Page 51 of A Certain Appeal
Ming grimaces. “That is some shady shit.”
Jane shakes his head. “It doesn’t make sense. Surely, they’ve both been deceived, in some way or another, gotten bad information from someone?” he says, as if the idea of such treachery is too foreign for his pure spirit to comprehend. I catch Ming’s eye, and she smiles at our friend’s unflappable good faith. “I’d hate to blame either of them if it’s all some misunderstanding.”
I laugh. “And now, Jane, please, tell me how we might forgive this mysterious third party with the ‘bad information.’ You’ll have to clear them, too, or we’ll be forced to think ill of somebody.”
Jane ignores the snark. “But can you imagine how”—his brows lower as he searches for a word—“disgracefulit would be if Darcy truly treated someone who’d been so kind to his father in such a way? Someone he’d known all his life? No decent person would do that.”
“Doesn’t have to be decent to be worthy of lust.” Ming places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You have my blessing to bone him anyway.”
“Seconded,” Chloe chimes.
“Thank you both,” I say, deadpan. “I don’t know. It’s all jumbled.And disappointing.” I meet Jane’s eyes in the mirror. “That night at Pemberley, he was charming and chatty andflirty—”
“Flirty?” Ming kneels to secure a pin at my waist. “He Who Could Not Be Tempted wasflirty?”
I hold my hands up, mindful not to shift the dress.
“Do you think we could double-date?” Jane’s question comes with an excited lilt.
“Don’t you dare bring this up to Charles,” I warn.
“I wonder if they’ve talked about it,” he muses. “Darcy’s with Charles in LA. Apparently he’s considering a move back here, too.”
Oh?According to Jane, Charles is looking into something permanent in Manhattan, a prospect that left Jane squirming in delight. But that Darcy might be sticking around, too...
“You going to be shivering again?” Ming points at my chest. “Warn me. You could put my eye out with those things.”
I stick out my tongue.
“I could ask Charles about Wickham,” Jane offers. “If you’d told me all this sooner I might have been able to find out before he left.” A little light goes out of his eyes. “I suppose it wouldn’t reflect well on Charles either,” he says, voice low, “if he’s friends with someone who could be so cruel.”
I wince. I didn’t consider that.
Jane’s phone buzzes on the bed. His worry vanishes. “It’s him,” he announces, barely able to get the words out around his smile, and answers with a cool, “Hey, you.” He waves goodbye to Chloe as he heads to his room.
I meet Ming’s eyes in our reflection. She rolls hers. She hasn’t brought up her “Jane needs to tone it down” theory sinceRed, White, and Boobs, but I have no doubt she’s still thinking it.
“As exciting as your possible romantic developments are, I’m still swooning over the news that you’re designing again,” says Chloe. I look at the phone, and she’s applying shadow to her other eye now. “I was preparing to have a come-to-Jesus over my visit.”
“Why’s that?”
She angles her head closer to the camera, filling the screen with her disapproving stare. “Liz, it’s been three years of you working at that office and kittening. What exactly is the endgame?”
I glower at her. “Is my mom putting you up to this?”
“Genuine curiosity on my part.”
“I don’t know.” I move to cross my arms but remember the pins and reconsider. “I could stick with Work It for... forever, I guess. And I like it. I’m good at it, and I’m useful. The pay is decent and I have insurance, plus it lets me do what I’d like with the show.”
“And for the show, you’re talking kittening, and now the design stuff?”
Theyesis already on my tongue, but what comes out is, “Not quite.”
Ming stops pinning. “Oh?”
“For the record, I am not about to abuse”—I point to my open bedroom door and Jane in his room beyond—“certainconnections. But with a new owner, we could have more opportunities. I just keep thinking about the way you all had to scramble when the owner effed with scheduling last month.”
“I remember Jane getting antsy about that. And there’s something I don’t get,” says Chloe. “Why does the one location matter so much? Aren’t there shows all over?”
