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“That’s the equivalent of a hearty laugh for Darce. He loved seeing Aunt Catherine at a loss for words. She’s a bit of a thorn in his side, constantly expecting special treatment as the president’s aunt.”
Fitz shifted in his seat, which had the effect of bringing him slightly closer to her, setting her nerves on edge. Was he interested in her? Was that the reason for the empty limo? Maybe he used his proximity to the president to facilitate his social life. Elizabeth’s stomach lurched. Despite Fitz’s easy demeanor and good looks, she felt no spark of attraction. Accepting the ride had been a mistake.
She leaned away from him, wondering when the spacious vehicle had grown so hot and stuffy.
“Elizabeth?” Fitz reached out to touch her knee.
She flinched. Well, this is awkward.
He chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. You’re a very attractive woman, but you’re not remotely my type.”
“What’s ‘your type’?” Elizabeth asked waspishly.
&
nbsp; “Tall, dark, and with XY chromosomes,” Fitz answered instantly.
“Oh. Oh.” Now Elizabeth had to laugh, too. “I definitely don’t meet that criteria.”
Fitz waved his hand negligently. “Plus, you’re practically taken. I’d never do that.”
What the hell did that mean?
Before she had a chance to ask, Fitz launched into a childhood anecdote about the president and his sister Georgiana at the Darcy family estate in the Hamptons. “—So we ran off and left Darce to take the blame!” Fitz laughed.
“Did he tell on you?”
“No. He took the blame and the punishment and never ratted us out,” Fitz said. “He was—and is—a great guy.”
Why is he so intent on making that point? I already voted for him.
“He’s also an incredibly loyal friend,” Fitz volunteered. “You’ve met Bing, right?” Elizabeth nodded, not trusting herself to venture an opinion of his character. “Bing and Caroline’s mother died when they were still young, and Darcy’s mother and father were like a second set of parents to them. Darcy has always felt a little protective of Bing, even though he’s only a few years younger.”
Elizabeth gritted her teeth. “Does Bing need that much protecting?”
Fitz shrugged. “He’s a bit of an idealist—a real romantic at heart. He’s always in search of ‘The One’ and always in danger of having his heart broken.” Elizabeth bit her tongue before she forcefully contradicted her host. “Recently, in fact, Bing thought he’d found her—the love of his life—but it turned out she was only interested in his father’s money.”
Elizabeth’s chest tightened. Could he possibly be talking about Jane? No. Nobody would perceive Jane as a gold digger. But surely Bing hadn’t met and broken up with someone else since dating Jane.
Fitz rattled on, oblivious to Elizabeth’s consternation. “Supposedly she acted as if her family had money, but they were just keeping up appearances.” Oh. Elizabeth felt queasy. Her family’s financial problems had torpedoed Jane’s chances with Bing.
Fortunately, Fitz’s eyes were focused on the passing scenery. “Even after they found out, Bing still wasn’t sure he could break up with her, but Darcy stiffened his backbone. He wouldn’t let his friend fall for a gold digger.”
The nausea hardened into a pit of anger as Elizabeth’s nails bit into her clenched fists. Swallowing, she strove to keep her voice level. “And how did they know this woman didn’t actually love Bing?”
Fitz shrugged. “I don’t know. There are women like that who have a string of rich boyfriends until one of them coughs up a ring.”
Elizabeth clasped her hands together to disguise their violent shaking. It was true that Jane’s past two boyfriends had been from wealthy families, but those were the people with whom the Bennets had socialized.
There was no doubt that Fitz was talking about Jane. And the president had encouraged Bing to break her heart! That high-handed, arrogant bastard! Making such appalling assumptions about Jane, whose heart was so bruised that she still refused to date. Maybe Elizabeth should order Fitz to stop the limo so she could disembark and find another way home. The alternative was eight hours in an airplane with that vile man.
Adrenaline buzzed uselessly through her veins; neither fight nor flight were particularly useful in this situation. Although if William Darcy appeared in front of her at that moment, she might be tempted to punch him.
“Are you all right?” Fitz watched her closely.
This was her chance. Elizabeth could claim a sudden illness and take a cab back to the hotel. But she would miss her mother’s birthday, and she had canceled her other flight.
Air Force One was a big plane, with a lot of people. Chances were that the president would be busy working with his staff, and she wouldn’t even see him. If she did see him…
