always had a beer in his hand, or later on, a bottle, but it’s not like he was getting into fights or passing out or messing up shows. And he was always so happy, I never thought he could be having a problem.”
Ronaldo Faust, lighting engineer,
Fitzwilliam Darcy (troubled): “It was my fault. I blame myself. I was so obsessed by what was going on with the music and the details of the tour, I lost sight of what really mattered. I lost sight of my cousin and my friend.”
Charles Bingley (looking surprised): “I had no idea he was in trouble. He never said anything. It completely caught me off guard.”
Caroline Bingley: “Once Darcy became aware of what was going on, when Richard was arrested, he stopped everything. He brought us all together, the band and the staff, and he told us that nothing was as important as the people here. So that night the tour ended. There was never any talk about getting a replacement drummer. It was over.”
Narrator: “Fitzwilliam was ordered by the courts to enter a rehab program as part of his sentence, and Bingley and Darcy joined him there.”
Richard Fitzwilliam (in a matter-of-fact tone): “It was the oldest story in the book. I told myself I could handle it, and I couldn’t. I was stupid and I had lost control of it.”
Charles Bingley: “Will and I decided that we were going to hang together on this. We are like brothers, the three of us, and what we have together is too important to let die. So we fought for it and for Richard.”
Narrator: “When Fitzwilliam was released in May of 2009, the band went back into the studio. Inspired by their experience, lightning struck again and their next album was recorded in less than eight weeks.”
Richard Fitzwilliam (laughing self-deprecatingly): “We seem to thrive on abuse. Hit us again and we will just swing back harder.”
Narrator: “On their fourth CD,
“The first single from the CD, ‘Bound,’ released August of 2009, went straight to number one and remained there for three weeks. It was followed by ‘Lost Myself’ and ‘Feel Me,’ which both hit number one.”
“The band toured in Europe and Asia during the second half of 2009 to record crowds. Now they are preparing for the North American leg of their tour, scheduled to begin in March.”
“Although critics have viewed the album as a success, the band is still trying to overcome their reputation for trouble on tour.”
John Willis: “The band is good, no doubt about it. I’ve seen the show, and it’s brilliant, but… the fact remains, of the four tours they’ve started, they’ve only completed”—
Narrator: “Through adversity, Slurry has managed to not only keep its edge but come back even stronger. The band has so far achieved startling success, and on the eve of their next tour, they show no signs of slowing down.”
Charles Bingley (grinning confidently): “People keep asking me, ‘Are you ready for this? It’s a big show.’ Let me tell you: We are ready to go. Let us out there!”
Richard Fitzwilliam (winning smile): “Do I know where we are going? Hell no! I’m here for the ride, baby. But it’s a good ride, and it’s not going to be stopping for a long time.”
Fitzwilliam Darcy (thoughtful): “I hope the band will continue to expand our style and our talents. For me, it is all about the music. That is why I’m here. My job is to make music, and the rest of it—the fans and the videos and the money—they’re nice, but they’re not what matters.
“Ten years from now I want us to be able to look back and be proud of our work and not say, ‘Oh, that was just a phase or a trend.’ I want our work to have lasting value. That is what I am trying to do.”
Chapter 1
It was long after 9:00 p.m. when the black GMC Denali pulled into the club’s crowded parking lot. The engine shut down, the doors opened, and three men and a woman exited the vehicle. The parking lot was full of cars; the sign announced that this was the Meryton Public House. The building had once been a chain restaurant of some kind but had long ago been converted to a nightclub and had numerous additions built. It was currently attempting a southwestern style of decor, but the result was simply shabby.
“Such an exotic location, Darcy,” the woman murmured softly over the shoulder of the tall man in front of her. “Are you quite sure we will be safe?”
Fitzwilliam Darcy turned his head, and his dark eyes fixed hers with a look.
Caroline allowed herself a brief smile before they were interrupted by the sharp staccato of high heels clicking across the asphalt.
“Christ! Are you people ever on time?” Anne de Bourgh swore through clenched teeth. She was a small, slender woman, with short dark hair and a stylish yet severe suit of black leather.
“Sorry, Anne.” Charles Bingley was the only one who felt obliged to reply. Not because he was the driver, rather that he was the only one who cared at this point.
“Caro, who are we seeing tonight?” Darcy asked, his boredom evident.
Caroline Bingley smiled inwardly, while shaking her head slightly. It didn’t matter that she had emailed all this information to the boys already. They hadn’t read it, just as she knew they wouldn’t. They were so predictable. “Tonight’s band is called Long Borne Suffering,” she said as brightly as possible.
“Some kind of Goth group?” Darcy asked dryly.
“No, actually, it’s a girl band. Two sisters and a friend.” Caroline consulted her notes. “Here we are: Jane and Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas.”
“Can we just go?” Anne snapped.
The group followed the shorter woman to the club’s entrance. There was no need to comment on Anne’s behavior; they were all feeling the pressure that was provoking her. It was a ridiculous situation they found themselves in. Slurry, the hottest ticket across the country this summer, had a problem, a serious one. Their opening act had left following the Asian leg of the tour, and no amount of begging or threats had been able to bring them back. This was the third act Slurry had lost, and the group had gained a reputation in the process. The word was out that Slurry was impossible to tour with. Rumor had it that they were arrogant, demanding, and out of control. Consequently every act on their “A” list was suddenly unavailable.
Hence they found themselves in the wilds of northern Westchester County, New York, looking at the best of the “B” list: groups that were good enough but hadn’t broken through yet and were hungry enough to risk the trauma of touring with Slurry.
This was the third band in as many nights they had auditioned, and the situation was getting critical. The tour resumed in just two weeks, barely enough time to get a new act ready. Besides that, the press was starting to notice the problem. They all knew that the last thing Slurry needed was more bad press.
Anne’s title was Artist and Repertoire Executive for De Bourgh Records, but in fact, her sole duty was Slurry. Slurry was the company’s biggest band, with revenues that outpaced every other act. It was her job to see that nothing happened to the prize cash cow.
As the group followed Anne de Bourgh through the doors of the nightclub, they knew the real reason for her temper. It wasn’t the wrath of the media that was keeping her awake at night. It was her mother, the Gorgon.
