sorry but I hope you can try and be happy for me.

Charli xx

‘I was just on my way to Cleremont,’ Emma managed to say, and wiped at her eyes as Harry lowered the note and handed it back to her. ‘Daddy got in the car and took off the minute he read the note, and he asked me to stay home in case Charli returned. But I couldn’t bear to wait another minute.’ She returned the note to her pocket.

‘We just saw Lizzy,’ Holly said. ‘She and Hugh were going to Rosings.’ She didn’t elaborate, despite Emma’s quick glance of surprise. ‘Does she know about your sister?’

Emma nodded. ‘I sent her a text a few minutes ago and told her to come home straight away.’

‘Then let’s head back to Litchfield Manor and wait,’ Harry decided. ‘There’s really nothing more we can do.’

***

After borrowing one of Lady de Byrne’s mares, Lizzy rode alongside Hugh as they galloped across the fields to Litchfield Manor.

A thousand questions tumbled through her mind. First and foremost – what was Charli
thinking
? Surely she knew that Ciaran Duncan was older and far too sophisticated for her. While she could understand her sister’s attraction to the handsome actor, she couldn’t fathom her willingness to run off with him and leave her family behind.

This whole thing could only end in disaster.

They’d ridden for perhaps ten minutes and were nearly at Cleremont when Hugh slowed his horse. He waited for her to catch up, then pointed just ahead of them. ‘Isn’t that Charlotte?’

She reined in and followed his gaze. ‘Yes! And Ciaran, and Harry.’ Hope gave way to confusion as she shaded her eyes against the sun.

‘Holly and Emma as well,’ he observed, and frowned. ‘Harry’s just dismounted. He’s headed towards Ciaran.’

‘Oh my God, Hugh – Harry’s just thrown a punch! They’re fighting!’ She threw him a horrified glance. ‘We have to stop them before someone gets hurt.’

***

Harry staggered back from the force of Ciaran’s fist to his jaw as Hugh and Lizzy galloped up and dismounted.

‘You bastard,’ he breathed, and he and the actor circled one another like a pair of wary dogs. ‘I warned you to stay away from Charli. You didn’t listen.’

‘Stop, Harry,’ Charlotte cried, and ran up to grab his arm. ‘It’s all right – I’m not going with him. I told him so. Only please, please don’t fight!’

He shook her hand off. ‘It’s time someone taught your film star friend here a lesson.’

‘Harry,’ Hugh commanded. ‘Stop this now, before you land us all on the front page of tomorrow’s papers. Again.’

‘Sorry.’ Harry eyed Ciaran. ‘But I need to set Mr Duncan straight.’

‘Why don’t you quit talking and hit me then, Darcy?’ Ciaran taunted. ‘Was stripping me of the regatta cup not enough?’ He glanced at Charlotte and raked his eyes over her. ‘Or are you jealous that Miss Bennet wants me, and not you?’

Charlotte gasped. ‘I don’t want Harry
or
you, you arrogant knob!’

But the two men weren’t listening. Harry flung himself at Ciaran with a grunt of fury and landed a couple of punches before the actor slammed his fist into Darcy’s jaw with a resounding crack.

Harry dropped to one knee and knelt in the grass, gasping and spitting blood.

‘Get out,’ Hugh told Ciaran. His words were even but there was no mistaking the depth of his fury. ‘Get off this property. Now.’

‘With pleasure. I’m glad to be done with this place.’ Ciaran turned to Charli. ‘I’ll ask you one more time, Charlotte. Are you coming to Paris with me or not?’

‘
Not
,’ she said succinctly.

‘You were more than ready when you showed up at my trailer with your rucksack this morning.’

She blushed and glanced at the shocked faces of her sisters, then tilted her head back defiantly and glared at him. ‘Yes, I was. I nearly made a huge mistake. But I changed my mind. It’s a woman’s prerogative, after all.’

‘A woman?’ He snorted. ‘You’re a girl, Charlotte, nothing but a pretty, spoilt little girl with a crush on a film star. I haven’t time for any more of your childish games.’ He turned away and strode off.

‘I don’t have a crush on you,’ she flung after him, clenching her hands at her sides. ‘I never did. You aren’t even worthy of a crush, you – you selfish, arrogant, lying knob!’ She burst into angry, hiccupping tears.

Emma and Lizzy slipped their arms around her and murmured words of comfort and reassurance as Ciaran stalked away.

‘Why
did
you change your mind?’ Emma enquired a moment later, as Charli’s sobs subsided. ‘You’ve been crazy for him since the first day of filming.’

She blew her nose on the tissue Lizzy handed her. ‘Oh, Em – I was so stupid! Ciaran was everything I thought I wanted… famous, handsome, charming. I wanted him to be the first man that I…’ She broke off and blushed. ‘I wanted him to be the first.’

‘Oh, Charli,’ Lizzy exclaimed, dismayed. ‘You didn’t
sleep
with him, did you? Please tell me you didn’t.’

She sniffled and shook her head. ‘No. I didn’t.’

Emma pressed her lips together. ‘Well, thank goodness for that. At least you had the great good sense to control your impulses. And at least Ciaran proved he has
some
scruples.’

‘No, he doesn’t. He was more than ready to… to have sex with me,’ Charli admitted. ‘And we nearly did, on the
Meryton
, after the semi-finals race. I snuck out so I could be with him.’

‘I
knew
I should’ve told Daddy.’ Lizzy glared at her. ‘I should have told him the minute I realised you’d climbed out your window.’

‘What?’ Emma looked at Lizzy, aghast. ‘Charli snuck out to be with Ciaran, more than once, and you never said?’

Lizzy glared at Charlotte. ‘She was very persuasive.’

Emma whirled back to face her youngest sister. ‘All right, Charli – out with it. Why did you change your mind about running away? Why aren’t you on a plane to Paris with your Mr Wickham, right this very minute?’

‘Because I caught him kissing Cara Winslow. He had his tongue halfway down her throat and his hands all over her bum.’

Emma grimaced. ‘Well, I wish I could say I’m surprised. But I’m not, not a bit. I’m just glad he was true to form. Ciaran and Cara saved you – and us – a great deal of trouble in the long run.’

‘Charlotte? Charlotte, there you are! Are you all right?’

They looked up to see their father striding towards them across the field, red-faced and perspiring.

‘Daddy!’ Charli exclaimed, and eyed him uneasily as he drew up before her. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you, young lady.’ He fixed a look of such fury on her that she quailed. ‘I drove to Cleremont, but they told me you and Ciaran had just left on foot. So I drove back home, hoping to find you, but…’ – he levelled a glare on Emma – ‘no one was there either. Luckily, I looked out of my study window and saw you all out here.’ He studied each of them in turn. ‘Now, would someone kindly tell me what’s going on?’

***

After Mr Bennet was informed of the morning’s events and he and his daughters had returned to Litchfield Manor, Hugh and Holly followed Harry to his mount.

‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ she asked as she eyed Harry’s swollen eye and bruised jaw.

‘I’m fine.’ He brushed her sympathies, and his brother’s attempt at assistance, aside and swung up into the saddle. ‘I’m just sorry I didn’t finish what I started.’

‘Be glad you didn’t,’ Hugh said sharply. ‘Ciaran’s gone, that’s all that matters. Perhaps now we’ll have some peace around here, and an end to all of this nonsense.’

‘It wasn’t nonsense,’ Harry snapped. ‘I stood up for Charlotte.’ He scowled as Hugh and Holly swung onto their respective mounts. ‘It’s no more than you’d do for Holly.’

‘We’ll talk about this later. Now isn’t the time or place. Are you coming, Holly?’

She hesitated. ‘I’ll be along in a few minutes. I want to speak with Harry first.’

‘I’ll see you both later, then.’ Hugh pressed his thighs against the stallion and headed, grim-faced, back to Cleremont.

‘Why didn’t you go with him?’ Harry asked. His words were flat. ‘He’s your fiancé, after all.’

‘Not for much longer.’

He looked at her sharply. ‘What do you mean? You’re not breaking it off with him because of all this, are you?’

‘Yes, I
am
breaking it off with him. But not because of Billy, or Imogen.’ She paused. ‘And not because of an eleven-carat pink diamond, either. I’m not Jacinta.’

‘Why, then?’

‘Because I don’t love him, Harry, at least… not the way he deserves to be loved.’ She shifted on the saddle as Lady moved restively beneath her. ‘And I suspect he feels the same way. He’s in love with Lizzy. I think he always has been.’

‘Then why didn’t he ask
Lizzy
to marry him? He asked you, Holly.
You
.’

Her eyes swam, and she blinked. ‘I know. And I thought we loved each other. But now I’m not so sure.’

‘I don’t understand. You either love someone, or you don’t.’

She hesitated. ‘When Hugh came home and saw Lizzy again, I think he realised he’d made a mistake in asking me to marry him. I think we both did. But you know your brother.’ She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘He’s far too honourable to ever go back on his word, even if… even if it means marrying the wrong girl and being unhappy for the rest of his life.’

‘That’s not honourable,’ Harry snorted. ‘That’s crazy.’ He leaned forward. ‘You have to talk to him, Holly. Ask him straight out if he has feelings for Lizzy.’

‘What if he does?’ she asked him, stricken. ‘Then what’ll I do?’

‘What if he doesn’t?’ Harry countered, and tightened his hold on the reins. ‘Either way, you have to know where you stand. Both of you.’

‘You’re right, of course.’ Holly gave him a lopsided smile. ‘And you need ice on that jaw,’ she added, her smile fading as she saw the ugly, purpling bruise where Ciaran had punched him.

‘You mean a bag of frozen peas, don’t you?’ He attempted a grin, but winced instead. ‘Ouch. Remind me not to smile. Or laugh. It hurts too bloody much.’

Holly turned her horse around. ‘Right, let’s get you home, so I can look after that bruise properly.’

Harry nodded, and together they rode across the field, back to Cleremont.

Chapter 45

When Harry and Holly arrived at Cleremont, the reporters and news vans were gone.

‘What’s happened?’ Harry asked Higgins in a low voice as the butler let them in. ‘Not that I’m complaining, but where’s everyone gone?’

‘A bank employee just threatened to jump off the Longbourne bridge,’ Higgins said. ‘The media left quick smart. Everyone else is in the drawing room.’

Holly glanced over to see that the doors to the drawing room were closed. She heard the rise and fall of voices.

‘Shall we go in?’ she asked Harry doubtfully as she eyed his bruised jaw and swollen eye. ‘Your mother…’

‘No.’ He grabbed her hand. ‘Kitchen first,’ he commanded, and pulled her along behind him towards the baize door by the stairs. ‘I can’t deal with Mum and Dad and Hugh just now.’

A few minutes later, he sat slumped in a chair at the refectory table as Holly held a bag of frozen peas to his jaw. He winced. ‘Bloody hell, but that’s cold!’

‘That’s the idea. Hold it in place.’ Holly went to the sink and tore off a length of paper roll and dampened it, and leaned over him to clean the dried blood from his face.

‘Ouch,’ he complained, and drew back. ‘That’s my skin, Holly, not a – a dirty baseboard you’re scrubbing.’

‘Sorry.’ She gentled her attempts to clean his face. ‘I never knew you were such a baby.’

‘And I never knew you were such a sadist.’

‘Do shut up,’ Holly admonished him. ‘You want to be cleaned up properly before we see your mother, don’t you?’

‘Just try not to take my skin off in the process.’

Five minutes later Holly straightened and surveyed her work with satisfaction. ‘I can’t hide the bruises, or your swollen eye, but at least the swelling’s gone down and the blood’s gone. You don’t look half as bad as you did.’

He stood up. ‘Thanks. I think.’

Lady Darcy surged to her feet as they entered the drawing room. ‘Harry,’ she cried, and brought her hand to her chest in horror. ‘Your face! What’s happened?’

‘He and Ciaran Duncan exchanged blows,’ Hugh said from his seat on the sofa.

‘Again?’ Lord Darcy eyed his youngest son with disapproval. ‘This is getting to be a habit with you, Harry.’

‘Ciaran provoked him,’ Holly said, and laid her hand on Harry’s arm. ‘He nearly persuaded Charlotte to run off with him to Paris.’

‘“Nearly” persuaded?’ Lady Sarah echoed. ‘So I assume the Bennet girl changed her mind?’

‘She did, thank God,’ Hugh confirmed. ‘Mr Bennet was furious.’

‘One can hardly blame him,’ Lord Darcy said. ‘I don’t know how he manages those girls on his own.’

‘Emma and Lizzy have the good sense to stay out of trouble,’ Hugh said. ‘It’s Charlotte who keeps poor Mr Bennet at his wit’s end.’

‘That girl will end up pregnant and unmarried one of these days, mark my words,’ Lady Sarah predicted darkly. ‘She’s far too pretty for her own good.’

Hugh pushed himself to his feet. ‘If you’ll all excuse me, I need to go upstairs and change.’

‘Me, too,’ Harry agreed, and looked down at his torn, bloodied shirt and grass-stained trousers with regret.

Lord Darcy rose and tossed the paper aside on the chair cushions. ‘Another Darcy family scandal narrowly avoided, thank God. I’ll be in my study self-medicating with straight bourbon should anyone need me.’

Lady Sarah stood as well. ‘I think I’ll pop over to Rosings and make sure Lady Georgina’s all right. I hope all of this upheaval hasn’t proven too much for her.’