Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star

“Well, De Bourgh never told me that, and since it’s my web page, and not De Bourgh’s, I don’t think it’s any concern of yours,” Elizabeth said calmly. “The sales off the web page fully support my decision.”

“I’d like to see that!” Anne snapped.

Elizabeth calmly produced a packet of papers from her case and passed them over to Anne. “For the purpose of comparison, I used the sales off Slurry’s web page,” she explained. “I think you will be favorably impressed.”

Darcy quietly took out a pen and scribbled on his napkin a note he passed to Elizabeth. It read: “How did you get the sales report off the Slurry web page?”

Elizabeth didn’t even look down as she wrote back one word: “Hacked.”

His eyes grinned at hers and he crumpled the napkin and put it in his pocket.

Anne put down the report and she looked at Darcy. “Is that what you want, Darcy? Audio and video downloads?”

Darcy took another slow sip of tea. Elizabeth saw him grinning behind his mug as she could almost hear Anne’s teeth grinding. “Yes, I do.”

“Fine!” she snapped. Looking at Sylvie, she commanded, “Add it.”

Sylvie nodded and looked pleased. “Now, about Long Borne Suffering,” she began with a smile at Elizabeth. “Your website is very up to date, isn’t it? But I do have some suggestions.”

Elizabeth frowned in confusion. “No, I’m sorry. I think you are confused. I do my own page for the band.”

“Oh?” Sylvie looked from Elizabeth to Caroline, who was staring at Darcy.

Darcy spoke up. “I asked if De Bourgh could take some of the load off you, Elizabeth, with the web page.”

“What?”

Darcy looked at the three other women at the table then rose. “Could you excuse us a moment?”

Elizabeth followed Darcy away from the table with an air of incredulousness. “What?” she asked him again, when they were alone in an alcove by the restrooms.

“It’s just that your career is taking off now, and I want you to have more time to focus on it,” Darcy said. “I’m not suggesting you give up the site; just let Sylvie help out a bit. When Anne told me she was coming down, I simply asked her to have your page reviewed. That’s all.”

“Where do you get the idea that I don’t have enough time to manage my own website?”

Darcy frowned. “Well, you are always on that laptop, Elizabeth, and you told me yourself you answer all your fan email.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed angrily. “Has it ever occurred to you that I might be doing something on my laptop other than the website?”

Elizabeth could see by his expression it hadn’t. “For your information, I’m spending the time on my computer doing web pages for my customers.”

Now it was Darcy’s turn to be astonished. “What?”

“You know I have a degree in computer science. Before you ‘discovered’ us, I designed web pages and networks for small companies.”

“Yes, but you don’t need to do that now.”

“I don’t?” she questioned him sarcastically. “Look, I’m not taking on new customers, but I’m not dumping my old ones either.”

“But you have your music career; you’re a success at that.”

Elizabeth laughed derisively, her eyes flashing. “You’ve never heard of a ‘one-hit wonder’? Until my music career is a lot more stable, I’m keeping my other business,” she explained. “And I’m keeping my own website, thank you very much.”

Darcy’s face was a blank. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I didn’t know. I was only trying to do what was best.”

“Of course you were,” Elizabeth said, her voice scornful, “because you always know what’s best.” She found that any warming she had felt for Darcy had evaporated. Darcy was exactly the arrogant, controlling jerk George had told her he was. Her rational voice told her that he had only been thinking of her best interests, and she had to concede that, but would it have been so hard to ask her if she needed help?

No, she told herself, this is his way to try to control her, and she wasn’t going for it.

Elizabeth left Darcy and returned to the table. She politely asked Sylvie about her suggestions, not willing to take Darcy’s arrogance out on her, and found she was favorably impressed with some of Sylvie’s ideas.

Darcy returned a moment later and had a low conversation on the other side of the table with Anne, then exited the restaurant, presumably to return to the bus.

“Sylvie,” Anne said quietly, breaking up the women’s conference, “I have to meet with Caroline. You can ride to the venue with me or with Lizzy here.”

Elizabeth smiled and offered Sylvie a lift on the LBS bus. As the tour moved out of the restaurant and to the parking lot, Sylvie indicated Richard and quietly asked Elizabeth, “Who’s that?”

Elizabeth smiled and informed her of Richard’s identity, marveling all the while at the amazing Fitzwilliam magnetism.

“Is he single?” Sylvie asked, her eyes trailing over Richard’s form.

“Oh, he’s highly single. But don’t expect any kind of commitment. He’s a confirmed bachelor.”

“So am I, so am I!” she answered thoughtfully. “But when I see an appetizing cake, I always try to get a slice.”

Elizabeth grinned. “Help yourself! He’s a whole buffet.”

*   *   *

Darcy sat on his bus with Rachel, listening to her voice with only half a mind. Damn! I really screwed up with Elizabeth this time. I don’t know what was bothering her before, but she sure has a reason to be angry with me now. Damn!

“Georgiana called; she is going to have Lars Ulrich’s love child,” Rachel reported evenly.

Darcy nodded then looked up at her confused. “What?”

“You remember Lars, don’t you? Drummer with a pushy attitude?”

Darcy’s face darkened. “That’s not funny.”

“No, it’s not,” she replied flatly. “But I was getting tired of talking to myself. Now, do you have anything to say about the quarterly reports? Or should I just chuck them?”

“You know, I don’t pay you to give me lip.”

“No, but you don’t pay me to put up with your crap either.”

Darcy took a long, deep breath. She was right, and he knew it. “Sorry, Rachel.”

“It’s okay. We all need this break,” she said softly. “I take it Lizzy was not a happy camper?”

Darcy shook his head. “Nope. I was trying to help her out, and I just succeeded in pissing her off.” His expression turned from annoyed to depressed. “I don’t know why I try.”

“She’s stubborn, just like you.”

“She is just like me. She’s so much like me it’s scary. You would think I would understand her better.”

“Yeah, you would think,” Rachel replied with a hint of sarcasm. “Maybe you need to understand yourself better, then you can understand her.”

Darcy regarded her for a long moment. “Let’s get back to work,” he said finally.

*   *   *

Charles felt as if the tour were falling apart. In the day since the girls returned, Darcy and Elizabeth were as cold to each other as he had ever seen them; Charlotte was hiding out in a dressing room during dinner while Richard was talking to Sylvie; and even Caroline had snapped at Alex over something Anne de Bourgh had said.

He looked at Jane, who also had a worried expression on her lovely face, and took her into an empty dressing room. Once there, he drew her into his arms and relaxed.

At times like this, he felt the only place he could be happy was in her arms. When he was there, he felt nothing could harm him. He inhaled her sweet scent deeply and kissed her honeyed lips, feeling her firm body