Page 54 of All For You

“Jane, please stop. Let’s talk.” I stepped in front of her and took her elbow.

It killed me to see her like this. Only last night, she’d been on a total high, laughing and joking with William and everyone else, comfortable like I’d never seen her with anyone before.

She looked down, obviously ashamed. “I can’t right now. It’s over before it began. He doesn’t want me.” She gasped out a sob. “I’m so embarrassed. Please, can we leave? I’ll wait in the car. Please hurry, Lizzy.”

This didn’t make any sense. William was head over heels for her.

“Jane, please tell me what you think has happened? This is such a shock.”

She raised her face, her lips trembling. “Please, Lizzy, let’s go. We’ll talk in the car.”

It broke my heart to see her so distraught. I hadn’t seen her like this since her dealings with her ex, who’d gaslighted her into a frenzy of confusion and low self-esteem.

I strode to the front door to get my things, Darcy beside me.

“I don’t understand,” I said. “Jane and William had a wonderful time yesterday afternoon and last night.”

Darcy was quiet, which didn’t sit well.

The look that Jane had given Darcy had exuded hurt. Disappointment. Odd from a woman who could never loathe someone and rarely disliked anyone.

I stopped and grabbed his arm. His face was closed off, totally different from when we were about to kiss, his eyes steely. “Do you know something about this?”

Knightley and Emma emerged from the front door, bags in hand. Darcy moved away, motioning me over. Then he shrugged. “Yes, of course. My brother and I are close. My job is to protect him.”

My job is to protect him.

From mysister?

“But you can trust me, and you can trust my sister. I don’t understand—did you have something to do with Wills pushing my sister away?” I asked. I held my breath, my nerves on fire and my stomach rock hard, because I dreaded his reply.

He pressed his lips so firm they whitened. “I cautioned Wills out of concern, but ultimately, he made his own choice. He’s been badly burned before.”

“But your brother looks up to you. You poisoned him to my sister.”

My whole body vibrated with anger, an acidic bile rising in my throat. My lack of good judgment about this man made me sway with dizziness. How could I have even thought about kissing him?

Darcy’s cheekbones reddened. “I only said to slow down and pointed out a few things to him.”

I drew back farther. “What did you point out to him?”

“That Jane didn’t seem to prefer him to anyone else over the weekend. But I certainly didn’t influence him.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “How could you not realize how much value Wills puts on your opinion? I know my sister genuinely liked him very much.”

His brows drew together into a frown. “I didn’t see that from her. No one would.”

I felt my eyes widen at his bizarre claim. “How can you presume to know my sister and how she feels?”

I stared at him, everything else dissolving. Voices sounded around me, Emma and Knightley coming and going from their cars. I could vaguely feel the dogs around my legs, but the rest of the world shut off with a slam, and my whole consciousness zeroed in on this man’s face and his words. I didn’t speak. I was waiting, I supposed, for an apology for what he’d done. Something to soften it so we could perhaps salvage whatever we were exploring…

He fussed with his shirt cuffs. “Look, I have to head back tonight, but I want to see you again. I could send a car for you tomorrow night. We can meet in London for dinner.”

“Are you kidding?” I fisted my hands, my chest heaving. He must have mistaken my speechlessness and staring for being entranced or flattered.

“You don’t want to go for dinner? Or you don’t want to come to London? I can’t come back here. I have too full a workday.” He took a closer look at me. “Lizzy, I didn’t ask about your thoughts, because I assumed I already knew. Do you share my feelings? I feel like you do.”

I was shaking—not with anger, but with something rawer, deeper, more humiliating. At him, yes, for what he’d done to my sister. But even more at myself.