Darcy in Hollywood

“I thought you didn’t even like him.” Kitty narrowed her eyes. “Why are you suddenly defending him?”

Elizabeth said nothing, but the answer must have been written on her face.

“Oho!” Kitty exclaimed. “That’s it! A couple nights in the sack, and you’ve decided he couldn’t possibly hurt our sister. Did he promise you a role in his next film, too?”

“Kitty!” Jane said sharply. “That’s not fair.”

Elizabeth swallowed hard. “I’m going to be a doctor,” she said, trying to keep her voice from wobbling.

Mary crossed her arms. “That doesn’t mean you’re immune from his fame—or his pheromones.”

Elizabeth hunched in on herself, unable to think of anything to say that wouldn’t make things worse.

Kitty rounded on their father. “Dad, I don’t think we should say anything to the press until we have more information. We should let the police do their jobs and not get involved one way or the other.”

“I agree,” their mother trilled. “This accident cost Lydia some valuable roles. It was particularly sad that she missed the audition for the Froot Loops movie.”

Her father sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’m sorry, Lizzy. I don’t think Will is responsible, but I agree that we shouldn’t make a statement yet. Let’s wait and see what the police have to say.”

Just when everything with Will and her family seemed to be getting better, now Elizabeth was in the middle of a ten-car pileup. Tears burned behind her eyes, but at the moment letting her family see her cry seemed like something she needed to avoid at all costs. She had to escape before she broke down.

Elizabeth stalked to the door and slammed out of the room, ignoring Jane’s distressed pleas.

Will’s number was au

todialing on her phone before she reached the end of the hall. He picked up right away.

“Will—”

“I can’t talk to you, Elizabeth. I’m sorry.”

“Will—!”

He had hung up.

She dialed again; it went directly to voicemail. She hung up. A text pinged on her phone: My lawyer says I shouldn’t talk to anyone in your family, or it might look like witness tampering. I’m sorry.

No, no, no! Her thumbs flew over the phone as she replied: I know you didn’t hurt Lydia. We need to figure out how to prove it. We need to work together!!!

But a message came back instantaneously: The user of this account has blocked messages from this number.

“God damn it!” Heads from all over the hospital corridor turned toward Elizabeth as she threw her phone at the wall.

Chapter Sixteen

An hour later, Jane found Elizabeth huddled on the top step of the cold, drafty hospital stairwell. Nobody seemed to use this particular set of stairs at the end of a long corridor, so Elizabeth had believed she was safe to brood in peace. She hadn’t counted on her older sister’s persistence.

Initially, Jane said nothing; she simply sat beside Elizabeth on the step, a comforting presence. Elizabeth had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red and sore, swollen and sensitive. “I know he didn’t do it, Jane,” she said finally, noting how scratchy her voice sounded.

Her sister put an arm around her shoulder.

“You don’t believe he did it, do you?”

Jane sighed. “I don’t know what to believe.”

Elizabeth’s entire body grew heavier. If Jane wasn’t convinced of Will’s innocence, how could anyone else be?

Jane continued. “He didn’t show any particular interest in Lydia, but she flirted with him the entire time we were filming. She might have…you know…”