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His eyes fell away from hers. “I need to get the steaks on the grill. Excuse me."
* * *
Dinner beganas the most painful event Elizabeth ever had the displeasure of sitting through, but she was determined to enjoy herself and get to know Charles better for Jane’s sake.
She asked him about his job—he was a lawyer—and what he liked to do in his free time, and upon hearing that he was a fellow runner, she told him about the route she frequently ran in Falmouth. He expressed an interest in joining her, and they agreed to try and fit it in during the week.
He asked about her work as well, and she told him she was a project manager at the Marine Research Reserve in Woods Hole, enthusiastically telling him what it entailed. She purposely mentioned that she did a little photography on the side, but when she cast a quick glance at William, he was staring at his food, and she wasn’t even sure he was listening. She turned her attention back to Charles; she was enjoying her conversation with him and decided then and there that he was a perfect match for Jane.
It was quiet for a moment as everyone enjoyed their meal, until Jane spoke. "Oh, Lizzy, you've got to tell Charles and William the story about what happened on the beach today!”
Elizabeth’s stomach dropped. "Oh. Um, I don't think they'd be interested in hearing about that."
"Come on, they’ll get a kick out of it."
"Now I’m curious, so one of you has to spill it," Charles teased.
Jane proceeded to narrate the story of the rude, arrogant man, andalsomade it a point to say that Elizabeth thought he wasveryhandsome, but wasn’t sure if he was famous.
Charles laughed, but unsurprisingly, William remained silent. Elizabeth was dying a slow death, but was resolved not to show it.
"We came to the conclusion," Jane went on, "that he was probably having a sordid affair with the woman he was with and they were probably worried about getting caught."
From the corner of her eye, Elizabeth saw William's head snap in her direction, and she suddenly recalled Jane saying that his sister was staying with him. "Needless to say, it wasn’t a great way to end a lovely day at the beach," she mumbled.
Jane laughed. "I just think it's hysterical that my little sister would be mistaken for paparazzi."
That made Elizabeth grin, albeit self-consciously. She steadfastly refused to look in William's direction, though, and he was silent for the remainder of the meal.
"Well, Lizzy—can I call you Lizzy?—we should try to end your day on a better note,” Charles offered. “How about a walk while the sun sets?"
Everyone agreed, and they walked down to the yard below. The lawn was bordered by a fence, and once they walked through the gate they were on the beach.
At first they all walked together, but Charles and Jane soon lagged behind. The colors in the sky began to shift to hues of pink and orange, and Elizabeth sighed, wishing she was with better company. As it was, she and William kept a wide berth and remained silent. Feeling a bit self-conscious, she rolled up her jeans and waded into the water. It was cold but invigorating, and gave her something else to think about.
"Project manager?" he finally asked quietly.
"Yes."
"I assumed you were a photographer."
She arched an eyebrow. "You know what they say about people who assume, don't you?"
His gaze hardened. "Speaking of assumptions, youassumedwrong about the woman I was with. She's my sister, not a woman I'm having a—how did Jane put it?—asordid affairwith." He lowered his voice. "I'm glad I was able to provide some amusement. Nothing like having a laugh at someone else's expense, right?"
She spun on him. "You don't know me, so don't presume to know what I find amusing. Believe me, when you were accosting me on the beach, I didn't think you were theleastbit funny. Perfect gentleman, my ass. You’re the rudest, most arrogant person I’ve ever met!"
She splashed out of the water and turned back toward Charles's house, leaving William standing at the water's edge.
"Lizzy, wait!" Jane called out, and jogged over to her. “Where are you going?"
"Home. It's been a long day. Thank you for dinner, and please tell Charles as well. He seems sweet, though I wonder at his choice of friends."
"You just have to give William a chance. I know he seems standoffish, but he's a nice guy."
"And how do you know that? You said you've only met him once. Maybe you only think he's nice because he's Charles’s friend."
Jane sighed. "Fine. I know better than to argue with you. Charles and I are going down Cape tomorrow, so why don't we talk tomorrow night?"
