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15
It was almost six thirty by the time Elizabeth picked up her phone to call Jane. She needed to cancel for tonight; there was no way she could be around Caroline.
“Lizzy!” Jane answered. “Where have you been? Caroline and I were just talking about dinner. I was thinking about swordfish on—”
“I’m not going to make it. I have to cancel.”
“What? Why?”
Elizabeth sighed. “I really need to talk to you.”
“Why? What’s up?”
“That's just it. I don't really know.”
“I'll come over, okay? I’ll make up an excuse to leave. We can have a late dinner.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
They hung up, and Elizabeth glanced at her cell phone again, and read the text message Will had just sent.
Now I'm starting to worry. Where are you? Please call me
She couldn't call him. Not yet. She needed to sort through her jumbled thoughts, and knew Jane could help her do that. While she waited for her sister to arrive, she called Georgiana.
“Hi, Elizabeth,” she answered cheerfully. “What's up? Are we still on for tonight?”
“That's why I'm calling, actually. I have to cancel.”
“Oh. Are you okay?”
“I’m not feeling great. I'm going to stay home.”
“Do you need anything?”
“No, but thank you. I'm going to stretch out on the couch and binge watch something. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay. Get some rest.”
“That's my plan. I'll talk to you soon.”
She was curled up in a chair on her deck when Jane arrived a short while later. The air had grown damp and gray, and the sound of the waves lapping against the shore was the only indication that the ocean was just a short distance from the deck; thick fog had settled over the water, making visibility beyond thirty feet nearly impossible.
“What’s going on? Jane asked, and pulled up a chair.
“Do you know if Will and Caroline were previously…involved?”
“Um, I don’t–I don’t know.” Jane paused. “Well…Charles mentioned they had a history, but he wasn’t very specific, and he didn’t mention it untilafterI’d invited Caroline to dinner the weekend you came to Boston.”
“And you didn’t think totellme that?” Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m not upset with you. But last night, I got to listen to her talk about howdelightfulhe is—and it’s pretty obvious what she was referring to. I’m not naïve, I know he hasn’t lived the life of a monk. I just…I didn't expect to have to listen to her go on about his dating habits, and how I'm just a distraction, a little piece of Cape ass to fill his time until he gets bored. I guess he’s pretty predictable when it comes to women.”
Jane gasped. “When did she say this to you?”
“At dinner, while you were talking on the phone with Charles. She was chomping at the bit to tell me. What if she's right?”
