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“Please don’t say anything to anyone. It could still cause problems for Georgie if anyone found out.”
“No, of course, I won’t.”
“I know all this”—he spread his hands wide—“lying and hiding isn’t what you expected. It’s not what you’re looking for from…a friend. If you want to leave, I’d certainly understand, and no hard feelings.”
“Are you suggesting that this confession might make me think less of you?”
He gaped at her. “Elizabeth, I lied to the police!”
“To protect someone you love. It only makes you that much more admirable as far as I’m concerned.”
He shook his head in wonder. “You keep surprising me.”
“If only I could have gotten in the car with Lydia and stopped her from getting hurt.” Tears burned her eyes, and she bit her lip to prevent them from spilling down her cheeks.
“Last night you said that you took care of Lydia when she was little.”
Elizabeth swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah, my dad worked, and my mom was managing Jane’s film career. Lydia had asthma; I would babysit and make sure she used her inhaler when she needed to.” Ugh. The hangover made her ramble and sound maudlin. “Well, I’m sure you know how it is with younger sisters.”
It was getting too intense. Elizabeth drew her hand from Will’s and slid off the stool. She turned toward the windows again. “This view is…unreal. How long have you had this house?”
Will didn’t remark on the abrupt change of subject. “The property has been in my family for more than one hundred and fifty years. But the house is relatively recent. There was a more modest one on the property, but my parents built this one about forty years ago with the profits from A Beggar’s Lot.”
She peered down at the smooth carpet of green lawn that led to the jagged edge of the cliff. “How much land belongs to your family?”
“About ten acres.”
“Goddamn.” That would be worth a fortune.
Darcy stood behind her, sharing her admiration of the view. “I have a condo in L.A. for days when I can’t make the trip out here, but Pemberley really is my home. I’m happy you had a chance to see it.”
This simple statement took her off guard. “Why?” She twisted around to look at him.
He met her eyes. “Because I’ve often dreamed of having you here.”
Wow, he didn’t mince words. Suddenly she felt naked under his gaze and glanced hastily away.
“My feelings about you haven’t changed.”
“Is that why you brough
t me here last night?”
He frowned. “No. You were too drunk to be on your own.”
Surely that wasn’t the only reason. “But there were a hundred other places I could have gone.”
“You told me you didn’t want to go back to your apartment. It would have been irresponsible to leave you alone.”
It was as simple as that. He just wanted to take care of her—because it was the right thing to do. She cringed inwardly, remembering some of the things she’d thought about him. Things she’d said to him.
She’d been very comfortable feeling superior to him, hadn’t she? Believing he was a shallow, rich, pretty boy. But she apparently had been as wrong about Will as she was about George Wickham.
Heat rose to her face. “And we didn’t, um, you know…?” She made a vague gesture.
He chuckled softly. “No. You were drunk; I’d never take advantage. Besides, the last time I suggested such an activity to you, you rejected it in no uncertain terms.”
“I overreacted.”
